Seeing Is Believing

Isaiah 35:1-10
James 5:7-10
Matthew 11:2-11


When John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching to be baptized, he proclaimed for all to hear: "Behold the Lamb of God!" (John 1:29), John seemed to have reason to believe he was being approached by Messiah and that he had no doubt about who Jesus is, especially when John questions why Jesus would be asking to be baptized "when it is I who should be baptized by You" (Matthew 3:14). Also recall that Jesus and John were contemporaries, growing up in the same area maybe even as playmates. Remember, too, Gabriel's words to Zacharias that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit even before birth (Luke 1:15). As-yet-unborn baby John also "leapt with joy" upon Mary's greeting to Elizabeth (Luke 1:44).

So Jesus and John are probably not strangers to one another, but how or even when John came by the knowledge to make such a bold proclamation can only be attributed to the Holy Spirit. When Peter proclaims Jesus to be "the Christ, the Son of the Living God" (Matthew 16:16-17), Jesus tells him that he could not have come by this knowledge except through the Lord. By these proclamations, then, it is apparent that there are no physical attributes by which one can identify Messiah. There has to be more.

John is now in prison (Matthew 11:2) after having offended Herod for the last time. From prison John instructs his own disciples to go to Jesus and confirm that Jesus is indeed "the One who is to come" or if they must continue to patiently wait. Knowing that John's time on this earth was about to come to an end and having my own confidence in John’s faith, I once believed that perhaps John sent his disciples to Jesus to confirm for themselves the reality of Jesus the Messiah so that they would not be left "stranded" after John's death. I once believed that John's whole purpose as a herald, as the "voice crying in the wilderness", would be finally and completely fulfilled by his disciples learning for themselves by encountering Christ for themselves and meeting Him face to face, leaving no doubts. Now I am not so sure that this was John's intent.

Up to this point John has apparently been free to wander and preach wherever he chose to. It seems clear that Herod gave John a lot of latitude out of fear even after being directly confronted by John because of his "unlawful" marriage, so it is reasonable that John could have felt so unencumbered with his preaching among the people. There is no evidence to suggest that John ever encountered any serious challenge or opposition, and he was popular among the people as a prophet. Suddenly John finds himself in prison though he may not have been entirely aware of the circumstances that led to his arrest. Surely he must have known, though, that sooner or later Herod would finally reach the end of his rope but because of the strength of his conviction, John knew he had to keep on preaching.

So because John had relative free reign in preaching whenever and wherever he would choose and because he could seemingly challenge Herod directly and walk away untouched, it might be more reasonable to wonder if it was John himself - and not his disciples - who needed some kind of confirmation that Jesus was indeed "the One who is to come" now that he's found himself in prison, possibly knowing he would never be released, maybe suspecting he may be facing execution. John's entire recorded ministry had been focused on this very thing, announcing the coming of the Kingdom, calling the faithful to be prepared, "to make straight the path". And because he had remained relatively untouched throughout his ministry up till now, it would be easier for us to understand that now, John needed to know.

I think maybe it is easier for us to appreciate such a scenario. We read Bible stories about such big players as John the Baptist, and he becomes larger than life to us as one who can do no wrong. Because of that perception, it is difficult to think that he was as human as the rest of us and could actually come face-to-face with fear and be overcome by certain worldly realities. THAT is something I think we can all relate to, especially when we surely must know that succumbing to such fear becomes its own prison in which we feel trapped and overwhelmed, unsure of what tomorrow may bring, not even being sure if we will ever again see the light of day.

When we find ourselves so enslaved, we are desperate for solutions, anxious for any ray of hope because we find ourselves virtually immobilized. It is very hard to think rationally when we are surrounded and overtaken by fear. Everything is blown out of proportion, and nothing seems to make any sense. To think for one moment that we might be in such a state for the unforeseeable future would be hard to endure, nearly impossible. Sometimes I wonder about prisoners who are sentenced to life behind bars. Though they may well deserve such a sentence, it might almost seem merciful to execute them, sort of letting them off the hook. And this even in our modern prisons with TV and other amenities to make them as comfortable as possible!

Beyond that, however, it may well be that John found himself in a position we all surely suffer from time to time, being enslaved within a prison of doubt, not being entirely sure that our lives have been well spent or that we were in some small way able to accomplish something meaningful. It must surely be at least this challenging for those in other countries who face the threat of torture and death almost constantly because they dare to call themselves Christians. Could the fear and anxiety possibly be worth all the misery? One might wonder, maybe even such a heavy hitter as John the Baptist.

So when John bothers to ask, he is not brushed off with a simple "yes, I am He" and he is not threatened with hell-fire and brimstone if his faith falters. Instead, he is advised to look around and see what is going on. There are stories of miracles being performed, sick people suddenly well, lame people suddenly made whole. It is a most remarkable time in human history, and it is unfolding right in front of anyone who wants to see, anyone who cares to look, everyone who bothers to ask!

Freedom from whatever prison enslaves us now is but an observation and prayer away. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Revelation 3:20-21