Joy in Christ

Joy in Christ
Matthew 11: 1 – 15.


I. Introduction.

In the story of the first Christmas, Luke tells us there were shepherds out in the fields watching their flocks at night. These shepherds were simply doing their daily job of taking care of sheep, when suddenly a choir of angels appeared to announce the birth of a new king. Of course, this was not just any king. This was the birth of Jesus, the Son of God.

The angels told the shepherds that this was no ordinary birth and Jesus was no ordinary king when they said, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people (Luke 2: 10 NIV).”

The birth of Jesus is Good News of Great Joy for All People. Perhaps this is why our Advent theme for today is Joy. Christmas is supposed to bring us Joy.

Last week our Advent theme was Peace. It’s hard to think about Peace when the world is at conflict. But Peace is not found in the absence of conflict. True Peace only comes from the presence of God in our lives.

We might make the same argument about true Joy. Many people have a hard time thinking about Joy during the Christmas season. People who are experiencing Christmas for the first time without their loved ones don’t think of Christmas as a time of Joy.

In the New Testament Book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul writes a great deal about Joy. He tells the Christians at Philippi to rejoice in all things and to rejoice in all circumstances. Remarkably, Paul’s circumstances at the time he wrote those words were not what we might call joyous circumstances. He was not on the top of the world at the time. He was not experiencing an easy life at the time. No. Paul wrote those words from prison.

If Paul can write about Joy while he was in prison, then I think we can safely assume that true Joy does not depend on our current circumstances. Circumstances can change very quickly. Circumstances can bring happiness. But Joy must come from something else. Our Joy must depend on something that can never change.

Our Scripture today is not about the Apostle Paul. It is a story from the life of John the Baptist. But, John had at least one thing in common with Paul…John spent some time in prison. John was in prison, because he spoke out against the sins of King Herod.


Read Matthew 11: 1 – 15.
1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.
2 When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples
3 to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"
4 Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see:
5 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.
6 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."
7 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?
8 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.
9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
10 This is the one about whom it is written: "'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'
11 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.
12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.
13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.
15 He who has ears, let him hear.(NIV)



John the Baptist started out as a very popular preacher. He didn’t preach in the Jerusalem Temple or in one of the important Jewish synagogues. He preached in the desert. But, his popularity did not depend on where he preached. John was popular because of his message.

John’s message does not sound very popular. Most of his sermons were about repentance. John told the Jewish people that they were living in sin and needed to repent of their sins. He told them to turn away from their sins and turn toward God. This is not what made his message popular—no one likes to hear about their sins. John was popular because he announced the coming of the Messiah.

In Matthew 3, John preached about baptism. He said, “I baptize you with water, but the coming one will baptize you with Holy Spirit and fire.” John made a distinction between himself and the coming Messiah. Their messages might be similar, but they were different. John knew that he was not the Messiah. John was the one charged with the mission to prepare the way for the Messiah. In fact, John told us that he was not even worthy enough to be the slave of the Messiah. He was unworthy to carry the Messiah’s shoes.

John’s reference to Holy Spirit and fire indicates that John expected the coming Messiah to bring God’s judgment on earth. This judgment would be like an unquenchable fire. Those who repented of their sins would experience the fire of judgment as a purifying fire—burning away sins and impurities. Those who did not repent would experience the fire of judgment as an eternal separation from God.

Later in Matthew 3, Jesus came to John to be baptized. The way John greeted Jesus shows us that John knew who Jesus was. He first refused to baptize Jesus, saying that Jesus should be the One doing the baptism. Eventually, John agreed to baptize Jesus and then witnessed Jesus in all of his glory. Immediately after baptism, Heaven was opened; the Spirit of God descended in the form of a dove; and God himself spoke: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

John knew that God had a plan for his life—to prepare the way for the coming Messiah. John knew who Jesus was—the Son of God who received the Spirit of God at baptism and the One whose shoes John was not worthy to carry. But, somewhere along the way, John began to have doubts about Jesus.


II. John’s Doubts.

We know that John was having doubts about Jesus, because of his question in verse 3. Since John was in prison, he didn’t have the freedom to go to Jesus and ask questions. So, John sent some of his disciples to find Jesus and ask a question. I guess it is technically two questions: “Are you the one who is to come? Or, should we expect someone else?”

“The one who is to come” is an obvious reference to the Jewish Messiah. This title fits with the Old Testament prophecies about a Messiah who would come into the world and establish God’s Kingdom. It also fits with John’s preaching. John preached repentance in order to prepare for the one coming after him. Therefore, we can say that John was beginning to doubt that Jesus was who John originally thought he was.

