What Jesus Did : Matthew 11:2-3 - Doubt toward Belief
by Phil Ware
Doubt toward Belief - Matthew 11:2-3
John the Baptizer was in prison. He heard about the things Christ was doing. So John sent some of his followers to Jesus. John's followers asked Jesus, "Are you the man that {John said} was coming, or should we wait for another man?" (ERV) Full TextKey Thought
As John faced the struggle of his life, he maintained his integrity and faithfulness. His motivation was to simply know for sure that Jesus was who John believed him to be. He was not afraid to face death or doubt as he sought God's truth and lived God's life with commitment. Nearly all of us go through periods of doubt or struggle with difficult questions about our faith. Struggle with difficult questions, in and of itself, is not wrong nor is it something to be feared. Christianity has withstood the criticisms, scrutiny, accusations, and doubt of centuries of our world's best thinkers and harshest skeptics. The issue with these kinds of struggles is faithfulness in our ministry, holiness in our lifestyle, and honesty in our motives. As we work through our struggles using these three areas of integrity, we will find that our doubts and questions move us toward faith rather than toward disbelief. The biggest issue with struggles and doubt occurs when we break faithfulness and Satan can unleash a chain of consequences that weaken us spiritually. So in struggle and doubt, remember these three things: faithfulness in our ministry, holiness in our lifestyle, and honesty in our motivation.
Today's Prayer
O Lord, God of the great expanse and my Abba Father who adopted me in grace, please help me. Give me courage to face my doubts. Empower me with strength to face my struggles. Give me a heart that depends upon the Holy Spirit's guidance. O God, I want to honor you with my behavior and my choices. More than just knowing the truth, dear God, I want to know you and to display your truth in my life. In the name of my Lord Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Today's Verses in Context
Jesus finished telling these things to his twelve followers. Then Jesus left there and went to the towns in Galilee to teach the people and tell them {about God}. John the Baptizer was in prison. He heard about the things Christ was doing. So John sent some of his followers to Jesus. John's followers asked Jesus, "Are you the man that {John said} was coming, or should we wait for another man?" Jesus answered, "Go back to John and tell him about the things that you hear and see: Blind people are able to see again; crippled people are able to walk again; people that have leprosy are healed; deaf people can hear again; dead people are raised from death; and the Good News is told to the poor people. The person that can accept me is blessed." While John's followers were leaving, Jesus began talking to the people about John. Jesus said, "What did you people go out to the desert to see? A weed blown by the wind? No! Really, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No! Those people that wear fine clothes live in king's palaces. So what did you go out to see? A prophet ? Yes, and I tell you, John is more than a prophet. This Scripture was written about John: 'Listen! I (God) will send my helper ahead of you. He will prepare the way for you.' I tell you the truth: John the Baptizer is greater than any man that has ever lived. But even the least important person in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. Since the time John the Baptizer came until now, the kingdom of heaven has been going forward strongly. People using force have been trying to get the kingdom. All the prophets and the law {of Moses} spoke until the time John came. They told about the things that would happen. And if you will believe the things the law and the prophets said, then you will believe that John is Elijah. The law and the prophets said he would come. You people that hear me, listen! "What can I say about the people that live today? What are they like? The people today are likechildren sitting in the market place. One group of children calls to the other group, 'We played flute music for you, but you did not dance; we sang a sad song, but you were not sad.' {Why do I say people are like that?} Because John came, and he did not eat {like other people} or drink wine. And people say, 'He has a demon inside him.' The Son of Man came eating {like other people} and drinking wine, and people say, 'Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much wine. He is a friend of tax collectors and other bad people.' But wisdom is shown to be right by the things it does."-- Matthew 11:1-19 (ERV)
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