Pastor Scott Andrews | October 27, 2024
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Luke 7:18-23
I suppose many of you have heard objections to the Christian faith or even to the existence of God. But the objection you’ve likely heard would be, “If there is a good God, why is there so much evil in the world?” Things seem out of control – politics, war, hunger, famine, drought, abuse, drugs, crime – the list is long. The problem of evil is huge. Several years ago, a Jewish rabbi named Rabbi Kushner wrote a book to address the question, entitled, Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? He suggested that either God is sovereign – that is, in control of all things, or He is good, but He can’t be both. You see, his thought was, if there is a God who is both in control and good, then there is no answer to how bad things happen to good people. By the way, his conclusion was, God is good, but He is not sovereign – He is not in control of the evil that happens in the world.
But let’s make it a bit more personal. What is it that causes you to question the goodness of God, the sovereignty of God, the existence of God? Have you ever had doubts about this whole thing – that is, the Christian faith? I would suggest many of us have – and there may be lots of reasons for our doubts: prayers not answered, the death of a loved one, the loss of a relationship, the loss of a job, personal hardship, suffering. If we’re honest, the same doubts that plague the world of unbelievers also plague us. Evil in the world – war, desolation, famine, disease, hurricanes. In the mountains, really? Especially when those things hit close to home. When our prayers aren’t answered, when we face loss, when the floods surround us – despair and doubt assail. What do we do then? Have you ever had doubts about God? Maybe you have, within the last month. Further, have you ever had doubts Jesus really was and is the Son of God – that He really is the only way, the truth, the life – that there is one way to be reconciled to God – if He exists – and that is through a man who lived two thousand years ago? Have you ever doubted Jesus?
You’re not alone in your doubts, your ponderings, your questions. In fact, doubts leading to honest enquiry are a good thing. But, as one of my commentaries said, beginning with doubts is fine, ending with doubts is not. In other words, we don’t nurture our doubts, hang onto them –rather, we seek clarification and answers, because they are available.
We return this morning to our study in the gospel of Luke. I thought about doing a Reformation sermon as I typically do this time of the year, but the text before is perfect for our circumstances. You know, times of struggle, personal challenge, that may lead to doubts. And so, let me remind you – Luke gave the purpose for writing this gospel; namely, that we could know with certainty the things we have been taught – even in the midst of personal challenge, trial, hardship, loss, even, doubt-producing evil. We can know, in the midst of the chaos, with certainty.
Luke spent the first several chapters of his gospel proving beyond any doubt Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah. He has given credible and indisputable evidence that Jesus fits the profile perfectly; His life, His words, His works prove He was the Expected One to come.
He began his case with the miraculous births of Jesus and John, who was to be the promised forerunner, announcing the coming of the Expected One. The births of these boys – some six months apart – were miraculous: John to an elderly couple past childbearing years, and Jesus to a young virgin. And it all unfolded just as promised by the angel Gabriel. Oh, I know, you weren’t there, but we have to deal with the historical record.
We then moved to chapter 3 where this forerunner, John the Baptist, declared, “I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier that I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. [Don’t miss this part] His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Earlier, John had said, “Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” John’s message was of the coming One, but it was also of pending judgment. Judgment for the world’s evil. In that same chapter, the One to come arrived, and when Jesus was baptized by John, the very voice of the Father from heaven was heard to say, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” In fact, another gospel tells us John saw the Spirit of God descend on Jesus as a dove. The One on whom you see the Spirit descend – He’s the One. Indisputable, doubt-crushing evidence.
Then, in chapter four, we saw the temptation of Jesus, and after successfully defeating Satan, He entered His public ministry, soon returning to Galilee where He was from, and news about Him spread. Again, other gospels tell us His preaching included, “Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” The time had come, because the Expected One had come.
In Nazareth that day, Jesus read from Isaiah 61, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor, He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” This was a Messianic text Jesus applied to Himself.
