Blessing Of Blessings!

18 hours ago
3 min read

John is having a real issue with what he is hearing about Messiah. Have you thought of this? John’s malady, his temptation to disbelieve that he has truly found Messiah, has nothing to do with his actual suffering and state of imprisonment. It’s as if his physical condition, the fact that he knows Herod’s fickleness and deviousness, does not bother him in the least. Whether he is put to death by Herod or not, is not John’s present trial. His entire trial at the moment, is his tottering belief in Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah. Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?

O how this must have the Baptist very much troubled and certainly not at ease in himself. What if he were totally misled and mistaken? What if he had been erroneous in his knowledge, tutelage and coverage of Messiah, Lamb of God? What if he had led his disciples and the people, from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan, Matthew 3: 5b, on the wrong path? What if, can go on and on, as it can with you also. But remember, John went directly to Jesus, through John’s disciples. John wants to know and be settled, to have this malady stop, and only Messiah Himself can help him. We know Jesus responds in His unarguable wisdom. But look! Listen! There is more!

Now Jesus adds, what I am calling a welcome blessing. You must remember that the whole point of this meeting between John’s disciples and Jesus, is to bring John’s question to Jesus and take Jesus’ response back to John. But Jesus, who is always led by the Spirit, does things in ways no human mind can fathom. He is like the wind, blowing wherever the Spirit leads, and no powers, be they human or demonic, can control or curtail His actions and words. Jesus gives this pearl, this treasured word to them to take back to their teacher. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me. Luke 7: 23.

Do you see? Do you hear? Jesus sends to His cousin in prison, where his life is about to be taken from him, a treasure that surpasses any earthy treasure accorded by humans. John receives Messiah’s blessing of peace and perfect assurance. Blessed is he or she! Happy is he or she! It is well with him or her! It is everlasting bliss with the one who is not turned away because of Me, says Jesus to John, and to John’s disciples as well.

Jesus uses this opportunity to send to John His Word of guaranteed, everlasting life with the Father. I know that this is not spelt out in black and white as it were, but in the Spirit, it is as clear as daylight. Follow closely now.

Jesus knows that although John the Baptist is the greatest man born of woman, when it comes to the Kingdom of God however, the person who is least in the Kingdom is greater than John.

It has come to me that one of the marks of even the least in the Kingdom of God, is stubborn, unshifting belief in the Son of God. John believed, but because Jesus was not showing any signs of what John thought Messiah would come to do first and foremost, he was attacked by this malady of uncertainty. John needed to be helped and healed from such a frightening condition. He turned to Jesus and Jesus gave John more than he sought.

Jesus, as it were, pulled John back into the Kingdom path. Jesus, in His full Ministerial, Priestly, Kingly and Saving role as Messiah – the Coming One – saved John the Baptist from excluding himself from the Kingdom, through yielding to unbelief.

Our Present Messiah is still here to save you and me from the dark, dreaded malady of disbelief. Let Jesus have His way, for He is Spirit and the Spirit is like the wind. It blows where it pleases and no one can tell where it comes from, or where it is going. No one can control the Holy Spirit. Let Jesus be free in you and you be free in Him. He is enough for you. Like the hymn writer at the beginning of this article, you too can say with assurance. I need no other argument or plea, as it is quite enough for me to know that Jesus did indeed die, and that He died for me.