Friday of Ember Week in Advent
Posted on December 22, 2023 by under
Scripture: St. Matthew 11:11-15 (NKJV)
11:11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Devotion
John the Baptist’s ministry was unusual in many respects. Here came a man wearing camel hair, living in the wilderness, and eating locusts and wild honey. As an unborn child he confessed about the also unborn Christ, who had now come. As an adult he fearlessly preached repentance, and his preaching against King Herod would cost him his life.
While John was in prison he sent two of his disciples to ask if Jesus really was the Christ or not. Did John the Baptist doubt at the end, or was this question for the benefit of the disciples he sent? It is completely inconsistent with everything else we read of John that he would have doubted like this. Jesus’ response to his question, and His followup statements, seem to indicate that the multitudes thought less of John because this question had been asked.
John the Baptist was a great man, and a great prophet. But the role and work of a great prophet is specifically to point people to Jesus Christ as their only hope for salvation. As great of a man as John was, that avails nothing for the forgiveness of sin—only Christ’s obedience and blood can do that. While we may want to take credit for ourselves, we know that we can do nothing without Christ. John knew this too, and preached it faithfully.
Collect: Stir up Thy might, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and come, that they who trust in Thy loving kindness may be the more speedily freed from all adversity; Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for Gaudete
Lord, we beseech Thee, give ear to our prayers, and lighten the darkness of our hearts, by Thy gracious visitation; Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Season of Advent
Stir up, we beseech Thee, Thy power, O Lord, and come, that by Thy protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins, and saved by Thy mighty deliverance; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
