May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: "'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

(Matthew 11:2-10)

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

In Christ, dear friends: You can see the central thought on the card. Jesus blesses those who wait on him. Advent is a season of "waiting", isn't it? We're all waiting for Christmas. It's not the kind of waiting that is idle and do-nothing. It's the kind of waiting that is full of busy preparation. Really our whole lives are this Advent waiting. Just as the Old Testament Christians were waiting for Christ's first coming, our whole lives we are waiting for Christ's Second coming. The trouble is that we sinners don't take waiting very well. I had to go get our Christmas stamps last week. The line at the Post Office nearly stretched out the door. As I began to wait, I thought to myself: I hate this; maybe I should just leave and not wait. But then I thought, No, I need what I'm waiting for, so I'm staying. Then when I finally got the stamps and was on my way I thought, I'm sure glad I waited. Waiting is like that-we don't like it but we sure are happy when we do wait and get what we waited for. This little Gospel is meant to help us in our Advent waiting, so we don't give up. Jesus knows we are not good "waiters," so he made sure we had this Gospel that tells us about how John the Baptism had trouble waiting too. And, Jesus blessed John-gave him the patience he needed-through his word. He will do the same for us. Jesus blesses those who wait on him.

Jesus blessed John as John waited on Jesus. When we survey the scene that Matthew places before us today we can see that John is in prison and that he is perplexed about something. He was in prison, the Bible tells us, because he had spoken up about a public sin of his king Herod. Herod had had an affair with his sister-in-law, his brother's wife. Not only did he continue in the affair despite John's condemning the relationship as sinful, Herod even got his sister-in-law to divorce, and then Herod married his sister-in-law. When John continued to speak out about this sin, Herod put John in prison. Now you also know why Herod's wife hated John the Baptist so much that she asked for his head on a platter when she had the chance to make such a request.

John is perplexed as he sits in prison. John knew his important roll in the coming of the Savior. He had faithfully been the voice of one crying in the wilderness. He had pointed to Jesus. John had spoken of Jesus in his grace-the lamb that takes away the sin of the world. He had spoken of Jesus as the Judge-the one whose ax was at the tree...who would cut down the impenitent...who would burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. John saw lots of the gracious mercy of Jesus. But where was the judgment? How could God let this happen to him? So John brings his question to Jesus. Are you the one, or should I wait for someone else to bring judgment?

As always, when Jesus answered, he gave more than was asked of him. He gives more than an answer. He gives words that strengthen as well as inform. You can certainly see me in my grace-healing and speaking the good news of forgiveness. That's happening just as you were told to prophesy, John. Now if the first came true, don't you think the second will as well? Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me-because he does not like how quickly I keep my promises. Wait on the Lord. Every promise will eventually come true. And so the Lord blessed John, gave him patience to wait for the Lord.

Jesus speaks of John as the greatest prophet. He was so because he was the one Old Testament prophet who did not say, "Some day Messiah will come, but Messiah is here now! John's work was a great blessing from God the people of his day. It is a blessing to us if we but listen to his words today.

Jesus blesses us as we wait on him. In prison and perplexed-those words can be said of us. It's not a prison of concrete and steel. It's the confinement of living in bodies enslaved to sin. What is your prison? I am a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. (Romans 3) It's the captivity of living in a world of decay and sorrow. By the sweat of your brow you will live in this sin-sick world. Dust you are and to dust you shall return (Genesis 3). And in Romans 8 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know what Jesus has done for us in our trouble. He is the Bringer of grace. This we trust. Yet we are perplexed as we wait for the day of redemption from evil. Meanwhile the wicked and evil seems to prosper around us. As Jeremiah once asked: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? (Jeremiah 12) Our question is the same: Are you the One or should we expect another? Must we look somewhere else for relief?

As always, when Jesus answers, he gives more than we ask of him. He gives more than an answer. He gives words that strength as well as inform. He points us to John's message. Why do you bring him up this time of year? Is it because he will bring you the latest ideas about how your life can be complete? No, for that watch the TV and read the books on the bestseller list. Then why does his name come up now every year? Is it not because he is God's prophet whose message is always relevant? Yes! So listen to him. He grabs our attention and pulls it away from our situation. He speaks to the people-share your tunic (don't think only of yourself). (Luke 3) He speaks to the Saducee, the tax collector and soldier in us all (Luke 3)-people who were thinking only of the here and now. He says: Prepare for eternity and do not think only of today. He speaks to the Pharisee in us all. He says: Do not think that God owes you better. Repent!

And listen to what John says of me, Jesus tells us. I am your Savior. What John says has truly happened. I have carried your guilt; I am the atoning sacrifice for your sins. You are children of God fit for heaven by my work. Nothing can change that fact. Now I who have died for you live. And I will certainly keep my other promises just as I have kept the one about saving you. I shall protect you now. I am greater than any trouble you now have. I will come to take you to be with me. As the Lord promises in Romans 8: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

And so we are strengthened. Amen!