Day Fourteen

The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” - Luke 7:18-23

What do we do when it feels like Jesus doesn't come through for us, or we don’t see the expected answer to prayer? Do we doubt who He is? Do we look for another? Are we offended?

John the Baptist knew Jesus was "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29 ESV). He witnessed the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove and remain on Jesus, just as God said it would (John 1:32-34). So why, a year or two later, in Luke 7:19, did John send his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Please read today’s full passage in Luke 7:18-23.)

In response, Jesus did what Isaiah prophesied some 700 years earlier (Isaiah 35:5-6, 61:1), then He instructed John’s disciples to report back that the blind received sight, the lame walked, lepers were cleansed, the deaf heard, the dead were raised, and the poor heard the good news (Luke 7:22). It’s just one example of how God foretold the future so the fulfillment of His word would render belief (see also John 13:19, 14:29, 16:4).

It's what Jesus didn't do that prompted John's inquiry. If Jesus wasn't going to exact God's promised vengeance and establish an earthly kingdom the way the Jews hoped, imagined, and expected, was He really the one (ie. Daniel 2:44, Isaiah 61:2)?

Can you see the same concern in our day...in us? We love and celebrate what Jesus does, but when He doesn't do what we thought He would, are we tempted to wonder, doubt, or even take offense?

God's ways aren’t our ways, His thoughts aren’t our thoughts, and His timeline spans eternity. He does what He says He’ll do, but He often works differently than we imagined, hoped, or expected.

Faith isn't required for what we can see and understand; it's required for what we can't. We will all have opportunities to be disappointed, displeased, and tempted to stumble, but Jesus says, “blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Luke 7:23 ESV). Instead, assured of things hoped for and convicted of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1), I pray you and I will step out in faith and trust Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

There is no other.

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