This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “What is the Gospel?” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, August 21, 1994.
Give your attention now to the reading of God’s word. When John was in prison, he heard about the works of Christ, and he sent two of his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John again what 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 the one who is not offended by me.”
As they departed, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about 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 dressed in soft clothing? Look, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet?
Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. For this is the one about whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way before you.’ Truly I say to you, among those born of women, there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, this is Elijah, who was to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
In 1927, J. Gresham Machen wrote an article entitled What is the Gospel? He wrote this article in response to a survey that had been conducted and a report of that survey that had appeared in the Union Seminary Review the previous year. Dr. Machen was not so much disappointed in the responses that had come forth as a result of that survey as he was with the writer of the article that had written the summary report on that survey. The writer had missed the point regarding the gospel, for that writer had focused all attention in that question on the issue of individual response and personal reaction, so that the gospel amounted to feelings or actions that someone might hold or perform.
J. Gresham Machen objected strenuously to this approach to what the gospel was.
He called his readers’ attention to 1 Corinthians 15, especially verses 3 and 4, where Paul says that he delivered to the Corinthians that which was of greatest importance: namely, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and was raised the third day according to the scriptures.
On the basis of that text, Nathan pointed out to his readers that the gospel is firmly founded upon historical fact, not personal feelings, nor upon personal response, even in our behavior or in matters of ethics. The meaning of the gospel is found in historical events—something that has taken place, something that God has done. He made this clear by appealing to the passage in 1 Corinthians 15. He called his readers’ attention to the fact that Paul is commenting on Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. To be sure, it is not bare fact, nor naked fact, that interests Nathan or the Apostle Paul at this point. Paul goes on to interpret the fact when he says that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. Therefore, when we ask the question, What is the Gospel?, we must be clear in our own minds that we are not speaking first of all about our own personal response—whether in terms of feelings or behavior.
What we are talking about is what God has done in and through Jesus Christ. There is a further dimension, and an essential dimension, to this gospel, which Machen only alluded to in his articles. I am endeavoring to set before you this morning, and I am doing so by appealing to the Gospels themselves and to this account in Matthew 11, regarding the interview that Jesus had with the disciples of John the Baptist. John the Baptist originally had no difficulty recognizing Jesus as the Promised One.
The God of Israel, no, the God of all the earth, had trained the eyes of this prophet in the desert and trained his gaze away from the world, where men looked for other things than those which he, John, by revelation saw in Jesus. Coming out of Galilee to the waters of the Jordan and being addressed by John, Jesus said, “I have need of baptism from you, and do you come to me?” Further revelation followed at that time of Jesus’ baptism, as you well know. A voice from heaven, from the Father himself, came after the descent of the Spirit, like a dove, upon Jesus as he came up out of the waters. What a confirmation! Who could ask for more? And indeed, at that point, John did not ask for more. This is he, he said. Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
So he testified to his own disciples some forty days later, when Jesus came out of the Judean wilderness following his temptation. A few months later, John did not begrudge Jesus the disciples who had left him to follow Jesus. In fact, that summer, as Jesus’ disciples—some of whom had been followers of John—carried on their own ministry of baptism in the regions of the Jordan, John was questioned by those who were still with him. They worried that Jesus’ popularity might mean the end of their own ministry.
John, on that occasion, however, saw things clearly. This testimony from the end of John 3: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” I am only the friend of the bridegroom, he said. My joy is that the bridegroom’s voice is now being heard. And he went further. He says, “He who comes from above, which I did not, he who comes from above is above all, above everyone. He is above me.” And then, as if the Spirit at that time had grasped this greatest of the prophets and given him the most mature voice equal to any to be heard in the entirety of the history of salvation.
John said, “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hands. He who believes in the Son has eternal life. He who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John the Baptist therefore recognized Jesus as the Promised One.
In fact, it is difficult to imagine anyone expressing a more mature recognition, even when compared to the later understandings of the apostles. Jesus had been baptized by John in the winter, but now the winter returns. Approximately one year after Jesus’ baptism, John was arrested by Herod Antipas for condemning Herod’s marriage to his brother Philip’s wife. Now John sits imprisoned in Machaerus, Herod’s fortress east of the Dead Sea. It is there that he receives reports, carried by his own disciples and possibly others, about Jesus’ ministry. Over the months of his imprisonment, it seems his uneasiness grew as these reports reached him.
