Pressure and suffering have a way of pushing into the soul like nothing else really can. John the Baptist wasn’t a casual observer of the life of Jesus. He was the one who had already recognized Jesus as the Messiah, the Coming One; he had prepared the way. Yet, in Luke 7, we find John in prison asking Jesus a sobering question by way of his messengers, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

For John, and certainly for us, when God’s Kingdom doesn’t appear to be unfolding in quite the way we had expected, confusion and doubt can arise.
 
Instead of rebuking the messengers or entering into some lengthy abstract explanation of Kingdom timing, He points them to look at what is going on right in front of them: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor receive the good news.
 
Jesus answered John’s inquiry with Kingdom evidence, not apologetic argument.
Here, Jesus draws on the prophetic hope spoken of by Isaiah in chapter 35. He showed that the signs of God’s saving reign are present in His ministry. The Kingdom wasn’t arriving through spectacle for the sake of spectacle itself or through brute force. The Kingdom arrived by way of a healing, compassionate, cleansing, restorative Messiah who had a story to tell … a story of  Good News.

Following Jesus means we don’t get to keep the Kingdom He brings as just an idea, a philosophical state we can only hope for. We are called to bear witness to what we have seen and heard of His goodness and power. We are to proclaim Christ clearly, embody His mercy faithfully, and put His commands into action. Not by our own power, but through the power of His Spirit.

This passage gives incredible comfort to anyone who’s ever had doubts or questions. Jesus didn’t condemn him, He simply redirected him and gave him strength to face the fate of sacrifice.
 
Then Jesus adds, “Blessed is the one who isn’t offended by me.” Jesus is tender, but serious. The Kingdom comes through Jesus as He really is, not as we’d like or redesign Him to be. He’s the King who heals and saves, but also the King whose path leads through rejection, suffering, and the cross.
 
The Kingdom may not be what we expected, but the signs of it are clear. In Jesus, God’s reign has come near … and that’s really good news.

Where have your expectations of Jesus been challenged by suffering, delay, or confusion? What would it look like for your life to bear witness to what Jesus has done, not only in words but in embodied mercy?

Father, I’m so glad you saw fit to give us this example of you receiving honest questions and dealing compassionately with doubt. Help me to trust you as you are, not as I want you to be. Teach me to recognize the signs of your reign in Scripture, in Your works, and all around me in my life. Make me a witness for Your good news, your mercy, and rescuing grace. Amen.

“Today I can bear witness to Jesus’ reign by __________________.”