Something in the Water (Advent Week 2)
Scripture Narrative Matthew 11:1-11
2 When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”
4 Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see:
5 the blind receive their sight,
the lame walk,
those with a skin disease are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the poor have good news brought to them.
6 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”
7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What, then, did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. 9 What, then, 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,
‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11 “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
John asks, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”
It sounds like a simple enough question. Throughout Matthew, people are wondering about Jesus—his teaching, his miracles, and his authority. They’re trying to decide: Is this truly the Messiah?
Or is there something in the water that gives people wild ideas?
But before we get to that question, we look at what the Gospel of Matthew already tells us about John.
In Matthew 3, John appears in the wilderness preaching, “Change your hearts and lives. Here comes the kingdom of heaven!”
He’s the one Isaiah spoke of, the voice crying out in the wilderness.
His whole life is focused on one mission: to prepare the way for God’s Messiah. Nothing else matters.
Matthew 3 tells us John wore camel hair and lived on locusts and honey. You can imagine the locals nodding quietly, whispering,
“There must be something in the water making folks act like that…”
As many as looked down on John for his eccentric ways, just as many followed his teachings and agreed with him. In his time, John was more popular than Jesus. Even after John dies, people continue to repeat his teachings. John knew who he was. He preached:
“I baptize with water, but one stronger than I is coming.
I’m not even worthy to carry his sandals.”
And then the two of them meet. Jesus comes to John at the Jordan and asks to be baptized. John tries to refuse, but Jesus insists, and John baptizes him. When Jesus rises from the water, the heavens open, the Spirit descends like a dove, and a voice says,
“This is my Son, the Beloved.”
Something in that baptismal water indeed.
Something unmistakable.
Something holy.
John and Jesus are living out God’s mission.
So why, after all that, does John send messengers asking, “Are you the one?”
Has he forgotten?
Is he doubting?
Has the certainty he once carried now bruised under the weight of what his life has become?
Scripture gives us the answer in one short line: “When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing…”
John is in prison. That changes everything.
His mission has challenged religious leaders and political rulers. He spoke out against Herod Antipas for abusing his power and taking his brother’s wife. So Herod threw John in prison. John knows he’s not getting out. His future is getting shorter. He knows he is just biding time until the king has him put to death.
And in that place, he wonders, “Was it real?
Or was it just something in the water that made me believe so deeply?
Did I make all of that up?”
It’s not faith killing negativity - no, it's simply doubt.
It’s bruised faith.
It’s the ache of someone who is now searching for a bit of hope, some peace of mind.
He sends messengers to Jesus looking for answers.
And Jesus doesn’t answer with theories, prophecies, or a parable.
John doesn’t need abstract promises.
John needs signs of God’s nearness in the real world.
So Jesus says:
“Tell John what you hear and see:
the blind see, the lame walk, the sick are healed, the deaf hear,
the dead are raised, and the poor receive good news.”
Real people. Real change. Real hope.
No, John. There isn’t just something in the water.
God’s kingdom is breaking in right here and now.
I think John’s predicament feels all too familiar.
We hope for a future where faithfulness matters,
where goodness wins,
and where love transforms the world.
Yet the evidence often feels thin.
We wonder:
Am I doing enough?
Is this what I’m called to do?
Why doesn’t it feel like it’s making a difference?
Have all my hours serving, showing up, caring for others mattered?
Was it all just… something in the water?
And underneath all those questions is the same longing John felt.
A longing for hope.
A longing for peace of mind.
A longing to know that what we have poured out still means something.
Here is where the story turns.
Doubt isn’s the absence of faith.
No, its simply faith that has been bruised a little.
Faith that has felt the hurt of being a human in an imperfect world.
Jesus’ answer to John and to us is the same:
Look again.
Pay attention to the places where lives are being changed.
Hope is rising in ways you may not perceive.
The prophet Isaiah speaks for God, saying,
“I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”
Do you not perceive it?
John couldn’t. So Jesus points it out.
We often can’t. So Jesus points it out.
Jesus does not see John’s trembling hope as failure.
He names it as faithfulness.
This is a redemptive word for us:
Hope that trembles is still hope.
Bruised faith is still faith.
Doubting is often just a way of reaching for hope and trying to find peace of mind.
Even in doubt, John is still a prophet.
Even in fear, he is still beloved.
And so are we.
Advent does not ask us to manufacture hope.
It invites us to bring our emptied hope and our bruised faith to Jesus,
to ask the hard questions,
and to look again at what God is doing among us.
When hope runs low, it might be the perfect time to ask Jesus:
What do you see?
What do you hear?
Where is the kingdom taking root?
And ask ourselves, do we perceive it?
And then trust that somewhere, even now,
something new is springing forth.
Something steady.
Something life-giving.
Something in the water.
You are invited to see God’s work right in your community.
Think about the lives that have been touched through your generosity, your prayers, your service.
Who didn’t go hungry because of you?
Who found comfort in grief because you showed up?
Whose child felt safe with you?
Whose faith was rekindled because you paid attention?
That’s not something in the water.
That’s God with us.
That’s God with you.
Do you not perceive it?
Take a look.
Bibliography
Lee, Boyung, Rev. Dr. “The First Sunday of Advent: In the Time of Herod, We Long for God to Break In.” In What Do You Fear? Sermon Planning Guide: Advent–Epiphany. Developed by Rev. Lisle Gwynn Garrity. A Sanctified Art LLC, n.d. https://sanctifiedart.org.
In keeping with transparency, this post was developed with the help of AI editing tools. (Like Grammarly) These tools support the creative process but do not replace human reflection, discernment, or authorship. All sources are fully cited, and all other content is my original work.
