Keys to Unlock the Dungeon of Doubt

“Keys to Unlock the Dungeon of Doubt”

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Have you ever had questions about God, Jesus or the Bible? Are there times when you wonder if God is really there, and if he hears your prayers? The world, the flesh, and the devil will tempt you to doubt the existence of God, to doubt whether the Bible is the word of God.

Where do doubts come from?

Satan, from the very beginning has been saying to people; did God really say…

Sometimes doubts come when we are physically or mentally tired. Sometimes they come when we are grieving the death of someone we love. Sometimes they come when we are under spiritual attack or have allowed sin into our life and we are no longer able to think clearly about spiritual things.

Doubts can come when God doesn’t do what we think He should do.

Doubts can come when God fails to do for us personally what we think He should do. When he doesn’t grant us physical healing, financial prosperity, or fix our family situation, we are tempted to doubt whether he really is the God he claims to be. John the Baptist had some doubts and questions for Jesus.

John the Baptist is the last person on earth, you would think would have any doubts about Jesus.

From the time of his birth John the Baptist had been set apart as the prophet to introduce the Messiah. John had done this with great boldness; he came on the scene wearing a camel hair coat, with a leather belt, eating locusts and wild honey. John ate honey, but he didn’t preach honey; John preached fire and brimstone! John was up and down the Jordan River preaching repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He told people he baptized with water, but the one coming after him, the Messiah would baptize with fire and judgment.

When Jesus came to be baptized by John the Baptist; he pointed to Jesus and said; -“Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world”

But now John the Baptist is going through a dark night of the soul when unexpectedly he had his doubts about who Jesus really was. John being the bold preacher that he was, had confronted wicked Herod about his immoral relationship with Herodias, his Brother Philip’s wife. And Herod had thrown John the Baptist in the dungeon.

John was in the dungeon because he had the moral courage to condemn Herod’s immoral lifestyle.

John was locked in the dungeon of Machaerus, the desert fortress/palace perched on a desolate high ridge by the Dead Sea, where today the remains of the castle’s dungeons can still be seen, complete with iron hooks. And it was there that John’s head would be cut off and given to Herodias.

Sitting there in that physical dungeon, John begins to be locked in a different kind of dungeon; the dungeon of doubt. He hears reports of what Jesus is doing, V:18, he looks around at the place that he’s locked in; and he feels the rejection for preaching the truth of the Bible, and he begins to doubt, become offended, stumble over what Jesus is doing, what is happening to him, and the response of the people. So John has a question he wants to ask Jesus; actually there are three questions in these verses.

· The 1st Question is asked by John to Jesus: V:19-“are you the one that should come, or should we look for another?

· The 2nd question is asked by Jesus about -“What did you go out into the wilderness to see?

· The 3rd question is asked by Jesus about the people: V:31-“To what then shall I liken the men of this generation to?

In the answers to these questions we are given the keys that unlock the dungeon of doubt.

Key #1:

1. See Clearly the Ministry of Jesus!

V:18-23.

Were told, V:18-“The disciples of John the Baptist told him all these things”.

They told John that Jesus had healed the centurion’s servant, and raised the widow of Nain’s son from the dead. And John responded by sending two of his disciples to Jesus with this question, V;19-“are you he that should come, or should we look for another? Why would John ask such a question? Because what Jesus was doing did not line up with what John said the Messiah would do when he came. Remember when John burst on the scene back in ,- he gave a warm welcome to the scribes and Pharisees; when he said to them “you generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come”?

John proclaimed that the Axe of judgment was already at the root of the tree. And that every tree that didn’t bring forth good fruit would be cut down and cast into the fire. He said when the Messiah comes he would fan the flames of judgment; and the chaff would be burned with fire unquenchable.

John declared that the Messiah would have the winnowing fork in his hand to separate the good from the bad in judgment.

And what is Jesus doing? He is healing a Roman centurion’s servant, he is restoring a dead son to a broken hearted widow. He is performing acts of mercy; forgiving sins, and changing lives.

John had prophesied the Messiah would come with the Holy Ghost and with fire; but where’s the fire?

Jesus was not meeting John’s expectations; in the way that John believed he would.

John had his eschatology all mixed up; he thought that Jesus was coming the first time to bring fire and judgment and destroy the enemies of God; overthrow the Roman government, and set up the kingdom of David. But there’s no fire, Jesus doesn’t have the winnowing fork in his hand, there’s no trees being chop down by the wrath of God.

Does this mean that God’s judgment is not going to come? No, it means God’s judgment is not going to come now.

Jesus didn’t come the first time as judge; he came the first time as Savior; make no mistake about it, the next time he comes he will come as judge; and he will wear a robe dipped in blood, and will have a sword of judgment that proceeds from his mouth.

John is sitting in this dungeon; and Jesus was not doing what he thought Jesus would do. The fire wasn’t falling, and judgment wasn’t coming, and the Romans were still in charge, and the religious leaders were still wicked. John is wondering if this is the Christ where is the baptism of fire and judgment?

What about straightening out this country? What about bringing down the corrupt leaders, like Herod? What about the Roman tyranny; what about Israel’s political independence? If you are the Messiah why aren’t you doing the things I think you should be doing?

This prompted John to send two of his disciples to ask Jesus, V:19-“are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?

Now this is a very important question! Is Jesus the Christ the son of God; or not? This is the very question that led Luke to write this gospel.

Luke writes this gospel to show us without doubt, that Jesus is the Savior of the world!

Not only is this a great question; but when he had questions; he took his questions to Jesus! He didn’t take his questions to people who didn’t believe in Jesus, he didn’t ask false teachers, and false religion, and pagan scientism, and philosophers. He didn’t Google, is Jesus really the son of God.

He took his questions to Jesus; that’s the same place you should take your questions!

Picture in your mind these guys coming up to Jesus, asking him this question.

V:20-“the men come up to Jesus and say, John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask you; are you the one that is to come? Or should we look for another?

Notice Jesus doesn’t answer this question verbally; Jesus didn’t say anything to these men when they first asked the question; Jesus just turned around and began to heal people, cast out evil spirits, opened blinded eyes, and share the gospel. These guys had a front row seat to watch Jesus performed miracles!

After he had performed those miracles, V:22-Read.

What had these guys just witnessed? Exactly what the prophet Isaiah said the Messiah would do.

John has doubts because he is confused about when Jesus would do what. He was expecting fire, wrath and judgment; but the ministry of Jesus at that time was mercy, love, grace, salvation.

Jesus did not come the first time to set up his kingdom on earth; and if you think that’s what Jesus has come to do, you will live in doubt, and frustration.

We do the same thing today that John did; we look around at our culture; and we see in our nation, 17,000 murders last year, we see the moral fiber of our nation being ripped apart. We see that America is spiritually and morally bankrupt. We witness same-sex marriage, the LGBT agenda being pushed down our throats, we see pornography is $1 billion industry, we see the acceptance of things that God condemns and that are destroying men.

And if you think that Jesus is supposed to, step in, and send fire from heaven, and burn up these ungodly people, and straighten out the political landscape, and set up his kingdom in America. You’re going to ask the same question; is Jesus really the one, or is there another political Savior, rescuer coming?

That doubt, comes from a misunderstanding about the true nature of Jesus ministry.

Jesus Christ did exactly what the Bible predicted He would do when he came the first time.

The key to get out of the dungeon of doubt concerning Jesus; is to see clearly the ministry of Jesus.

John don’t doubt whether I’m the Messiah are not, I’ve done everything that the Old Testament said the Messiah would do.

Jesus demonstrated that he was the son of God by his miracles; Jesus proved he was a Messiah by dying on the cross, and raising from the dead. Your doubts are removed by looking in the word of God at the person and work of Jesus. Not looking around at the culture, asking why doesn’t Jesus do something about this messed up world? Jesus is doing something!

Jesus is opening the eyes of the spiritual blind.

Jesus is healing the spiritually crippled.

Jesus is Making sinners clean.

Jesus is opening the ears of the spiritually deaf.

Jesus is raising the spiritually dead.

Every drug-ridden, alcohol-controlled,

Sexually-immoral, spiritually dead person that Jesus raises from the dead demonstrates Jesus Christ is the son of God, the Savior of the world!

Yes Jesus is the one! Yes Jesus is the Savior!

Yes Jesus is the one you must trust to be saved!

Jesus didn’t give John an explanation as to why judgment hadn’t come yet.

Jesus just kept doing what he had been doing, and gave John’s disciples a demonstration of his miraculous power.

V:22-“go tell John what you have seen and heard… to the poor the gospel is preached”.

This is the most important part; Jesus came to preach the gospel, because he came to be the gospel. Jesus made preaching the gospel the priority of his ministry; proclaiming the gospel of salvation to poor and needy sinners. And Jesus is not talking about financially poor sinners; he’s talking about spiritually poor sinners, and that is all of us!

V:23-“And blessed is he, who shall not be offended in me”. The word “Offended” means – to displease, cause to stumble. Jesus says to John the Baptist, don't become displeased with me, and don’t stumble at the way I am doing things. Jesus is encouraging John; he is saying Come on now John, don’t stumble because of me; the real blessing is to those who are not offended at how I do my ministry. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me. Do you stumble over Jesus because he is not doing the things in this world you think He should do? Are you disappointed with the way God does his work in this world? Do you sometimes think, why doesn’t he wiped all those sinners? Well believe it or not; that would mean wiping you out too! Jesus is the son of God, there is no other! Jesus Christ did exactly what the Old Testament predicted the Messiah would do!

