Daily Bread

The disciples of John (the Baptist) reported all these things to him. So John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ When the men had come to him, they said, ‘John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” ’ Jesus had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind. And he answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’

I've always wondered at this Bible passage. John and Jesus were cousins and John had even baptised Jesus in the Jordan and proclaimed him as the Messiah. John himself was famous because of his dad, Zechariah, and the circumstances around his own birth and the prophesy that he would herald the Messiah. Therefore, why was John sending his own disciples to ask Jesus if he really was the Christ (God's Anointed One)? Was John having a crisis of faith? Was John feeling unsure?

I think part of the answer has to do with Jesus not being explicit about his Messiahship! As far as Jesus was concerned, he would only be the Messiah if he came and did what the Messiah was called to do — i.e. the 'title' of Messiah could not be disconnected from the 'completed works'.

To be the Messiah, Jesus had to be perfectly obedient to the law and not ever once sin (i.e. put himself first at the expense of others), right up to and including the point of his death (whenever that would be). Therefore, Jesus, despite being unwavering in the certainty of his calling and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, could not say, "Yes I am the Messiah."

I'm trying to think of a metaphor... Okay, so let's say I begin to write my first book and I'm a third of the way through. Am I an author? Well, yes, but also no! I'm only an author in the strictest sense if I have completed the book. Like me pointing to the words I have already written, Jesus could only point to the works he was accomplishing — "the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them."

I imagine John, quite possibly currently incarcerated by Herod, hearing these words which were echoes of words written about the Messiah by the prophet Isaiah, and smiling to himself, punching the air, and saying, "I knew it!"

Holy God
I am so blessed to be able to look back
at the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus
and with all certainty claim that,
"Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again!"
Thank you for the hope I have in you,
for myself, for others, and the whole of creation.
Now and always.