And from then on, we’ve seen Him doing just that. He proved He was the One through His miraculous works. They were unbelievable stories: He healed lepers and paralytics, He drove out demons, why, He even raised people from the dead. Could there be any doubt? All the while, He was calling followers to Himself. Oh, not the ones you would expect; not the Pharisees, the scribes or teachers of the Law. No, He was calling fishermen like Peter and Andrew, James and John. He was calling tax collectors like Matthew and eating with other sordid sinners.
And we sit back amazed. How could anyone deny Jesus was who He said He was? That’s Luke’s point. How could anyone oppose Him, how could anyone criticize Him, be indifferent to Him, how could anyone reject Him, how could anyone even doubt Him?
And yet, that is exactly what we find. Beginning in Luke 7, we’re going to find a variety of responses to Jesus – some expected, some unexpected. And we’re going to find those responses include doubt, criticism, indifference, rejection, amazement, blasphemy, and curious fascination. And it begins this morning from a person we’d never expect – let’s read the text, Luke 7:18-23.
Have you ever doubted? This is a troubling text, because in your heart of hearts, you know. You know, sometimes, you doubt the whole thing. Sometimes, if the truth were told, I’ve doubted. Oh, we would never admit it, at least out loud, but we do sometimes. How does that fit with confessing Jesus before men? And the words of Hebrews 11, “Without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is…”
And so I want to say to us in difficult circumstances, this text is for us. I want to encourage us to reconsider the evidence and continue to believe – in the midst of personal tragedy. It’s what Luke wants us to do. You see, as Jesus’ popularity grew, so did the dissenting voices. But despite the growing opposition, despite the denials, there will be the invitation to come, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and He will give you rest. Take His yoke upon you and learn from Him, for He is gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
I hope to encourage every person in this room who has ever doubted, who has ever been critical, who has ever said, however quietly and inwardly, “is this stuff real? Is it really worth it? Is Christianity the real thing, or should I look somewhere else?” Most of us have been there, and we’re going to find today we’re in good company.
And so again, I ask, have you ever doubted? Don’t raise your hand – you wouldn’t want anyone to know – but if you have, you’re in good company. John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus who leapt in Elizabeth’s womb when pregnant Mary showed up one day, the one who baptized Jesus, the one who saw the Spirit descend on Jesus, the one who actually heard the voice of God, the one who said to anyone who would listen, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” the forerunner sent to announce His arrival, that guy, doubted. And it’s recorded right here for everyone to see. You’re in good company. I’m not suggesting doubt is a virtue, but it is normal. This message is for anyone, probably everyone in this room, who has ever said, “I’m struggling. I just don’t know anymore.” For everyone who has ever cried out, “I believe, help my unbelief.” I believe that He will. As we look at the text today, we’re going to see:
I. John Doubting Jesus (18-20)
II. Jesus Reassuring John (21-23)
Let’s start with John’s doubt in those first 3 verses. This doubt comes quite unexpectedly – that is, from an unexpected source. This is John the Baptist, the herald, the forerunner prophesied by Isaiah. He sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Expected One, or should we look for someone else?” That sounds like blasphemy. Understand what John is asking – the word for Expected One is exactly the same word John used in chapter 3 when he said, “As for me, I baptize you with water, but One is coming [there it is, the Expected/Coming One] who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
John knew who Jesus was – He had spoken of Him – He had announced Jesus as the Coming One. Now, he sends word to ask, “Are you that Expected One?” In other words, are you really the Messiah, are you really the Christ, are you really the Son of God? What? I don’t know about you, but I kind of expect a prophet, a preacher, a pastor, a minister of the gospel, to have that one figured out, don’t you? What kind of question is that?
But before you tar and feather this guy for blasphemy, before you discipline him out of the church, before you remove him from the company of the redeemed, let me remind you later, in verse 28, Jesus says of John, “among those born of women there is no one greater than John.” This is the greatest guy who ever lived – and he doubted. What’s going on? What would have caused John, of all people, to doubt?
