Advent 3

Good Shepherd

2004 Pass Rd, Biloxi, MS 39531

Draft Is 40:1–11; 1 Cor 4:1–5; Matt 11:2–11; Ps 85; anti: v. 9   –     12/14/25

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

In a sense, by nature we are all languishing in prison, captured by Herods of our own kind. However, in the Gospel text we find John in prison not for his sins, but for his faithful work as prophet and preacher. It is rather John’s disciples who, though free, are in a prison of doubt while John, though in chains, is free because of his knowledge. Likewise, it is we who are in prisons of our own making; our Herods are our own sinful passions, to whom we have handed ourselves. As Rev. Petersen says, “We have indulged our fleshly desires. We have harbored grudges and jealousies. We have secretly hated and openly gossiped and lied about nearly everything. Everyone who sins is a prisoner of his lust.” (1.43–44) So St. Paul also says, Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, if you obey sin then that leads to death, (Rom 6:16) because the wages of sin is death (6:23). From which it follows that everyone who sins is subject to the devil, as St. John warns: He who sins is of the devil (1.3:8).

John the Baptist sends his disciples to inquire of Jesus, Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another? He does not do this for himself, for though in his humility he would deny that he is the Elijah who was promised to come, yet in his faithfulness he has prepared the way of the Lord and has, as a true prophet and preacher must, directed his hearers to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He sends his disciples so that they would cease to have hope in the one who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven, himself, so that they would cease committing the sin of despair, because their idol is in prison, but see that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus, knowing the intent of John and the need of these disciples, then shows them, Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers 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.

St. Matthew, in turn, has included this event for our sake so that we are not burdened by the sin of despair while we languish in our homemade prisons, awaiting the long expected return. John turns the eyes and ears of his disciples to the Christ, so also St. Matthew turns our eyes and ears to the Christ, that by the witness of Christ’s miraculous works of healing the infirm and raising the dead we might believe and turn from our sin and repent. The voice in Isaiah speaks well, All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades. Thus is the despair of the prisoners who know the weight of their sins. John had come to prepare the way of the Lord, to make straight the highway of our God in the wilderness, he did this in part through preaching against the sins of the people. He did this, as Isaiah and Elijah had before him, by showing the feebleness of men and the wickedness of our hearts. He did this by calling upon all, Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand (Mt 3:2). This is his same work yet again, but for his disciples because though they had repented of their sins, their lack of faith yet held them in the prison of despair. This is still the same work of Matthew for us, that while our hearts dwell on our old sins and grow impatient we remain prisoners.

Do you perceive in your own hearts any sins that yet hold you captive? Do any of your earthly passions still govern your thoughts and your actions? As Rev. Petersen said earlier, have you indulged your fleshly desires? Do you harbor a grudge against your brother or your neighbor? Are you jealous or envious of any one? Do you secretly hate anyone, whether family, former friend, or stranger? Do you gossip thinking it not a very important sin? What about lies? Do you tell them to others? Do you lie even to yourself, even about your own sins? Are you in fact the prisoner of your lust and a slave of the devil? Do you choose sports or work or even sleep over church? Do you fear you will be in want of money? Or, as with John’s disciples, do you see the worsening of the country and the world, do you see the long delay in Christ’s return, and begin to doubt to the point of despair? If any of these are true, then you yet remain a captive to your own little Herods. You invite God’s wrath against you. Repent.

There is more that St. Paul said than I quoted, just as there is more that Isaiah said and there is much that the sons of Korah sang which are intended to free you from the prison of sin and are intended to comfort your heart. Isaiah continues after he said that men are grass, but the word of our God will stand forever. Then how does he begin this chapter? Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. These are not the words of condemnation due unfaithful Jerusalem, nor unfaithful us. These are God’s words of forgiveness, which words Isaiah reminds us stand forever. Furthermore, Isaiah with John the Baptist declares, Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. John’s disciples must put their hope in the One of Whom John prophesied, so also must we, for it is He of Whom the Korahites sang You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. The Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world takes the sins of the disciples, He takes your sins and sets you free from your prison.

Hear what more the sons of Korah sing and know that it is God’s promise to you who believe in Christ, Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; remember what Galatians 3 says, For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ (27). If you have put on Christ than you have become God’s people. The sons continue, but let them not turn back to folly, this is what happened to John’s disciples: they confessed their sins and received the baptism of repentance at John’s hands, but returned to folly when John was imprisoned. You Christians face the same danger, which is why you must ever turn your eyes and ears to the witness of the Gospels. Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. If you fear God, that is, believe His Word and trust in the death and resurrection of His Son, you have salvation and Christ has given you His righteousness in baptism.

Then hear again what St. Paul said, Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, but note that I left off the end of the verse when I quoted it earlier, he closes thus, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? that is, you who are children of Abraham by faith, you who are joined to Christ in baptism, as St. Paul shows earlier in Romans, need not obey your sins and your passions. In His death on the cross Jesus broke the chains of sin and set you free from the devil’s prison. Christ has liberated you just as truly as He restored sight to the blind, walking to the lame, healthy skin to the lepers, hearing to the deaf, and life to the dead. As certain as you can be of those miracles you can be that God in Christ has declared you innocent because His Son took the guilt of your sin and paid the price for it. Thus set free sin and the devil are no longer your masters to command you to do evil leading to death; God in Christ is rather your Lord Whom you obey in righteousness.

John knew that Jesus had come to save His people; even while in Herod’s chains John believed. You who are not in physical chains, look at the witness of God’s Word that Jesus is the Messiah long foretold. He has indeed already come to save you, reconcile you to God the Father, give you the Holy Spirit, and He has already chained the devil. So great is His work for us that the prison bars of sin cannot stand against Him or hold anyone whom Jesus desires to free. Amen.

Now the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen