From Heavens High to Jail Cell
John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”
Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” Matthew 11:2-5
John the Baptist went from speaking of the coming Messiah and having the wonderful opportunity not just to see Jesus be baptized but to baptize Jesus. He got to see heaven open up wide. He got to see the Holy Spirit come down on Jesus in a way we can only imagine. He got to hear a clear audible voice declare in confirmation to all that he saw. And yet, maybe, a year or two later, John sits in doubt. Needing to ask again. Are you really Him?
John was born to a devout Jewish family, His father served as a high Priest in the Jewish Temple. John's conception and birth were miraculous. His father, Zechariah, doubted God's ability to make it happen and his mother, Elizabeth, went into seclusion for 5 months to protect this miracle. We don't know a lot about John's upbringing but we know that he was brought up in the ways of God. As an adult, he is found in the Judean wilderness. The Judean wilderness was a mostly desert region that consisted of hills and rocks. It lacked good sources of water and people usually traveled around the area instead of through. John had secluded himself here to get away with God, for who knows how long. He had learned to live off the land. Eating locusts and wild honey and wearing sturdy rough clothes from camels hair and leather to probably sustain him in the harsh conditions. But he had a calling of God on him and at about 30 years old started preaching to prepare people and baptize them for the coming Messiah.
In Matthew 3, John comes face to face to the Messiah, Himself. John spent his whole life with the mission to prepare himself and the people who came to see him. A mission to prepare a way for the Messiah to come (Isaiah 40:3). And now the Messiah, Jesus Christ, is there standing before him. John gets to introduce the Messiah to the world. And upon request, He baptizes Jesus. John is a participant in what we can only imagine, based off the words of "the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. (Matthew 3:16)" But then the voice, the audible voice saying "This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him. (Matthew 3:17)" The moment where heaven comes down to the precious dirt by our feet and the warmth of God's joyful eyes are upon us. That life changing moment that no one could take away.
The moment where heaven comes down to the precious dirt by our feet
and the warmth of God's joyful eyes are upon us.
But fast forward some time, days pass, and troubles come. John now sits in jail and is no longer able to see the sun or the sky, but instead a dark dingy jail cell. He doesn't get to spread the words from God to people from all around, instead he occasionally has the audience of one. At times, he has the audience of Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee and Perea. Here we come upon Matthew 11. John sends out word through some of his disciples to find this Jesus. This Jesus, that he must remembers baptizing. This Jesus, where John thought he saw the heavens open wide. It seems like a distant memory now. But was that truly a voice from heaven I heard proclaim. Find this Jesus, that I thought was the Messiah, who rumors are spreading about the miracles He is performing. But as Messiah, He isn't bringing judgement against those not following the one true God. He isn't bringing a visible kingdom. He isn't fighting and taking His place of power. He isn't doing what we all expected Him to do. Go to this Jesus and ask, "Are you really the Messiah we've been waiting for, or should we keep looking for someone else? (Matthew 11:3)"
Are you really the Messiah we've been waiting for,
or should we keep looking for someone else?
Because sometimes we need God to rescue us. Sometimes we need Him to take His place of power in our lives and make everything fall into place where it is supposed to land. Sometimes things are just troubled and don't seem right. Sometimes Jesus just isn't doing what we expected Him to do. We know we saw God move, we know we felt His Spirit, we thought we heard....but now it just doesn't seem to be turning out the way we wanted. Faith falls and doubt settles. The ways of God go a different way. A step back, maybe, and I can see where Jesus is rescuing. He is opening my eyes to see. He is causing my feet to walk where they need to be. He is curing those that are banished. He is restoring my ears to hear. He is taking this broken, beat up body and giving me new life.
Jesus told them, "Go back to John and tell him about what you have heard and seen--the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear,
the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor." (Matthew 11:5)
