Today’s Reading: Luke 7:18-33

When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to You to ask, ‘Are You the One who is to come, or should we expect someone else?'”

Luke 7:20

Meditation: While in prison, John the Baptist hears the news of Jesus’ miracles that has spread throughout the region. He asks his disciples, his students, to seek clarification from Jesus: was He really the Messiah?

Now, John the Baptist revealed himself to be, as Scripture describes, the voice crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord (John 1:23, as prophesied in Isaiah 40:3).” This is the same John who, upon seeing Jesus at the Jordan River declared about Jesus, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29)!” But even John experiences a season of doubt, so much so that He sends his disciples to confirm if what He said about Jesus was true.

Jesus answers John’s question and eliminates any doubt within him and his students. Instead of declaring Who He is, Jesus proves Who He is. In the presence of John’s disciples, Jesus does the work of healing many of sicknesses and diseases. He casts out demons and restores sight to the blind (Luke 7:21). And after all of that, Jesus tells John’s disciples to report back to their teacher, John, what they themselves have seen and heard Jesus doing. Not only are the miracles proofs of Jesus’ power and authority, they also fulfill prophesies of specific miracles that the long-awaited Messiah would perform (Isaiah 26, 35, 61).

Jesus meets questions with answers for those who seek to know Him. In the Bible are countless testaments of Jesus fulfilling prophesy and proving His power and authority as God the Son. For those who have come to know Jesus, and even for those who don’t know Him yet, there is also proof of His ongoing work in the world today. We have all of the answers we need to be assured that Jesus is the Messiah. As in the case of John and his disciples, we don’t have to stay in any state of doubt that we have about God. Instead, we can meet Jesus with our doubts, trusting that our knowledge of Him can replace any shade of doubt with absolute certainty that He is our Messiah, Redeemer, and Lord.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for meeting our doubt with certainty. Thank You that we can always come to You assured of Your saving grace. When we seek You, help us to find You, Lord. As we draw nearer to You in study and prayer, increase our faith and trust in You. In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.

Thru the Bible in a year (credit: Biblestudytools.com): Luke 7:18-50; Genesis 11; Psalm 5