Luke 7:18-23
"And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things. And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? And 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. Then 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. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me," Luke 7:18-23.
We will use Luke 7:18 as our introduction. The disciples of John the Baptist shared with John all that Jesus Christ had done and said, the "these things" in verse 18. This would include the raising of the widows son in Nain (verses 11-17), healing the centurion's servant (verses 1-10); the sermon on the mount (Luke 6:17-49); Jesus healing people on the sabbath day which caused the religious crowds to hate Christ more; healing the one borne by four, cleansing a leper, etc. The disciples of John are telling John all these things. One of the reasons John is not able to hear and see these things in person is because Herod the tetrarch has put John in prison. It is important that we understand why John is in prison, so let us turn to Mark 6:14-29. John the Baptist preached truth to everyone, no matter their position in society. "Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come," Luke 3:7. In Mark 6:18, "For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife." This did not make Herod happy, but it infuriated Herodias so much that she wanted John dead. What was John's crime? John's crime was preaching truth.
John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ. His conception was a miracle. He was filled with the Holy Ghost in his mother's womb. He preached what God would have him preach, and he proclaimed that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29-36). In word and deed John lived a life honoring God, yet in Luke 7 we find him in prison for being faithful to the Lord. This could have a mental impact on John the Baptist, but also on his disciples. They are following a man who is not in open known sin. Like Job, John eschewed evil, yet here is John in prison. We may not realize it, but when we are doing right, we actually think God owes us, and when bad things happen we tend to think God has done us wrong. When we think God has done us wrong, we question His faithfulness, His love for us, and we question if we should even continue serving Him. Though there is some debate whether it was John the Baptist doubting Who Jesus is, or John's disciples, the reasons for the doubting are the same; life is not going the way we expect it to, and the worse the event the more we doubt God. This is another reason it is so important that we have a biblical understanding of who we are, Who Christ is, and having this biblical understanding causes us to have the right expectations. Turn to I Peter 2:19-25.
Haven't you and I experienced the faithfulness of God? "Let you conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me," Hebrews 13:5-6. Turn to Psalm 27. "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD," Psalm 27:13-14. It is easier to read this than to put it into action when life isn't going good. This is why it is important that we know the Lord, not just know about Him. In Acts 16:16-25 Paul and Silas knew about the Lord, but they also knew the Lord. They loved the Lord and they trusted the Lord, no matter the outcome. One of the evidences of knowing the Lord is consistent communion with Him in prayer and in His Word. How close can we be with the Lord? "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him," Job 13:15 (Daniel 3:17-18). The part that we really do not like is the "doesn't" part. We don't like it when the Lord doesn't do what we think He should do. As a result of our own unbelief, which is sin, we begin to question God. Is He really Who He says He is?
When in doubt we should go straight to the source. "And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?" Luke 7:19. Go to Jesus in prayer, and read the Scriptures, for they speak of Jesus. When what other people say is not biblical, this can cause doubt (Luke 6:16-17). Read the whole counsel of God, not just certain parts taken out of context. The Christians joy is found only in Christ, not in circumstances (James 1:2-4).
The disciples of John went to the source, Christ Himself. What they saw and heard is something that only Christ can do. Look at Luke 7:20-22. Jesus Christ is not physically here on earth. You and I walk by faith, not by sight. We walk according to the Scriptures. If we are conducting ourselves according to the Scriptures then we are not looking for miracles, experiences, or entertainment. Our eyes are fixed upon Jesus, even in the midst of the storm.
"And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me," Luke 7:23. Here we see again the importance of doing word studies. "Blessed" in this verse speaks of those receiving God's favour, regardless of what their circumstances may be. "Shall not be offended" is in the passive voice and means to be offended by someone, to take offense at his character, words, conduct, so as to reject him.
Why would John and/or his disciples doubt Jesus is the Christ? This is the direct result of wrong teaching which produces wrong expectations. Like most of the people in Israel, John's disciples were expecting the Messiah to come in and defeat all the nations and set up His earthly kingdom. They expected the Messiah to wage war and be victorious, not teach, preach, heal all manner of sickness, and surely not die on the cross. Because of a wrong view of the Scriptures, they doubted Who Jesus Christ is. Life is full of trials. Things will happen that will rock our world, how we respond will depend on our walk with the Lord. No one is exempt from the trials of life, but we have access to the One Who loves us and will never leave us nor forsake us. Look to Christ. Don't doubt. He is good and faithful.
Please send questions and comments to richardsonbaptistchurch@gmail.com. Soli Deo Gloria.
