Text: Matthew 11: 1-6
“And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” —Matthew 11:6
When Cindy and I first began dating back in January of 1996, I asked the Lord, “Is this the one I am going to marry?” It didn’t take long to figure that out. Less than a year later, we were on our honeymoon together in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. She was truly “the one.”
In Matthew 11, John the baptizer sent his disciples to Jesus asking, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” From passages like John 1:29-36, we see that John had already clearly identified Jesus as the Messiah, yet he struggles to reconcile his present circumstances of being imprisoned to his Messiah-like expectations for deliverance. If Jesus is truly the one, why am I suffering here in a prison cell? Why isn’t Israel being delivered from political tyranny? Why isn’t Jesus doing more?
Like many others in John’s day, the understanding of the Coming One’s arrival was that the Messiah would bring blessing on those who repented and judgment on those who rejected him. John is not seeing this from his shadowed perspective. Unfavorable circumstances may tempt us to doubt that God is for us, but that doesn’t change his promises. Worldly cultures may push for us to deconstruct our faith, but that pushback never for one millisecond reduces the truth of Who Jeus is. Jesus has withstood such hostilities from anti-Christian societies for more than two millennia now—and the Gospel is still going strong in the face of such opposition.
Jesus’ response to John’s tension was a beatitude of mild rebuke. After giving John’s people a snapshot of how the kingdom of God was indeed advancing through displays of mostly humble acts of service rather than spectacular political revolutions, Jesus tells them: “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” John and his disciples must be open to God’s unfolding plan, that even though things don’t seem to be going their way, things are certainly going God’s way.
Blessed is the one who doesn’t fall backwards in the trials of life, but falls forward leaning into grace through every doubt, frustration, disappointment, and setback. Or as Charles Spurgeon said, “Blessed is he who can be left in prison, can be silenced in his testimony, can seem to be deserted of his Lord, and yet can shut out every doubt. John speedily regained this blessedness, and fully recovered his serenity.”
It’s okay John, Jesus is still the one and you are indeed going to experience resurrection life. Though your prison cell screams of abandonment, your chains’ scream of heartbreak, and your future calls you to drink a cup of suffering through martyrdom, God’s redemptive plan is still unfolding and nothing can snatch you from the palm of God’s hand. Your eternity is secure. You don’t need to go looking for another.
Beloved, let John’s good news be your good news no matter what struggles and challenges tempt you to deconstruct your faith. Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank you for the good news we have in Jesus. All things will be made new and glorious in your perfect timing. Until that perfect reconciliation of everything in our lives, we trust you over our present circumstances and continue to rejoice in your unfolding plan of redemption. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:
- What do you suppose John might’ve been feeling while in prison?
- What are some major causes of doubt and the deconstruction of faith in our times?
- What does this passage reveal about the finite perspective of our human understanding?
- What does this passage reveal about the character of Jesus? What does it reveal about the good news of the Gospel?
- What might perseverance in your faith look like this week?