It’s hard to overstate the impact of John the Baptist on the nation of Israel. After 400 years of silence, God finally unleashed the prophetic voice of John, who then set about doing what prophecy said he would do. And he did those things in dramatic fashion. He turned the attention of the nation from political/economic matters to an assessment of its relationship with God. Speaking to a people whose spiritual heart was dry, dusty, and barren; he called for repentance as preparation for the Messiah. And he laid on the nation the fact that God’s preparation was accomplished, that the Kingdom of God was at hand, and that the Messiah was immediately due. He then identified Jesus as the promised one and began to fade into the background. His impact was as great, or greater, than that of the major prophets of the Old Testament.
Given his critical role and his effectiveness, it is sad to see John’s life end with confusion and disappointment because of Jesus.
By the time we hear of John again, he is already in prison, put there for publically speaking out against the immorality of Herod Antipas and Herodias. His life is in danger. Even in prison John continues to have contact with his disciples. “The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples, and he sent them to the Lord to ask him, ‘Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?’”
Do you see the angst in that question? John’s life will be taken in a matter of weeks. Once the focus of huge crowds, he is bound in a small prison cell. Having announced Jesus as the Messiah, he is confused. Where is the promised deliverance from the hated Romans, the restoration of the spiritual life of the nation, the elevation of Jewry amongst the nations? Where is the champion of God, riding before the armies of heaven, bringing the world under subjection to him?
Jesus did not fit comfortably into John’s (or the nations) image of what the Messiah was to be. But I love Jesus’ answer to John. “At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. Then he told John’s disciples, ‘Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. And tell him, ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.’”
Let me close this entry with this observation: God rarely adapts his actions to fit my expectations. I have often been guilty of loving God and having a wonderful plan for his life. If I could just get him to follow my agenda, all would be fine. But I have discovered that I don’t do well until I set my agenda on the shelf and follow his instead. He is more interested in the quality of my character than in my comfort, and that has led me down some difficult roads.
It is easy to be disappointed in God, or to be confused by his lack of attention to the things we consider important. His greatness is not found in all the grand things we want him to do for us, but in our willingness to be obedient to him. I have found that the Father can be well pleased in that child of his only who adheres to him when apparently forsaken. The fullest grace can be received by those only who continue to obey during the dryness in which all grace seems to be withheld. Obedience is the key to all doors; feelings come and go, but obedience is the road to freedom, and humility the road to pleasure.
We do not know how John the Baptist received Jesus’ answer, but we do know that John was obedient to God. Even in his cell, he was free.
Prayer: “Free my heart of my own tyranny, Father of hope. Turn my eyes from the worthless things I spend so much time thinking and worrying about. Set my gaze on your road. Lead me home. I am yours to direct and keep. I am willing. Amen.”