Prepare the Way
The Second Wednesday of Advent, 12/11/2024
Matthew 11:11-15
Rev. Christopher W. Brademeyer
That portion of God’s holy Word for consideration this evening is our second reading from St. Matthew’s eleventh chapter which reads as follows:
“[Jesus said,] “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. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”[1]
Thus far the Scriptures.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
For much of Advent, we get to look at the ministry of St. John the Baptist. He is understood to be the last of the Old Testament prophets, the final one whose job it was to foretell the restoration of Israel and the coming of the Savior of the world, the Messiah. John was very much like the prophets who came before him. Like Elijah, he spent time in the wilderness, being fed by the direct mercy of God.[2] He was a bit odd, doing things that seem strange to regular, everyday people, like Hosea.[3] He was wild and a man of the natural world, like the Prophet Shepherd, Amos.[4]
And this was not unexpected. The prophet Malachi foretold the return of Elijah, the great prophet of old.[5] This return was not, as some expected, a second coming of Elijah, rather, it was that a prophet would again bear Elijah’s mantle like a greater Elisha, that is, the foretold prophet would bear his prophetic authority and, in so doing, prepare the way of the greater one, the Messiah, the promised anointed one, He who would be anointed to carry out the redemption of the world and restore Isreal, indeed, who would bring all nations to Himself and bind them into His own people.
This is no small thing; these promises are an important part of the Old Testament and make up a relatively large part of the foretold promises of God through the books of the prophets. And make no mistake, John, who is indeed the Elijah promised of old, does indeed fulfill this promise. And such is his importance to the work of God, that our Lord Jesus says that John is the greatest born of women. That is to say, no mortal man is greater than John, no purpose higher than the divine calling that John has been given to preach repentance and to prepare the way of the Lord.
After all, what greater thing is there than this? Look at what this sinful world values of the utmost importance: military might, political power, wealth, status, and the like. And all of these will be swept away at the return of the Lord in the righteous fire of his destruction. No, John does not possess any of these things. Think of the people who we hold up as great, pivotal, and important figures in our history and life: Julius Caesar, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, the Rockefellers, and the like. John is not like these memorable figures. Instead, he, gets something much greater than the might of Julius Caesar’s armies, the political victories of Donal Trump, the wealth of Elon Musk, or the cultural status of the Rockefellers. He gets the eternal Word of God, he gets to prepare Israel and the world for the coming of the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord. He gets to point us away from dying and temporary things in this world to the eternal glory and majesty of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Certainly, no one is greater than this. Rome is no more; the might Caesar’s armies is a distant memory. President Elect Trump is at the height of his political power, but he will be unable to serve again in four years. Elon Musk is fabulously wealthy, this is true, but his wealth will go to others on the unavoidable eventuality of his death. The Rockefellers, once the great family of America are not the political and economic powerhouse they once were. But John? His ministry of pointing to Christ is as pertinent and powerful now as it has ever been. It is Christ who grants eternal life, everlasting salvation, and the complete remission of our sins. It is Christ who gives us new life, redeems our souls, who heals our wounds. And so it is very true in a flatly straightforward way that no mortal person born of women is greater than John, who was privileged to be this Elijah to prepare the Lord’s way.
But there are those greater than John. John is greater than those born of this world, but those who have been born again by water and the Spirit,[6] he ranks least. Not because he is unimportant, but because of the greater glory that comes by being a citizen of the heavenly Kingdom, the Church. That is to say, as wonderful of a ministry as John was permitted to exercise, it is far greater to be a recipient of salvation in Christ Jesus, the crucified Lord. To put it another way, the most important thing in the entire Church, the best seat in the Kingdom of God, is not here by the pulpit or there in the back, but it is wherever you sit that lets you hear the saving Word of God. The highest calling of the Christian is also the most basic: we are hearers of the Word of God, to receive the salvation of Christ Jesus the Lord, we are the most blessed of all creation. The Word of God creates faith, and, by this faith, we are adopted into God’s own household, the Church. We are not simply children born to mortal parents; we are now sons of God. And I say sons here not to exclude the ladies present, but to remind us that we are such because we share in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whose righteousness clothes us in His salvation and mercy.
The Church of God may suffer in this world, she may experience violence, but it cannot fall due to violent actions. Why? Because she is founded on Christ and in Christ, and He stands eternally victorious through His death on the Cross.
No one greater than John has been born to mortal, human parents, this is true, but we all have been granted something even greater: entrance into the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
In the holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.
The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
[1] Matthew 11:11-15 English Standard Version
[2] 1 Kings 17:2-6
[3] Hosea 1:2-3
[4] Amos 7:14
[5] Malachi 3:1-5
[6] John 3:5
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