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A QUESTION WORTH ASKING (vs. 18-20)

· The writer of Hebrews writes in , “the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of the soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. No creature is hidden from him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.”

· What the writer of Hebrews is saying, is that whenever the word of God is opened, we must be prepared, to lay upon the operating table of the Lord, and the Lord, through his word, to work on us like the great surgeon of heaven that he is.

· In other words, the word of God is relevant. We don’t have to make it so, it is so. And accounts like we have in Luke chapter 8 prove it afresh to us.

· Luke records for us, a moment, in the history of the one the greatest prophets the world has ever known (and jesus proclaims it to be so), he records a moment for us in the life of this prophet, when he doubts.

o John records for us in the book of John that many things happened in the life of Jesus ministry that the writers of scripture didn’t record, because if they did record EVERYTHING that happened in the life of Jesus, the world wouldn’t be able to contain it.

o SO, out of everything that happened, luke decides, through the carrying along of the holy spirit, to record for us this doubting prophet. To record for us, in the life of one of the greatest prophets the world has ever known, a moment weakness.

o WHY, because Jesus isn’t scared or taken aback or at a loss for words when one of his people doubts. Jesus is the great comforter of doubters.

o So in that respect, it’s okay when we have John moments. When we have been walking with the lord, but sometimes, in our weakness, we are like, Lord, is true? Is all this even true?

o So it’s okay to have John moments, but if we are going to have john moments, we need to have FULL john moments. What I mean is that we can’t take john doubting, and then walk way and say, “john doubted, I doubt, end of story.” No, if we are going to doubt like John, it is my prayer that we also find a resolution to our doubts like John, and that is, going to the only one who can comfort us in our doubts, who can ease our doubts away. Who can stoop down to our level, and say to us, it’s okay, let me help you in your doubts. That is go to jesus in your doubts.

o It’s this weird, glorious way the Lord has created us, we doubt jesus, but it’s only jesus who can help us in our doubts, so we must go to him

§ But im getting ahead of myself (Like a good movie, I’m trying to get to the end)

· So here we have John, who, when he doubts Jesus in , is in the middle of prison. This is why he has to send his messengers and doesn’t go himself because he is in prison. And while he is in prison, he hears all of these things that Jesus is doing.

o And what he hears, doesn’t seem to add up about what he expected Jesus to be! Don’t you hate it, when Jesus doesn’t fit into your box.

· So, he calls his disciples and sends them to ask this one, profound question, are you the one who is to come, or should we expect another. THIS is a question, worth asking

o John isn’t the only one, his disciples throughout Jesus’s ministry often times had a hard time reconciling who Jesus IS, with who they thought he should be. Don’t you hate it when Jesus doesn’t fit into your box.

· So john is like, all of this isn’t adding up. So he goes to Jesus the best way he knows how, since he is in prison, he send his disciples to Jesus.

o He goes to the only one, who can truly and undoubtedly, and unequivocally answer this question, that is Jesus.

o Let’s pause here for a few clicks. John here, gives us the framework, on our presuppositions about who we think Christ is. There are times in our lives when we should go back to Christ and let him answer the question about who He is and not simply rest on who we think he should be. This is why his question is worth asking.

o We have a tendency of interpreting Jesus by our presuppositions and never letting Jesus interpret our presuppositions. We have a tendency to make Jesus into our image instead of us into his. The more we learn of jesus the more we come to realize how little we knew of jesus, and the more we realize how little we knew of Jesus the more we realize that Jesus is the final authority on who Jesus is, not us! So we are constantly coming to Jesus saying, Lord, this is who I think you are, correct me If I’m wrong, affirm me if I’m right. But sometimes, we stop short. We say, “jesus, this is who I think you are, and I’m right.” So you have people saying things like, “Jesus would never do anything like that. The God I serve would never allow that to happen.”…okay, let’s ask him

o This is exactly where John finds himself. Lord, I thought about you like this, but it seems like you are bigger and different, and doing more things than what I used to think. Lord help me, align my thoughts, with who you really are.

AN ANSWER WORTH REPEATING (vs. 21-23)

· That’s the question worth asking, Lord, are you the one, because somehow you are not what I thought you should be.

· But the answer, the answer is worth repeating. I love how luke records this. John sends his disciples to ask Jesus is he the one, then notice in verses 20-21 (read). They come to ask Jesus is he the one, and luke records that when they get there, Jesus is healing all kinds of people

o That’s like someone going to ask Micheal Jordan is he the greatest basketball player of all time, and when you get there to ask him, He’s dunking all over lebron james over and over again.

o That’s like someone going to ask an essential oil sales person is essential oil the best of all time, and when you get there to ask them, they are diffusing thieves and frakensinces an lavender and all of sudden you don’t have any more headaches and you feel so relaxed.

· Like, as you are asking the question, your question is being answered by what you are beholding. But Christ, in his glorious way of comforting doubts, he answers the question by actions and by words.

o He doesn’t respond to john in some drawn out exhortation about disbelief, or condemnation about his lack of faith. He responds to john, and let us not miss this, he responds to john by the word of God.

· Listen to his response in verses 22-23 (read). These are not just cute resume points that Jesus sends back to John no. Jesus quotes scripture to John.

o He quotes : Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For you will be covered with the morning dew, and the earth will bring out the departed spirits.[1]

o He quotes : Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6 Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy, for water will gush in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; [2]

o He quotes : The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners; [3]

· In other words, Jesus says to John, John, you remember your OT, I am the fulfillment of all of that. All of the promises of the OT are fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

o Don’t you hear the song playing in the background as Jesus quotes scripture to show John that he is the fullfiment of all those promises.

