Opening Prayer
Lord, give us grace to understand Your Word and to believe in You. Amen.
Text: Matthew 11:2-10
And 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?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind receive their sight 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.” As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'”
Devotion
Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary, born in Bethlehem, is indeed the real Christ, and there is no other King and Redeemer of souls. We don’t want any other, we don’t need any other, for He is the perfect Savior who helps us out of every trouble. In Him the prophets’ predictions of the Messiah are precisely fulfilled. He became the lowest and is the greatest, the poorest and the richest, the most despised, but the most glorious. He takes on our nature, but transforms it into divine glory. He dies, but death has no power over Him. He is the living One to all eternity. Here is Abel and his righteous blood shed by his brother’s hand. Here is Joseph’s wisdom, being sold into slavery, imprisoned, and his royal glory. Here is the High Priest and the Lamb and the blood that once were brought into the Most Holy Place. Here is Samuel with his three-fold office. Here is David in humility and then in glory. Here is Solomon, the prince of peace, who builds the Lord’s Temple. Here is Isaiah’s Virgin’s Son, the Child who is the Everlasting, Wonderful God. Here is the suffering, dying, and yet living Servant of the Lord of Isaiah 53, and the hunted deer of Psalm 22. Here is all of Scripture. The eyes of the blind are opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped, the lame leaps like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sings with joy (Isa 35:6). The year of jubilee has come (Lev 25). The bonds of death are loosed (Isa 61:1). John whom the prophecy calls Elijah comes beforehand and prepares the way (Mal 4:5). The greatest of all the prophets is the herald for Him who became the lowliest of all.
But we also experience in ourselves that Jesus is the real Savior. He has opened our eyes, so that we see our sin and know His merit that takes it away. We see death in ourselves, but we know the life that reigns over death and we feel the victory of love in our hearts. We hear the songs of heaven in the Gospel, and the Spirit answers “Amen” within us. We receive the cleansing grace of Jesus’ blood and the conquering power of His life within us, so that we taste God’s peace, love our enemies, bear our sufferings and give thanks for our daily cross. This is indeed the work of the real Savior! We who of ourselves can only be offended at His cross, we love it. O unspeakable love, a thousand times greater than anything in the world! We are tempted, and we sin, but we flee to Him, and His wounds give us sanctuary. We conquer over sin and death. They harm us no more at the horns of the altar (1Ki 1:50; 2:28).
Closing Prayer
Greatly praised are You, Lord Jesus who came down and became our Savior, who comes and saves us, who shall come and deliver us! Dear Lord, sustain our faith, when we shall wrestle with the devil in the agony of death. Amen.
Hymn
The way that unto Jesus leads –
It blessed is to wander;
Fulfillment there of all its needs
The soul in joy shall ponder.
His words and deeds of heav’nly worth,
All prove He came, through human birth,
Our God, from heaven yonder.
The blind can see, the lame can walk,
The leprous now have healing;
The dead arise, the dumb can talk,
His wondrous pow’r revealing.
And now the Gospel’s blessed cheer
The humblest-hearted poor may hear;
His truth brooks no concealing.
O blessed Jesus, he who can
At Thee become offended,
Because Thou bear’st the form of man,
He meets the doom intended.
Through faith in Thee I find release,
My Life, my Bliss, my Hope, my Peace,
Through Thee my griefs are ended.
Kingo: The way that unto Jesus leads L 116 CON 121 tr. P. A. Sveeggen Translation © 1932, 1960 Augsburg Publishing House. Used by permission of Augsburg Fortress;
tune: Es ist gewisslich (ELH 25); alternate hymn: Let the earth now praise the Lord ELH 165:1-2