Advent 3 Series A

Advent 3 Series A

(15 December 2019) 

Isaiah 35:1–10

James 5:7–11

Matthew 11:2–15

Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayer and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation;  

The Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ Brings True Rejoicing, Even Under the Cross

Sometimes life requires the astonishing patience of Job. Like him, we are to rejoice in the midst of affliction, be grounded in repentance under the cross of Christ and hope relentlessly in His resurrection, that we might see “the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11). Therefore, in the promise of the Gospel, “be patient” and “establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:8). Like John the Baptist, whatever your own kind of prison or suffering may be, call upon Jesus and receive the strength of His Word from those He sends to you. For as “the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up” (Matthew 11:5), so is the Good News of Jesus preached to you also. He comes and restores the fortunes of Zion, His holy Church, so that “sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35:10).

Mathew 11:2-15

Messengers sent from John ~ 

Matthew 11:2 

Ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης ἀκούσας ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ χριστοῦ πέμψας [a]διὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ 

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples

Matthew 11:3 

 εἶπεν αὐτῷ• Σὺ εἶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἢ ἕτερον προσδοκῶμεν; 

and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, (technical term for the Messiah, 'the Advent one'...) or shall we look (expect)  for another?"

Release from the prison (see Isaiah's prophecy) has not happened yet...

This is the Devil's temptation, "did God say?"

John's "best life now" is not very wonderful.  Yet he sends his hearers to Christ.  

Circumstances do not dictate strength of faith. 

The question is asked in faith. Thus it is a good question.  

Matthew 11:4

καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς• Πορευθέντες ἀπαγγείλατε Ἰωάννῃ ἃ ἀκούετε καὶ βλέπετε• 

And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see:

Matthew 11:5 

τυφλοὶ ἀναβλέπουσιν καὶ χωλοὶ περιπατοῦσιν, λεπροὶ καθαρίζονται καὶ κωφοὶ ἀκούουσιν, [b]καὶ νεκροὶ ἐγείρονται καὶ πτωχοὶ εὐαγγελίζονται•

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. (Literally "are evangelized")

The blind "look up" they see from above. 

The expected Messiah is here.

Pay attention to the verbs, because of Jesus, we are “raised up,” “cleansed,” “healed,” “have good news preached.”

Matthew 11:6 

καὶ μακάριός ἐστιν ὃς [c]ἐὰν μὴ σκανδαλισθῇ ἐν ἐμοί.

And blessed is the one who is not offended (scandalized on behalf of) by me." 

See the beatitudes of Jesus, "on account of Me"

The scandal is whom He will associate the poor, lowly, sick, imprisoned, weak, etc. 

How does God come to us? 

Matthew 11:7

Τούτων δὲ πορευομένων ἤρξατο ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγειν τοῖς ὄχλοις περὶ Ἰωάννου• Τί ἐξήλθατε εἰς τὴν ἔρημον θεάσασθαι; κάλαμον ὑπὸ ἀνέμου σαλευόμενον;  

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: 

Matthew 11:8 

ἀλλὰ τί ἐξήλθατε ἰδεῖν; ἄνθρωπον ἐν [d]μαλακοῖς ἠμφιεσμένον; ἰδοὺ οἱ τὰ μαλακὰ φοροῦντες ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις τῶν [e]βασιλέων [f]εἰσίν. 

What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.

Jesus will ask three questions."What did you go out to see?"  Defending John and speaks of the scandals that come in following Jesus.

"What did you go out into the wilderness to see?” A reed shaken by the wind?

John is an enemy of the king...thrown into prison, who will die a martyr's death.

Matthew 11:9

 ἀλλὰ τί ἐξήλθατε[g]; προφήτην ἰδεῖν; ναί, λέγω ὑμῖν, καὶ περισσότερον προφήτου. 

What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

Matthew 11:10

[h]οὗτός ἐστιν περὶ οὗ γέγραπται• Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου, ὃς κατασκευάσει τὴν ὁδόν σου ἔμπροσθέν σου. 

This is he of whom it is written, "'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.' 

 “Behold" Ἰδοὺ right here and now, before your face, in present existence, in time and space, “I send you my messenger –“  

"More than a prophet," is explained in v.11

Matthew 11:11

 ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐκ ἐγήγερται ἐν γεννητοῖς γυναικῶν μείζων Ἰωάννου τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ• ὁ δὲ μικρότερος ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν μείζων αὐτοῦ ἐστιν. 

Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he

This is a reference to Christ, ('let him who is great among you be the servant') and to the apostles ('one untimely born') 

Remember in Matthew's gospel less is great. 

Matthew 11:12

 ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν ἡμερῶν Ἰωάννου τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ ἕως ἄρτι ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν βιάζεται, καὶ βιασταὶ ἁρπάζουσιν αὐτήν. 

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.

Pharisees by the law, Zealots by terrorism, pagans by slaughter, e.g. Pilot mixing the blood of the sacrifice with worshipers.

The "days of John Baptist" are defined in vs. 13. John has a foot in both Testaments... He is the embodiment of all the Old Testament prophets and clearly proclaims Christ. 

Matthew 11:13

πάντες γὰρ οἱ προφῆται καὶ ὁ νόμος ἕως Ἰωάννου ἐπροφήτευσαν• 

For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John,

Matthew 11:14

 καὶ εἰ θέλετε δέξασθαι, αὐτός ἐστιν Ἠλίας ὁ μέλλων ἔρχεσθαι. 15 ὁ ἔχων [i]ὦτα ἀκουέτω. 

and if you are willing to accept it, (willing to receive it) he is Elijah who is to come. He points to Christ, I will send you the prophet See the last verses of Malachi 

Matthew 11:15

ὁ ἔχων [i]ὦτα ἀκουέτω.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.  

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software