He heard nothing in these reports about Jesus condemning Herod. Even more, as John listened to the reports, he found nothing of the fire that John had proclaimed in his own ministry before baptizing Jesus. There was nothing in the reports about Jesus’ ministry concerning the axe being laid at the root of the tree, as John had used when preaching to the crowds gathered by the Jordan. There was nothing about the chaff being separated from the wheat and burned with unquenchable fire. At the same time, conviction remained, and the memories from those days by the Jordan—the power of that revelation—continued to endure.
How could he, John, have been wrong? But surely, as I have understood the Old Testament and the message of the law and the prophets, surely the Messiah, when he comes, brings recompense, does he not? Surely the Messiah brings wrath to the wicked in Israel and to a wicked world. The corrupt and usurping establishment, religious and governmental, in Jerusalem will be destroyed, will it not? The morally vile will be exterminated, the indifferent will be removed, and the nations will be judged. Only those prepared for the coming conflagration by baptism and by faith in the Messiah will come through these fires to the enjoyment of the rich blessings of God’s eternal kingdom.
This is what John believes. So then, John in prison wonders at the reports that have come to him about Jesus, and he asks the question: Where is the fire? Sensing his bond with Jesus and possibly being quite sensitive to the precariousness and danger of his own situation, he realizes that death is certainly a possibility here. He dispatches a band of his disciples to Jesus, who is presently in Galilee, with this question: Are you the one, or should we look for another? It is Jesus’ response that will build toward our understanding of the precise nature of what the gospel is. And I might say, that Jesus’ response to that question from John will register upon that great man and work in him a ministry of clarification and even new life.
Go tell John. I do not know whether we can capture in these words all the emotion in Jesus’ heart. Go tell John. It is deeply moving. The things you hear and see, so as to emphasize the Savior’s patience and love. Go tell John again the things you hear and see. But you will notice that Jesus is not content to leave John’s disciples on their own with regard to what they hear and see. He speaks further, and although they have ears and eyes, he continues to explain to them what it is they are hearing and seeing. He provides interpretation for what they are witnessing and beholding.
As we have already noted, in Nathan’s defense of the Apostle Paul, these are not bare, naked facts. They come with interpretation, and they are rich in doctrine. So it is now with Jesus—there will be no mere repetition of bare facts. Instead, he interprets them, expressing his description in familiar terms to these disciples of John, who certainly recognize in his words quotations from the promises given by the prophets concerning the great coming day of redemption.
Jesus, in his response, virtually weaves together two passages from the Old Testament, two remarkable passages that John and these disciples of John surely knew by heart. Passages from Isaiah 35, verse 5 and following, and from Isaiah 61, verse 1. Texts that speak with great joy about God’s visitation to the world for the purpose of redeeming his people. Jesus does two significant things with these quotations.
First, he adds two categories to his list, not mentioned by Isaiah in either chapter 35 or 61. These two categories are the cleansing of lepers and the raising of the dead. By making these additions, Jesus not only emphasizes his own authority, which is greater than that of Isaiah, and the authority of his revelation, which surpasses that given to Isaiah, but he also intensifies the sense of blessing now belonging to God’s marvelous visitation.
If you thought it was great to have read Isaiah, let me tell you, it is even greater than you ever imagined. Leprosy removed, a disease that destroys the flesh. But not only the disease, but also the moral pollution and depravity symbolized by that disease. And death itself defeated through resurrection, not merely in the sense of its tragedy, but in the sense of its root cause. The soul that sins shall die.
Let me underscore this again: the now that Jesus is focusing upon and enumerating is the long-awaited visitation of God, and it is even greater than Isaiah imagined, let alone John the Baptist. If you look at the passages in Isaiah 35, 5, and 61, 1, Jesus begins his citation of Isaiah 35 precisely at the point where the prophecy ceases to mention God’s vengeance and recompense. Verse 4 of Isaiah 35 says, “Say to those who are of fearful heart, ‘Be strong, fear not! Your God will come with vengeance. Even God with recompense, he will come and save you.'” Verse 5 continues, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.”
Now, we might not think anything of this if Jesus had not gone on to Isaiah 61, verse 1, in such a way as to end his quotation of that text before the mention of vengeance in verse 2. The fact that Jesus begins in Isaiah 35 where the mention of vengeance ceases, and concludes his reference to Isaiah 61 where the mention of vengeance begins, does not mean that Jesus does not believe that God’s judgment is certain. You cannot read the Gospels and come to a conclusion that removes from Jesus’ ministry the message of hellfire and damnation.
