Luke 7:11-28 Did John Doubt?

Luke 7:11-28 Did John doubt? ~ GOOD NEWS- THE GOSPEL 1-26-13

Today I want to bring a few thoughts to do with the account that we read of in Luke 7:11-28.

As I have been preparing this message I found that there are many bible scholars that think that verse 19 shows that John the Baptist begin to doubt that Jesus wasn't really the One that the O.T. scriptures foretold as Israel's Messiah.

Verse 19 says;

19And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?

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* Remember John is locked up in prison at this time, I personally believe, that John realizing that he would not be freed from prison wanted to strengthen his disciple's faith in Jesus, that Jesus was indeed the very fulfillment of the many prophecies to do with Israel's promised Messiah, I don't believe for a minute that John the Baptist had any doubt at all who Jesus was. --

* Listen to John’s testimony;

>John 1: 32-34 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. * Jesus

33And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, "Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost."

34And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

* Before Jesus' baptism, John knew Him only as a good cousin, not as the Lamb of God. Not until he saw the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus did John realize that He was the Son of God

John mother Elizabeth, and Jesus mother Mary were cousin, John was about 6 months older that Jesus.

>Luke 1:36 -- Gabriel said to Mary -- And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her,

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* Even the man John himself was fore told in

>>Malachi 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me:

* John would come as a type of Elijah.

Malachi goes on --and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. -- And Jesus did come into the temple;

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>Matthew 21:12-14 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 13And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. 14And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

* Then in the synagogue in Nazareth comes Jesus;

>> Luke 4: 16-21 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

17And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, *(prisoners of sin) and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

20And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

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Let me point out that Jesus didn't read all of verse 2 in that passage, it reads in verse 2 of Isaiah 61: To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; -- Jesus didn't read the rest of that verse -- "and the day of vengeance of our God;”

Indicating that the day of vengeance, (final judgment) had not yet come.

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* Jesus did exactly what the prophets said the Messiah would do when He finally arrived, and this will be even more so when He sets up His Kingdom.

The many miracles that Jesus did were certainly Messianic signs, which should have left no doubt to any one as to whom He was.