“We have found the Messiah.” You might well imagine a little excitement in Andrew’s voice as he tells his brother that they had found the Messiah. And it wasn’t that Andrew was in the process of looking—waiting, perhaps, but not looking; on the contrary, Andrew and Simon happened to be where Jesus was when Jesus was pointed out to Andrew. “The Messiah is here!” “We have found the Messiah.” Same thing.

And you’ll recall on Sunday that I mentioned that Jesus did not grow up to be the Messiah. He was born the Messiah; He was born the Savior. Though we only get a small glimpse of His life on earth, every moment of it He was the Messiah and Savior, and He was doing what He was sent to do as the Messiah and Savior—though not known to be so except by a select few.

As tonight’s Gospel lesson begins, Jesus had already been Baptized by John in the Jordan. John bears witness of this when He declares just before tonight’s pericope starts,

I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God. (John 1:32-34)

“This is the Son of God.,” John says of Jesus. Strange, though, that just before that he says, “I did not know Him.”

Sure, Jesus was related to John, a cousin we are taught. So, there was more-than-likely some interaction between these two men as they were growing up. You might well imagine Mary and Elizabeth comparing their infants, analyzing body parts, and comparing them to relatives and each other. You might well imagine young Jesus and young John playing together whenever the two families got together.

Yet, this man who as an infant in utero lept when his cousin in utero visited him, did not know Him as the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. Perhaps to John, Jesus was just Jesus, his cousin. Perhaps he knew, but never really contemplated Jesus being the Messiah until He was baptized, and there John saw the Spirit descend upon Him. From there, John continues the task for which he was sent, preparing the way for the King of kings, now having someone to point to and declare, “Behold the Lamb of God!”

Andrew and another of John’s disciple hear this and followed Jesus. This is the one their teacher has been teaching about for as long as they have been with him. Though He is indistinguishable from any other man, they now know Him to be the Messiah. “We have found the Messiah.”

Perhaps that’s why there is so little of Jesus’ life revealed for us in the Scriptures. He was found in appearance as a man, St. Paul wrote. (cf. Philippians 2:7-8) Though born the Messiah and Savior, while being and doing things as the Messiah and Savior His entire life, His appearance was that of a man—an ordinary man. John knew who Jesus was, except that He didn’t know Him as the Son of God until the Spirit descended upon Him in the Jordan. Andrew and Simon may well have passed by this man on numerous occasion—it’s a small world—and it wasn’t until John pointed to Him as the Lamb of God that Andrew knew Him as the Messiah, who in turned revealed the same to his brother.

Yes, God the Son took upon Himself humble means and came. This is what we are preparing to celebrate this season, especially during these mid-week services as we look at the extraordinarily humble means that preceded His coming. The Son of God came to man in ways and forms indistinguishable from plain, ordinary ways and forms.

Dear baptized, the Son of God still comes in ways and forms indistinguishable from plain, ordinary ways and forms. And on account of this, you, like St. Andrew can declare to others that you have found the Messiah. “The Messiah is here!” As you just sang in the hymn,

May we, with hearts kept open

To Thee throughout the year,

Confess to friend and neighbor

Thy advent ever near.

This is what we confess, dear hearers: Christ’s advent happens all the time in means humble.

For our Lord comes to you in the humble means of the written word. Ordinary ink is applied to ordinary paper and bound in ordinary paper or leather and what you have is the Word of God that is the Holy Bible. His Word does things, even as it is printed, for it is recorded for you to give you faith, strengthen your faith, and declare to you that you are a sinner as you read the Law, yet forgiven for the sake of the Messiah as you read the Gospel. What’s more, it’s not only the written Word, but even the spoken Word.

For our Lord, as the Prophet seated at the right hand of God, sends faithful preachers to speak and teach the Word to you, to proclaim into your ears as much as, and dare I say more than, you read with your eyes for the very same purpose: to give you faith, to strengthen that faith, to convict you of sin, and pronounce Holy Absolution to you. The Word of God does things, even as it is proclaimed into your ears.

But the Messiah’s advent is not only in written and spoken Word. As His first coming was in flesh and blood, so, now, as He is seated at the right hand of God, He gives us means by which He comes to us, to be administered by those ordinary men He sends to proclaim His Word into your ears. That very same Word is combined with ordinary water, and Jesus comes to make a fellow son of God and heir with Him of the Baptized. That very same Word is combined with ordinary bread and wine, and Jesus comes to give His body and blood to be eaten and drunk by believers for the strengthening of their faith and the forgiveness of their sins—to give them life and salvation.

Ordinary words, ordinary men, ordinary water, ordinary bread, and ordinary wine—these humble means which we compare with the Messiah’s humble birth, humble childhood, humble ministry, and humble death on the cross. He looked and acted every bit an ordinary man, though hidden in that ordinary man was His holy, divine nature, seldom to be revealed but always at work as your Messiah and Savior. Words, men, water, bread, wine—these look every bit ordinary means, yet hidden in them is the holy work and divine institution to be at work for and upon you as your Messiah and Savior—in them, He comes to you. His advent is ever near; it is always happening here, and it is for you.

However, His advent will not always be humble. There will come a day when His coming will be known by all, and there will be no need for anyone to declare to another, “We have found the Messiah.” For just as His resurrection from the grave was glorious, even more so will His second coming be. For He will descend in the clouds, just as He had ascended into heaven. And at the moment, the trumpet will sound, all the dead will be raised, and creation will receive her judgment.

To those who have received Him in these ordinary means will be given the kingdom of heaven—we heard these referred to as sheep a week and a half ago. To those who rejected His humility as “just Jesus,” just words, just a simple man, just water, just bread, and just wine—those who refused Him and His grace—will be given the guilty verdict they so much longed to hold on to as they refused Him the work He had done as their Messiah and Savior—namely to received their guilty verdict in their place at the cross—we heard these referred to as goats a week and a half ago.

So, dear hearers, we rejoice this evening to receive our Messiah and Savior in humble means, not because God is hiding and testing us in them, but because He is kind and gracious and patient. He is kind in gracious in hiding His glory from us, but still coming to us in power—for our sinful eyes could not receive His glorious coming and live, but we still receive Him in power—the power to forgive our sins. He is patient in that He does not yet come in glory, giving those who now reject Him a chance to turn from their ways and receive their gracious Messiah and Savior, who despite their rejection, still gives of Himself to them.

Yes, dear hearers, we rejoice this evening because we have found the Messiah. His advent is ever near. The Messiah is here, and He is here to forgive you for all of your sins!