Matthew 11:2-11
When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his
disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 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. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written:
“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
How Do Christians Deal with Doubt?
A couple weeks ago, I heard a story about a schoolmate of mine. We were in college at the same time studying to serve in the full time ministry. He was smart, talented, a standout student and a standup guy. Without a doubt, someone I respected and admired.
It turns out that he doesn’t believe in Jesus anymore.
What do you do with that information? What about his family – what does this do to them? If a smart, talented, grounded guy like him who went through the same training that I did, had the same faith that I do, if he could doubt God so much that he stopped believing altogether, what does that mean for me?
I think I’ve shared with you – if not in a sermon, at least in personal conversation – a few anecdotes in the last couple months about pastors and prominent Christians who have almost started a trend of renouncing Christianity. They’ve given up their faith and denied Jesus. It’s one thing to hear about celebrities in the news, people you’ve never met before; it’s another when it’s someone you know and respect.
Imagine being one of John’s disciples and being tasked to ask Jesus the question we heard in our Gospel Lesson for today, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”[1]
John the Baptist was asking this question! Of all the people to have their doubts, how could John?
Where was the John we met last week, who was so sure of his message that he called out the spiritual leaders of Israel, calling them a brood of vipers and threatening them with judgment?[2] Where was the John who – not once but twice – pointed people’s attention to Jesus and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” [3]? Where was the John who baptized Jesus and heard the voice from heaven say, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased”[4]?
How could John the Baptist – whom Jesus, in this same passage, calls the greatest man born of woman – how could John fall so far as to doubt the truth that he spent his adult life preaching?
As strange as it initially sounds, it really isn’t all that difficult to understand, when you think about it. Just compare what John prophesied Jesus would do to what John heard that Jesus was doing.
Last week we read from Matthew Chapter 3:
“His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”[5]
Those are some harsh words of judgment.
But when we read what Luke writes about today’s Gospel Lesson, Luke tells us that John’s disciples came to Jesus,
“At that very time [when] Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.”[6]
Those aren’t the same thing. Performing miracles of mercy is not exactly putting the ax at the root of the tree and threatening to chop it down and throw it into the fire. To witness Jesus’ ministry, he wouldn’t quite line up with what John said he would. Where was the judgment that John prophesied? Jesus didn’t seem to be living up John’s expectations. So he asks Jesus the question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”[7]
I don’t know about you, but Jesus’ answer didn’t seem very helpful to me at first. Jesus said,
“Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 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.”[8]
It may seem like Jesus is being evasive here, but he’s actually quoting Scripture. This is Isaiah’s prophecy that we read earlier today!
In chapter 35 Isaiah writes:
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.
And in chapter 61, Isaiah says:
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
Compare that to what Jesus says to John:
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.
Everything that Jesus was doing had been prophesied by Isaiah 700 years earlier as the sign that the Savior had come. So, Jesus may come and say a simple, “Yes,” but he absolutely affirms that he is the promised Messiah. It’s almost as if he says, “Look, John, I may not be doing what you expected me to be doing right now, but I am doing exactly what my Father promised I would. And you should know this, if you are a student of God’s Word.”
Isn’t that just how Jesus works? Not many straight answers. Rarely any one-word responses. Jesus doesn’t just say, “Yes.” He quotes Scripture at you. But before you get frustrated with what seem to be Jesus’ evasion tactics, think about what it’s like to learn multiplication.
You’ve seen this before, right?
It’s the multiplication table. How many hours did you spend memorizing these numbers? It’s a useful tool and something I still use every day (thank you, Mr. Grambsch). But multiplication is not simply a matter of memorization. It may start with that, but ultimately you want to be able to understand why 7x8=56, because there may come a day, God forbid, when you don’t have your phone handy and you can’t ask Google. You may have to make a simple multiplication calculation that doesn’t include one of these 100 numbers that you’ve diligently memorized. Would it be easier to just get the answer? Of course, but it wouldn’t equip you to solve the problem.
