Luke 7:18-35

This John sitting now in prison was the one who baptized Jesus. And it wasn’t just any baptism, the sky opened up and a dove landed on Jesus while a voice from Heaven said, “This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased.” John himself recognized Jesus as God already - in John 1:29-36 he says three different times that Jesus IS the one they have been waiting for. But that was last week, and now here he is, sitting in prison. Wondering if he maybe did get this wrong.

John doubted. And he sent some of his disciples to go ask Jesus point blank - “Hey man, just tell us so we can get on with life... are you the one we have been waiting for or should we keep our eyes open for someone else?”

Prison wasn’t part of the deal. It didn’t feel victorious. This Jesus who was suppose to overcome wouldn’t let one of His followers sit in prison, would He? 

John’s disciples come back and tell him that Jesus is going around healing everyone, the dead are being raised and the poor have good news being preached to them. Jesus told them to quote a portion of the prophet Isaiah to John the Baptist sitting in prison. But He left out one part. He left out where Isaiah says “the prisoners will be set free.”

Ouch. 

John noticed that, no doubt. 

Jesus’ answer to John was, “Yes I am the One, and you are not getting out of prison.” And He leaves him with, “Blessed are those who take no offense in me, who are not hurt or resentful or annoyed or repelled or made to stumble no matter what happens.”

John, your plans are not my plans and your ideas are not the way I want to do things. You are staying in prison and I hope you don’t fall away from Me because of this. 

Can anyone relate? Is there anyone else besides me who sometimes feels like God is so big and He can do anything, yet He chooses to let me sit in a situation that really sucks? And I’m not even talking about the situations where later you can look back and see how God has moved in your life for good - I’m talking about the times where you can’t see how he moved and you have no idea what the purpose of that was. The situations that cannot be figured out and you may take to your grave. 

We all have to stop and ask ourselves, “Am I going to let this offend me? Am I going to be hurt or resentful or annoyed or am I going to keep walking with God no matter what happens?”

It’s not an easy question. John sat in prison until his head was chopped off and delivered as a gift to the King’s daughter. 

After Jesus sends John’s disciples back to him to quote Isaiah with one very important part missing (I wonder if anyone in the crowd picked up on that)... He turns to the crowd and talks about John. He honors him, He reinforces to the crowd that John is the Messenger that God sent to make way for the Messiah. 

Then He challenges them. He tells them they are not happy no matter what. He tells them they’re like children who want other people to do what they want. They want things to be their way and cannot understand any other plan. 

Jesus says the one who is wise will be shown true by their life, character, and deeds. 

Given what He said to John I don’t think it’s a far jump to say that Jesus is asking them to be wise and not let themselves be offended when He does not do things their way. Don’t cry and pout when God is going a different way than you expected. When God is doing something you can’t understand and it hurts. When you take some pains to your grave, never knowing why things happened the way they did. Instead show yourself wise by who you are and what you do. 

Who you are:  Are you easily offended? Annoyed? Resentful?

What you do: Do you choose to keep walking no matter what?