Do We Look For Another?

When John the Baptist was in prison, he sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask a question, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (Matt. 11:3 NKJV). It seems a strange question coming from the prophet who saw the Spirit descending like a dove on Jesus and hearing the voice of the Father declaring from Heaven, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17 NKJV).

One would think John would not have had any second thoughts. Of course, I can sit in the comforts of my home and speculate, but I’m not in a cold, damp, stinking dungeon. Maybe he thought, If the Messiah has come, then why has my situation turned into a miserable mess?

Recently, I had another thought about this. He knew his ministry was decreasing and Jesus’s ministry was increasing. Perhaps, he sent his two disciples so they could witness the power and reality of the arrived Messiah and begin to follow Him.

Without boiling down John’s perspective too far, what about us? We all have had moments of strength and weakness. Jesus did not seem to be too concerned by his kindred’s question. I was just intrigued by the question, “Do we look for another?”

Jesus told the two disciples of John to go back and tell him of the miracles they had witnessed such as, “The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Matt. 11:5 NKJV).

What if that question were asked of us? In our secularized culture with many un-believers and flimsy followers of Jesus, what if someone asked us about Jesus?

If someone came to us with an honest question such as, “Is Jesus Christ the true Messiah, the Son of God?” What would be our response?

Would they get a fifteen minute sermon on the authenticity of Jesus or a simple response to observe the powerful results of His ministry among us. Would they witness the blind seeing, lame walking, lepers cleansed, deaf hearing, dead being raised, and the gospel being preached to the poor?

I wonder if they would be convinced by what they witnessed in our churches, in our community, in our families, and in our lives? Something to think about! It is also something to aspire to achieve in our Christian journey.

Yours on the Journey,

Harry L. Whitt