December 16, 2025
Advent 3: Here Comes the Teacher
Paying Attention to the Work of God
Advent is often described as a season of waiting, but in Matthew 11 it becomes a season of paying attention. In this week’s episode of Here Comes the Teacher, we encounter John the Baptist not as the fiery prophet crying out in the wilderness, but as a prisoner sitting with questions.
John hears reports about Jesus and sends his disciples with a simple but unsettling question: Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another? It is striking that the one who prepared the way now wonders if he misunderstood the destination.
This moment matters because it tells us something honest about faith. Even the boldest voices can find themselves confused when God does not act according to expectation. Advent makes room for that kind of honesty.
When God Does Not Follow the Script
John expected a Messiah who would bring judgment, confront political power, and usher in dramatic change. Jesus arrives quietly, healing the sick, restoring the broken, and proclaiming good news to the poor. Mercy comes before judgment. Healing comes before power.
Jesus does not respond to John with theology or argument. Instead, he says, “Go and tell John what you hear and see.” Blind people see. The lame walk. The poor receive good news.
Jesus invites John, and us, to pay attention.
Faith here is not about forcing God into our expectations. It is about learning to see where God is already at work. Advent trains us to notice signs of grace that may not look like what we rehearsed or planned.
Blessed Are Those Who Can Look Again
Jesus names a blessing for those who do not stumble over his unexpected way of being Messiah. In other words, blessed are those who can loosen their grip on expectations and open their eyes to what God is actually doing.
After John’s disciples leave, Jesus speaks highly of John. He calls him a prophet and more than a prophet. John’s role was essential. Preparation matters. Yet Jesus also names a shift. John represents the dawn. Jesus brings the daylight.
This does not diminish John. It places him in the right moment of the story. Advent reminds us that God’s work unfolds in seasons, and not all of them look the same.
Leadership, Disappointment, and Trust
For leaders, this passage feels especially close to home. We plan. We prepare. We rehearse the script. Then God moves in a way we did not anticipate.
John models what faithful leadership looks like in those moments. He asks honest questions. He looks again. He pays attention to the fruit of God’s work rather than clinging to his own expectations.
Disappointment, as this story shows, is not the enemy of faith. Sometimes it is the doorway to deeper trust. John was not wrong about Jesus. He was early, imagining a later chapter before it was time.
Belief That Becomes a Way of Living
As the conversation turns toward Matthew’s wider gospel, the focus sharpens. Belief in Jesus is not merely intellectual agreement. To believe in Jesus is to live by Jesus.
Jesus points to a faith that shows up in response to human need. Loving neighbors. Caring for the vulnerable. Acting with compassion in ordinary, everyday ways.
If believing in Jesus does not shape how we live, love, and lead, then we have missed what the Teacher is teaching.
Paying Attention This Advent
John asked a question many of us ask. Jesus answered by pointing to mercy breaking into the world. Advent invites us to see again.
As you move through this season, consider these questions:
- Where are you disappointed with God, and what might that reveal about your expectations?
- Where might God already be at work in ways you did not anticipate?
- Who around you needs encouragement to notice signs of grace?
Here comes the Teacher, not with a spectacle, but with compassion. Pay attention. God is moving.