Saturday, January 28, 2012

Are you offended by Jesus?

...did it happen to me
John the Baptist, who was now in prison, heard about the things the Messiah was doing.  So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you really the Messiah we've been waiting for, or should we keep looking for someone else?"
Jesus told them, " Go back to John and tell him about what you have heard and seen - the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.  And tell him: 'God blesses those who are not offended by me.'"  (Matthew 11:2-6)
Are you really the Messiah we've been waiting for, or should we keep looking for someone else?


The weight of this question John asked Jesus through his disciples slowly sank into me one morning couple of years ago as I sat in our prayer room - our children's bedroom - reading the book of Matthew.  I really couldn't comprehend how of all the people in the wide, wide, wide world, John the Baptist would be the one to ask such a question of Jesus! After all isn't this the same John who had been preordained by God to announce to the world the coming of the Messiah! Wasn't this the same John the Baptist who had heard the voice of  God proclaiming about Jesus, "This is my beloved son, in whom I am so pleased." and saw the Holy Spirit descend in the form of a dove upon Jesus.

In the gospel according to Luke, chapter 1, we read of the birth of John. The birth was announced to Zechariah, the old Levitical priest (John the Baptist's father), while he was burning incense in God's sanctuary, by God's very own angel Gabriel.  Gabriel further instructed Zechariah to name the child "John." When John was still in Elizabeth's belly, we read,  the baby "leaped within her belly" and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit at the sound of Mary who had come to visit her old pregnant relative. The angel had spoken of John's greatness, "for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord.  He must never touch wine or hard liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before his birth. And he will persuade many Israelites to turn to the Lord their God.  He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah, the prophet of old.  He will precede the coming of the Lord, preparing the people for his arrival.  He will turn the heart of the fathers to their children, and he will change disobedient minds to accept godly wisdom.  (Luke 1:15-17)

As an adult John had baptized Jesus and as Jesus came out of the water following his baptism, the Bible says, "the heavens opened and he [John] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him [Jesus]. And a  voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him." (Matthew 3:13-17). Yet it was this John, the preordained announcer of the coming of the Messiah asking Jesus, if he really was the Messiah or should he and Israel be waiting for another. Wow!

John was sitting in king Herod's prison when he asked this question. The Bible says, "John the Baptist, who was now in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing.  So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you really the Messiah we've been waiting for, or should we keep looking for someone else?"  He had been imprisoned by Herod for he had "publicly criticized Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother's wife, and for many other wrongs he had done." (Luke 3:19).  I am sure, John must have wondered why he was in that predicament while the savior of Israel, the Messiah, was working all sorts of miracles through out Israel, but had not yet delivered him from the power of Herod. The King of the Israelites of whom the old testament prophets had prophesied, the deliverer of Israel, was not delivering him from his prison. Why? Is he really the deliverer, John must have thought to himself? John had preached boldly against the Pharisees and Sadducees denouncing them, "You brood of snakes!," warning them of the coming judgement, calling out to them to repent of their sinful ways.  He had boldly called out king Herod for his sins.

Here was a prophet of God, who had lived a life of sacrifice, tirelessly worked hard for the kingdom of God and now that the savior had arrived, John was sitting in a prison for what he had done boldly and tirelessly for the Lord. The Savior of Israel seemed uncaring of his circumstance. John's expectation was different!

About John, Jesus told his disciples, "I assure you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the most insignificant person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!" (Matthew 11:11).

Why did Jesus say that about John, "Yet even the most insignificant person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!"? Was Jesus criticizing John for his doubting of Jesus?

Absolutely not!!!

He was merely pointing out to the human nature of an earthly man with earth bound experiences and expectations. For in heaven, standing in front of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, in all their glory with the heavenly hosts worshiping God (Daniel 7:9-10), there will not be any doubt in even the most insignificant person who the Messiah is - the Son of the most high God! the Most High God Himself! Though John is the greatest among men, preordained by God to announce His Son's coming, filled with the Holy Spirit while he was still in his mother's womb, named by God, he was bound by his earthly experiences.

John came in to this world with one divine purpose, to announce the coming of the Messiah, and prepare the way for the Lord, yet he was all human in his emotions, doubting Jesus as he sat in Herod's prison, looking at his chains.  There sat John doubting if Jesus was indeed the Messiah. Our expectations are for the here and now, formed by our experience, not fully understanding God's divine purpose for our lives. Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:12, "Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now."

Has your prayer gone unanswered? What you desired did not occur though you'd fasted and prayed so hard, and had done everything right by God? You had absolute faith that God was going to deliver, yet that did not occur.  Are you offended that Jesus did not answer your prayer?

God blesses those who are not offended by him, but continue in faith. Take courage, for the times that we have questioned God, we are in good company with John the Baptist.  Paul teaches us that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8:28). May God's grace be with you!

Here in my life by Hillsongs United

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