Answer the Call
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:18-
18 The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, 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?” 20 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?’ ” 21 In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. 22 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. 23 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
Pray
We’re in trouble
– $25 billion could relieve global hunger, starvation and deaths from preventable diseases in five years.
– $12 billion could eliminate illiteracy in five years.
– $15 billion could solve the world’s water and sanitation issues, specifically at places in the world where 1 billion people live on less than $1 per day.
– $1 billion could fully fund all overseas mission work.
– $100 – $110 billion would still be left over for additional ministry expansion.
read statistics
We aren’t doing what we’ve been called to do, and probably the reason behind it is we’re suffering from John the Baptist may have been during the scripture.
This text begins with John the Baptist, sometimes called “John the Baptizer” questioning Jesus about His Christ-hood. Some theologians used to claim that John wasn’t asking for himself, but rather for his disciples. I subscribe to the other school of thought. John was likely suffering from one of the following:
John was suffering from a crisis in faith.
John was suffering from a crisis in faith.
How could John be suffering from wavering faith in Jesus? When many though John was the Messiah, he quickly and vehemently decried that there was One to come (Jesus) whose status would make John pale in comparison.
While in the Jordan river performing baptisms, he said,
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Matthew 3:
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
John knew precisely who Jesus was, and what his own role was in introducing Him:
19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
John 1:19-
Here, he’s referencing
3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
When he saw Jesus coming towards him the next day, he said,
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
John 1:29
Later, when John went to the place where Jesus was already baptizing people, he made a point to let his disciples know what time it was:
26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
John 3:26
John finally puts a button on it, proclaiming:
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
John 3;
So, no. John likely didn’t have a crisis of faith. If anything, he probably saw himself as Elijah to Jesus’s Elisha.
John misunderstood Jesus’s real purpose as the Messiah
John misunderstood Jesus’s real purpose as the Messiah
In the first century, many Jews “eagerly looked for the coming of the Messiah, a deliverer who would defeat Israel’s enemies and usher in an era of peace and prosperity for God’s people. It’s the though of Jesus being the Messiah that likely emboldened John to speak up against Herod. He probably thought, “even if they throw me in jail, Jesus will take care of it.”So after thinking all this, I’m sure Jesus’s response had to irk him:
22 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. 23 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
Here, “Jesus’ answer, emphasized a kind, loving, healing Messiah, not the bellicose and judgmental figure of some Jewish expectations.”
I think that’s sometimes our problem. And I blame the church for a bit of it. We get so busy trying to encourage folks that we sometimes sugarcoat things, and give people a false sense of who Jesus is, and what He came to do.
So let me make this clear. He came to reestablish fellowship of man and God. The same fellowship that was broken in the garden… the same one we’ve so desperately tried to mend through actions and sacrifice since Adam…
He did not come to get you an 8 bedroom house, 6 cars, and private jet. He didn’t come to wipe out your credit card debt on some quidproquo setup.
If you think these things, it’s quite possible you’re probably asking Him right now, “are you the one who is to come, or should I look for another?”
Now while this theory is strong, the more likely one may be this:
John had a sense of entitlement
John had a sense of entitlement
I mean, he’s the cousin of Jesus (1st cousin at that), he’s the one God sent to be the messenger, the one that an angel said “would minister in the spirit of Elijah, serving as a prophet and a preacher, and preparing the people for God’s intervention in history.”
ESV“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
ESV “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
ESV And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
All of this, and he still finds himself in prison about to be executed for doing the right thing, all while Jesus, the Messiah, is out performing all these miracles. John probably felt like he DESERVED to be rescued!
ESVAt that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. He sent and had John beheaded in the prison,
Guess what, Jesus knew exactly who John was, and all that he had done. He even begins bragging about John to the crowds:
In the first century, many Jews “eagerly looked for the coming of the Messiah, a deliverer who would defeat Israel’s enemies and usher in an era of peace and prosperity for God’s people. It’s the though of Jesus being the Messiah that likely emboldened John to speak up against Herod. He probably thought, “even if they throw me in jail, Jesus will take care of it.”So after thinking all this, I’m sure Jesus’s response had to irk him:
24 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? 25 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. 26 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written,
“ ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’
28 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.”
:24-
So, knowing all this, and all that John has done in the name of the Kingdom, doesn’t Jesus owe him? Shouldn’t he get him out? Why did He leave him there?
Isn’t that the question we ask ourselves? God, I’ve been showing up to church every Sunday. Sometimes even on Wednesday. Why aren’t you helping me?
God, I’m a tither. I’m not the 97.5% of the other Christians. SO what’s up? Why are you getting me that raise/promotion?
God, I’ve been celibate for the last 8 years! You know how hard that is. Where’s my Boaz? Where’s my queen? You owe me!
Jesus puts it plainly:
ESV7 “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’ ”
ESV7 “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’ ”
ESV4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.
Basically, Jesus was eluding to the fact that He was indeed the fulfillment of all the OT prophecies - saying do the math yourself.Jesus even goes on to compliment John to others:
Bottom line:
ESV11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Here’s the thing, that’s not really the question John was asking. He really wanted to know, sense Jesus is the Savior, the Messiah, and John has been a faithful servant, is He gonna get John out of prison - out of this death sentence? Doesn’t Jesus owe it to him to rescue him?The answer for John and every single one of us is this:
God doesn’t owe you anything!
ESV7 “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’ ”
When we pray, give, and serve, it’s what we’re called to do. Everyone of us. The pastor is the leader of the local flock, but by no means is he the only one assigned to spread the gospel.
When we give, it’s not to get back. That’s an investment. We give, because we’re called to do so.
Countless verses commanding us to pray for one another.
Now if you’ve accepted Jesus as your Savior, then you’ve also acknowledged His lordship. If this is the case, then we are that “unworthy servant; we’ve only done what was our duty.”
So no, He doesn’t owe us anything. And it’s possible that even when we’ve done our best to do what we’re called to do, life will still be tough. In the chapter on the Faith Hall of Famers, it’s acknowledged that
35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
Hebrews 11:35-
But here’s the awesome thing. We don’t just have to wait for that better life in heaven. In that same passage, there were those:
33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
Hebrews 11:
There is victory either was for those of us who live this life of obedience through faith. Often there is victory now and later.
The choice is yours. Because Jesus concludes in the rest of that pericope, that the reality is that most people really are looking for reasons to not do right.
31 “To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? 32 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.’
33 For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 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!’
Luke 7:31
Basically He lamented the fact that no matter the right choice, people back then chose not to act on either. You complained about John, and you complained about Me.
Guess what:
35 Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.”
When it’s all said and done, God’s choices to send John, to sacrifice Jesus, to leave His word on how to live, and make remedy to reconcile the fractured fellowship will all prove right in the end.
Be on the right side. Let’s truly win the world by Jesus.
Let’s pray.
5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