So startling is this problem, the Reformers said, no, John wasn’t really doubting. It was his disciples who were doubting. So, he sent them to see Jesus, to see what Jesus was doing to convince his disciples, not himself. But that’s really stretching it. John, himself, was doubting – why? I would suggest to you John was doubting for the same reasons we do. For the same reasons maybe some of you here have been asking, what’s going on here? Why all the evil in the world? Why this personal struggle? Is this really worth it?
I have good news for you today: it’s real, and worth it. And every time that question creeps up, every time it invades your mind, no matter how much you try to avoid it or beat it down – there is some good news for you in this text – even loyal, absolutely committed, holy, faithful, and selfless servants sometimes get shaken, sometimes waver, sometimes doubt and lose their way. And they ask the question, is this real, or should I believe something else? And when you do, there is hope. Yes, Jesus is the Messiah; He is the Son of God; He is the Savior of the world.
Now, before we look at what caused John to doubt, we need to take a moment to look at the nature of his doubt. What I mean is this was not outright denial. This was not scoffing blasphemy. This was not Pharisaical cynicism or sarcastic rebellion. This was the questioning of a wounded soldier. This was faith-wounded doubt. This was the pain of someone who had been passionately committed to Jesus. This is the expression of a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. You see, I have a theory. You can’t really doubt unless you really believe. Unless you’re really in the thick of the battle and get wounded, and you’re lying there hurt and bleeding. In fact, let me remind you: John isn’t going to recover from this wound. He’s going to get his head chopped off. But I believe he recovered from his doubt. I believe his disciples came back and his heart soared. Just like yours can. This is a message for the wounded soldier of Christ who has believed with everything in you, only to find yourself wounded in battle – facing personal loss. The doubts came, unbidden, but they came like a flood. This message is for you.
So, what caused John to doubt? The first reason I’ve referred to already – difficult personal circumstances. Painfully crushing circumstances. You see, back in chapter 3, we read, “So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people. But when Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the wicked things Herod had done, Herod also added this to them all: he locked John up in prison.”
Apparently, while on a trip to Rome, Herod Antipas, the governor of Galilee, had taken a liking to Herodias, his sister-in-law – his brother Philip’s wife. And so after returning to Galilee, Herod divorced his wife, Herodias divorced Philip, and the two were married. When John the Baptist heard of it, he publicly confronted Herod with his sin and was promptly thrown into prison. By now, he had been there for about a year. Josephus tells us it was at an old fort, Machaerus, located in a hot and desolate region five miles east of the Dead Sea, on the northern end. It had been a Herodian palace, but had become an outpost, and was now a prison. He was most likely placed in a stifling dungeon that was really no more than a pit with a hole in the top.
Think about it. This was John the Baptist, the fiery, independent, dramatic, confrontational, courageous man who preached exactly what needed to be preached, to whom it needed to be preached, and when it needed to be preached. He was fearless, aggressive, and faithful to the Lord in every way. For 18 months, he had enjoyed an unbelievable ministry. He had preached up and down the Jordan River in the wilderness. He had enjoyed unparalleled popularity. Everyone was turning out to see him, to hear him. He had baptized probably thousands of people. He was doing the work of the kingdom, preparing the way for the Messiah. He was even the one who had announced the arrival of the expected one. Everything was going great. Till about a year ago. Then, his ministry and freedom were ripped away.
No worry, Jesus was on the scene. No doubt John was aware of Isaiah 61, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners.” Jesus actually said that in Nazareth.
And the days had stretched to weeks, the weeks to months. This wasn’t like the prisons of our day, where you get three square meals a day and get to play basketball and watch TV. He had become gaunt and emaciated. He hadn’t had a bath in a year. The bugs and lice were everywhere. He was forced to live in his own waste. And as he sat there day after day, he began to wonder, “Was I right? Is Jesus the One? Is this stuff real? Is it worth it?”
Just like you’ve done when faced with similar crises. The husband you married left. The wife you loved left for someone else. Your kids have caused unbelievable heartache. You’ve faced some heart-wrenching trials. Your job is unbearable. You’ve lost someone close to cancer or some other terminal disease. You believed in healing. You prayed. Everyone prayed. And she died anyway. He wasted away right before your eyes. You watched as the flood waters took your home, your livelihood, and you have no flood insurance. God, how can all this be happening? What’s going on here? You are there, aren’t you? You do hear and answer prayers, don’t you? Is this stuff real? Maybe, I’ve been wrong. Maybe I’ve been following the wrong religion. How can I know?
Of course, as I said earlier, you would never voice those questions. Spiritual people would never have doubts, would they? Prophets, teachers, fully-devoted followers of Jesus – they’re steady as rocks, right? I would never want anyone to know I’m wavering. Why? Because too often, brothers and sisters in Christ don’t respond the way Jesus does here. You’ve watched someone else express doubts, perhaps you’ve expressed doubts, and you’ve been treated like you have the plague. You’ve been tarred and feathered. How could you ask that? How could you think that? And so, you’ve kept it to yourself. And you’ve never been comforted, you’ve never been given truth, which is exactly the way Jesus handles it.
This story is a gift to every one of us – everyone who has faced some trial and no matter how hard we tried, have felt the tentacles of doubt grip our souls. As much as we tried, we couldn’t escape those thoughts. I want to say to you this morning, there is a Savior who understands – one who gently wants to restore you, comfort you, give you confidence.
John doubted because of difficult circumstances. But that’s not all. Related to that, He also wavered because of unmet expectations. What do I mean? Everyone, including John, had a picture of what the Messiah would do when He came. Yeah, yeah, they knew He would do some healing miracles – but what they were really looking for was the judgment part. Remember John’s message back in chapter 3, the axe is laid at the root of the tree, fruitless trees are thrown into the fire, His winnowing fork is in His hand, the chaff is headed for the fire, He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire – remember that?
John was looking for, “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He has loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword…” And that terrible swift sword laid at the root of the trees was proving terribly slow. He, like everyone else, was looking for wrath, and they got mercy instead.
You see, this was John’s message, and it was a message of judgment. He and others expected Jesus to show up and toss around a lightning bolt or two; to show up and judge Rome, as well as unfaithful Jews. And remember that passage in Isaiah 61 – John expected Jesus to free the captives, namely himself, from prison.
But Jesus didn’t do any of those things. They were seeing the blessings of the Messiah, but they weren’t seeing any judgment. There were some unmet expectations. Just like we have. I thought it was going to be a certain way when I decided to follow Jesus, and it hasn’t worked out that way. When we’re facing those trials we talked about earlier, we expect, because of some fuzzy teaching, Jesus to deliver us. Health, wealth, prosperity. We don’t expect to face the same trials everyone else faces. And when things get worse for us because of our faith, well, that’s just not right. Listen, we can doubt because of painful circumstances. We can doubt because of unmet expectations. We can doubt because of fear, because of failure, because of fuzzy teaching, because we’ve been wounded in the fray. It comes. And when it comes, I don’t want you to just suppress them. I don’t want you to beat yourself up. I want you to remember the gentle words of Jesus in Luke 7:21-23.
Which brings us quickly to our second point. I want you to notice what is not here: what is noticeably absent is what we often do to people who express doubts about their faith. What is noticeably absent is any shock, any berating, any ridicule, any condescension that might normally attend expressions of wavering belief.
Rather, Jesus, I believe very gently, very fondly, says, go back to John and report this. “When the men [John’s disciples] came to Him, they said, ‘John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, “Are you the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?’ At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind.”
