The word "Advent" is from the Latin
verb "veno" to come and the prefix "ad" which means before.
We are focusing on how to prepare before Jesus comes to us personally in our
own time. In the Gospel Reading (Matthew 11.2-11) Jesus is using the visit of
the disciples of John the Baptist to explain what it was people were looking
for in John the Baptist. He uses this to explain who He is. Jesus is clearly
claiming to be the long awaited Messiah John was pointing to. You can not
prepare to meet Jesus if you do not know what or who you are looking for.
1. Jesus
asks if they were looking for a reed blowing in the wind?
Jesus is teaching about John and Himself by
explaining what John was not. A reed is weak and is blown about by the wind.
John the Baptist was the opposite. John was strong and unchanging in his
message. It takes courage to step out of a comfortable life and call people to
repent.
- John was very serious about his faith. He was very angry at the way
in which the religious leaders of his time had distorted the Hebrew faith.
He went out to find the authentic God himself.
- When God spoke to him he responded and made the sacrifices required.
Jesus describes him as the greatest of the prophets because of his
faithfulness.
- Then Jesus says something astounding. He tells the people that even
though John is great spiritually, the least spiritual person in the
Kingdom of Heaven is greater than John. Jesus is not speculating. Jesus is
stating a fact. How does He know this? Jesus knows this because he has
been there Himself. This is an indirect but clear claim to be the long
expected Messiah. It is spoken in coded language but it is not ambiguous.
2. Jesus
asks the people if they went out to see a king?
Again Jesus is teaching about John and
Himself by explaining what John was not. A king is wealthy and powerful and
lives in luxury and comfort surrounded by admirers. In contrast John was poor,
had no political power and lived alone in a very hostile environment. Why?
- John wanted solitude. John wanted to be alone with God and pray. He
wanted to avoid distractions. He wanted to get away from the polluted
spiritual atmosphere of Jerusalem.
- John wanted to live in a spiritual kingdom - an authentic spiritual
kingdom. This is why he needed to get away from the crowds of people who
were not really seeking a spiritual life.
- This is also why other people, who were seeking an authentic
spiritual life, came out to see him. These people also knew that they
could not find an authentic spiritual experience of God in the city.
- The Good news is that they knew what they were looking for and that
they found it.
3. Do you
know what you are looking for?
If you do not know what you are looking for
you may not recognize Jesus when He comes to you as the Holy Spirit. The people
in that particular crowd would have known what they were looking for. They were
looking for a Messiah who would do the marvelous things prophesied by Isaiah
800 years earlier. They were looking for someone who would change peoples'
lives as dramatically as pouring water in the desert, opening the eyes of the
blind, curing leprosy and raising the dead.
- Notice how Jesus communicates to the crowd and to John in prison in
code. He never says He is the Messiah. That would cause a riot, attract
the wrong people and get Him crucified.
- When the disciples of John ask Him if He is the expected Messiah,
Jesus lays out His answer in code. He instructs them to tell John what has
happened. The good new is being preached to the poor. The eyes of the
blind are being opened. People are being cured of leprosy. The dead are
being raised. This is actually much clearer and more verifiable that a
simple "yes".
So what are
you looking for?
Many people are not seriously looking for
Jesus at all. Others may be looking for him in the wrong places. Many people
underestimate Jesus. They may see Him very vaguely as a sort of Santa Clause
who somehow takes away their sins and gets them into Heaven.
- When you study the Bible you get a much different idea of what to
look for when Jesus comes into your life.
- If you feel guilt and shame because you have separated yourself from God by rebellion and sin, Jesus is the one who will take your guilt and shame to the Cross, forgive you and restore you to right-relationship with God
- If your life has been a struggle for acceptance and attention you may
find Jesus is the one who overwhelms you with love.
- If you have been terribly wounded by life you are looking for the
one who heals you.
- If you have been abusive and selfish in your relationships you
should look for Jesus as the one who weeps at the pain you have caused
until you repent and weep with Him.
- The experience of personally meeting Jesus is painful but transforming. Isaiah
described how radical this will be long ago - "… the eyes of the
blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped…Water will gush
forth in the wilderness…" (Isaiah 35.5-7)
Know what
you are looking for –
it will be an authentic personal experience of
the Holy Spirit and lead you through the pain of repentance, forgiveness and
healing to a life of love, joy and peace