In the Gospel for the third week of Advent, we find that John the Baptist has been arrested and is in prison. He has heard of the miracles of Jesus, and he is curious to know whether Jesus is the long-awaited messiah, or as John says should they look for another. This is one of those instances when all involved are hoping for a simple yes or no answer. Of course, Jesus tells the disciples of John to go back and let him know what they have seen with their own eyes. They are to tell John about the blind who are now able to see, the lame who are now able to walk, the dead who have been raised, and the kingdom of God preached to all who will listen. Jesus is simply letting John’s disciples and John himself know that the proof is in the pudding, that what they see is what they get, that yes, he is the long-awaited Messiah who has come to save and set free sinners.
            Fast forward more than a couple of millennia, and the same question that John the Baptist asked continues to be in the minds and hearts of so many who are looking for the source of happiness and the fulfillment of hope. So many are looking for love that is unconditional, for mercy that is unending, for patience and generosity, for life, for freedom, for answers, for the meaning of life. Because this search is so universal, advertisers and politicians, movers and shakers, influencers of all kinds posit their ideas, their way of life, their recipe for happiness as the long-awaited messiah that is going to restore humanity to perfect happiness and the fullness of life.
            But the proof is in the pudding, and what we see is what we get. When those who claim to have the way to happiness tell us to look at what they have accomplished we quickly discover that whatever they have offered has been replaced by something new and better. They cannot point to a group or to a person, besides themselves, whose life has been made better, more fulfilling because of them. They cannot point to people who were blind and now can see the way, the truth, and the life. They cannot point to anyone who has been lifted from the death of loneliness or sadness because they drink the right beer, or drive the right car, or have enough money. The modern-day self-proclaimed messiahs tell us that they have all the answers and can help us to receive their version of paradise which is as comfortable and long lasting as a bean bag seat.
            Like John the Baptist and his disciples, we need to look beyond the loudest yellers and the flashiest vendors. We need to look beyond those who offer quick fixes and fast remedies, we need to look beyond those who make “too good to be true” promises to find the real source of happiness and extraordinariness. During this season of Advent, we prepare ourselves to approach the stable, to approach the crib of the savior of the world. We prepare ourselves to approach the one who tells us that if we look to him, we can see that the proof is indeed in the fruits of his labors.
            From the crib and from the cross, Jesus offers us the way to holiness. Jesus tells us how to live a life of freedom and peace. Jesus reveals to us our dignity and points us to our destiny. In Jesus we do have our eyes opened to see his promises fulfilled in our midst. In Jesus we can walk the arduous way that leads us to happiness. In Jesus we come to rise from the darkness of fear, from the burden of sin, and from the prison of shame to live the fullness of life. In Jesus we find the source of all that is good, the light that points us in the right direction, and lessons that teach us of the power of love to change a weary world into a glimpse of the kingdom of God. In Jesus we see the Messiah who has come to make all things new and to fulfill our desires beyond anything this world has to offer.
            So, the answer is yes, Jesus is the one for whom we have been looking, the one for whom we have been waiting. The good news is that he has already come, has promised that he will not leave us alone, and will come again.