Do you see? They came asking the question, and at that time, Jesus performed a bunch of miracles right in front of them. It’s not like Jesus said, What? John is in prison? Let me fix that. Instead, He kept doing what He was doing. In other words, our thoughts of what we think Jesus should be doing will not necessarily move His hand. This is what I believe happened. The disciples show up, ask the question. Jesus doesn’t say anything. I can see Him smiling, turning to the crowds surrounding Him, letting lose with a few miracles, healing a few people, driving out a few demons, setting some captives free from sin, and turning back to the disciples and saying, “Here, take this gift back to John. Let him know what you’ve seen. Give him the assurance he needs.” Meaning, He doesn’t berate John. He gives him a gift and encourages him.
What were the miracles? The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. Those are direct quotes from Isaiah 35 and 61 – Messianic prophecies. He was saying, John, I am the Messiah – here’s some more proof. Notice again, the absence of any judgment. Yes, those Messianic prophecies speak of the Expected One to come in judgment. But that will come later – at His second coming. But now, He comes to give grace, to seek and save that which was lost.
I’m out of time, but what can we learn from this – maybe today, maybe tomorrow, when we face doubt, because we will. Three things:
The first thing we can do is go back to Scripture to see who Jesus is, and what He did to prove who He was. You see, John didn’t have the New Testament. We do. II Peter 1 says we have the more sure word of prophecy, this book. Peter says it is as a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts. This word provides light and assurance. We have more than John ever did. We can read all about our Savior. Allow the Word of God to nourish you, to restore you, to erase doubt, to cause you to believe once again. Let me say it clearly – are you facing doubts? Read the Bible, especially one of the gospel accounts, and be impressed with Jesus.
Secondly, we can go to the same Jesus John sent his disciples to see – to the throne of grace to find help in our time of need. Listen, it’s okay to express your doubt and fears, your struggles and trials. Don’t stuff it down, don’t deny them – go to Him, be honest with Him – He sees your heart anyway. Tell Him what’s going on, and let Him prove Himself to you again.
Because thirdly, I believe Jesus still deals gently with His followers today. Open your eyes. See the gifts He’s giving. In the midst of your difficult circumstances and unmet expectations, look around. See the gifts of His grace, the miracles of His presence. They’re there, if you just look. Sometimes we can become so focused on the prison we’re in, that we don’t see His loving acts of grace in the lives of those around us. We need to see Him heal people, deliver people from bondage, raise people from death to life. It’s okay to need a boost once in a while – it’s okay to say, Jesus, I need to know you’re real. I need to know this is real. Show yourself to me. And remember something else incredibly important: The gift Jesus gave John was proof He was the Messiah. But don’t miss it – He didn’t free John from prison. John was beheaded for serving Christ. He doesn’t promise to deliver you from prison – but He will give you the assurance you need, and He will walk with you through your trial.
And Jesus closes with these words. “Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.” Blessed are you, when you are in prison, when you are struggling, when you are facing a trial so great it’s about to crush you, blessed are you when you don’t get offended with Jesus. Scandalized by Me. You see, Isaiah, which Jesus quotes over and over, speaks of the person and work of Jesus as either the stone upon which we will fall, or the stone that will crush us. Blessed are you when you are not offended by His faithful work, but when you fall on Him and believe. Further, I would add, blessed are when you come to Jesus and say, I’m struggling. I need help. I believe, help my unbelief. I don’t want to stumble. Prove yourself again to me. I believe He will.
You may be here today and you’re in the midst of a crushing trial. You may have a wounded heart. You may have some unmet expectations that have assaulted your faith. You, like John, may have doubts. And you may need to come to Jesus this morning and say, Lord, I know you’re the Expected One. I believe you’re all I need. But I need a special work of your grace in my life today. Will you give it to me? I encourage you to come to Jesus this morning. You’re not in a literal prison – but you might be in a figurative prison. He’s there with you. He’s not forgotten you for one moment.