Transcript

Today's Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 7 GWT, Ch. 8 NIRV

Associate Producer

Ann Sarmiento, Anonymous, Travis Blevins, Michael Haner

Podcast Introduction

It’s Gospels Saturday, and our reading will be Luke 7-8. I’m calling this episode “Doubting God.”

Design: Scott Snider | Photo: Ezra Jeffrey on Unsplash

Comments on Luke 7

Let's look quickly at chapter 7, verses18-23, shall we?

18John’s disciples told him about all these things. Then John called two of his disciples 19and sent them to ask the Lord, “Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for someone else?”

20The men came to Jesus and said, “John the Baptizer sent us to ask you, ‘Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for someone else?’ ”

21At that time Jesus was curing many people who had diseases, sicknesses, and evil spirits. Also, he was giving back sight to many who were blind.

22Jesus answered John’s disciples, “Go back, and tell John what you have seen and heard: Blind people see again, lame people are walking, those with skin diseases are made clean, deaf people hear again, dead people are brought back to life, and poor people hear the Good News. 23Whoever doesn’t lose his faith in me is indeed blessed.”

Luke 7: 18-23 GWT

Does the fact that John the Baptist sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for someone else?” strike you as surprising? After all, it was John who baptized Jesus in the Jordan River and saw the Holy Spirit descend in the form of a dove, he heard God the Father speak from Heaven and declare that Jesus was His beloved Son, and that Jesus was well pleasing to Him. 

So why the questions?

Think of John's circumstances. Where was he? Why did he have to send his disciples to ask Jesus these questions? Why didn't he go himself? Why does it look like he was now doubting Jesus? John was in prison. 

Beloved, what happens when we find ourselves in difficult circumstances? Often times, if we're honest about it, we begin to doubt God, at least for a moment. Don't we? Is God really there? If He is, why doesn't He help me? I pray and ask Him to make things better, but here I am. God, are you really there? Do you really love me? Do you even care?

I've asked those questions before, and you probably have, too.

John probably expected the Messiah to come in power to vanquish the Romans, like virtually every other Jew. He probably expected the Messiah to get him out of that prison. 

John had to have known of the miracles that Jesus had been doing, but the fact that Jesus had not acted in the political realm forced John to question if Jesus was the One they had been expecting.

Of course, Jesus knew what people had been expecting in a Messiah. They were looking for a deliverer, a leader, a king. But we know from where we are on this side of the cross, the first coming of Jesus was to establish a New Covenant. He came not to free Israel from the bondage of Rome, but to free mankind from the bondage of sin and provide the way for the salvation of souls. The people did not know that His coming as a ruler would be at His second coming. 

So Jesus told John's disciples to tell John what they had seen and heard. It was a simple message; Jesus is the Messiah, but his power is shown through acts of mercy, not acts of judgement, and those who hold on to their faith in this Messiah are blessed.

And beloved, when we are in those times, those times that come to each of us as we go through life, when we wonder if God is there, rest assured that He is. Remember that He is the God who heals us, He is the God who holds us in His strong right hand, and nothing can pull us from His grasp.

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