Download "The Advent Answer To Doubt" (text)

“The Advent Answer To Doubt”
St. John’s – East Moline
Matt. 11:2-15
12/11/16
I. The Struggle With Doubt.
A. This week’s Gospel deals with a struggle that plagues all believers - our struggle with doubt. Some of you here
tonight have probably felt shame and guilt over it. I am here to tell you that at some time even the most dedicated
Christian will wonder if Jesus is really “The One”
B. Our Gospel shows us that even John struggled with doubt. He sent his disciples to Jesus to ask, "Are you the one
who is to come, or shall we look for another?" Yes, the same prophet who was promised to “Prepare the Way for the
Lord,” the same prophet who preached before he was even born by leaping for joy in the presence of Jesus while His
Savior was no bigger than a peanut in Mary’s womb, the same prophet who pointed to Jesus and said, "Behold, the
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) That same prophet had his doubts.
II. The Cause Of The Struggle With Doubt.
A. This doubt comes from the nature of Christ’s Advent – His coming. We could say that the Advent of Christ is a lot
like a trip to the mountains. When we first see the mountains on the horizon, they all appear to be about the same
distance away. They also appear to be a lot closer than they really are. It is only when we draw near to them, that we
begin to realize that those mountains that appeared to be right next to each other are actually many miles apart.
B. Bible prophecy is a lot like that. When the Lord gave a vision of the future to His prophets, that future appeared to
be one singular event. Now that we live in that future, we understand that thousands of years can separate the
numerous events involved in our salvation. So it is with the Advent of the Christ. He came once to take on human flesh
and save us from our sin. He will come again to judge the living and the dead and take all believers to live with Him
forever. We now know that these events are thousands of years apart.
C. This is the "now, but not yet" of the Christian experience. Paul puts it this way: "For now we see in a mirror dimly,
but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." (1 Corinthians
13:12) We know that Jesus is with us now, but we do not yet see Him as we will. We know that we already live in the
Kingdom of God, but we do not yet experience it as we will in eternity. As Christians, here on this earth, we live in the
"now, but not yet."
D. In last week’s Gospel we heard John’s strong message of judgment and God’s vengeance upon the evil doer. He
used phrases like: "… brood of vipers … wrath to come … the axe is laid to the root of the trees … His winnowing fork is
in his hand … [and] burn with unquenchable fire." It was clear to John that he was not only proclaiming the Advent of a
sweet baby Jesus and compassionate Savior, but also the Advent of a mighty ruler and terrifying judge. John expected
Jesus to deal in mercy and grace with those who repented, but he also expected Jesus to deal, immediately, in
vengeance with those who refused to repent. He was expecting Jesus to take the axe to the tree - to clean His threshing
floor - to throw the chaff into unquenchable fire, and to do it right now! From John's viewpoint these things were not
happening. He struggled with doubt, because He did not yet understand the "now, but not yet" nature of the Advent of
Christ. He could not perceive the distance between the mountains.
III. Jesus’ Advent Answer To Doubt.
A. When John's disciples came to Jesus and asked their questions, Jesus gave them an answer that brings comfort and
assurance, not just to John, but to all who believe in Him as the Christ. He said, "Go and tell John what you hear and
see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers1 are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised
up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me." Jesus asked
John to remember the words that God gave to the Old Testament prophets. They were words that told how at the
coming of the Lord “the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame
man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” As the Word of God in the flesh, Jesus is not only the
great prophet who gives us the promises of God, but He is also the God who keeps those promises and fulfills all
prophecy.
B. There are many people who criticize Jesus for the way He answered John’s disciples and so many others who asked
Him directly about who He was. They ask, "Why didn't Jesus just come right out and say that He was the Christ?" Some
will even say that Jesus never made any special claims about Himself.
I just want you to think about something: How many people in our world today actually believe they are Napoleon of
France or Cleopatra of Egypt. There are even people alive today who insist that they are Jesus of Nazareth. We don't
really give any credence to such people’s claims. In fact, we probably hope that they are receiving treatment from
caring and qualified mental health professionals.
C. It is one thing for someone to say that they are the Messiah. It is something entirely different to show that you are
the Messiah. So Jesus challenged John's disciples and John himself to compare His deeds to God’s promises. Jesus
invited John's disciples to look around and see what He was doing; to witness His actions. Because they saw prophecy
being fulfilled before their very eyes, they had great words of encouragement to take back to John in prison. This is the
message that allowed John to look beyond the near mountain in the certain hope of finally reaching the even greater
one beyond. Christ had given him the Advent answer to his doubts, so that he could continue to be bold and
courageous in his conviction and finally depart in peace.
D. The word of encouragement that we have in our day is even stronger than the word than those disciples carried
back to John. All the Gospels tell of a time in Jesus' ministry when He began to prophesy about a sign that would bring
even greater encouragement, comfort, and assurance. The Word Jesus offered his disciples was the promise that “he
must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the
third day be raised.” (Matthew 16:21) Now that is an incredible promise. It is one thing to predict that you will die a
violent death at the hands of the enemy. That was not at all unusual in first century Israel, but to come back to life after
dying - only the Messiah, the Christ can do that.
IV. The First Advent Gives Us Hope For The Second.
A. With this teaching, Jesus described the reason for His first Advent. He took on human flesh so that His mother could
lay Him in a manger [just as we heard from our children]. In that flesh He grew up in a sinful world and yet never
sinned. In that flesh He submitted to beatings and crucifixion. And while He hung on that cross, in the flesh, He
absorbed the full punishment for our sins. His friends buried His lifeless corpse in a tomb and yet, that tomb is empty.
B. That is no pagan myth or hero legend. Hundreds of witnesses saw Him alive after He died. They ate with Him. They
touched Him. They talked with Him. Their credibility is established because many of them refused to change their story
even in the face of torture and death. The historical evidence is clear beyond any reasonable doubt. Jesus Christ has
risen from the dead. This is the sign that is greater than the witness John received from his disciples.
C. We all have our doubts from time to time. But Christ’s first Advent, and the sure sign which He, Himself, offered in
His death and resurrection is the answer that keeps us bold and courageous in our conviction and will allow us to finally
depart in peace. The resurrection of our Lord is there for us whenever we struggle with doubt. The witness of those
who were with Jesus after His death and resurrection gives us historical evidence that Jesus lives. We can live with
certainty that Jesus is the promised Christ; Jesus is our Savior.
D. For that reason, we who live between the first Advent and the last Advent can look forward to the day when Jesus
comes, not again as a sweet baby, but as the mighty judge of the living and the dead. For on that day we know that we
will stand before Him, robed in His own righteousness. We know that we will hear Him say to us: “Come, you who are
blessed of my Father and receive the inheritance I have prepared for you.” This is the Word that will finally and forever
overcome all our doubts. Amen