Luke 7:18-35 - Without a Doubt?
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction:
I have entitled today’s sermon without a doubt because we sometimes fail to be real in church. We sometimes struggle to admit when there is a struggle. We sometimes struggle when there are questions we cannot find the answers to. Today’s Scripture presents an eye opening view of who Jesus calls the greatest man to ever live (other than Christ Himself of course). And what do we see happen in the mind of this greatest prophet and man - namely John the Baptist? We see doubts start to creep in.
We see his grave situation and his unmet expectations leading to a growing frustration.
Join me as we start this journey to see Jesus’s response to such a situation and how we can learn from John’s struggles as we look at our own lives.
Prayer
Today we will see three ways that Jesus works among imperfect people. The first is…
I. Jesus Chooses Those Who Struggle (18-20)
I. Jesus Chooses Those Who Struggle (18-20)
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?’ ”
We haven’t heard about John the Baptist for quite some time. He was referred to in Luke 5:33 when the Pharisees were trying to accuse Jesus of not obeying fasting rules that they had made up. But we really haven’t heard anything else about him personally since Luke 3:20. Why might you ask? Because we saw in Luke 3:20 that Herod had him thrown in prison. John had accused Herod of immorality by taking his brother’s wife as his own and Herod responded by locking him up.
So let’s take a moment to understand the scene to start off our account. John is locked up - per historical records he is locked up at a place called Machaerus (Muh-kier-us) which was a desert fortress-palace (see the picture of the remains of this fortress). Some remains of this castle dungeon have been found along with iron hooks. This intimidating place is hard to even imagine.
And while locked up in this dungeon, John’s disciples come and report all these things to him. All these things refers to the miracles that Jesus has been doing and the preaching He has been giving. You would think at this point that John would celebrate and be happy.
But what is John’s response to these great reports?
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?”
This isn’t exactly what you would expect at this point right?
So why does John the Baptist voice this doubt? All of these wonderful things have just been reported to him - these miracles and Christ’s preaching and teaching.
In order to understand where John was at this point we need to consider his message. John is struggling with Jesus’s ministry. Remember John’s message.
He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
John brought a message of judgment and repentance. His message was strong and harsh. He prophesied about a Messiah who would come with an axe. He taught about a Messiah who would gather evil ones and throw them into the fire!
But what is Jesus doing? He is healing people, casting out demons, and preaching good news.
Was John awaiting Jesus to overthrow the government? Was he awaiting Jesus to bring judgment? Was he hoping that Jesus would break him out of jail?
We aren’t entirely sure of where John the Baptist’s mind was at this moment in time.
But, as I said this in the introduction:
We see his grave situation and his unmet expectations leading to a growing frustration.
John is being blinded by his situation. His situation is bleak at best. For those of you who know the end of John’s story you realize that it isn’t a good one. He will end up being beheaded not too long after this. He is suffering in a dirty dungeon. He is probably hungry and thirsty. He has likely been there almost a year by now and is probably becoming more hopeless day by day.
And his expectations of Jesus being a strong judge of the world aren’t being met.
John is struggling with the what is and the what he thinks should be.
Things aren’t working out the way he had envisioned.
Let’s pause and consider this account more personally.
Wouldn’t you have some struggles if things didn’t seem to align with what you expected?
Can you think of some times where things didn’t go as you had planned? Maybe God had you step out in faith to do something, and it didn’t turn out as well as you thought it would? Did some doubts start to raise up in your heart?
Maybe your conversation with the Lord has looked something like these examples…
God, I started this new ministry after you put it on my heart but hardly anyone is showing up. We can’t even get enough volunteers to keep it going it seems. What is going on?
God, I made these vows of marriage but it is so hard. Are you not with us any longer? Shouldn’t this be easier?
God, I have made giving to Your Church a priority but it seems like I can barely make ends meet. Aren’t you supposed to bless those who are generous?
There are countless examples of what might cause doubts and struggles to arise within us.
Even this amazing man, John the Baptist, had doubts and struggled with his faith at times as we see here.
This is really an incredible account, friends. This man who is a relative of Jesus and who was miraculously born of an aged mother and prophesied to be the forerunner for Christ by the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:5-25) now is doubting that Jesus is the Messiah.
Brothers and sisters, this is quite a question that John asks in verse 19.
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?”
Are you the one who is to come? Literally - are you really the Messiah after all?
Sometimes we can get so despaired of life through adversity and unmet expectations that we can start to doubt even the most obvious of things. Have you ever been there? Have you ever had a moment where you started doubting everything you ever thought was true. The most simple of truths all of the sudden became blurry?
This is a common plague of man at times. Our sinful flesh can begin to doubt and it can lead us to hopelessness and discouragement. But we don’t have to stay there friends.
Like John, we should take our doubts to the Lord. And when we do this… we see that…
Scripture References: Luke 5:13, Luke 3:20, Luke 3:7-9, Luke 1:5-25
II. Jesus Changes Those Who Submit (21-29)
II. Jesus Changes Those Who Submit (21-29)
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.”
