Matthew 11:2-6 Luke 7:18-23

Matthew 11:2-6 2 Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” 4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THEGOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. 6 “And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”

Luke 7:18-23 18 The disciples of John reported to him about all these things. 19 Summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?” 20 When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, ‘Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?’” 21 At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind. 22 And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. 23 “Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”

Expectations can be very dangerous.  Even though John the Baptist was a great prophet who was used of God to prepare the way for Messiah; he found himself if jail.  Needless to say, John was not expecting his life story to end up this way.  John’s knowledge of the Old Testament would have left him expecting Messiah to reign as King while releasing the nation of Israel from the oppression of Rome.  Instead, John finds himself locked up in prison.  This left John with doubts, fears and questions.  Many people who come to Christ expect to experience great blessings in their lives.  When things don’t go as expected; they often become discouraged or even disillusioned.  When this happens, the best thing to do is look to the Lord and His Word.

A QUESTION BORN IN CIRCUMSTANCE: John’s imprisonment was certainly not a part of his life plan.  Even more troubling to John must have been the lack of “success” Jesus seemed to be facing.  John’s circumstances were not what He imagined or wanted and must have produced many questions in His mind.  Even though John had baptized Jesus, heard the voice of God identifying Jesus as His Son; John’s present circumstances were causing him to doubt and fear.  He sent a group of his followers to inquire of Jesus as to whether or not He was truly the Messiah.  Difficult circumstances can shake our faith and fill our minds with doubt.  It is important to remember the promises of Scripture in the face of suffering.  God’s promises of peace, comfort and prosperity are not guaranteed for our lives on this sin-cursed earth.  They are the hope God has promised for the new heaven and earth.  It is almost a comfort to realize that even someone as great as John the Baptist struggled with doubts and fears just like we do.  When we feel discouraged it is important to take our eyes off of our circumstances and focus on the hope of God’s eternal promises found in Scripture.

AN ANSWER BORN IN SCRIPTURE: Jesus does not criticize John or embarrass him in front of his friends.  He responds graciously to them by quoting the Scriptures of the Old Testament about Messiah and then performed the miracles that had been foretold.  The blind were able to see.  The lame could walk.  The deaf could hear.  The poor and oppressed were receiving the Gospel.  Even, the dead were being given new life through the power of Jesus.  Jesus was simply encouraging John to look to the Word of God instead of at His own circumstances.  The Bible should be a source of great hope and encouragement to us.  The promises of Scripture should be like an anchor that holds our hearts firm and secure when the storms of life and the waves of circumstance begin to pound against us.  If we don’t know the Word of God or fail to call it to mind when we face adversity; doubts and fears can begin to dominate our thinking and rob us of the hope God wants us to have.  

APPLICATION: Don’t allow circumstances of suffering to produce doubts and fears about the goodness or power of God.  Be prepared to suffer as believers living in a sin-cursed world.  Study and remember the promises of God’s Word in the face of adversity.  Don’t be afraid to express your doubts and fears to God in prayer, He knows all about them and graciously ministers assurance through His Spirit when we open our hearts before Him.