In a similar way, could Jesus have simply told John, “Yes, I am the one who was to come; no, you should not expect anyone else”? Of course, he could have! But what Jesus did was better, because just providing the answer doesn’t solve the problem. The roots of John’s doubt went deeper than whether Jesus was the Savior or not. John doubted because Jesus’ version of the Christ didn’t match with his expectation. Jesus needed to address that expectation, so he quoted Scripture to reassure John that even though he didn’t look the way John thought he might, he was still doing exactly what the Savior was supposed to do.
There’s a tension in this passage that we cannot ignore. On the one hand, John doubts the most basic fact of Christianity – whether Jesus is our Savior or not But then, by the end, Jesus says: “Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.”[9] How can John be both? How could John doubt but still be praised by Jesus?
Let me tell you a secret about Christianity: you don’t escape doubt or uncertainty the longer you believe. It’s not as if trusting in Jesus gets easier as time goes on. Trouble, temptation, doubt don’t disappear. It’s just that you develop the ability to respond to them.
We are all weak in our own ways. What’s important is not whether we fail – we’re going to do lots of that. It’s not even particularly important how you are weak – Lord, let me count the ways. What matters is that, like John the Baptist, you know where to go for strength.
When John felt that self-doubt, what did he do? He went to Jesus. And how did Jesus respond? “Oh John, you blockhead! Don’t you know better by now?” No! He brought John back to the foundation of God’s Word, and let John see for himself how Jesus was doing exactly what God said he would.
And that’s still what God does for us today. Maybe you’re not at the point that my schoolmate reached, where you’re ready to renounce Christianity and deny Jesus altogether, but maybe you still have your questions:
“God, you promised to give us peace, but I don’t feel particularly peaceful.”
“Jesus, when exactly will the meek inherit the earth and stop being a doormat for the wicked?”
“Lord, you promised to work all things for my good, but I’m having a hard time seeing it right now.”
There are so many doubts, so many anxieties a Christian can feel, but that doesn’t make you a bad Christian for feeling them. Nor does it make God insufficient for you. It may just mean that you have this opportunity like John to go straight to the source for strength.
We may not be able to send a delegation to ask our questions of Jesus, but we have the same thing that Jesus used to answer John’s question. Jesus quoted Scripture. We have that. 5 minutes and a free download later and you have it in your hand wherever you go.
I think that’s why Jesus says what he does at the end, “Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”[10]
The best explanation of this riddle that I’ve heard is that, in a way, you are greater than John. John would envy you.
John had his doubts because he was in prison and he would not live long enough to see Jesus finish the work of our salvation. So John had to live by faith in an as-of-yet unfulfilled promise. He didn’t have the benefit that you and I do – 4 Gospels, 1 History, 21 Epistles and a prophecy that all explain at great length how Jesus is our Savior. John had the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and a bunch of murky messages; you have the New Testament whose sole purpose is to answer John’s question: “Are you the one who was to come?”[11]
The answer, of course, is yes. Jesus is what we’ve been waiting for. He’s the answer to our doubt and the reason for our hope. He’s the assurance that God keeps his promises and he is our Savior.
Jesus didn’t come at Christmas to cavort with confident Christians who never wavered in their faith. He came to forgive our weakness and sin. To meet us in our low spots so he could lift us up in his love. To preach the good news to us that even when we are weak, he is strong. Even though we sin, he saves.
John didn’t live long enough to see the cross and empty tomb, but you and I have – not with our own eyes, but through the pages of Scripture. We have a treasure John wished he could have possessed. We have the very words of God himself. We have the first-hand testimony of many reliable witnesses. But most of all, we have the record of Jesus, our Savior, from beginning to end.
If the greatest man born of woman struggled with doubt, we shouldn’t be surprised when we have our moments of weakness too. But be like John. When you’re weak go to Jesus. Listen to his Word and there find reason for confidence. Jesus is who God promised. He is the fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away your sin. Jesus is the one who came at Christmas to be your Savior and who is coming again to bring you home. Be strong until that day, and Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen.
[1] Matthew 11:3
[2] Matthew 3:1-12
[3] John 1:29
[4] Matthew 3:17
[5] Matthew 3:11,12
[6] Luke 7:21
[7] Matthew 11:3
[8] Matthew 11:4-6
[9] Matthew 11:11
[10] Matthew 11:11
[11] Matthew 11:3