What Have You Come to See?

This is the English-translated outline of the Sermon preached by Rev. Musubi Tabuchi to the congregations of Ashiya Christian Church and Unfinished Community on Sunday, December 14, 2025, drawing from Matthew 11:2-11

“Are You the One Who Is to Come?”

Throughout their long history, the Jews had eagerly awaited the arrival of their Savior, the Messiah. When they first encountered Jesus, they sought to confirm whether He was that Messiah, wondering if instead they should “wait for another.” They could not ascertain whether or not Jesus was the Messiah because, while Jesus showed them that people with various disabilities and illnesses were being healed, and that the poor were hearing the gospel, this situation was quite different from the image of the Messiah the Jews had expected. They likely anticipated a more political figure—a glorious presence capable of overwhelming even the Roman rulers of the time.

But when such a glorious, political, and military Messiah appeared, would the state of those pushed to the margins of society and subjected to various forms of discrimination change? The gospel being proclaimed to the poor conveyed God's involvement and care for those living in such poverty, amidst disabilities and sickness. Accepting this Messiah was, in fact, a very risky thing for those in positions of power within society. Why do people in society keep focusing only on those “dressed in fine clothes”? Jesus asks them this. The Messiah Jesus speaks of is one who should be sent into the world to save those truly seeking salvation, those seeking God's care and comfort.

As we wait for Christmas, perhaps we find ourselves waiting for a Christmas that exists only in our own image. And that image often ends with the idea that once December 25th passes, that's enough, and we'll just wait for next year. For those who can truly receive the encouragement for their daily lives, God's comfort, and salvation at Christmas, that blessing becomes a major turning point in their lives from that moment onward. It becomes guidance that enriches each new year that begins from there.

Let us pray: God, may this Christmas we now approach become a source that continually sustains, guides, comforts, and encourages our lives. Grant us a true encounter with the infant Jesus born in Bethlehem. In the name of the Lord we pray, Amen.