The Gospel for the Third Sunday in Advent is from Matthew 11:2-15. In this selection, John the Baptist is in prison awaiting Herod Antipas' judgment. John sends two of his followers to meet Jesus. They ask if Jesus is the expected Messiah.
Jesus replies to them with a two-fold proclamation. First, He points to the miraculous and redemptive acts taking place in His own ministry. These works fulfill the Messianic prophecies. Secondly, Jesus points to the purpose and value of John the Baptist's ministry. John is the prophetic forerunner of the messianic Redeemer. Finally, Jesus concludes with an exhortation. Those who have ears should hear; that means that they should be perceptive about the contemporary religious circumstances. They should realize what God is doing in the ministry of John the Baptist and in the ministry of Jesus. Jesus is the Christ who fulfills the ministry of John and all the biblical prophets.
During Advent, we focus on the prophecies about the coming of the Christ. Among the Hebrew prophets, John the Baptist has a special role. We should honor him, but we should also look beyond him. We should look to Jesus, who gives meaning to the work of all the prophets. May we be sensitive and perceptive regarding God's redemptive work in the past and in our own lives!
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