Pastor's Sermon - December 14th, 2025 - The Third Sunday in Advent
Matthew 11:2-15
John the Baptist is a person. Are you shocked? Of course, we recognize that his birth was from a miracle granted to Zechariah and Elizabeth in their latter years, and we recognize that he fulfilled the words of Isaiah as a voice crying from the wilderness. But we still need to remember that he was still just a guy, much like we must remind ourselves of Jesus’ mother, Mary. They were people with sinful hearts and minds.
Even after proclaiming Christ to be the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world- the Son of God Himself, we see that John still has his own doubts and thoughts. He sends messengers on his behalf to ask Jesus, his own cousin, if He really was the one that they were all waiting for- the promised Messiah and Savior.
And Jesus simply says, “Yup.” And they all go on believing into eternal life. Right?
No! Make no mistake, Jesus could have simply said “Yup.” And He would have spoken the truth short and simple and that would have been enough. But that’s not what Jesus did. He knows the hearts of fallen men, and He knows our struggle with faith. We all know well the struggle of the father with the demon-possessed boy who so wisely cried out to the Lord, “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!” We all know well Thomas’ demand to see the wounds of Christ because the disciples’ tales were too unbelievable. We all understand John’s confession of Jesus to be the Christ, only to turn around in his own heart and wonder, “Is He really the Son of God as we have been told?”
Rather than just saying, “Yup.” Jesus feeds John and all believers with more substantial an answer. Don’t just hear Christ’s spoken affirmation (which, again, would have been enough). Instead, Christ points John and his followers to the prophets’ words- He directs them to the Word of God. Jesus refers to the prophet Isaiah who said, “Then 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.” Isaiah also said, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me… He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives… and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”
Jesus isn’t simply saying yes. He’s giving faith proof. Am I the Savior? Look at what I do. I fulfill the promises of God as given by the Lord’s prophets. I don’t just say yes. I do what God has promised would be done. I heal the sick, I cure the blind, I mend the lame… Christ has a habit of doing this throughout the Gospels. The father of the demon-possessed boy struggled with faith, and what did Jesus do. Yes, He spoke of course, but then He cast the demon out and proved His divine power. Thomas doubted the resurrection, and Jesus could have just told Thomas He was back. But He did more. He gave the proof. He showed the wounds.
Time and time again, Jesus gave proof to faith. He showed that the Word of God was trustworthy and that it was entirely fulfilled in Him. Any and all things promised by God throughout the ages have been fulfilled and proven true in Jesus Christ. This affirms to John and his messengers that there is no need to doubt or fear. It proves later to the father of the demon-possessed boy that there is no need to worry or despair. It proves to Thomas even later that there is no reason to disbelieve. And even now, Christ has proven to the Church that there is no need for faithlessness or doubt. The Word of God is just as true today as it was then.
The same Christ whose birth was a miracle. The same Jesus who preached and performed miracles all throughout His ministry. The same Jesus who miraculously was raised from the dead. This is the same Jesus who continues to work. The same fulfillment of Scripture then is the same fulfillment of Scripture now. God’s promises are true and fulfilled even now. We can trust Jesus- when we received that blessed Name in our baptism, the promises there are true. When we hear the words “You are forgiven in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”, that is true. When you receive the body and blood of Jesus at this table, the promises is true.
We gather in Advent to acknowledge that Christ fulfilled the promises of God. His birth fulfilled the promises made so long ago, even as far back as Adam and Eve. Yet, we gather in Advent with eagerness because we know that there is more to come. Jesus continues to fulfill promises. The day is coming when Christ will return, just as God’s Word promises. And when He returns, He won’t just tell us that we’re His and that we’re saved as God’s Word says. He will show it. He will judge us as God’s innocent people and He will usher us into the Kingdom of God, won for us by the marks on His hands and side. Then, like Christ did throughout His entire ministry, we will see the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers cure, and all those going through this great tribulation relieved of all their burdens and troubles.
So, yes, as we sang earlier! Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus! Yes, as we will sing, Hark the Glad Sound, good things are coming! And we can trust it!
In Christ’s Name,
Amen.