§ Your promise still stands, great is your faithfulness, your faithfulness…I’m still in your hands, this is my confidence, you’ve never failed me yet.

· John was doubting, and the way Jesus realigns his vision of Christ, the way Jesus comforts John in his doubts is that he quotes scripture to him.

o This is why we need the word of God week in and week out. This is why those who stand behind this sacred desk labor to present the word of God to you, because as we come in hear, maybe coming off of a week full of doubts and weaknesses, we don’t need quips or quotes or the worlds philosophy, we need the very word of God spoken to us.

o If Jesus, the very god incarnate, trusts in the word of God so much that he can use it to comfort doubts, why don’t we?

· Let the words of Jesus marinate, “bless is the one who is not offended by me.”

o Blessed are those who are not scandalized by preconceived notions of what they think the messiah should do, but what he is actually doing. Blessed are those who don’t presume upon Christ, but let Christ inform them of what he should actually be doing.

A TRUTH WORTH REMEMBERING (vs. 24-28)

· There is a question worth asking (Jesus, are you the one). There is an answer worth repeating, (yes, jesus is the very fulfillment of all of scripture). Now, there is a truth worth remembering, and it’s found in verse 24-28.

· Notice, John doubts, Jesus comforts john in his doubts, and then jesus spends 4 verses talking about how wonderful the ministry of John the Baptist is and how wonderful John the Baptist is.

o The doubts of John the Baptist didn’t negate the calling that Jesus had on his John’s life, AND his identity in Christ. REPEAT

o Even with his doubts, Jesus can say, among those born of women (which is everyone) there is no one greater than John.

o But wait, he’s not done. He takes the widow who places her faith in the finished work of jesus Christ, he takes the incarcerated man who places their faith in jesus Christ, he takes the pastor who faithfully shepherds his flock of 10 people every week, he takes the child who believes in the promises of God, he takes the former drunk, adulterer and thief who places the faith in jesus Christ, and he says ALL of those people, are greater than john the Baptist. The least in the kingdom, who places their full faith and trust in the work of jesus Christ is greater than the greatest of prophets. This is a truth worth remembering…

o Hallelujah (maybe go one to illustrations about being at bible stories…we don’t need that, we have jesus, crucified, resurrectied and ascended on high.)

A COMPARISON WORTH NOTING (vs. 29-36)

· A question worth asking (jesus, are you the one), an answer worth repeating (yes, jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all of scripture), a truth worth remembering (the least in the kingdom is greater than the greatest of prophets) and lastly, a comparison worth noting.

· I will just say a few things about verses 29-36 and then we will be done.

· Jesus makes two comparison in these last few verses: he compares the people of his generation to children, and then he compares himself to john the Baptist.

· Let me summarize the last 4 verses. Basically, what Jesus is saying, is that those in his generation, meaning those who reject jesus and his gospel, have no idea what they want from Christians.

o He says, we played the flute for you and you didn’t dance. The flute, which was commonly played at weddings, when played by followers of Christ doesn’t cause non-believeers to dance

o He then says, we sang a lament, or a sad song, and you did not cry. A sad song when sung by believers didn’t cause them to cry

· He furthers this comparison by saying, John came not eating and drinking, and they said he had a demon. Jesus Christ came eating and drinking, and they said he was a glutton.

o In other words, the culture that is hostile to Christ, wont accept anything that Christians do. To put it another way, it is complelty futile for christains to acquiesce to the changing winds of this culture because the changing winds of this culture doesn’t know what it wants.

o It doesn’t know if it wants a christiain who doesn’t eat and drink or a Christian who does eat and drink.

o Christians, have freedom in this, the rejection of the gospel is not due to its’ form or its sincere presesntaiton, it is due to a flat out rejection of the person of the gospel, that is jesus Christ.

o When we listen to the “well, maybe is Christians were more like this, than I would consider beoming a Christian”, we find ourselves in a endless game of changing both our personalities and our convictions, when Christ says, just be faithful to the gospel, and leave the results to me.

o There is freedom from the world in this comparison, and, I hate to say it, but there is freedom from other Christians in this compassion who think that both gospel and life should be lived EXACTLY like they live it or else it is wrong.

§ We have far too many john the Baptist chrisitans who get made at other Christians for eating and drinking, and we have far too many “so called Christ” Christians getting mad at john the Baptist Christians for not eating and drinking.

§ Be who god made you to be with all the idisyncrencies of your personalities and just be faithful to the gospel message.

§ Because at the end of the day, if Christ, through the work of the holy spirit, doesn’t change a heart and make a dead person alive, we can eat, or not eat and drink or not drink all we want, it is futile. Wisdom is vindicated by her children.

· I love how our passage ends in verse 36. He says, one of the pharisees invited Christ to eat with them, he entered the pharisees house, and reclined at his table.

o Wait, aren’t these the same phariseees who were just ridiculing and rejecting him. Aren’t these the same pharisees who tried to trap Christ time and time again. No, Christ just moseys on into the house of the one who hates him.

o Are you offended by this. I hope you are not. I hope you are not offended by Christ dining with those who hated him and being around sinners. I hope you are not offended by that, because that, borthers and sisters, is how Christ saved us!

[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

[2] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

[3] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.