December 9, 2010

"When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor." (Matthew 11:2-5)

I imagine that most of us are familiar with, and remember the PBS children's television program, hosted by Levar Burton, called "Reading Rainbow." But do you recall how the show always ended? The program ended with a children's book report segment which was kicked off by Burton's signature phrase: "But you don't have to take my word for it."

We're not told why John sent his disciples to Jesus to question whether or not Jesus was the promised Messiah. Some think that John himself was doubting whether Jesus really was the promised Messiah. John was in prison and probably had been there from some time. Maybe he just couldn't help but think and question, after he heard about all the miracles that Christ was doing, why Jesus wasn't helping him. Don't we ourselves follow that line of thinking from time to time? When we're stuck in a really tough situation, do we ever find ourselves questioning where is God and why isn't He helping us (as we think He should be)? Maybe doubt is why John sent his disciples to pose the question to Jesus, but let's not forget the crystal clear confession of faith that John provided when he first saw Jesus in the desert. "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” (John 1:29-31) John certainly wasn't doubting in the wilderness, but perhaps the mental anguish caused by time spent in prison was wearing him down. Perhaps John was doubting.

Or, maybe John was sending his disciples to Jesus, not for his own good, but for their own good. Martin Luther liked this theory, he weighed in by writing, "It is certain that John proposes the question for the sake of his disciples; for they did not yet deem Christ to be He whom they should believe Him to be. And John had not come to draw disciples and the people to himself, but to prepare the way for Christ and bring all men to Christ, making them subject to Him." (Luther 11:75) It's as though John was saying, this is Jesus, the promised One, "but you don't have to take my word for it." Go see and go ask for yourselves. A good teacher knows that having their students go through the process of figuring out the answer, rather than just feeding them the answer, is most beneficial for the student.

We aren't able to go be eyewitnesses of Jesus. We walk by faith and not by sight, but in our walk of faith, we have something that John the Baptist's disciples didn't fully have. "From infancy [we] have known the holy Scriptures, (including prophecies and some fulfillment of those prophecies) which are able to make [us] wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 3:15) It's likely that all of us have had "John the Baptists" in our lives. We have had people who pointed us to Christ - people like Christian parents, Christian Day School teachers, Sunday School teachers, Pastors. Do we just take the word of the "John the Baptists" in our lives, or do we go to the Word and examine what we are being fed to make sure it is good food? I am reminded of a group whose personal "John the Baptist" was the Apostle Paul - remember the Bereans? "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." (Acts 17:11) How's that for not just taking Paul's word for it? When Levar Burton said, "but you don't have to take my word for it," a book review of a good children's book followed. When we, like the Bereans, realize that we don't have to (and shouldn't) take anyone's word for it either, a "Good Book" review should follow.

A residual effect of reviewing and examining the Scriptures everyday, is coming to a better understanding of what our purpose is in this world. I am blessed to be often reminded that our purpose as Christians is to be ambassadors for Christ, and it's not a question of whether or not we want the job, it's a question of how well we are going to do the job. "And [God] has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us." (2 Corinthians 5:20) Before Jesus made his first entrance into ministry in the world, God made his appeal through one of His ambassadors named John the Baptist. Right now during this time before Jesus makes his second and final entrance into the world, God is making his appeal through us. We are ambassadors of the message of reconciliation. We are "John the Baptists" to those around us, as we show others why they need Jesus Christ and then point them in the direction of Jesus Christ - just as John the Baptist did for his disciples even while he was in prison. And the more well versed in the verses of Scripture we become, the more we are equipped by the Holy Spirit to be able to point people in the right direction so we are able to say, "but you don't have to take my word for it," take a look at this passage or story which will help you with what you are struggling with. The more well-versed we are in the verses of Scripture the better ambassadors we become.


John the Baptist's disciples didn't have to take his word for it because they were able to go to the Word made flesh (John 1:14). We, like the Bereans, don't have to take anyone's word for it either because we can take everything and filter it through the Word of God to examine whether or not it is in line with God and His will. When we, like the Bereans, examine the Scriptures every day and receive the message with great eagerness, we become better equipped ambassadors of Christ. To those, who through us God is making His appeal, we can say,"the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor." We can say that because of sin we are all spiritually blind, lame, diseased, deaf, dead and poor. But because Jesus took care of our sins and the sins of the world, our eyes have been opened, we are healed from the disease of sin, we hear the Good News, we will live eternally, and we are now Spiritually rich. And then we can say "but you don't have to take my word for it," rather take to the Word of God where the Spirit still speaks to us and strengthens our faith and makes us more and more sure that Jesus is the one who was spoken of by the prophets - Jesus is the long expected Savior - our Savior!