Verse 2 tells us that John heard in prison what the Christ was doing. I suppose it is possible that John was having doubts as a result of his circumstances. He was in prison for doing the right thing. He preached his message of sin and repentance to the peasants and to King Herod. Actually, I think John’s doubts were the result of what he heard about Jesus.

Matthew doesn’t tell us when John went to prison or even what John might have heard about Jesus while he was in prison. But Matthew does say that John heard about what Jesus was DOING, and not what Jesus was SAYING…

Matthew gives us a snapshot of what Jesus was doing in chapters 8 and 9… Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead and cast out demons from people who were demon possessed. We expect to read about miracles like this. But, there are two miracles that may have seemed unusual to John.

In the first story, Jesus healed a man with leprosy. This was something only Jewish priests dealt with in the ancient world. The ancient view was that leprosy was the result of sin. As such, lepers had two strikes against them. They were physically unclean and spiritually unclean. They could not interact with their friends and families. They could not worship God. And, Jesus actually touched an unclean man. Perhaps John had a hard time believing that the Messiah would touch an unclean person.

In the second story, Jesus was approached by a Roman Centurion. He asked Jesus to heal his slave. Jesus healed the slave, but John might have had a problem with this. This man was a military man. But, he was no ordinary soldier. He was a Centurion, which means that he was a commander of an army of 100 soldiers. He was a big deal. AND, he was a Roman Centurion. Can you believe that? The Messiah was not supposed to HELP the Romans. He was supposed to OVERTHROW the Romans.

John thought Jesus would be a political Messiah. If you think about it, it makes sense. God promised in the Old Testament that the Messiah would come and establish God’s Kingdom on earth. Kingdoms are political.

At the time of John’s life, the political status of Israel had changed. Israel was no longer a powerful political entity. In fact, they weren’t a political entity at all. They were simply a part of the Roman Empire. Israel didn’t elect their own leaders and they were occupied by a foreign army. If God was going to establish a Kingdom on earth, he would first have to establish Israel as a political entity.



III. Jesus’ Answer.

Look at how Jesus answers John’s question in verses 4 and 5, “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.”

I think there are two ways to interpret Jesus’ answer…

First, it is possible to look back at the miracles in Matthew 8 and 9. Jesus might be telling John to look at the way he is demonstrating compassion and mercy to those who are in need. Jesus is taking care of the poor and the unclean. But, I think that was the source of John’s problems and not a good answer to the question.

Second, it is possible to look back even farther and compare the life of Jesus to the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah…


Isaiah 35: 3 – 6, “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.”



Isaiah 61: 1 – 3, “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.”



Jesus’ answer confirms that he DOES fulfill the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. Even though Jesus does not fulfill the expectations of the Jewish people, he does fulfill all the promises God made to the Jewish people.



IV. Expectations and Joy.

John had doubts about Jesus, because his expectations for Jesus did not fit with his experience of Jesus. This is why Jesus added his comment in verse 6, “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”

John had a common expectation for Jesus. He expected Jesus to be a political Messiah, who would accomplish a political agenda in the world. But, Jesus was not a political Messiah with a political agenda. In fact, Jesus came to accomplish something much more important than politics. Can you imagine that? There are some things in life that are more important than politics!!

I think we all know there are things in life more important than politics. But, we don’t always live that way. We make the same mistake that John made when we place political aspirations ahead of the spiritual work God wants to do in our lives.

But, there is a lesson in this about Joy…

As long as John held on to his expectations of Jesus, John would never experience what God wanted in his life. As long as John thought politics would bring his salvation, John would never experience Joy.

We could even say the same thing about John’s incarceration. Matthew doesn’t say this, but we can probably assume that John had hoped Jesus would get him out of prison. Yet, Jesus clearly stated—in both his actions and his words— that Jesus would not get John out of prison. As long as John held on to this expectation, John would not experience Joy.

True Joy is possible for us when our expectations for Jesus match our experience with Jesus.


V. Conclusion.

Many of us place false expectations on Jesus and never experience true Joy.

For example, many of us expect that if we will give our lives to Jesus we will live a pain free life. We think that Jesus will make us rich and take away all of our sickness and bless us with the most obedient children in the neighborhood. That’s not the reason God sent Jesus to be the Messiah.

Jesus came to overcome our sin problem. Jesus came to give us true life…Life that involves a proper relationship with God on earth and an eternal life with God in Heaven.