Key #1 to unlocking the dungeon of doubt:

1. See clearly the ministry of Jesus!

Key #2, to unlock the dungeon of doubt:

2. Accept God’s Plan for Your Life!

V:24-30.

Jesus sends John’s disciples away, and then Jesus turns to the crowd and asked this question:

V:24-“what did you go out into the wilderness to see?

At John’s weakest moment, Jesus said the greatest thing about John. Yes John was having his struggles, but he was still a great prophet, and God used his ministry to bring people to Jesus.

Don’t mistake the moment for the man!

Jesus wanted those people, and us to know, that John had accomplished His plan for his life. John had come on the scene to prepare the way of the Lord; and then to get out of the way. Locked in that dungeon, facing death, was the plan of God, the will of God for John.

Notice what Jesus said about John:

V:24-“did you go out into the wilderness to see a reed shaken with the wind?

Nobody goes out into the wilderness, in the burning hot sun with a packed lunch to watch reeds blowing in the wind; not unless you’re really bored.

John was not a man blown around by the winds of public opinion. John didn’t change his message, because the culture around him changed.

John was more like a mighty oak tree, standing firm against the winds of opposition.

V:25-“did you go out into the wilderness to see a guy wearing really nice clothes?

Again the answer is implied, NO! You don’t go out into the wilderness to see people wearing nice clothes, eating hors d’oeuvres.

V:26-27-“You went out into the wilderness to see a prophet; and much more than a prophet; John is the prophet that was prophesied by the prophets to be the one who would introduce the Messiah”.

V:28-“Among those born women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist…

While John is locked up in a dungeon; no longer able to preach or baptize, Jesus said that John is the greatest mortal man that’s ever lived, the greatest prophet, the last of the Old Testament prophets.

What made John the greatest is not his personality, his success, not miracles-“ the Bible says “John did no miracles”; John never opened blinded eyes, deaf ears, raise the dead, call down fire from heaven, poor old John never even spoke in tongues. But Jesus said he’s the greatest prophet ever born.

John faithfully fulfilled God’s calling for his life! John was faithfully up and down the Jordan River telling people to repent; and place their faith in Jesus the Lamb of God!

The greatest thing a person can do is point people to Jesus; saying behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”.

Then Jesus makes a remarkable statement,

V:28-“but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than John”.

John is the greatest prophet ever born… But the least in the kingdom of God is greater than John.

How can that be? John was the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets, but we have a greater understanding of the life, death, resurrection, ascension, and work of the Holy Spirit in this world than John ever had. In that sense we have a greater/fuller understanding than John had.

John himself will be the first to tell us that there is nothing greater than belonging to the kingdom of God, and the church age.

One of the things that causes people doubts; is when they are doing right, serving God, and then something bad happens to them. John is in that dungeon not for doing wrong; but for doing right! He was preaching against sin, and confronting immorality in the government. And now he’s suffering for it; and he’s thinking if Jesus is the Messiah, and going to overthrow the Roman government, why am I sitting in this dungeon. Why did he let this happen to me, this is not fair?

You will find yourself in difficult places, you’ll say, God I was serving you, I was living for you, and now I’m in this financial dungeon, this prison of sickness, this horrible dungeon of marital problems; and if you’re God and you’re powerful why don’t you deliver me.

Listen; when your plans are in conflict with God’s will for your life; you will find yourself in a dungeon of doubt; wondering if God is aware of where you are, and what you’re going through. God is very aware of where you are and what you are going through; and God loves you, and God’s on the throne.

And no matter what you’re going through, and whatever the reason is that you’re going through it; God has a wonderful plan for your life; trust him even in the dungeon!

John was in that dungeon not for doing wrong, but for doing right! Some of the dungeons we find ourselves in are dungeons we have constructed ourselves. But some of the dungeons we will find ourselves in, or because of this sinful, broken, messed up world that were living in.

And contrary, to the health and wealth preachers; and the blab it and grab it boys; nowhere in the Bible does God promise you health and wealth.

If you think that being a Christian means you’re not going to have any problems, but you’re going be healthy and wealthy and wise; when you find yourself having problems, you are going doubt God!

· God has not promised to keep you out of the dungeon.

· God has not promised to keep you on the fiery furnace.

· God is not promised to keep you the lion’s den.

And if you don’t understand that you’re going to doubt God when bad things happen to you.

