“Blessed Assurance”
Text: Matthew 11:2-15
12-11-2022
In the name of our Advent King, dear friends in Christ. Last week in the sermon I mentioned 2 songs from the early 1970’s and I suspect that if you’re 80 or older then you were probably totally in the dark. Well, the shoe is on the other foot today. Are you familiar with the hymn, “Blessed Assurance”? Chances are that the older generation will recognize it, while the under-60-crowd will be clueless. It’s not a song that made it into any of our Lutheran hymnals. So if you do know it then you heard it elsewhere. The author was Fanny Crosby and she wrote it in 1873. Anyway, as you might have guessed, this song deals with the blessed assurance that faith provides to a believer.
But you know, I’m afraid that some people consider the need for assurance, when it comes to our faith, as a sign of weakness. I suppose that in one sense they’re correct. Since we’re all frail humans, even the strongest faith needs assurances from God. That’s because this side of heaven our view and understanding of spiritual things is limited by our fallen humanness. And that is a weakness, or at least an incompleteness. However, that weakness is not the same as a failed or lost faith. Furthermore, it’s not just the average believer who experiences the need for assurance. Even mighty prophets of God who were called to boldly proclaim His message of judgment and grace needed the Lord’s assurance regularly. That’s what St. John the Baptist was asking for in our Gospel reading. Christ’s answer gave him the blessed assurance that he desperately needed. And it’s there to dispel doubt or uncertainty for all believers, including you and me.
In the opening verses of our text, we hear John ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Now, you don’t have to dig too far to discover why this has raised a few eyebrows over the centuries. Just last week we heard how John was boldly calling people to repentance and Baptizing them. He even squared off on the sanctimonious Pharisees and Sadducees for their hypocritical show of religious piety. And remember, John was the one who so clearly pointed out Jesus to his disciples saying, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” That and much more he said with absolute confidence and certainty that Jesus was the Messiah, the Savior of His people. So how could a guy like this go from being so sure to needing reassurance that he hadn’t been barking up the wrong tree? Had he lost his faith or was he about to lose it? Well, John was no different than you and me. He was facing a life crisis and it caused him to cry out to Jesus for blessed assurance to reaffirm and strengthen his faith.
Trust me, John’s crisis was far worse than any of us will ever have to deal with. King Herod had thrown him in prison at a fortress called Machaerus, which was located on the east side of the Dead Sea. Keep in mind, jails back then were nothing like the modern facilities we have today. This region can get extremely hot during the day and very cold overnight. There wasn’t any air conditioning or extra blankets supplied to keep you comfortable. Your meals were minimal unless family or friends brought you something. A prisoner languished in these conditions for months and years.
And why was John there? Was he a murderer, a notorious thief, or an insurrectionist? No. He was in prison because he kept doing what he had done all along—calling people to repentance so that they could be saved from God’s judgment and receive His grace instead. However, he had dared to point out the sinfulness King Herod who had divorced his wife so that he could entice his sister-in-law away from her husband and then marry her. John called a spade a spade and condemned this very public violation of the 6th Commandment. Herod and his new wife didn’t appreciate that and refused to repent. So, John was arrested to shut him up. He knew he could be executed at any moment. That threat and those conditions in itself were hard on him. What added to his mental unrest was that he had been preaching of God’s impending wrath and judgment when the Messiah came but all he heard about Jesus in His ministry was grace and forgiveness. So naturally he wondered if maybe he had been mistaken.
In His answer, Jesus gave John the assurance he was seeking. But I want you to take special notice of how He did it. He pointed John to His preaching and miracles. They were the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about the Christ. That is to say, Jesus directed John to do an assessment based on God’s Word. Not based on emotions or his personal perceptions of how things should be, but solely on Holy Scripture. There he would find his blessed assurance and all his misgivings would be put to rest.
Keep in mind, John wasn’t the only one who needed to hear this. All those people who had gone out to him in the wilderness had to be wondering about Jesus too. They needed to know whether John’s message was valid. After all, he was in prison and they didn’t see the signs of God’s kingdom that they had been expecting. They needed assurance that John was truly sent by God and what he preached was true. So, Jesus took them back through the facts. John wasn’t like a reed swaying in the wind. In other words, he didn’t wet his finger and put it in the air to see which way public opinion was blowing. And he wasn’t dressed in fine clothing, living in luxury as payback for saying nice things about the rich and powerful. Instead, he preached to them the truth of God’s Word. So what did they really go out to see and hear from him? The answer is they were seeking something they weren’t getting anywhere else. John offered them the assurance that they were finally at peace with God through the forgiveness of their sins. That’s what he provided through the confession and Baptism that he invited them to receive. And like His answer to John, Jesus then points them to God’s reliable Word for complete assurance. John was the great prophet Malachi had promised would come in the power and spirit of Elijah. He would precede the Messiah and prepare God’s people to receive Him. So based on God’s Word, they could rest assured that John’s message was accurate and valid.
You know, John the Baptist wasn’t alone in needing assurance from God about his calling. You can go back and check for yourself, but men like Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, and actually all of the Old Testament prophets asked God for reassurance. Remember how Gideon prayed for a sign from the Lord, not just once, but twice? And God patiently gave it. Even Christ Himself asked for His Father’s assurance as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Yes, Jesus was truly God, but He was also truly man and His human nature needed God’s reaffirmation that the suffering of the cross was the only way to save mankind.
As a Pastor, I can tell you that I also need that blessed assurance about my calling from God. When I get discouraged and weary of being criticized in my ministry I may begin to wonder if I should skip preaching about God’s Law. After all, if I’d soften God’s judgment against our sins and simply tell people how much Jesus loves them along with 10 points on how to live a happier Christian life, I’d be quite popular. I could water down our doctrine on the Sacraments and be more well-liked by a whole lot more people. Ah, but then I would just be another reed swaying in the wind of public opinion. God’s strong Word gives me the assurance that I’m on the right track in my ministry.
When it really comes down to it, we all need God’s blessed assurance to strengthen our faith on a regular basis. Actually, that’s the whole purpose behind our Divine Services. Think about it. In your Baptism God forgave all your sins, gave you faith, and promised you eternal life. Why then do we need to hear the Absolution after we confess our sins in the service? I mean, if you know that you’re forgiven then what’s the benefit of hearing your Pastor speak it to you? Isn’t it because we need to hear that assurance from the lips of God’s messenger who is standing right in front of you? Why do you need to hear the Scriptures read and preached on week after week? Isn’t it because this is where Jesus directs you for concrete assurance rather than looking to your own thoughts and feelings, which are unreliable? And why did Christ give us the Sacrament of the Altar and tell us to receive it often? It’s because we need the tangible, blessed assurance of receiving the body and blood of our Savior into our mouths for our forgiveness and strengthening of faith. God condescends to our weakness. He patiently gives us the assurance that He truly loves us and is with us. Perhaps I’m weaker in my faith than others, but I feel that need for His blessed assurance more and more as I come to grips with my deep sinfulness. So I rejoice at every opportunity to receive it, always wanting and needing more. With that said, what conclusion can we draw from those who feel no need whatsoever to receive God’s assurance in Word and Sacrament here in worship except for a handful of times in a year? Do you really think that their faith doesn’t need that regular assurance from Christ? You can be confident the opposite is true. Which is all the more reason for us to reach out and invite them to come and join us for these blessed heavenly gifts in worship.
Christian friends, we have an advantage over John the Baptist. Even though he trusted in it by faith, he never got to see the fulfillment of what Jesus came to do. We have been blessed to receive through God’s Word the message of His completed work. And all His promises have now been fulfilled in you. He wants you to be sure of that. He has given us His Word and Sacrament to provide the blessed assurance that we are His beloved children and salvation is ours through Jesus Christ. When you waver and have doubts because of your sin, come to Him in prayer and confession. Receive the assurance that He offers as you hear His Word of forgiveness and take it into your mouth at the altar. Through these Means of Grace, let the Lord strengthen your faith with His assurance that by Christ’s atoning death you truly have total forgiveness and eternal life. Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria!