Day 27: February 23

February 23rd, 2024
by Christine Eliason

Scripture Reading
Matthew 11:1-19

SCRIPTURE

2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples

3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see:

5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers[a] are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.

6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

OBSERVATION
John has questions for Jesus- Are you the one who is to come or should we look for another?

This is a clear picture of the humanity of John the Baptist and/or his disciples.

Earlier in the Gospel, John realized his own unworthiness to even carry Jesus’ sandals let alone to baptize him.

There are 2 theories about this question.

1. John had prophesied about Jesus inaugurating the Kingdom of God several times in Matthew 3:10-12- “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

He was now in prison for possibly a year and probably knew he was about to be sentenced to death. There was no kingdom being inaugurated. But there was no axe, no fire, no winnowing fork, no clearing of the threshing floor, and no unquenchable fire. So was his faith possibly waning in Jesus? If Jesus were to deliver Israel wouldn’t he also deliver the forerunner?

2. Maybe it wasn’t his faith that was wavering but his follower’s faith? Maybe he was asking the question to point them to Jesus in their doubt. He had always been pointing them to Jesus. He told them to ask Jesus a couple of questions.

The follower approaches Jesus with the questions. I love when our kids ask questions in kid’s church. It is an opportunity to get them actively thinking about their faith. We should never be taken aback or become defensive by questions asked out of a sincere heart. I can only imagine how Jesus felt- an opportunity to challenge them to think about what they have seen and for their faith to be solidified. But instead of giving them a clear ‘yes’ or ‘no’, He gets them thinking about what they have experienced as they watch and listen to him. The blind see! The lame walk! The deaf hear! The dead are raised up! I mean how can you argue with that?

APPLICATION
I have had times of honest doubt. Is this real? Is God who He says he is? And so on…

But when I stop and think about where I would be without him- lost, dead in my sin, bound by this hopeless world- I know, that I know, that I know- HE IS REAL!

I look at nature and I see Him. I look at people who have been transformed, raised up, set free and I know, that I know, that I know- HE IS REAL!

PRAYER
Our Father in Heaven, thank you that you do not shun us when we doubt. You do not send us away when we question. You instead draw us in and speak to us in your still small voice or sometimes in an overwhelming flood of your love!

Posted in Book of Matthew
Posted in John the Baptist, Doubt, Questions