After the messengers from the imprisoned John the Baptist have left him Jesus speaks warmly to the people about John as the messenger who prepares the way (Mt 11:2-11; cf Lk 7:27, quoting the prophet Malachi 3:1).
The term “angelos”( ἄγγελος ) in NT, ( “mal’āk” in the OT), refers in the first instance to messengers in the natural, human sense. These can be ordinarily sent to convey a message of one sort or another. It can indicate a prophet as messenger, as well as a priest. Secondly, it pertains to heavenly messengers or what is usually referred to as angels. They are depicted as instruments of divine judgment and redemption. In particular they’re mediators of divine revelation to the birth of Christ, or John the Baptist, (Mt 1:20f; Lk 1:11f) or visions of the heavenly realms and messengers to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation. But when Jesus referred to John (quoting Malachi), the term specifically points to the messenger, the messianic prophet of the new covenant, foreshadowing the coming of the Messiah.
Jesus’ words to the crowd extolled the person and work of John, posing six questions of a negative character before affirming the Baptist’s eschatological role, (Mt 11: 7-11). The questioning implies John’s ascetical and determined personality. While certainly part of the prophetic tradition, John is distinctive as the one who is to usher the final age. In this role of immediate forerunner of the Lord, John has no human equal. At the same time, the disciples of Jesus are graced and privileged in a way that surpasses anything that John had received, (v11b) for having the fullness of redemption the Messiah whom he has heralded has brought, the greatest gift of God, the very life in Christ.
As is expected for Gaudete Sunday, the Liturgy of the Word is filled with joyful descriptions of Messianic times (Is 34:1-6, 10;) and of the coming Messiah, who is now at the gates (Mt 11:5). Let us appropriate the role of John the Batist as his messenger, bringing the good news of salvation to one and all. And expressing our joyful expectation in the words of the response to the Psalm, we pray: “Lord, come and save us!”
