"Doubting John"

Matthew 11:2-15

Pastor Tom Johnson, December 15, 2013

During Advent, John the Baptist prepares the way of the Lord. He prepared people for the Messiah’s first coming. And he prepares us for his second coming. Perhaps one of the unlikely ways he prepares us is by his honest struggle with who Jesus is.

You’ll remember that from the very beginning, he questioned why Jesus would need to be baptized. “I need to be baptized by you, Jesus! You don’t need cleansing or repentance.” But Jesus assures him that it is to fulfill righteousness. And so John baptizes Jesus to make his baptism the foundation of our baptism—a baptism of perfect righteousness. As John baptizes Jesus, a voice says, “This my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” The Holy Spirit, appears and descends upon Jesus. And so God strengthens John’s faith and leads the way to strengthen our faith.

We are reminded that John the Baptizer is human—a little odd, perhaps, but flesh and blood nonetheless. In our Gospel reading, Jesus comments on John’s wardrobe. He says, “What did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes—a suit and tie? Suits and ties are for politicians. You went out to see a prophet.” And Jesus tells us he is unlike any other prophet. He is the greatest. He is a greater prophet because his ministry immediately precedes the unveiling of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. But even though John is lifted up and esteemed by Jesus, he not so nicely treated by Herod and his vengeful wife. Herod has John arrested for speaking out about his marriage—that he married his brother’s wife. And so, Herod throws John in prison.

I imagine that was a huge change for John. He is used to living in the wide and open wilderness. Now he is living in a small cell. He is used to being free to go from place to place. Now he is in chains. He is used to having a large audience to speak to publicly and disciples to speak to privately. Now he is alone. John is most likely lonely, suffering, discouraged, and more susceptible to temptation than ever before. He wants to be assured that his life’s work was worth it. He has faith in Jesus as the Messiah but he needs his faith strengthened. And so he asks Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another.” Does this sound like the same prophet who, when he saw Jesus, cried out, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”?

It is interesting how many people want to understand John’s question in any other way than a struggle with Jesus’ identity and his own mission. But the more I think about it, the less surprising it is. I even find it comforting. You’ll remember the father of a boy who was oppressed by an unclean spirit—how Jesus told the father that his son would be healed if he believed. And the father said, “I believe, help my unbelief.” And so Jesus both healed the boy as well as helped to strengthen the man’s faith. You’ll remember how Thomas refused to believe that Jesus rose from the dead and said, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe” (Jn 20). It was that same Thomas, who when he saw Jesus in his glorious, new Body gave us one of the greatest confessions of faith in the Bible. He said, “My Lord and My God!” Jesus strengthens Thomas’ faith. You’ll remember Peter how he showed faith and unbelief on the same day. When Jesus said that he will be killed by the leadership in Jerusalem, Peter said, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” (Matt 16). But it was that same Peter, who when asked who Jesus is, said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said that Peter was blessed and that his faith was a gift, and that the Church will be built on that solid rock of faith. John, Thomas, and Peter...they were doubters and disciples.

And so there will be times when our faith is the size of a mustard seed. We doubt, we struggle, we question, we wonder. We have unanswered questions to many of life’s riddles. But the good news is: that’s okay. It is normal. As Scripture says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common” (1 Cor 10:13). Jesus will be there for us just as he was with John. Even if we feel least in the Kingdom of heaven, Jesus says, we are greater than John. Because just as Jesus lifted up John with his words of praise, so Jesus will lift us up even higher.

We are not saved by the strength of our faith in Jesus. We are saved by the strength of Jesus through faith—the gift of faith by his Word and Spirit. We are not saved by our hands that grasp Jesus but by Jesus’ hands that grasp us. We are loved despite our struggles. We have certain forgiveness despite our questions. And Jesus’ faith in us and what He has done for us will remain strong even though our faith may, at times, be weak. And so we pray, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”