Is Jesus the Messiah, or should we seek someone else?
We all have times of doubt. When we DESPERATELY need a touch from God,
when we NEED and yearn to hear His voice, yet He is silent. I could give
examples, but you already know far too well what I am talking about.
We wonder, God, are You even listening? Are You even real? Why do you
delay, Lord? Do You care about me at all?
John the Baptist was a cousin to Jesus but more importantly, he was the
"voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight paths for our
God". He was separated from birth and chosen by God to preach of the
coming of Jesus and to be the first person to see the spirit of God
descending on Jesus and to know He was truly the Messiah.
"Now this was John's testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem
sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to
confess, but confessed freely, 'I am not the Messiah.' They asked him,
'Then who are you? Are you Elijah?' He said, 'I am not.' 'Are you the
Prophet?' He answered, 'No.' Finally they said, 'Who are you? Give us an
answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about
yourself?' John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, 'I am the
voice of one calling in the wilderness, "Make straight the way for the
Lord."' Now the Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, 'Why then do
you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?' 'I
baptize with water,' John replied, 'but among you stands one you do not
know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am
not worthy to untie.' This all happened at Bethany on the other side of
the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming
toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of
the world! This is the one I meant when I said, "A man who comes after
me has surpassed me because he was before me." I myself did not know
him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be
revealed to Israel.' Then John gave this testimony: 'I saw the Spirit
come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not
know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, "The
man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will
baptize with the Holy Spirit." I have seen and I testify that this is
God's Chosen One.'" (John
1:19-34)
After this, the next time we hear of John the Baptist is when he is in
prison for speaking out against the king being with his brother's wife.
While John is languishing in jail, Jesus is out traveling around
preaching and healing the sick. It seems that John either had doubts of
the deity of Jesus Christ or he was simply frustrated and maybe a bit
angry that Jesus did not come to release him.
"John's disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of
them, he sent them to the Lord to ask, 'Are you the one who is to come,
or should we expect someone else?' When the men came to Jesus, they
said, 'John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, "Are you the one who is
to come, or should we expect someone else?"' At that very time Jesus
cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight
to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, 'Go back and
report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight,
the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the
dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is
anyone who does not stumble on account of me.'" (Luke
7:18-23)
Perhaps you think this line of thinking was foolish, but don't we do the
same thing? When we have been on our knees, praying day and night for
the healing of a loved one or a financial miracle or any one of dozens
of other concerns and there is silence from heaven, or so it seems. We
must trust the One Who holds all things in His hands, Who sees all and
knows all and works ALL things together for our good.
Who can truly know the mind of God? His ways and thoughts are so far
above ours that we can't even BEGIN to imagine what He is doing in us
and through us. We walk by faith and not by sight and we must trust Him
with our very lives because He is the lover of our souls. So if you
think God has forgotten you, remember that two sparrows are sold for a
penny and you are of MUCH more worth than a sparrow. He watches over
you.
Yours in love and in Christ,
Sonya Richards
