Sermon Text: Matthew 11:2-11
Date: December 14, 2025
Event: The Third Sunday in Advent, Year A

Matthew 11:2-11 (EHV)

While John was in prison, he heard about the things Christ was doing. He sent two of his disciples 3to ask him, “Are you the Coming One or should we wait for someone else?”

4Jesus answered them, “Go, report to John what you hear and see: 5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the gospel is preached to the poor. 6Blessed is the one who does not take offense at me.”

7As these two were leaving, Jesus began to talk to the crowds about John. “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8What did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? No, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9So what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you! And he is much more than a prophet. 10This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11Amen I tell you: Among those born of women there has not appeared anyone greater than John the Baptist. Yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Are You Sure?

Have you ever been incredibly certain of a reality in your life or a fact about the world around you, only to have that truth shot down in an instant? Maybe it was something pretty low stakes like learning someone doesn’t like some kind of food that you thought they loved. Maybe it was being certain that something was true, until a teacher in school pointed you to sources that questioned that reality of that. Maybe it was something much more troubling, such as someone keeping a secret from you that changed how you saw them or how you felt you could trust them.

Whether it was a teacher in school, or reading something in a book, or learning something new about a family member or friend that totally shattered what you thought you knew, you are probably familiar with that rug-pull feeling. You start to question if you know anything about that person, situation, or subject. And so, you might go back to that person or do more reading on that subject with the question, “Are you sure…?”

I believe that’s the situation we have here with John the Baptist this morning. We meet up with John and Jesus toward the end of John’s life. He is in prison for the most ridiculous reason—he had the audacity to tell King Herod that it was a sin to be sleeping with his brother’s wife. In fact, he’ll be killed for an even stupider reason: because Herod promised his lover’s daughter anything she wanted when she danced provocatively at a dinner party. The girl asked for John the Baptist’s head on a platter. Herod didn’t want to look weak in front of his guests, so he ordered that John be executed.

Now, if we take a step back here and look at this in the broader context of God’s plan of salvation, can you empathize with where John’s mind could have been while he sat in that prison cell? We know that John was long-promised forerunner of the Savior. Second to Jesus, no one had a more important role in this work. John, as the last Old Testament prophet, didn’t simply say, “The Savior is coming!” but was able to say, “The Savior is here! And there he is! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” At Jesus’ baptism, John saw the confirming sign of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove while the voice of the Father spoke from heaven.

Does it make sense, then, that John might not have thought that this is how his time on earth would come to an end, rotting in a prison cell for speaking God’s Word truly and accurately? John, of course, knew that Jesus had to become greater and John himself had to become less, but do you think perhaps he didn’t expect the bottom of his lot to drop out so drastically and completely? Do you think as he sat there he perhaps wondered if he, somehow, had made a mistake or had been misled? While John was in prison, he heard about the things Christ was doing. He sent two of his disciples to ask him, “Are you the Coming One or should we wait for someone else?”

Perhaps it wasn’t John who was struggling. Perhaps John was fine with all of this; maybe it was his disciples who were really wrestling with the situation their dear teacher was in, and so in sending them to question Jesus, John was really sending them to hear from Jesus himself what was happening. But whether it was John who was struggling or his disciples (or both), the point remains the same: they seek out Jesus for direction and confirmation that their hope was not misplaced.

Our Advent preparations are a lot of waiting and watching. Our whole focus last weekend was waiting for the Lord to do what he’s going to do. But are you sure about what you’re waiting for? Does the evidence back up what you’re hoping to happen? Or, does it often feel like you’re John the Baptist sitting in prison, wondering and perhaps even fretting that you’ve been misled?

For example, does your health reflect what you expect a believer in Jesus to experience? Do you think you should have more financial resources than you do? Do you feel like what God allows in your family and other personal relationships does not sync with his promised love and care? Do you have doubts and real concerns about what Jesus is doing or will be doing for you?

The proper approach to those questions is not what we might naturally do—stewing in frustration and convincing ourselves that God is unfaithful or has just forgotten about us. No, we should do what John did, what his disciples did, and go to the source and ask. Jesus, are you really the one that we should be waiting on? Should we expect someone or something else?

Jesus is clear elsewhere what we can expect to experience in this life. The love of most growing cold, hardships and burdens, crosses to bear both as Christians and just as sinners living in a sinful world. The idea that the believer should have an easy, healthy, wealthy, and emotionally happy life is a fiction we’ve created for ourselves because we want it to be true. That’s not at all what God has promised.

But if God loves us, why would he let these hardships come on us? If God loves us, why would he withhold blessings from us? If God loves us, why are things in life not just better?

What was Jesus’ answer to John’s disciples? “Go, 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 gospel is preached to the poor.” We heard many of those promises and signs in our First Reading from Isaiah about the Messiah’s arrival, and many of these are what Jesus summarizes and paraphrases here. He’s essentially saying to John, “You know what was promised, what was going to happen when the one who was promised comes. These very things are being fulfilled. Even if it doesn’t feel like it from your perspective, or things aren’t going the way you hoped or even expected, what was promised is occurring. Take heart.”

Jesus also gives this encouragement to John and his disciples, “Blessed is the one who does not take offense at me.” Jesus’ statement there could even be more strongly translated, “Blessed is the one who is not led to sin because of me.” Jesus knows that being a Christian, following him, truly living as he would have us live, is going to be difficult. Things aren’t going to go the way we want. At times, we may feel like John the Baptist at the height of his ministry, respected by the people and privileged to point out the Messiah. At other times, we may feel much more like John here, rotting in prison for doing the right thing. We may lose friends because of our faith. We may have health problems because of (or in spite of) the life choices we’ve made.

What do we make of Jesus’ encouragement then? Stay the course. Follow me. Hold tightly to the forgiveness I freely give to you. When we’re struggling to see Jesus’ work in our own lives, it’s probably because we’re looking in the wrong place. If we’re looking at ourselves, at our circumstances, then we’re going to miss it. But as Jesus redirected John and his disciples away from their present circumstances and back to himself, so Jesus redirects us away from the navel-gazing that we’re all so good at and instead directs us back to him. Rather than focusing on what I’m going through or how I feel, I want my primary focus to be on what Jesus has done.

And this is what Jesus is getting at when he says whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than [John]. He’s not talking about rank or privilege. He’s talking about blessing. Among natural-born people, John had the greatest privilege of anyone because he got to announce that the Savior had arrived. Yet, that honor is far less than the honor of being a part of God’s kingdom by faith, the honor of being a believer and having our sins forgiven. So even John’s greatness comes not from his role as the preparer of the way of the Messiah, but because he is a dearly loved and forgiven child of God, as are you.

Jesus’ goal isn’t to make things wonderful here—though he certainly will take care of us! No, Jesus’ goal is to ensure that we are eternally safe with him. That’s clear even in the stinger on the list that Jesus sends back to John, the gospel is preached to the poor. Those in need of God’s love and forgiveness have it. It is available to all—even you and me—as Jesus freely gives it in his Word through his work in our place.

Are you sure? Are you sure this Jesus is all that he’s said he is, that he has promised to be? By the Spirit’s work in your heart and mine, we can confidently say, “Yes! We are sure!” The pain and trials of this life won’t even be worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us in eternity. Until that day, my brothers and sisters, wait patiently for the Lord. His timetable and the circumstances around us may bring doubts to our minds and hearts. But hold firm to the one who saved you; hold firm to the one who loves you.

Hear our prayers, dear Jesus, and come with the good news of your mighty deliverance. Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria