He Is The Lion And The Lamb

Text: Matthew 11:2-11

In the name of Jesus.  Amen.

So, put yourself in John the Baptist’s shoes for a moment.  John had spent a great deal of time preaching and teaching that the Messiah would come with judgment.  He told everyone that the coming Messiah would clean house – that the Messiah would put everything in its proper place and everything else He would put out with the trash to be burned.  Again, put yourself in John the Baptist’s shoes – imagine preaching fire and brimstone sermons to everyone.  Imagine letting everyone have it with the full force of the Law about the coming Messiah.  

Now, imagine seeing Jesus, who was indeed the Messiah. Imagine seeing all Jesus’ mighty works of kindness – Jesus giving sight to the blind, the lame being able to walk, the lepers cleansed, and the deaf hearing.  Yes, imagine preaching fire and brimstone sermons about Jesus but then seeing Jesus doing what appears to be the exact opposite.  What would you think?  What would you do?  

I don’t know about you, but I would be confused.  Perhaps you would be confused as well, maybe even disappointed. You expected a Messiah to come with justice, judgment, and wrath; instead, you find a Messiah with grace, mercy, and peace.  What gives?    

And so, it makes sense why John the Baptist responded the way that he did in our reading from the Gospel of Matthew, 

“Is Jesus the Messiah we expected to come, or are we to wait for another Messiah?” 

Hear that again, 

“Is Jesus the Messiah we expected to come, or are we to wait for another Messiah?” 

Now, did John have a good reason to be confused?  Was John wrong to ask this question?  No, he was not wrong to ask that question, and here is why: the Old Testament speaks of the Messiah coming with justice, judgment, and wrath – and - the Old Testament speaks of the Messiah coming with grace, mercy, and peace.  Let’s simplify this by saying it this way: the Old Testament shares that the Messiah would come with judgment and grace, not just judgment and not just grace.  In other words, the Messiah, as depicted in the Old Testament, was not one or the other but both judgment and grace.  

This might confuse us, though, especially with the coming Season of Christmas.  You see, during the Season of Christmas, we encounter a Messiah of grace, mercy, and peace and not a Messiah of justice, wrath, and judgment.  Nobody seems to look at the babe in the manger and say, 

“Look at that little ball of wrath.”

Remember that hymn, O Little Town of Bethlehem?  Remember that part where we sing, 

“How violently, how violently, the powerful sword is given; So God imparts to human hearts the judgment of His heaven.”  

No, this is not what happens at Christmas.  Instead, we respond to the babe in the manger saying, 

“How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given; So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven.” 

And so, it would be safe to say that the Christmas Jesus is a Jesus of grace, mercy, and peace – a Messiah of love and forgiveness.  

But that raises John the Baptist’s concern again – if the Christmas Jesus is a Messiah of grace, what about a Messiah of justice, judgment, and wrath?  To echo John’s question: should we expect another Messiah this Christmas Season?  

Today, John the Baptist’s question helps us understand that there are not two Messiahs but one Messiah.  That is to say, we should not expect another Messiah.  We should not expect a Messiah that is different from Christmas Jesus.  There is only one Messiah; however, it is incredibly important to remember that there are two Advents of the Messiah.  You see, Jesus’ first coming was a coming of grace, mercy, and peace when He was born in Bethlehem that day long ago; however, His second coming will be a coming of justice, judgment, and wrath.  And so, you and I stand between Jesus’ first coming of grace and His second coming of judgment.  Both of these comings are linked because they are attributes of the same and only Messiah - Jesus Christ.  The first Christmas Advent in Bethlehem and the second End Times Advent at the great judgment are linked in the person and work of Jesus.  

But there is a problem with this, though.  Not everyone wants a Second Advent Jesus; not everyone wants an End Times Jesus.  Consider a moment: are you content with just the Christmas Jesus?  Do you find yourself only embracing Jesus’ healing, compassion, mercy, and care – do you find yourself nodding your head to a Jesus of love and forgiveness while turning your head away from the End Times Jesus of justice, judgment, and wrath?  Would you rather camp out with the first Advent of Jesus and downplay the second Advent of Jesus?   If so, you need to repent of your one-sided view of Jesus.  Yes, you need to repent of upholding just the Christmas Jesus of grace and rejecting the End Times Jesus of judgment, for this is a one-sided view of Jesus.  And as we know, if we have a one-sided view of Jesus – only embracing the Christmas Jesus, well… this distorts the whole Christian faith and results in cheap grace, the minimization of sin, and the neglect of holiness.  To reduce Jesus exclusively to just grace, mercy, and peace is idolatry - Repent! 

Maybe you are more in line with the End Times Jesus.  Yes, perhaps you see the End Times Jesus and say to yourself, 

“That is the kind of Savior we need – someone who won’t pussyfoot around with a weak spine – but a Savior that will drop the hammer of judgment, call a spade a spade, and address the reality of sin for the sake of justice.” 

There is a problem with this, too.  You see, if you are content with just the End Times Jesus – if you are only embracing Jesus’ judgment and separation of the godly and ungodly… if you are just fixated on Christ’s everlasting punishment and the burning up of the earth’s corruption, well… you need to repent of your one-sided view of Jesus as well.  Yes, you need to repent of upholding just the End Times Jesus of judgment and rejecting the Christmas Jesus of grace, for this is a one-sided view of Jesus.  And as we know, if we have a one-sided view of Jesus – only embracing the End Times Jesus, well… this distorts the whole Christian faith and results in legalism, fear, and condemnation.  To reduce Jesus exclusively to just justice, judgment, and wrath is idolatry as well - Repent! 

Now, please keep in mind that if you desire the Christmas Jesus, you are not wrong, just as you are not wrong for wanting the End Times Jesus. The problem is when we reduce Jesus to just the Christmas Jesus or just the End Times Jesus.  The problem is when we embrace just His First Advent and not His Second Advent or when we embrace His Second Advent and not His First Advent.  Let’s say it this way: the problem is when you and I embrace just grace and not wrath or when you and I embrace wrath and not grace.  You cannot reduce Jesus just to the Law or just to the Gospel, for if we do either of these options, we will have a one-sided Messiah – we will give way to idolatry.  

Baptized Saints, you have a Two-Advent-Messiah.  We have one Messiah with two Advents.  And so, Christ is one who came with grace, mercy and peace, and is one who will come with judgment, justice, and wrath.  He is both the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and He is the Lion of Judah who will reign forever.  

Baptized Saints, you live in between the two Advents – the two comings of Jesus.  And so, you and I do not forsake God’s Law or Gospel.  But instead, we embrace both – the sweet message of Christmas and the stern message of the great judgment on the last day.  Both are good, right, and salutary, for this is who Christ is for you and me – the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah.  

In the name of Jesus.  Amen.