What Cause Did Jesus Join? Sermon by Pastor Andrew Marttinen. July 30, 2025
Matt. 11:7-15
What Cause did Jesus Join?
As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John:
“What did you go out into the wilderness to see?
A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see?
A man dressed in fine clothes?
No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces.
Then what did you go out to see? A prophet?
Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written:
“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’
Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist;
yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it.
For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.
Whoever has ears, let them hear. Matt. 11:7-15
Jesus began his public ministry by being baptized by his cousin John. Here’s why this is so significant: Jesus had lots of religious options available to him, as did other Jews of his day. Some Jews joined the Pharisees, who were intent on keeping the law of God as carefully and conscientiously as possible. (That was why God had given the law so that it could be kept, they reasoned). Others joined monastic communities like those of the Essenes, a group living near the caves by the Dead Sea. They were intent on preserving their own purity apart from the corrupting influences of the world around them. Others sided with the Sadducees, aristocratic power players in Palestine who controlled the temple and its sacrificial practices and who served as the liaison with the ruling Roman authorities. Others were particularly zealous for the Holy Land and urged a religious and military rebellion against Rome, in order to establish Israel as a sovereign state within the land that God had originally given them. These were called the Zealots. Jesus did not join any of these groups. Instead he sided with John the Baptist, an apocalyptic prophet who was urging people to prepare for the day of judgment, which was to appear in the very near future. Why did Jesus side with John? Because he agreed with his message–not with the messages of all the others. Like John before him and his followers afterward, Jesus was an apocalypticist.
The Greek word apocalyptis means a “revealing” or an “unveiling.” In the 60’s & 70’s documentary filmmaker and oceanographer Jacques Cousteau went around the world to uncover what is beneath the surface of lakes and oceans. He converted or re-purposed a WW2 minesweeper into a ship he called the “Calypso” to use for this purpose. “Calypso” comes from the same word as “apocalypse.” Jaques Cousteau explored the oceans in an effort to show what they contained. Even now we know only about 8% of what’s really in those waters. Scholars have called the view of John and Jesus as “apocalyptic” because its proponents believed that God had revealed or unveiled to them the Heavenly secrets that could make sense of the realities they were experiencing–many of them nasty and ugly here on earth. One of the questions apocalyptists were intent on answering was why there was so much pain and suffering in the world, especially among the people of God. It might make sense that wicked people suffer. They are simply getting their due. But why do the righteous suffer? In fact, why do the righteous suffer more than the wicked, at the hands of the wicked? Why does God allow that? Jewish apocalypticists believed that God had revealed to them the secrets that made sense of it all. There are cosmic forces in the world aligned against God and his people, powers like the devil and his demons. These forces are in control of the world and the political powers that run it. For some mysterious reason God allowed these forces to thrive in the present evil age. But a new age is coming in which God would overthrow the forces of evil and bring in a good kingdom, a kingdom of God, in which there will be no more pain, misery, or suffering. God will rule supreme, and the devil and his demons, along with all the other nasty powers causing such suffering (hurricanes earthquakes famine disease war), will be done away with. “The kingdom of God is near,” Jesus said. This means that God will soon intervene in this age and overthrow its wicked powers and the kingdoms they support, such as Rome, and establish his own kingdom, a kingdom of truth, peace, and justice. “Repent and believe the good news” means that people need to prepare for this coming Kingdom by changing their lives, beginning to align themselves with the forces of good instead of the forces of evil, and by accepting Jesus' teaching that it was soon to happen.
Here’s Evidence of this message:
When John the Baptist sent messengers from the prison where he was being held to ask Jesus if he is the prophet to come at the end of the age, or if another is to be expected, Jesus gives the response.
Luke 7:22-23
“Go and tell John what you have seen and heard,
the blind received their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them.
And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”
The kingdom of God is soon to appear, and is already beginning to be manifest in a small way in the deeds of Jesus. Jesus' activities are understood apocalyptically. The church does stuff not to fill the pews, not to prove it is right, not to abound in vain-glory and money (entities here on earth have achieved all of this or try to achieve it, which may partially explain the mess that we’re in) but to model the principles of God’s Kingdom. Everything we do points to a coming apocalypse or judgment of sorts. “Doomsday’s” origin is not a day when the earth cuts open or is swallowed by a black hole, but comes from the words “dom” which is Old English for “judgment” and “daeg,” which means “day.” In the bible we get the word “Dominion” which means an area where a king had judgment or rule. Canada was called a dominion based on Psalm 72:8 kjv He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. This refers to God’s Kingdom, He himself being judge and king. This was not lost on the man who wrote O Canada. We are used to singing only the first verse, but here is the fourth and final verse–the message of the song showing its ultimate vision for Canada’s people.
