John the Baptist Luke 7:18-35

Jesus has grace for faithful doubters

Country music is the last place left you can find a sad song. In fact, when you think about a sad song, it’s the genre you almost go directly to. Country music is full of sad songs. If you’re old enough, you’ve sang along with Hank Sr. “I’m So Lonesome, I Could Cry”. For another generation, it might be Willie Nelson’s “Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain” or George Jones’ classic “He Stopped Loving Her Today”. A little bit more recently, Vince Gill sang “Go Rest High on that Mountain”. I’ve tried to find some that were more recent than that, but best I can tell, they quit making country music around 2002! We all know the sad songs because, truth be told, we need the sad songs. They resonate with the realities of our life. Sometimes, discouragement and disappointment lead to despair and to doubt. If that’s you today, Jesus is looking for you!

I. Jesus Responds to Faithful Doubts with:

1. Mercy

This week, we are looking at a guy who is lost in a different kind of way. John the Baptist is lost in a very serious kind of doubt

He has dealt with disappointment, because the coming of the Kingdom that He proclaimed, including judgment doesn’t seem to be coming to fruition

He has dealt with discouragement, because he is now in prison, suffering at the hands of Herod and Herodias

John has been completely faithful and nothing has turned out like he expected; He has questions!

I think this is critical to understand about John

Although he is hurting and uncertain, he remains faithful and takes his questions to Jesus; that seems to make a tremendous difference

We will find in this passage that Jesus greets John’s questions with a kind of tender mercy that shows us His character towards His people; He does not take offense to us in our weakness!

Matthew 12:19–21

[19] He will not quarrel or cry aloud,

nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;

[20] a bruised reed he will not break,

and a smoldering wick he will not quench,

until he brings justice to victory;

[21] and in his name the Gentiles will hope.” (ESV)

2. Clarity

Next, we see Jesus redirect and refocus John the Baptist:

John’s expectation was that the Kingdom was coming with a swift judgment; his message was repent, because judgment was at hand

Jesus demonstrates that the signs of the Kingdom are not only judgment; first, it comes with signs of new creation. It is marked by healing, hope, and the presence of heaven come to earth

None of this changes the reality of a coming judgment, but it is a recognition that and extended opportunity has been given for people to repent and believe in Jesus

Interestingly, John is invited to believe in Jesus in a fresh way:

John faces a decision:

He can be offended that Jesus is not acting in the way that John thinks that He ought

Or, he can realign himself and trust Jesus to be Lord

The genuine blessing is found in this fresh understanding of the ministry and character of Jesus and realignment with Him

This is an ongoing challenge that we face: We can either align ourselves with Jesus or we can try to align Jesus to ourselves.

Unfortunately, this only works one direction! If we constantly try to realign the Lord with our wants, wishes, and desires we will live in a constant state of despair!

Consider the ministry of Jonah. When God showed mercy to the Ninevites, he used it as an accusation against God!

Jonah 4:1–3

[1] But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. [2] And he prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. [3] Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” (ESV)

3. Affirmation

Third, we see Jesus’ heart towards John as he turns to the crowd and affirms John, in spite of his doubts and questions

There are three specific things about John that Jesus praises:

His character- John was steadfast in his purpose and was not shaken by popular opinion

His effectiveness- John drew people to himself, not on the basis of his position or prestige, but as the voice of the Lord

His faithfulness- John had a particular calling and he fulfilled it with integrity; there has been no greater prophet than John the Baptist

John struggles. John doubts. John is afraid and has questions, yet he leans into Jesus and Jesus finds John praiseworthy!

II. Jesus Condemns Unbelief vv. 28b-35

At this point, I want to make sure that we don’t accidentally celebrate something very different than John’s doubts; Jesus is certain to condemn unbelief

There is a shift in tone here, from John to the crowd, because they have been invited to something greater!

John represents the end of the Old Testament and the introduction of the Kingdom of Christ

We are living on the other side of the ministry of Jesus, the Cross, and the Resurrection. We live with the Bible, the testimony of the Church, and the presence of the Holy Spirit proclaiming our reason to believe and our hope in Jesus

We need to be careful, because we might miss the Kingdom

This was true in Jesus’s day. The common people and the lawyers were excited because they had participated in John’s baptism, while the Pharisees and lawyers reject it!

They have chosen a kind of unbelief that is quite different than doubt.

God has been making His purpose known to them through John and now Jesus.

They are unwilling:

When Jesus comes with a message of hope, they will not dance

When John comes with a message of repentance, they will not weep

They are unsatisfied:

They accuse John of having a demon

They accuse Jesus of being a drunk and a glutton

Jesus reminds us of the wisdom of faith and the foolishness of unbelief

Wisdom is proven by our actions; when we trust the Lord and align with Him, we will not be put to shame

When we overcome doubt through honest communication with the Lord, we will find two things:

His genuine care for us: He does not want us to remain in our doubts

His power over our circumstance: He may not always move in the way we want or expect, but He will use this for greater fruitfulness as we remain in Him

300 Sermon Illustrations from Charles Spurgeon How Many Do You Count God for? (Joshua 1:5; Philippians 2:13)

I have heard of a certain captain who had led his troops into a very difficult position, and he knew that the next day he should want them all to be full of courage. So, disguising himself, at nightfall he went around their tents and listened to their conversations until he heard one of them say, “Our captain is a very great warrior, and has won many victories, but he has this time made a mistake; for see, there are so many thousands of the enemy, and he has only so many infantry, so many cavalry, and so many guns.” The soldier made out the account and was about to sum up the scanty total when the captain, unable to bear it any longer, threw aside the curtain of the tent and said, “And how many do you count me for, sir?”—as much as to say, “I have won so many battles that you ought to know that my skill can multiply battalions by handling them.”

And so the Lord hears his servants estimating how feeble they are, and how little they can do, and how few are their helpers; and I think I hear him rebukingly say, “But how many do you count your God for? Is he never to come into your estimate? You talk of providing, and forget the God of providence; you talk of working, but forget the God who works in you to will and to do according to his own good pleasure.”

How do you need to respond?

Is it time to set aside your doubts and trust Jesus as Savior?

Is it time to set aside hurts and fears and lean on Him in a fresh way?

Is it time to unite with His people?

Is it time to commit to His purpose?