December 16, 2007. Yes, a repeat.
John is in prison; Jesus is free. From our perspective of 20 centuries
later, we may ask how John could possibly have doubted. But each of us
questions why God does things HIS way rather than ours; and our
circumstances are far less ominous than his.
In the worst of times when doubts and despair attack us, our Lord comes
to us in the power of His Word to forgive our doubts by the cross, and to
strengthen our faith so we rejoice and believe even in the hardest times.
Prisons of that time were not places of punishment; they were holding
cells while those accused awaited trial. When the trial was over, the
person was handed over for beating to discourage future deeds, slavery to
pay the debt, execution to stop the crimes, or crucifixion as an example to
warn others. John's life was on-hold. He had a destiny with death for
preaching God's Word and condemning sin.
Having heard of Jesus' works, John was wondered if the might of God
would make right in the world; and free him from prison.
John's frame of reference was much like ours often is. Since Almighty
God has sent the Christ, why is the world in such a mess? Why is there
divorce and child abuse? Why pornography and hate? If 'God is love', why
is there so much disease, so many hurts, so often suffering? Why is it that
even those who rejoice in the Lord and try so hard to spread His messages
experience misery like the oldest writing of the Bible: the Book of Job?
Agents of Satan taunt us and insult us, telling us that God does not
care about us. We are on our own to solve these messes and issues. When an
economic disaster looms, civil unrest, war, or anything like that they say:
'God is not involved'. The Old Man in us and the world about us tell us to
look around with the eyes in your head NOT the eyes of faith.
"Did God really say. ?" the question slithers in. And before long
doubt pushes your faith into a prison cell.
In quiet desperation, John asks, "Jesus You are the One. Or should we
expect some One different?" Where were the winnowing fork, the axe at the
root of the tree, and the powerful judgments? Where are the radical changes
WE expected when You came and announced Yourself to the world? All John
could see were bars, chains, and death.
When you see loved ones in failing health, injustice and wars on TV,
financial crunch in your checkbook, and it seems like the hand-writing on
the wall (Daniel 5) is about you: then you can appreciate John in prison.
What John preached with fire seemed to be going up in smoke. (As John's
disciples left, Jesus asks:)
What did people go out in the desert to see? A political preacher who
changes their promises for each audience, like a reed shaken by the wind.
John's core principles were solid and unchanging.
Jesus tells a bit of a joke. Did you expect a multi-million dollar
mega-church? No, John wore camel's hair. People who preach success are in
(crystal) palaces. John preached God's Word. John WAS in a palace - but in
a cell, not a throne room.
John was the Messenger God sent as forerunner to the Messiah. No man
in history has ever been given a greater honor. Yet any person who is born
again by the Holy Spirit in Baptism has been given a greater honor by God.
Just as John was opposed and hated by many around him, and just as you
and I are hated for authentic Christian faith, so much more was Christ Jesus
hated and had to suffer violence as the Lamb of God. All the prophets and
the Law prophesied the First Coming of Christ. John the Baptizer was the
last prophet of the Old Testament. Christ announced, 'I'm here.'
You and I are in our cells. We hear and feel chains and know there is
no escape from sad circumstances we have created OR has been thrust upon us.
Life hurts. Sin goes on. Bad things do happen to God's people. Then thru
the bars we see Jesus. Is this really what God had in mind? Shouldn't life
be more like WE want it to be? I believe you can understand John's
question since you have in a very small sense experienced discouragement and
doubt.
All too often our faith becomes ensnared, trapped, or scandalized when
hardship or catastrophe hits us and there is no escape. In the prison of
feelings, we want to believe Christ came first and foremost to prosper our
pocketbooks and make miracles to build a better life.
So what was the message the Messiah sent back with the disciples of
John?
Jesus doesn't give them or us a yes or no. He gives a list of evidence
of God's mercy.
A list in an ever-ascending order of importance of how He WAS fulfilling all
the prophesies as the Messiah. No blind, lame, leprous, deaf, or certainly
dead person could be part of Jewish society, and could not attend Temple.
Hopeless folk were healed. The crown of all miracles is Good News being
preached to those restored, to the poor in heart. The Good News that God
would forgive the sins of the world, paying in full for each one by the
blood of the Lamb of God John proclaimed in the desert.
Jesus ends the message to them saying, "blessed is the one who is not
offended by Me." Offended HOW?
John's faith was trapped. Offended. Because Jesus was not doing all
the things John expected, John doubted God's promise.
Because God does not do what YOU want, heal every hurt, solve every
setback, fix every failure, don't YOU have trouble trusting Him in other
matters? Like John, we 'make god in our own image' and expect Him to act
like we want.
Along comes the real Jesus, and His agenda is dying for our sins. And
the goal of God the Holy Spirit is not the betterment of the world but
increasing our faith and saving our souls.
Sometimes that means us having to go thru difficulties. Sometimes that
means saying no to a person or an activity that is crippling our faith and
leading us away from God (also known as 'repentance'). Are we then
offended? Yes.
This is when we need to hear God's Word shouting: "Say to those with
an anxious heart, 'Be strong; fear not! Behold your God will come with
vengeance, with the repayment of God. He will come to SAVE you." Not to
crush us for our doubt as John and we deserve. Not to leave us in despair
behind the bars of sin awaiting eternal execution in hell. He comes to SAVE
in Christ Jesus.
While God may break His promise to destroy, He can never break His
promises of compassion to save. His mercy is amazing toward John. And
toward you and me.
He says to the storms in us, 'peace, be still.' To the doubt in us as
earth quakes and mountains are tossed into the sea (Ps 46), He says 'be
still and know that I AM God.' Then by the power of God's Word, we can be
still.
God will decide, not us, if it is best for our faith to remain in our
prison cell, or better for our eternal good to be free. That is hard for
our ears to hear. (v.15).
So God points to the mounting evidence of miracles Jesus did. Healing,
restoring; acts of pure mercy. Then our Father points us to the greatest
miracle of all: His only-begotten Son, pure, holy, and sinless; laid in a
manger and nailed to a cross. God does not simply say "listen to My Words."
He says go and tell what I have done and continue to do for you and for the
world.
In the worst of times when doubts and despair attack us, our Lord comes
to us in the power of His Word to forgive our doubts by the cross, and to
strengthen our faith so we rejoice and believe even in the hardest times.
Believing in His promises, John was set free. Trusting in Christ's
cross, so are you; and so are all Christians of all times. Amen. To God
alone be all glory forever. Amen.
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