Ruler supreme, who hearest humble prayer,
Hold our Dominion within thy loving care;
Help us to find, O God, in thee
A lasting, rich reward,
As waiting for the better Day,
We ever stand on guard for Thee.
(Lyrics by Robert Stanley Weir)
The Bible writers interpreted miracles of Jesus, His parables, His teachings, his trials and temptations, birth and ultimate death and resurrection in apocalyptic terms. In the future Kingdom there will be no forces of evil; Jesus overcomes evil now. There will be no demons; Jesus casts the demons out now. There will be no disease; Jesus heals the sick now. There will be no natural disasters; Jesus calms the storms now. There'll be no more hunger; Jesus feeds the hungry now. There will be no death, Jesus raises the dead now. Jesus, as his custom was, went to the Synagogue on the Sabbath; In the new earth we will celebrate the eternal Sabbath where God will make everything new.
What was another part of John's message that appealed to Jesus? He not only brought an Apocalyptic message, but a prophetic message to the people–the Elijah Message. Jesus said that John was the greatest of all the prophets. Jesus then joined John's message with that of Elijah. They both were tasked with preparing people for the coming of the Lord. It reminds us of Isaiah 40.
Isaiah 40
A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord[
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
“In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord" And when Jesus talks about those who are attracted to John's message he said in Matthew 11:7
“Did you go out in the wilderness just to see the reeds rocking back and forth?
Or a man dressed in fancy clothes (perhaps a charcoal grey suit looking fat and sleek and important, sighting down his nose at the little people while saying righteous things to them in Ducent tones. “Dulcent tones” by the way, refers to soft and gentle sounds, especially a voice or music that is pleasing to the ear. It implies a sweet melodious quality that is soothing and agreeable?” No, John’s religion was a call to action–ethical action. It was said that Jesus healed more than he preached. But was the healing simply to bring attention to himself and prove that He was right? No again. All Jesus taught, all his parables, all his miracles were to prepare human beings on earth for the advance of God’s kingdom. Everything Jesus did could be considered a foretaste of heaven.
The same goes for His church. Does the body of Christ not value what Jesus values?
A New Testament Theology professor named Bart Ehrman observed:
"Through the centuries the religion of Jesus has changed to a religion about Jesus.”
Bart Ehrman
This is what he believes is practiced in most Christian churches today. In Jesus’ time the choice appeared to be rather simple; You were a Jew or a Gentile. If you were a splitter rather than a clumper, the options could cover the waterfront:
If you wanted to join a cause that translates the scriptures into your life–the Pharisees. If you wanted to join a cause that values keeping the Commandments and traditions–the Essenes. One that values self-help and self-preservation--the Sadducees. Nationalistic “my God in the Holy Land” types well there's the Zealots. Christ wanted nothing to do with any of the above. He joined with John.
In our day the names of the causes are different but the choice is similar. If you want to join a cause that is relevant–Sadducees. if you want to join a cause that is pertinent–the Pharisees. The cause that involves commitment, you can join the Essenes. If you want to be patriotic, join the Zealots. Or would you choose something different? The religion of Jesus–a religion of active, sacrificing love? Listen to the words of “Lead on O King Eternal” by Ernest W. Shurtleff:
Lead on O King Eternal” by Ernest W. Shurtleff
Lead on, O King eternal,
the day of march has come;
henceforth in fields of conquest
your tents will be our home.
Through days of preparation
your grace has made us strong;
and now, O King eternal,
we lift our battle song.
Lead on, O King eternal,
till sin's fierce war shall cease,
and holiness shall whisper
the sweet amen of peace.
For not with swords' loud clashing
or roll of stirring drums
with deeds of love and mercy
the heavenly kingdom comes.
Lead on, O King eternal;
we follow, not with fears,
for gladness breaks like morning
where'er your face appears.
Your cross is lifted o'er us,
we journey in its light;
the crown awaits the conquest;
lead on, O God of might.
Psalter Hymnal, (Gray)