Verse 21 is a great verse to follow their question. Jesus doesn’t just answer their question at first. He shows them the answer. It says that in that hour - meaning when the disciples of John came - He healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind He bestowed sight.
Jesus is the real deal. He doesn’t just tell them He is - He shows them He is. There is no doubt about who Christ is at this point. These disciples of John the Baptist are fully convinced.
After showing them the truth, He speaks the truth to them.
Go tell John what you have seen and heard…
1. The blind see
2. The lame walk
3. The lepers are clean
4. The deaf hear
5. The dead are raised up
6. The poor have good news preached to them
(Note that all 6 of these works of Jesus are given by both Matthew and Luke in their respective Gospels)
Before completing his interchange with these two disciples of John Jesus finishes with one last statement.
And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
Jesus ends with a teaching here as well. Blessed is the one who is not offended by me. The Greek word for offended is skandalizō (skan-duh-leeze-oh) which means to make stumble or take offense.
We can’t know exactly how this last statement felt to John. There is a kindness that Jesus has shown John and his disciples by affirming His Messianic authority in real time, but there is also a teaching that we should not remain in doubt. We should not be offended by Christ, but we should believe and love Him and trust Him.
Jesus charges John and all of those listening to stand firm and persevere. He reminds them that His ways are higher than man’s ways. See Isaiah 55:8-9:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
And because of this, He requires us to submit to His will and authority even when it doesn’t make sense - even when the consequences of that submission and obedience bring heartache, pain, suffering, and even death.
John’s faith was renewed and reinvigorated. We know this because of what we will see in a moment from the kind words from Jesus about John.
But I fervently ask each of you to be sure that you do what John did in the midst of struggling with doubt. Take your doubts and struggles to the Lord. Open up His Word and read. Spend time in prayer. Voice your concerns and struggles to Him. He is faithful and gentle brothers and sisters. Isaiah 42:3 discusses how God deals with the broken and hurting and struggling:
a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.
This Scripture is strictly Messianic in nature - meaning that it referred to Jesus Christ! He responds with grace and mercy to our humble cries for help. Just as He responded to John with grace and mercy and truth - He will do the same for you.
Moving forward we see John’s disciples depart in verse 24 and then Jesus begins teaching on the amazing ministry of John the Baptist.
When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts.
It is interesting that Jesus waits for the disciples of John to leave before saying all of these amazing things about John. We aren’t sure why this is, but it is something extremely interesting.
Jesus rhetorically asks the people what they went out to see. Was John a reed shaken by the wind or someone in soft clothing? In other words did you go out to see a soft man? Was he easy to sway by false teaching? Was he a weak and wavering person? Did he speak as one without power or authority? The answer is of course emphatically - NO! We need not only look at Mark 1:6 and see his primitive dress and interesting diet of locusts and wild honey but also look at his message as we just discussed from Luke 3 a short time ago to understand that he was no softy! Continuing in this same vein Jesus says…
What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, “ ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’
Jesus refers to John as not only a prophet but more than a prophet. Jesus referred to John’s primacy of importance among the prophets. He was the last prophet of old that bridged the gap to the New Covenant. And his job was the most important of all - it was to prepare the way for the Messiah - the Son of God!
And Jesus proves this by bringing up the Old Testament prophecy about this amazing prophet John which is found in Malachi 3:1 as quoted in verse 27.
Then Jesus says…
I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
How incredible is it that John is a prophet in which another prophet prophesied! Say that 5 times fast…
Jesus finishes His discussion with saying that John is greater than all of those born among women. This is such a phrase of endearment. Most would see John in a negative light as he humbly admitted his doubts and struggles. But Jesus exalts those who humble themselves before Him.
But Jesus also adds that one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he - meaning greater than John.
We must note that this final statement regarding John is not meant to demean or rebuke John. As theologian Kent Hughes states:
“The kingdom must be superior to its announcement. The people of the kingdom must be superior to its announcer. A position in the kingdom must be greater than that of its herald (though, of course, John was also a member of the kingdom).” - R. Kent Hughes
Jesus is pointing to the amazing blessing of being in the kingdom of God. Jesus is reiterating the blessing of being a part of the kingdom of God. See the Psalmist allude to this as well in Psalm 84:10:
For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
Jesus changes those who submit to Him. There are some who are submissive to the Lord as seen in verse 29:
(When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John,
These people hear the words of Jesus and declare God just and righteous. Although, I might add that they do not really have any authority to do so - it is God who declares righteousness and justice and not man - they do agree with the words of Christ in this setting which is more than what we will see from the lawyers and religious leaders in the following verses.
But we must understand that Jesus responds with grace and mercy to those who humble themselves before Him. He saves those who admit that they are a sinner and repent - or turn away from their sins - and place their faith and trust in Him alone for salvation. He offers eternal life to all who are willing to accept the free gift. I pray that everyone here has responded to that free gift. If not, I pray that you do that today. There is no more important decision. Humble yourself before Him and admit your doubts and struggles. Take it all to the cross and turn to Christ for salvation.
His yoke is easy and His burden in light (Matthew 11:28-30).
