EXPLORE THE TEXT
We may experience honest doubts,
but confessing our doubts to God is a step toward genuine faith.
1 When Jesus had finished giving instructions to his twelve disciples,
he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.
2 Now when John heard in prison what the Christ was doing,
he sent a message through his disciples
3 and asked him,
“Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
4 Jesus replied to them,
“Go and report to John what you hear and see:
5 The blind receive their sight, the lame walk,
those with leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news,
6 and blessed is the one who isn’t offended by me.”
Share thoughts about John’s doubt.
Note that John’s ministry had diminished.
He had been arrested and imprisoned for taking a stand against Herod.
John felt the need to question Jesus.
He may have been seeking some measure of reassurance in prison.
He also may have reflected the first-century understanding
that the Messiah would drive out Rome and reestablish David’s kingdom.
He might have wondered why Jesus hadn’t set him free.
Regardless of the reasons, it’s a good reminder that
even Jesus’s most loyal followers can have doubts at times.
Jesus mission as described in verses 4-5.
Tell John.
things a healer does:
the lame walk, those with leprosy are cleansed, and the poor are told the good news,
things only Messiah could do:
The blind receive their sight, the deaf hear, the dead are raised.
While John’s ministry was waning, Jesus was upending religious tradition
and His disciples were beginning to replicate His work.
Share this content from page 100 of the PSG:
To answer John’s question, Jesus pointed to the evidence.
He gave John’s disciples a list of miracles He had performed.
In doing this, Jesus was alluding to the Old Testament prophecies
concerning the types of miracles the Messiah would perform. Jesus was saying to John, “Identify me through the miracles that I do.”
prophecies fulfilled or, promises made-promiseskept.
The preaching and healing ministries of Jesus.
Jesus’s response also resembles the Messiah’s “job description”
in Isaiah 61:1-3.
1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
2 To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.
It is one thing to have doubts.
The key is knowing how to respond to those doubts.
Jesus’s response encourages us to bring our questions to Him
and to ground ourselves in His words and actions.