Categories: Bible Lessons 1 Comment

#DailyDevotion Are You The One Or Should We Seek Another?

#DailyDevotion Are You The One Or Should We Seek Another?

Matt. 112When John, who was in prison, heard about the works of Christ, he sent his disciples 3to ask Him, “Are You the One Who is coming, or should we look for someone else?” 4“Go,” Jesus answered them, “tell John what you hear and see: 5The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor hear the good news, 6and happy is anyone who doesn’t turn against Me.”

You may be confused as to why John was confused about Jesus since John had baptized Jesus, pointed out to others that he is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and heard the voice from heaven when he baptized Jesus. You are not alone and theologians throughout history have debated on whether John was doubting, confused or was just feigning it to get his disciples to find and follow Jesus.

However if you compare Jesus’ answer to John’s disciples to what John was preaching in Matthew three I think you may understand his question. Remember this, “12He has the winnowing shovel in His hand and will clean up His threshing floor. His wheat He’ll gather into His barn, but the chaff He’ll burn in a fire that can’t be put out.” It seems John was expecting a messiah to start taking names and whipping butts, wiping out the evil in the world and with the ‘breath of his mouth and with a rod of iron.”

Yet what does Jesus say report back to John? 5“The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor hear the good news, 6and happy is anyone who doesn’t turn against Me.” What do we see here? A messiah that is kind, merciful, loving and forgiving. Mind you, Jesus does on occasion turn over tables and chase the money changers out of the gentile area of the temple with whips made with cords a couple of times. But for now, Jesus is about healing people’s hearts, winning them back for the kingdom.

John’s vision wasn’t wrong. Ht was just off time and narrowly focused. His vision was very pointed towards the Last Day and he wasn’t seeing the full ministry of the messiah. That day is surely drawing near. We too perhaps at times long with a focus of the Lord bringing vengeance upon the world because we hate the evil in it, as we should, and forget the mission we have for now. While that is indeed part of our message to warn people of the wrath to come, Jesus has taught us to overcome evil with good. We follow the message of wrath with the good news of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has come into the world to save sinners, of which I am the worst. Jesus by his innocent suffering and death has taken away your guilt. He has taken away your shame. Jesus through us, the Church, preach this good news to the poor in spirit, who are broken hearted and have been beaten up the world and everything in it. We preach the wrath of God but are not agents of the wrath of God. We are agents of delivering mankind, people, your neighbor and your family from that wrath of God. Jesus promises, happy, glad, blessed are those who don’t turn against him. The world, Satan, even your own flesh will do things to have you cast aside your faith in Jesus and what he has done for you. But on that day, the Last Day, you will most blessed if you had not turned against him and you will receive the promised inheritance of the Lord.

Heavenly Father, give us such spirits that see the day of wrath coming so we more urgently spread the good news of Jesus so our fellow man may escape it. Grant us such faith in Christ that we remain loyal to him always. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Rev. Guillaume J. S. Williams, Sr.

The Reverend Guillaume Williams is the Pastor of Hope Lutheran Chapel of Osage Beach, Missouri. His pastoral ministry with Hope began in 2005 where he preaches the Christ crucified.

One Comment

  1. This passage was brought to mind during my prayer time this evening while interceding for the church in America. In the process of looking it up I stumbled across this helpful. Your connection of John’s confusion in prison to his certainty in the Jordan was particularly helpful. I suppose we can all get confused when we lose the things we have traditionally used to measure God’s activity.

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