Predestined Standpoint

We begin this offering by first peering a bit more into John’s question.

The disciples of John pose his question to Jesus, and these are Jesus’ words to them. I have put the question together with the answer.

John’s question - Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another? Luke 7: 19b.

Jesus’ answer – Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. Luke 7: 22b.

Jesus is instructive with His words. The disciples of John are to tell John exactly what they saw Jesus doing and what they heard Him speaking. John wants to know whether or not Jesus is really the Promised Messiah, the One to come. The wisdom of Jesus cannot be faulted. The answer is instructive, in that Jesus never responds with a factual answer. He never says that He is the Messiah or that He is not the Messiah. His response is instructive, in that He tells John’s disciples to observe and report. He instructs them to use their words to tell John all that they have witnessed. However, Jesus does not leave it up to them to formulate what they have heard and seen. He speaks it out for them to hear what they have seen and heard. Jesus lists all that He has been doing and all that they have been hearing and seeing. Jesus has not omitted anything or anyone, for even the poor have been included.

Jesus is insightful with His words. Note, He is most perceptive, for He realizes that the disciples of John would perhaps be following their beloved teacher in his way of thinking. John is still their teacher, even though he is incarcerated. Like teacher like student. They still have communication with John. Has he not sent two of them to Jesus? Are they not to return to him with a response from Jesus? The point brought before us is the insightfulness of Jesus, as in using His words, He is educating John’s disciples on truth about Himself. Who can thwart the thoughtfulness and sensitiveness of Jesus, in His love and compassion for those who need instruction?   

We now gladly turn to the final standpoint.

Predestined Standpoint. 

John is in prison where he will spend his last days and hours. This chosen vessel of God, predestined before time, to be the sent forerunner of Jesus, has done his work and has done it well. Now, after he has run so well a race, the deceiver wants to take him down, by tempting him with the malady of uncertainty in Jesus as Messiah. Jesus knows that John’s disciples will be true and faithful in responding to him. Jesus also knows that what is happening to His cousin John is all in His Father’s will. He knows also that He too will be killed in a couple years or so. 

If to predestine is to destine, decree or determine the events of a person’s life, then the life of Jesus, Messiah, was truly predestined by His Father. This has come before me as a predestined word, coming from a predestined Messiah. Don’t forget, John was the only one whose coverage, tutelage and knowledge, afforded much publicity and noteworthiness of Jesus, as the Lamb of God, the Holy Messiah. Messiah was predestined, long before time was. In other words, God had already promised, planned and prepared beforehand, the role of Messiah.  Long before Jesus came on the scene, His role was already marked out for Him. Here is one instance which shows how things were predestined to become and to unfold.

Jesus has returned to Nazareth where He grew up and goes into the synagogue. He is handed the Scriptures and finding this section of the Prophets, He reads. However, His reading is really the living fulfilment of prophecy, that which was predestined for His life. The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.  Luke 4: 18 – 19. 

Curiously, when we check this, Isaiah had written it about Messiah centuries earlier, long before Messiah was born of a virgin. The prophet had prophesied this about Messiah to come.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn. Isaiah 61: 1 - 2.  

All that John was hearing about Jesus while he, John, was in prison, was all God-decreed, God-determined and God-predestined.