John the Baptist Looks Doubtful by the RiverBible World
11:3Matthew 11:3
And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
From his prison cell John sent two of his followers to ask Jesus whether he was truly the promised Deliverer or whether they should keep waiting for someone else. He asked after heralding Christ and being imprisoned for condemning Herod's unlawful marriage, unable himself to hear Christ's teaching or see his miracles and troubled by reports that Christ had not freed him. His doubt grew from expecting the Messiah to openly claim David's throne, overthrow Rome, judge the wicked, establish an earthly kingdom, and deliver him, so that Christ's quiet work of teaching and healing without kingly power perplexed him. Jesus answered not at once with claims but by letting the messengers watch through the day as the blind saw, the deaf heard, the lame walked, lepers were cleansed, the sick and demon-possessed were restored, and the poor heard the good news, proving his divine mission by his works. He added that blessing rests on the one who is not offended in him, a gentle correction John received with submissive faith, and the same Saviour is as willing to show his power for believers now who, when hedged in by difficulties, remember his past kindness and trust him rather than murmur.
Setting of John's Question
The inquiry asks whether Jesus is the promised Messiah who was to come or whether another is still to be expected. It was sent by John the Baptist through two of his disciples from Herod's dungeon near the close of his work. John had heralded Christ's kingdom and had then been imprisoned for faithfully denouncing Herod's unlawful marriage. He sought a direct word from Christ to strengthen his own assurance and to confirm his disciples in faith that Jesus was the promised One.
Shut in his lonely dungeon, John could not himself hear Jesus' gracious teaching nor witness the miracles. What he knew of Jesus' mighty works came through the reports his disciples brought him. Those reports comforted him, yet in imprisonment he remained troubled.
His disciples were offended that Jesus did not deliver John from prison. They brought their painful doubts about Christ to John. The question thus expresses the trial of faith caused by Christ's apparent failure to rescue His servant.
Reasons for John's Doubt
In disappointment, perplexity, discouragement and impatience, while watching and waiting in prison, John questioned the Saviour's work. His discouragement in the lonely dungeon moved him to send to Jesus to ask whether He was the promised one or whether another was to be looked for.
He expected the Messiah to proclaim Himself publicly as the Saviour of the world, to take David's throne in Jerusalem, to assume kingly authority, to bring down human pride and power, to judge the wicked, to reveal Himself with fiery power, to subdue the Romans and defeat Rome, promptly to establish a temporal earthly kingdom, and to free John from prison. He reasoned that if Jesus was the Son of God with power to do all things He would set him free, and when those expectations were not fulfilled he grew impatient and fell into doubt. Because Jesus was teaching and healing without publicly claiming kingly authority, acting as a political ruler, or freeing John, John doubted whether the expected Deliverer had come.
The doubt came from misunderstanding the nature and character of Christ's kingdom and the future immortal life through Christ. John had an indistinct understanding and failed to discern Christ's mission. Christ's first advent was to dispel the moral darkness and blindness caused by sin, but even John did not see the full light of His work and teachings.
The question was bitter and disappointing because John had recently identified Jesus as the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world and as one greater than himself. He had already identified Jesus as the promised Messiah and had taught his disciples to look to Jesus and follow Him. If even the faithful forerunner struggled to recognize the mission, the self-seeking multitude could be expected to do no better.
Answer and Faith Lesson
Jesus did not answer at once but kept John's two disciples with Him through the day to see and hear His work. At His word the deaf heard, blind eyes were opened to light and faces and the Deliverer, the lame walked, lepers were cleansed, and the dead were raised. The dying were raised to health and vigor, fever left at His touch, and paralyzed demoniacs were freed and fell at His feet worshiping Him. Poor peasants and laborers shunned as unclean gathered and heard the gospel and words of eternal life.
He knew their errand before they spoke and answered by that mighty demonstration of power, giving unmistakable evidence of His divinity. Those works identified His mission as the one foretold, so the question was answered by the evidence of His ministry rather than by an immediate display of kingly power. That report of what was seen and heard was enough, and He charged them to go and tell John again and show John the things they had seen and heard.
He added that blessed is he who shall not be offended in Him, gently correcting John's misunderstanding, impatience, and indistinct view of His mission. John understood the correction and accepted the reproof with submission and faith. He yielded to God's will whether he lived or died and left his life or death in God's hands.
That same Jesus is Saviour today and is as willing to manifest His power on behalf of believers now as on behalf of John. When hedged about by adverse circumstances and seemingly impossible difficulties that cloud faith, believers are not to murmur or yield to unbelief. They are to remember the Lord's past loving-kindnesses and, looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of faith, endure as seeing Him who is invisible. In this way the mind is kept from being clouded, trusting His willingness to show His power and help.