That is impossible. Jesus believes in hellfire as much as John did. He believes in it even more than John did. He knows it. And it is not beyond his power. But by not mentioning judgment in response to John, Jesus is drawing attention to the way things are currently unfolding because of the present administration of the Kingdom of Heaven, which is God. This is a day of opportunity and gladness.
You see, John believed, despite the maturity he expressed on certain occasions, that judgment precedes blessing. That is how things must be, if baptism is a preparation for judgment, so that one may move beyond judgment to blessing. Judgment precedes blessing. But now Jesus, in response to John, says, No, no. Rather, blessing precedes judgment. And within the message of blessing is the supreme truth that the blessing you are presently receiving is eternal. It comes from heaven, and it will never end. John: judgment before blessing. Jesus: blessing, eternal blessing, heavenly blessing, kingdom blessing before judgment.
It is this message, then, that explains the content of the gospel to which Jesus refers in verse 5—that the poor have the gospel preached to them. For here is the good news, not just news, but the good news. The good news is this: the future eternal heavenly blessings of God’s King above have arrived and are ours. The good news is that the marvels and wonders of glory are being communicated now. We are not merely anticipating heaven; we are enjoying heaven. The blessings of heaven are not reserved for a time beyond judgment. These marvels and wonders are present as gracious evidences that the age of the fulfillment of God’s promises has begun, and you are privileged to participate in it. And most remarkably, these marvels and wonders become evident as the gospel progresses. They are brought to us by God in God’s Son, whose procurement of them has been through the root of His own death for our sins, bearing our judgment in His own body upon the cross.
What a gospel! What good news! How full, how complete, how perfect! The day for the fulfillment of God’s promises has come. An adequate provision has been made for my sin. Eternal blessing, eternal life itself, the very reality of that life, is given to me now.
So the message from Jesus that day is taken to John, that he might hear and see afresh. And with this message from Jesus, this good news, he might endure, despite the injustice of Herod and of governments, despite the horrid conditions in his stinking cell, through every trial and ordeal, that he might bear up under the threat of the loss of his own life, that he might even persevere while in God’s providence and in keeping with His perfect plan, He delays His judgment, that blessing might be bestowed. Surely John’s confession, upon the report that came to him, was: Yes, I see it. I understand. And now I am able even more to affirm what I said previously: That this one is He.
The one who was to come, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And by that means has made it possible for us now to enjoy the blessings and securities of eternal life through trust in our Savior. Although we can be certain, at least in my judgment, that John understood the message that came back to him that day. And that he died in peace, full of the gospel that Jesus preached.
How sad it is that many Christians today stand, it seems, where John stood before his disciples returned to him. Troubled by doubt, questioning the appropriateness of Jesus’ ministry, even to the point of adopting a state of spiritual inertia, where it seems as if you are incapable of movement in relation to God and to his Christ. Still not grasping what is so good about the good news. And therefore, living in a state of semi-misery and profound uncertainty.
Be done with your doubts. Put yourself in John’s cell. Stand in his place as he receives the message from the disciples returning. And in the reception of that message, throw off the shackles of your gloomy thoughts and fears, and know for certain that this One who has come is indeed the One, and we look for none other.
The Church of Jesus Christ stands and falls on the gospel. At the foundation of the gospel event, God has done something. He has worked. But more than that, the gospel includes interpretation. Those events mean something, and the meaning of them is communicated to us in the words of the scriptures. Not only that, but you press on to grasp what is good about the good news.
Not merely a message concerning your guilt, so that you can cope with your conscience all the days of your life. That is not the purpose. The good in the good news has to do with the bestowal of eternal truths and realities upon you in your present circumstance, and this gift is wholly and completely of God’s grace. You did not earn it, you cannot.
It is bestowed on you freely, through Christ—His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. I am not ashamed of the gospel. Our Father in Heaven, the Apostle Paul was determined to preach nothing but the gospel—Christ crucified and raised.
May it please You, O Father, to grant Your Church many who have like determination. And may this congregation be exemplary in that regard. And may the full message of the Good News be heard in this church. Yes, to our benefit, and also to the benefit of all who would come in and worship with us, who would hear our message, and of all those to whom we would take that message. May there be a great chorus of celebration and gladness, since we have been introduced into the kingdom of Your beloved Son.
Here is for the sake of our Savior, in whose name we pray, amen.
The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.