Moving to our last point we see that…
Scripture References: Isaiah 55:8, Isaiah 42:3, Mark 1:6, Luke 3, Malachi 3:1, Psalm 84:10, Matthew 11:28-30
III. Jesus Charges Those Who Subvert (30-35)
III. Jesus Charges Those Who Subvert (30-35)
but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)
The greatest obstacle for the salvation of lost souls is repentance. In order to come to a saving knowledge of Christ, one must see oneself as a sinner in need of a Savior.
The Pharisees and lawyers refused to admit that they were sinners and needed to repent.
When I preached through Luke 3:1-14 we discussed the baptism of John.
Interestingly, John’s baptism did not have any previous parallel in the history of Israel for true Jews. Yet, as theologian Leon Morris asserts, it seems certain that by this time the Jews had begun using proselyte baptism. This was a ceremony that was done to cleanse converts to Judaism from the defilement they saw characteristic of all Gentiles.
Do you see the humility that John was calling Israel to? He was calling them to participate in an act of baptism that had only been known to be used for outsiders! They were to humble themselves to the point that they identified with Gentile sinners in order to truly show repentance.
This humility is what Christ requires of us for salvation. We must die to ourselves and our pride and live for Christ. And it is this humility that Christ requires that keeps many from coming to Him through faith.
And these Pharisees and lawyers rejected both John and Jesus. As we move forward though, Jesus is about to give them His cross-examination.
“To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, “ ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’
He refers to them as this generation - meaning those who oppose Him and refuse to faithfully follow Him. He says they are like children who refuse to respond to any truth no matter how it comes to them.
We played the flute for you likely refers to a celebration. Flutes were played during wedding dances and other celebrations. This likely refers to Christ and His grace-filled and happy ministry of healing. They refuse to respond to Him.
While the dirge being sung likely refers to the more somber ministry of John the Baptist in which he called them to repentance and baptism. Yet they refused to submit to his ministry as well.
Jesus, in His cross-examination accuses the religious leaders and lawyers of refusing to respond to any message from God. They don’t respond to a man in the wilderness and they won’t respond to Jesus in their towns and synagogues. He then explains this further in the following verses.
For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’
John came by obeying their religious rules and fasting and refraining from wine and they accuse him of having a demon. While Jesus comes eating and drinking and they call Him a glutton and a drunkard and a friend of tax collectors and sinners.
Brothers and sisters, there is always an excuse not to follow and obey Christ.
Humans are able to rationalize just about anything.
The word rationalize means to explain or justify one’s behavior. It also means to dismiss or minimize the significance of something by means of excuse.
My friends, countless millions if not billions rationalize why they don’t follow Christ today.
Some common rationalizations are:
I’m not following Christ because His church is messed up.
Or I’m not following Christ because I was hurt by people in the church.
Or I’m not following Christ because of the hypocrites that claim to be Christians.
Or I’m not following Christ because I think the Bible is not inerrant.
The excuses and justifications that people make never end. But the real heart of why people don’t follow Christ and obey Him is because of pride.
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Everyone knows deep down that God exists. There is no denying that. Atheism is fictional. It is active suppression that God exists. Only an irrational person can see the world around us and not understand that there is a Creator.
No one looks at a computer and assumes that it formed from nothing - namely that it just so happened that all of the tiny parts came together in just the right way and at just the right time to form such a machine. My friends, that is irrational. Some might even call that insanity. Frankly, if you said that in a doctor’s office, they might make a psychiatric referral!
In the same way, no one can look at the human body or the Earth or the universe and honestly say that these things just happened to come into being.
But because of the ability of man to rationalize, they can become irrational and debased in their thinking.
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
I find it incredibly ironic that the word debased that is used here is literally the opposite of evolution. It is to devolve or degrade. It means to lower in character or quality. Which just seems very ironic that those who claim evolution are referred to in the Scriptures as devolving!
They claim to be wise but are fools instead. But we know that those who are truly wise and acknowledge Christ as Savior stand justified as verse 35 asserts…
Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.”
It is obvious that these religious leaders and lawyers do not have wisdom and thus stand without true justification for their sins. Children of wisdom have wisdom and their wisdom shows itself through humility and repentance and faith in Christ alone. Their wisdom is also seen through obedience to the Word of God. They see themselves as sinners without hope apart from Christ. And Christ exalts the humble but opposes the proud (James 4:6).
Friends, be wise. Follow Christ. Humble yourself before Him. Repent, or turn away from, all of your sin and rationalization and self-justification. These are but fig leaves that provide no substantial covering. But the justification and wisdom from the Lord is eternal.
Scripture References: Luke 3:1-14, Romans 1:19-20, Romans 1:28, James 4:6, Proverbs 3:5-8
Conclusion:
As we come to a close, I pray that you take any doubts that you have and lay them at the foot of the cross. Cry out to the Lord in humility. He is gracious in His response. He loves to forgive sinners. He loves to save sinners.
And for those who are saved but are struggling right now - take them to Him through prayer and read the Word. Be like John and take your doubts and struggles to the feet of the Savior. He will prove Himself true time and time again.
I want us to end by reading Proverbs 3:5-8 together.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
Prayer