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.
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In our text today in Luke 7: we'll find that the blind receive their sight at the hand of Jesus their Messiah. -- Isaiah stated that this will be one of the works performed by the Messiah.
>>Isaiah 35:5-6 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: --
* There is a precious young blind lady that is a member of the same church that I am, she is a sweet person and never seems to be depressed about any thing, she always seems happy. Often at the close of the morning service without really thinking, I might say to her, "well I'll see you after while" -- and she has said "I'll see you to one day." Or something to that effect, And I'm sure she will.
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* Listen as I read our text today found in Luke 7:11-28
Let me say first, this incident is recorded only in Luke, here we'll read about a village called "Nain" it was about six miles southeast of Nazareth, and is mentioned nowhere else in Scripture. Today it is called Nein.
Nain; was a town in southwest Galilee, overlooking the Plain of Esdraelon.
It means "pleasant" or "delightful" The view was pleasant, and a spring contributed to groves of olives and figs. It's a small village now, though probably much larger at the time Jesus was there.
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11And it came to pass the day after, --
The day after Jesus had healed the centurion's servant because of the great faith of the gentile centurion.
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11And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.
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12Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
13And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, weep not.
14And he came and touched the bier: (what the body was laid on) and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
16And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.
17And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.
----LISTEN;
18 And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things.
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?"
20When the men were come unto him, ** (Jesus) they said, "John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?"
* I think it’s important that we notice here that Jesus did not stop what He was doing and give John’s disciples a verbal answer; He wanted them to see for them selves the Messianic signs that He was fulfilling. -- this was to strengthen their faith in Him as to who He was, I believe that Jesus understood this, I believe Jesus knew why John had sent them, Jesus knew that John himself had no doubt of who He was.
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21And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
--- Notice; after He had worked these many Messianic signs we read, --
22 Then (after the many signs) Jesus answering said unto them, "Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. 23And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me."
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I don't think it's a coincidence that the 5th think He mentions is to do with "the dead" the dead are raised-
5 is the number of death. -- The 1st man Adam dies in Gen.5: verse 5. All the people that are named in Gen.5: dies except Noah and his sons. -- Also, Jesus gave His life for the Church in Eph. 5:25.
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24And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
25But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously appareled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.
26But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.
27This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
28For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: Listen-- but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
* What did Jesus mean by that statement? --" he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." -- Greater than John.
"Grace" which Jesus brings is so much greater than that which has been in the old order, -- (law) -- anyone who has experienced the new--(grace) -- has advantages and spiritual privileges beyond those of even the greatest of the old order, to which John the Baptist belongs. -- John died before Jesus was crucified.--John died before Pentecost when the true Church was born, John died before GRACE was come.
* John 1:15-17 we read;
John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
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Nowadays when people are saved the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit provides a totally new dimension for Christians living in the new dispensation of GRACE.
Therefore, the Christian who is "least in the kingdom of God" has greater potentialities and responsibilities which no O.T. saint was able to enjoy.
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In Verse 22 of our text Jesus said;
-- to the poor the gospel is preached.
* What is the Gospel?
Many people today don't understand the meaning and significance of the term "gospel." To many folks it is little more than a category of the music industry--songs with simple melodies and harmonies that honor traditional themes and religious devotion.
Yet Jesus told John's followers that one way they could tell He was the Messiah was that because of His coming, "the poor have the gospel preached to them"
* Why was it significant for Jesus to preach it?
The Greek word translated gospel means "good news."
In the New Testament, the ultimate good news is that Jesus Christ has come as the Messiah, the Savior of the world. He has come to save people from sin and restore them to God.
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It certainly is good news because it speaks to the very bad news that apart from God's intervention all the world would be lost and without hope.
* As Paul declared the bad news in - Rom. 3:23 All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
* But then the good news is - Rom. 5:8 that "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Indeed, Christ's death, which dealt with sin, and His burial and His resurrection from the dead form the core of the gospel message, 1 Cor. 15:1--4
Though Jesus had not yet gone to the cross at the time John's followers came, asking whether He was the Christ.
But His message of the kingdom was indeed good news because it revealed that God was finally bringing about the salvation promised in the Old Testament.
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* Listen to this illustration;
Jesus' coming was like a fireman arriving on the scene of a fire, or an emergency medical team arriving at an accident.
The situation was not yet remedied, but the remedy was at hand. That was good news!