Christianity is not the subtraction of problems from life; Christianity is the addition of power to meet those problems.

Someone said-“Real faith is not receiving from God what you want; real faith is accepting from God what He gives”.

I wonder if anybody told John what Jesus said about him. If they did; I can see John as he stands up, lifts those chains in the air and says; Jesus said that about me? Hallelujah, hallelujah, I have fulfilled God’s plan for my life; I’m ready to die.

John accepting God’s plan for his life, set him free from the dungeon of doubt; and it will set you free from the dungeon of doubt as well.

As a Christian were in this world for one express purpose; that is to bring glory to God!

Jesus told the apostle Peter, in , how he would die; and in the death he would die he would glorify God, then Jesus said to him follow me”.

Peter, history tells us was crucified on a cross upside down… That was God’s plan for Peter’s life; and by his death on the cross he glorifies God.

The second key to unlock the dungeon of doubt is

To: Accept God’s plan for your life.

V:29-30-Read.

People who knew they were sinners, agreed with what God said about them, repented and demonstrate their repentance by being baptized by John, and trusted in Jesus.

But there were other people, the religious people who did not accept God’s verdict about them, did not confess their sins, and did not repent.

V:30-“The Pharisees and lawyers rejected…

They rejected the gift of salvation, which God freely and sincerely offers to everyone!

This leads Jesus to ask the third and final question; in Jesus answer we have the third key to unlocking the dungeon of doubt

Key #3, to unlock the dungeon of doubt:

3. Understand People will Reject Truth!

V:31-35.

Jesus looks at these religious, lost, cynical people and asked this question:

V:31-“to what then shall I liken the men of this generation, what are they like?

Jesus went on to say they’re like children playing games! These were common games in Jesus day.

One group of children wanted to play “the wedding game”: we played the flute, and you wouldn’t dance.

One group of children wanted to “play the funeral game”: we mourned to you and you didn’t cry.

Jesus knew the spiritual condition of the people; he understood that no matter who preach to them: they refuse to have anything to do with the message of salvation.

John the Baptist came; wearing weird clothes, eating strange food and preaching repentance: he would not play the wedding game, John didn’t dance to their tune. All John ever played was funerals, crying out judgment and death and damnation. And they rejected John, and his message.

Jesus came, and the Pharisees rejected Jesus and his message as well. The same people that rejected John for not playing weddings; rejected Jesus because he refused to play the funeral game. They said that Jesus is a glutton and a wine drinker, goes to parties, and hangs out with publicans and sinners. Jesus had too much joy, and played the wedding game. You get the idea? They didn’t like John, and they would not listen to Jesus. They wanted neither the holiness and wrath of God; nor the love and forgiveness of God. They were playing games with God’s holy message and men! They miss the truth that was preached because it was not in the “Tune” they wanted! Jesus tells us that the majority of people will play games with the message of the gospel; because it’s not in the tune they want it to be in. If you think that the majority of people in this world are going to get serious about God, stop playing games, and trust Jesus, you will live in doubt because that’s not what the Bible says.

There are people today, just like the people in Jesus day, they say:

I didn’t like the service today, it was too mournful, too much about sin and judgment. I was expecting something with a little bit more cheer, something that would let me leave happy, cheery, and go to Andy’s and get a blackberry concrete.

Someone else says; there was too much laughter, and emotion; I was expecting something more somber, sober, I wanted more hymns, and an organ, it was too lighthearted, and not sophisticated enough. What do you think this is; you play your tune and we dance to it? You’ve missed the whole message; Jesus didn’t come to this earth, and die on the cross, to make you happy; or make the church service like you want it to be. Jesus came to die for your sins that you might be saved! That generation was playing games with the message of the gospel; and this generation is doing the same thing!

Oh the games people play now, every night and every day now, never saying what they mean now, and never meaning what they say.

And they while- away the hours, in their ivory towers, until they’re covered up with flowers, and the back of a black limousine. Nah, Nah, Nah…

Talking about you and me, and the games people play.

Are you playing games with God, your salvation, your soul?

What do you think of John and Jesus? Is the message they preach the truth? Will you repent and accept the message of the gospel? God calls for a response from you!

There are two kinds of children mentioned in these closing versus: the children who play games; and the children mentioned in V:35-“wisdom is justified of all her children”.

Don’t be like the foolish children who try to make God dance their tune! Be a wise child who accepts the salvation that God has given through Jesus Christ!

The way for you to be wise is to see your need of repentance and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation.

I’ve got good news for you today; if you are a sinner who needs a friend; V:34-“Jesus is a friend of sinners!

If you’re locked in the dungeon of doubt:

· See clearly the ministry of Jesus.

· Accept God’s plan for your life.

· Understand people will reject the truth.