Matthew 11:3
“Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
The circumstances of life often cause us to question God. It is hard sometimes to reconcile what we are going through with who God is; compassionate and good. This happened to John the Baptist. From the words of Jesus, we know John was the greatest man to have ever lived. He was a man that preached the gospel to thousands, the man who pointed the way to Christ, and the man who baptized Christ, Himself. Yet, in our text, we read he was also the man who doubted. Laying in a prison cell, the cold, the dampness, the suffering, all seemed to squeeze his faith and cloud his vision of Christ.
The response of Jesus, to John’s question of doubt, gives us great insight into the solution when we are facing the same dilemma as John.
Matthew 11:4-5 “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: the blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.’”
In other words, Jesus answers John’s doubt by reminding him of who Jesus is and what He does. I think the solution in times of difficulty and doubt is to go to the Word and be reminded of all that Jesus is.
Pastor Jim
Questions for Chapter 11
- Why was John in prison?
- What would cause John to doubt that Jesus was the Messiah?
- What does Jesus give as proof that He is the promised Messiah?
- According to Jesus who is even greater than John the Baptist?
- Who does Jesus invite to come to Him?
- Take some time right now to give your burdens to Jesus.
- What are some verses that might help you today with your situation?
- Jesus spoke of taking His burden. His burden is the lost. Take His burden up by spending some time praying for your unsaved friends and family. Look for an open door this week to share Christ’s love with them.
Old Testament:
Genesis 21- The Battle Won
Genesis 22- Instead Of Me
Jim Gallagher 