Gaudete

The third Sunday of Advent is called, Gaudete, the first Latin word of the Introit: Rejoice, in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice! (Phil 4:4). And yet, as the picture on the front of the bulletin illustrates, the present circumstances may not seem like the time for rejoicing. John the Baptist had been faithful to his mission. He had boldly and faithfully pointed to Christ, saying, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” What sin had Jesus come to take away? All sin, including the sin of king Herod’s adultery. At its heart, John’s preaching was good news, but that’s not how Herod heard it. “Repent. Turn from your sin and be saved!” Is this good news or bad news? Herod and his brother’s wife decided that this was bad news. “How dare you say that it is adulterous for me to have my brother’s wife!” So, into the dungeon John went.

Preaching the gospel can be hazardous to one’s health. The prophets of old knew this. Every faithful pastor knows this. Telling people that their sin is forgiven often arouses hatred and hostility. “What do you mean that Jesus died for my sin? Are you saying I am a sinner?” So into the dungeon the prophet goes. I know many a faithful pastor who is currently in the congregational dungeon because he has spoken the truth. Most people are offended when the preaching stays generic enough: “Jesus died for all the sins of all the world.” But when the pastor calls out a specific sin of specific people, into the gossip dungeon he goes. Into the pay-cut dungeon he goes.

This is where our gospel text begins. When John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (Mt 11:2) John’s disciples want to know if Jesus is the real deal because, frankly, they have reason to doubt. Their master was faithful to his mission and what did he get for it? Prison. Clearly, something has gone wrong. This is not what they signed for. During the height of John’s ministry, all of Jerusalem was flocking to him—crowds of people, even Pharisees and Roman soldiers. Remember those days? Remember when there was standing room only in the church on Easter and Christmas Eve? Remember when they let you out of school early on Wednesdays in order to go to catechism class? Remember the time when the church was the social center of the community? What happened?

John’s disciples could look at John’s ministry and conclude that, by every outward metric, it was a failure. Things were going great right up to the point that John started talking about Jesus, and then the wheels came off the wagon. So they came to Jesus asking, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” This is a common question. Things are not going the way we planned in church. We didn’t sign up to be a faithful remnant. We didn’t expect to be swimming against culture. We didn’t know that there would be a cost to being a Christian. And so we ask Jesus, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

And when we can’t physically go to Jesus to ask Him, we take our frustrations out on His pastor instead. “Are you the one who is going to fix our church and make everything like it used to be again, or should we look for another? Are you the one who is going to preach sermons that make me feel uplifted and good inside, or should we look for another? Will you give communion to my non-practicing children when they come home for Christmas, or should we look for another?

How did Jesus answer? “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” (Mt 11:5–6). The disciples were losing faith that the kingdom of God was among them, but that’s because they didn’t know what to look for. Jesus did not say, “Go and tell John that membership is booming. Go and tell John that the offering plates are overflowing and the budget is in the black.” No, these things are not the marks of the church. These things are not how we judge whether our ministry here is being successful.

Remember, a successful ministry for John the Baptist means that he languishes in prison until he is beheaded and joins the rolls of the Church Triumphant. How’s that for some church growth? As I said in the first sermon I ever preached from this pulpit, if God ordains that St. Paul Lutheran Church buries its last living member and then we close the doors after 150 years of faithfulness, it is mission accomplished.

Disciples are often bad at knowing what is important. Jesus must teach us what to look for. He must teach us how to recognize the marks of His church. Go and tell John that sinners are cleansed, the deaf hear the Word of God, the dead are granted new life through Holy Baptism, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. Go and tell John that the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity and the sacraments are rightly administered. Go and tell John that the ancient liturgy of the church that buries the Word of God deeply in our hearts is being confessed, and the rich and beautiful hymns that teach the faith are being sung and cherished.

It’s easy to see how things in the church are not going according to the plan you had in mind. Or perhaps you can see what’s not going according to plan in your own life. “I’ve been following Jesus my whole life. I was catechized and confirmed. I attend church regularly. I live as a Christian. And this dungeon, this sickness, this sorrow is what I get in return? “Jesus, are You the Coming One or should we look for another?”

Take heart, dear Christian, for Christ truly is among us. Herod and his kingdom and his dungeon are passing away, but the kingdom that our Lord Jesus builds upon His Holy Word is eternal. Soon He will bring that kingdom in strength and glory, but for now, we must be content to recognize Him through the means He has appointed: His holy Word and precious Sacraments.

Jesus is not the Savior we would have chosen, but He is the Savior we need: the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And so on this third Sunday of Advent, even in this season of sorrow and repentance, even though the present situation resembles a dungeon, we rejoice. Gaudete! Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Phil 4:4–7). Amen.