I want you to consider John the Baptist. It is so easy for us to take a cursory look at this man, as we pass through the early chapters of the Gospels, and move on to study the ministry of Jesus with no more thought given to the Baptist, other than remembering him as the one who had the solemn duty and distinct privilege of baptizing our Lord in the Jordan.
I think perhaps John the Baptist is somewhat of a challenge to our imaginations. He is somewhat of a mystery, with his almost monk-like life-style, his unattractive diet of locusts and honey, his designer clothing with the “Camel Klein” label, and his sharply focused ministry of calling to repentance.
As we study the lives of the old testament saints, although their errors are recorded for us, their major accomplishments of faith are an inspiration that we would like to emulate.
But John gets pushed to the back of our minds, I think, because there is so little about his life, as recorded for us, that holds any attraction for us. Yes, we think, he was filled with the Holy Spirit in his mother’s womb, and he was entirely sold out to the Lord and devoted to the work given him to do; and he did get to baptize Jesus, and his is a story of unwavering faithfulness. But I don’t think that many of us would like to trade places with John. He lived a life in the wilderness. How many of us could stand the long periods of utter seclusion and retain our sanity? He was devoid of all the worldly comforts to which we grow so accustomed that we come to think of them as indispensable. (What would I do, without my morning coffee...)
His entire existence was for the sole purpose of pointing to Another. No promotions on the horizon for John.
The increase of his ministry in terms of the people who flocked to him to hear his narrow message and then either respond and be baptized or reject and object, was all by the design of the Holy Spirit, to culminate in a public introduction of the arrival of God’s promised Redeemer.
How many of us, whatever our earthly goals, would be capable when at the very peak of our careers, when the sun seems to be shining on us the brightest and we are seen by ourselves and others as being at the very pinnacle of our success, would then be humble enough to send all of our admirers to someone on the horizon, saying, “He must increase, but I must decrease”?
Then he spends the last year of his life in a dark, dank dungeon (sharp contrast to the blue sky and wide-open spaces he is used to), and then at the whim of an evil woman is beheaded simply so she can continue her career of debauchery unchallenged.
So I think we often avoid careful inspection of John and his life because everything we know about him tends to make us just a little uncomfortable with ourselves; and the very fact of the brevity of his life and its seemingly ignoble end puzzle us, who prefer stories of great miracles, divine deliverance, and grace poured out on those the Lord calls His own.
But I want you to consider John the Baptist today. I want you to take note of his devotion and his faithfulness. I want you to consider the uncompromising clarity and tenacity of his message, as he heralded the coming of Messiah, and called for repentance and faith to prepare the heart to receive Him.
I want you to bear in mind that many of those who were drawn to John were ones who were later drawn to Jesus Himself; at least two of them becoming part of His chosen twelve. And I want you to remember that Jesus later said of John, that “...among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater that John the Baptist”.
I want to ask you to be aware of these things, as we lower the glass over just these five verses of Matthew 11, and closely scrutinize John’s questions of doubt and Jesus’ gracious answers of encouragement.
(Read Matthew 11:2-6) Pray.
By this time, John had been in prison for nearly a year. Now this is not a city dweller; a home-body who spent his work days in a comfortable chair, or laboring over a craft with an open window on one side and an open door on the other to let a soft breeze cool him as he worked. He was not a man who spent his evenings holding the hand of a woman and discussing his dreams with her while watching the night skies for falling stars and admiring the glow of moonlight through slowly drifting wisps of cloud. This was not a man who ran for cover from the rains and shielded his neck from the hot sun with an umbrella; who strolled through market places, picking out the finest meats and the ripest fruits with which to tantalize his pallet.
This was a rugged individual of the wilderness, whose home and hearth were the hillsides and grasses of the Valley Jordan. His fountain was the river and his meat was the creature of the foliage. His company was the listening ear of the God of the Ages, and his recliner was the center of God’s will.
Suddenly his world was shrunken to cold, stone walls, all within arm’s reach; his only light was probably a small window near the ceiling which may have given only a glimpse of a gloomy corridor, and not the sunshine at all.
His life in its entirety had been spent to prepare himself and then prepare others for the coming of the long-awaited Messiah, and as soon as the fulfillment came he was dragged off to spend his last days in an imposed, deprived seclusion rather than one of his choosing.
Rather than being allowed to enjoy the fruits of his labors, by watching the progress of the Redeemer in His ministry, he was seemingly cast off like an old garment; discarded like a pawn who had only served to make way for the forward movement of the King and then taken off the board.
We cannot criticize John for asking his questions of doubt. And we will not criticize him here. If our Lord has chosen to boast about John with no hint at any displeasure with him whatsoever, then we do not dare point the finger.
But there is much we can learn from this dark period of John’s life and faith. The most obvious of those being that the most faithful, the most assured, the most deeply spiritual of men can and do find themselves in a pit of despair when their circumstances demand their focus, and tempt their eyes away from the Master and His plan.
Consider John. Had he not shouted, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”? Had he not declared that One was coming who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire? Had he not looked upon the approaching form of Jesus, and under the inspiration of that same Holy Spirit, said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world”? Had he not himself heard the voice from heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased”?
But now he has sent a couple of his own followers to this same One, to ask his question of doubt; “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?”
Now I want you to take note here, that Matthew has said that John “heard of the works of Christ”.
It is interesting first of all, that Matthew did not say, John “heard of the works of Jesus”. Matthew, (remembering that he also wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and therefore every word used is with divine purpose) used His divine title as the “Anointed One”, rather than the name that designated his humanity “Jesus” (or ‘Salvation’).
The implication, to me, is that John, who was intimately familiar with the writings of the prophets, was hearing of works being done that were in line with what the prophets said to expect of the Messiah.
So what we’re being told here, is that John heard that this Jesus was doing the works that the prophets said would mark the ministry of the Anointed One of God, yet he sent his friends with this question; “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?”
Folks, I don’t think John had doubts as to whether Jesus was the Messiah, any more than you or I have doubts as to whether He really is who He said He was.
John had the witness of God from inside the womb! When the mother of his Lord approached his own mother, while both babies were still floating in darkness, he leapt with joy by the Holy Spirit at the nearness of his God.
I’m sure that while he was growing up there was much discussion between his parents and the parents of his cousin about the events of their conceptions and births; and all of these things would have been on his mind and present before his eyes as he diligently studied the prophets and watched events unfold.
By the same token, we also have the witness of the Holy Spirit, Who now indwells us and shows us (reveals to us) the things concerning Christ. We have the eye-witness accounts of those who walked with Him, who touched Him, who ate with Him after His resurrection and watched him bodily ascend into the heavens with a promise to return.
We have the New Testament epistles that explain the doctrines of our faith and exhort to Godly living, all with the promise that He will never leave us or forsake us, and we have the Holy Spirit, given as a comforter and a pledge of our inheritance in Him.
We as believers don’t ask if Jesus really is the Messiah; and I don’t think that is what was really behind John’s question.
I think that his question, as our prayers of desperation so often are, was meant to relate a much more personal concern;
WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER ME FROM THIS PRISON?
YOU ARE THE LONG-AWAITED KING, PROMISED IN THE GARDEN AND REVEALED THROUGH HISTORY BY THE MIGHTY WORKS OF YOUR HANDS!
YOUR TITLE IS DELIVERER AND REDEEMER AND PROVIDER AND BANNER AND LORD OF LORDS...WHERE IS THE DELIVERANCE! WHEN WILL I BE VINDICATED? IF I AM A CHILD OF THE MOST POWERFUL GOD OF CREATION, WHERE IS HIS POWER TO DELIVER?
That’s what John was asking, and that is precisely what we ask, whether in words like those or not.
Believer, I can tell you today what is wrong with our focus that brings about these lapses of faith and extracts these questions of doubt from us.
It is that we, like John, forget that this is not the time of His power. It is the time of His sympathy and identification.
John heard that He was doing the works of the Christ, and when Jesus sent His response back to John, He only reiterated the things that John already knew.
John knew well that the prophet Isaiah had written,
“Then the eyes of the blind
will be opened,
And the ears of the deaf
will be unstopped.
Then the lame will leap like
a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb
will shout for joy”
He knew well the words of Isaiah, and to whom they referred when they said,
“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;”
But this was the time of Christ’s identification with men.
Made in the likeness of sinful flesh; identified with His people through baptism, a Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. He was familiar with all that the prophets said concerning the Christ’s suffering; the sheep that was silent before His shearers.
We also are aware of these things. It has been made much more clear to us in retrospect, through the gospel accounts and the epistles.
“Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil;
and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives”
“For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.”
We forget though, as John temporarily forgot, that the day of His power is yet to come. Christ’s own claim was that he came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. We know that He Himself said, “I came not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them”. “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost”.
