The Coming One has come...
I love this passage: "Now when John heard
in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said
to him, 'Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?' And
Jesus answered them, 'Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive
their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the
dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed
is the one who is not offended by me.'"
(Matthew 11:2-6 ESV)
Let me say a quick two thoughts
on doubt before I share what is really in my heart today. First, is John wrong
to doubt? No. Remember, John has been preaching (a) repentance because the
Kingdom is at hand, (b) make straight the paths for the coming Messiah, and (c)
bear fruit in keeping with repentance. John did not back up from this message
and he was in jail, about to be executed. Sure, I'd have some questions too.
John is very human. He is losing his life for what he believes and has done,
and he wants to be sure it's legit.
Secondly, John sought Jesus
for and in his doubt. He didn't listen to the whispers of the enemy. He didn't
turn away from Jesus. He turned to Jesus.
Of course, there's much more
helpful thoughts on doubt, but I want to talk about the Coming One.
It's how Jesus answers John's
doubt that intrigues me today. Jesus is gentle, yes, but it's the affirmation
that HE IS the Coming One that delights my heart.
We know chapter and verse,
but Jesus IS The Word. Jesus answers John by quoting Isaiah. And, to be sure,
Jesus' quotation of words is matched by His effectiveness of action. Jesus
points directly to the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1 and following. There, Isaiah
prophesied on the coming Messiah. Jesus basically says, "I'm that guy. I
am the Coming One and I am here. That Coming One is here before you."
Then, the proof is in the
pudding. Jesus does all that stuff. No one is like Him!
We often imagine God is
asking us to have blind faith. What He gives us is plain evidence, and from
there, we can live out reasonable faith in extraordinary ways.
Jesus is the Coming One and
He has come! He is the once and returning King! He will return!
My eyes of faith see it, but
the evidence before me confirms it. What Jesus did in His earthly ministry is
but a foreshadowing of healing and freedom that is to come.
Indeed, the coming one has
come, and He will come again…
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