John Sends Messengers - Matt 11:2-6; Luke 7:18-23

Jesus healing the widow’s son was just as big of a deal during His time as it was when Elijah and Elisha did it hundreds of years before, people talked about it and the story spread like wild fire all throughout the land. So much so that even John the Baptist heard about it while he was in prison. If we remember, John the Baptist was arrested and put into prison shortly after baptizing Jesus. He was put there by order of Herod Anitpus who “had imprisoned him through a reluctant yielding to the importunities of Herodias, whom Herod claimed as a wife under cover of an illegal marriage.” Herodias was still legally married to Herod’s brother Phillip, and John decried the relationship saying, “It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.” Herod liked John, visiting him in the prison, talking with him and taking his advice on many occasions. But Herod caved to Herodias and had John arrested and imprisoned, where John surely heard about Jesus’ teachings and miracles. After hearing about the raising of the widow’s son, John sent two of his disciples to Jesus, who asked, “Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?”

 

At first consideration, the way the scriptures tell the story, it sounds like John is beginning to doubt Jesus’ authenticity. JTC tells us to not be so hard on him, as he “left in prison, he may have become despondent, and may have permitted himself to wonder whether that Mightier One had forgotten him… It may have been a part of John’s purpose to call Christ’s attention to his pitiable plight.” It’s easy to understand that this might have been the case, John was languishing in prison, and could have been doing so much more work if he had been freed. Perhaps he was just trying to remind Jesus of the fact that “hey, I’m still in here.” But let’s think about some of the things that John had said before and see if we can determine if he really gave up on Jesus after only a few months in prison. Since Jesus arrived on the scene, John has constantly urged all his followers to leave him and follow Jesus. He’s taught that as Jesus’ popularity increased, his popularity must decrease. John is not a stranger to struggle. He was raised in the wilderness, living on very little food, locusts and honey, wearing camel’s hair as clothing. He was used to be hated and questioned as a vocal servant of God. He wasn’t some snowflake guy who gave up because things got difficult. If he really doubted his mission or that of the Savior, then he would be bargaining with Herod to get released from prison, not turning to Jesus to ask him for supernatural assistance.

 

Indeed, the IM quotes Robert J. Matthews as teaching, “The question they were to put to Jesus was for their edification, not for his own. John knew, as no one else knew, who Jesus was, and he had known it for a long time. He had had revelation from heaven to this effect: he had seen with his eyes, he had heard with his ears, and he had the testimony of the Holy Ghost… The most satisfactory answer seems to be that John sent his disciples to question Jesus about his identity so that they themselves would at long last realize the truth of what John had been testifying.” These disciples that John sent were clearly hung up on John being their spiritual leader. John, recognizing that they were better off following Jesus than hanging out with him in prison, or perhaps he was coming to terms with the fact that he was soon to be executed and wanted his disciples to go to Jesus before then.

 

When the disciples arrived to ask Jesus this question, instead of answering right away, Jesus allowed them to observe him in action, “and in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what thing ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.” Jesus allowed these disciples of John the Baptist to learn the answer, not with their ears, but with their hearts. And the messengers left Jesus to return to John in prison.