It is the fleshly mind, believer, that asks for immediate deliverance and comfort. It is the worldly thinker that looks for ways to avoid or escape trial, instead of seeking and waiting for God’s will to be done in those things.
It is the spiritual man, who says “Yes, I know that I belong to the Most High God; Creator and Ruler of the universe, Who has the power to raise my loved one, pale and weak, up off the sick bed; who can instantly provide me all the wealth that I would ever need in this world, and more; to cause those who persecute me to cease, to confuse my oppressors and send them away defeated. I know that He can do all these things.
“But if He did, I would never know the comfort of His sympathy. I would have nothing to contrast with the Peace of God, which passes all understanding. I could never say with conviction, that “momentary light affliction is producing for (me) an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.”
What if I were to raise my child, the way we seem often to wish God would take care of us?
I would have to forego all other pursuits in life, in order to stay by her side constantly. I would be with her when she walks to the school bus, running with her when she plays kick ball, sitting behind her at the movie theater on her first date; I would be continuously at her elbow, to catch her if she stumbles, to stop her when I see that she is about to make a childish error in judgment that would cause her pain; to quickly administer medications from my pocket or rush her to the hospital at the first sign of illness.
As a small child, every time she says, “Daddy, I want (this or that)”, I would provide that toy or that imagined need without question or pause.
By the time she was eight, I would be drawing my wallet by the time she got to the word “need”; by the time she was 12 she would never have to name the item, but only say “I need”; at 14, I would say, “Well, good morning, Dear; how are you today?” and the response would likely be, “Never mind all that, just give me the card”.
What kind of an adult would I then be sending out into society?
This is not the time of His power, Christian, it is the time of His sympathy. He waits still, for all who will to come to Him in faith and receive forgiveness of sin and everlasting life.
It is the time for all who are His to be conformed to His image, slowly purged of self and worldliness through identification with Him in His sufferings and death so that we might know in our lives the power of His resurrection.
It is the time for us to learn, to grow to be so like Him, that we will go about relating to our fellows with that same sympathy, that same willingness to sacrifice our all, that same, daily, death to self, in order to snatch some from the fire.
Jesus answered John’s questions of doubt with this answer of both encouragement and gentle rebuke:
“And blessed is he who keeps
from stumbling over Me”.
Do you notice that Jesus did not send them back with a promise of deliverance for John? All through the gospels we see Jesus responding favorably to any request of faith. “I will, be cleansed”. “Your daughter is not dead, but only sleeping” “Your brother shall rise again”.
Here though, He simply sends back a reply that basically says, “You knew what to look for and now you’re hearing that it has come. Hold on to your faith and don’t stumble”.
But before we go on I want you to notice also that after the messengers leave, Jesus turns to the people and lifts His servant up in high praise.
This is God’s grace, my friends. He may have to chastise us; He may have many occasions to exhort and rebuke us in His Spirit or from His Word, in order to set us back on track or strengthen our faith, or correct our focus, but His testimony of us to all others, including the Father, is only of perfection in Him. He will reprove us for what we have wrought, but presents us as what He has wrought; and that is a perfect work.
“I hear the accuser roar,
Of ills that I have done;
I know them well, and thousands more,
Jehovah findeth none!”
Who can tell, other than the Lord Himself, what eternal things He is accomplishing through your sufferings, Christian?
Paul’s bonds furthered the gospel. Martin Luther’s imprisonment added fuel to the fire of the reformation. The witness of the Ten Boom family and many like them, coming out of the Nazi camps, has brought many into the kingdom of God. Many of these same types of stories have come to us after the crumbling of the Berlin wall, and from many other times and places where oppression was harsh and God’s grace and mercy flourished.
Who can know what your long trial is doing, or will do in the hearts of those who hear, but whom you will never know on this side of heaven?
It might have encouraged John to have the same words said to him that the Lord later said to Peter; “What I do you do not realize now, but you shall understand hereafter”.
Very important words; “Now” and “Hereafter.
The ‘now’ can be so dark, so hung over with clouds and gloom, that we can hardly see what WE are about, much less His purpose; but through faith and endurance, the ‘now’ will one day become the bright, clear light of the ‘hereafter’, and we will see, we will know, we will understand.
“For momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Be careful not to stumble over Him, believer. This is the day of His sympathy. He has identified Himself with us that we might also identify ourselves with Him, in His suffering and in His death.
But the day of His power is coming, when we will share His resurrection, shall be instantly transformed into His perfect image, and will enter into His rest to enjoy our inheritance in Him forever.
And happy will be the one who has not stumbled, but believed.