From his prison cell John sent two of his followers to ask Jesus whether he was truly the promised Deliverer or whether they should keep waiting for someone else. He asked after heralding Christ and being imprisoned for condemning Herod's unlawful marriage, unable himself to hear Christ's teaching or see his miracles and troubled by reports that Christ had not freed him. His doubt grew from expecting the Messiah to openly claim David's throne, overthrow Rome, judge the wicked, establish an earthly kingdom, and deliver him, so that Christ's quiet work of teaching and healing without kingly power perplexed him. Jesus answered not at once with claims but by letting the messengers watch through the day as the blind saw, the deaf heard, the lame walked, lepers were cleansed, the sick and demon-possessed were restored, and the poor heard the good news, proving his divine mission by his works. He added that blessing rests on the one who is not offended in him, a gentle correction John received with submissive faith, and the same Saviour is as willing to show his power for believers now who, when hedged in by difficulties, remember his past kindness and trust him rather than murmur.
Setting of John's Question
The inquiry asks whether Jesus is the promised Messiah who was to come or whether another is still to be expected. It was sent by John the Baptist through two of his disciples from Herod's dungeon near the close of his work. John had heralded Christ's kingdom and had then been imprisoned for faithfully denouncing Herod's unlawful marriage. He sought a direct word from Christ to strengthen his own assurance and to confirm his disciples in faith that Jesus was the promised One.
Shut in his lonely dungeon, John could not himself hear Jesus' gracious teaching nor witness the miracles. What he knew of Jesus' mighty works came through the reports his disciples brought him. Those reports comforted him, yet in imprisonment he remained troubled.
His disciples were offended that Jesus did not deliver John from prison. They brought their painful doubts about Christ to John. The question thus expresses the trial of faith caused by Christ's apparent failure to rescue His servant.
Reasons for John's Doubt
In disappointment, perplexity, discouragement and impatience, while watching and waiting in prison, John questioned the Saviour's work. His discouragement in the lonely dungeon moved him to send to Jesus to ask whether He was the promised one or whether another was to be looked for.
He expected the Messiah to proclaim Himself publicly as the Saviour of the world, to take David's throne in Jerusalem, to assume kingly authority, to bring down human pride and power, to judge the wicked, to reveal Himself with fiery power, to subdue the Romans and defeat Rome, promptly to establish a temporal earthly kingdom, and to free John from prison. He reasoned that if Jesus was the Son of God with power to do all things He would set him free, and when those expectations were not fulfilled he grew impatient and fell into doubt. Because Jesus was teaching and healing without publicly claiming kingly authority, acting as a political ruler, or freeing John, John doubted whether the expected Deliverer had come.
The doubt came from misunderstanding the nature and character of Christ's kingdom and the future immortal life through Christ. John had an indistinct understanding and failed to discern Christ's mission. Christ's first advent was to dispel the moral darkness and blindness caused by sin, but even John did not see the full light of His work and teachings.
The question was bitter and disappointing because John had recently identified Jesus as the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world and as one greater than himself. He had already identified Jesus as the promised Messiah and had taught his disciples to look to Jesus and follow Him. If even the faithful forerunner struggled to recognize the mission, the self-seeking multitude could be expected to do no better.
Answer and Faith Lesson
Jesus did not answer at once but kept John's two disciples with Him through the day to see and hear His work. At His word the deaf heard, blind eyes were opened to light and faces and the Deliverer, the lame walked, lepers were cleansed, and the dead were raised. The dying were raised to health and vigor, fever left at His touch, and paralyzed demoniacs were freed and fell at His feet worshiping Him. Poor peasants and laborers shunned as unclean gathered and heard the gospel and words of eternal life.
He knew their errand before they spoke and answered by that mighty demonstration of power, giving unmistakable evidence of His divinity. Those works identified His mission as the one foretold, so the question was answered by the evidence of His ministry rather than by an immediate display of kingly power. That report of what was seen and heard was enough, and He charged them to go and tell John again and show John the things they had seen and heard.
He added that blessed is he who shall not be offended in Him, gently correcting John's misunderstanding, impatience, and indistinct view of His mission. John understood the correction and accepted the reproof with submission and faith. He yielded to God's will whether he lived or died and left his life or death in God's hands.
That same Jesus is Saviour today and is as willing to manifest His power on behalf of believers now as on behalf of John. When hedged about by adverse circumstances and seemingly impossible difficulties that cloud faith, believers are not to murmur or yield to unbelief. They are to remember the Lord's past loving-kindnesses and, looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of faith, endure as seeing Him who is invisible. In this way the mind is kept from being clouded, trusting His willingness to show His power and help.