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MESSAGE SERIES: "Second Looks"

Did John the Baptist

really falter in his faith?

While the Bible is inerrant, man's interpretations aren't.

Misconceptions about Scripture passages abound.

Yes, although the same Holy Spirit Who inspired

the Bible resides in the heart of every born-again

believer, we've swallowed some man-made errors

hook, line and sinker.

As a result, we mistakenly believe some terrible,

even insulting, things about some key characters.

To open this message series, let's consider two

main men of the Bible who unjustly have black

marks against their names. Today, let's look at ...

John the Baptist

You've heard it all your church-going life:

John the Baptist lost faith toward the bitter end.

Poor boy, thrown into Herod's dungeon away from those

tastey bugs, missing the creature comforts of his blazing

desert home and pineing away the good ol' days when he'd

insult dangerous men, John must've had a pitty party, right?

If that's what you think, then let's walk awhile in John's sandals.

But first, how about checking with the Supreme Authority

on the subject? What did Christ Jesus have to say about

John and those who had negative thoughts about the

fearless, self-denying, viper-calling Baptist?

"What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed

by the wind?" Christ quizzed the crowd as John's

disciples left after asking if Jesus was the Messiah.

Our Lord knew what was being thought by the onlookers

and quickly acted to correct the situation. The people

knew John the Baptist was no double-minded man easily

swayed by circumstances.

"If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine

clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces.

"Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you,

and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is

written: 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will

prepare your way before you.'..." (Matthew 11:7-11 NIV)

John the Baptist wasn't wavering in his belief that Jesus was

the Messiah -- it was his troubled disciples. Yet John

gets blamed for their problem, and that's a shame. Do we

say Jesus lacked self control or advocated violence because

Peter sliced off a man's ear? Yet John doesn't get a break.

He should, though, because he was true to God's calling --

pointing people to Jesus. You might quote Luke 7:19, but

that pays no attention to John's devotion to cousin Jesus or

to the dynamics of the situation.

Picture it: John sits in jail and his disciples are worried.

Perhaps they, like Jesus' disciples, didn't understand their

man's role in the Kingdom. Suppose they, too, thought the

Messiah would be a military conquerer and expected their

prophet to play an on-going role in the triumph over Roman

oppression.

Yet their man now seemed forgotten as Jesus' ministry flourished.

What's more, this Nazarene didn't look, sound or act like

someone to lead them into battle, so John's followers felt

pressure to panic. As a reult, there the disciples were,

questioning John, despite the fact he did nothing but point

people to Jesus.

It was John the Baptist who knew Jesus before being born, when

he jumped in mother Elizabeth's womb at the arrival of Mary,

then pregnant with the Messiah. As cousins, John and Jesus

might even have played together and known each other well.

If not, they likely would have stayed in contact at the many

festivals attracting worshipers to the Temple.

So John had more than Spiritual insight when Jesus appeared at

Jordan's shore to be baptised. That's why he knew to say,

"Look, the Lamb of God." John does admit to not knowing

that Jesus was the Christ until, as God instructed, he saw

the Holy Spirit "come down from heaven as a dove and

remain on Him."

That wondrous occurance gave John God's assurance to lead

people to Jesus, even if He didn't fit their definition of a

Messiah. John would have known how righteous Jesus was

and heard all the stories -- shepherds and Magi, of angelic

appearances, of the amazing 12-year-old in the Temple, of

His righteousness and sinlessness. Special? Yes. Messiah?

Well, not until until the Spirit lighted.

But when It did that day in the Jordan, a totally committed

man of God like John wouldn't have had any further doubts,

no matter what then happened. "I have seen and I testify

that this is the Son of God," he said. And John He didn't

need for it all to make sense. Nothing about John's life

made sense, did it?

When John's ministry abruptly stopped as Jesus' ministry

began, the self-sacrificing Baptist continued to answer

God's unique call and point his doubting followers to the

Messiah. I'll bet Jesus' answer -- "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" -- must have rang so reassuringly true to John's

ears, reminding him of what Jesus had said when they were

ypung lads. And what a special comfort it must have meant for

emprisoned John to hear that Jesus added: "Blessed is the

man who does not fall away on account of me."

No, John the Baptist didn't fall away. He stayed true to his

calling right up to the end, worthy of being lauded by Jesus

to a misunderstanding crowd. After taking a second, closer

look at John the Baptist and feeling the conviction of the

Spirit, I've got to apologize to the man of whom Jesus said

"among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater."

All Scriptural truth must be applied to our lives, so what's

the application to this revelation? Well, perhaps it's to

judge not, lest you be similarly judged; to not pick a stone

to throw at another believer unless you're without sin and

know the truth of the matter. And since we're not going to

know the truth until we get to heaven and all things are

revealed, leave the stone on the ground.

Take a snapshot of any upright believer's life and there

might be something suspicious in the picture. Perhaps it's

best to practice the Golden Rule and not risk bearing false

witness, one of the Big 10 at that.

NEXT: Why did Jesus chide Peter for a lack of faith?

Open My Eyes

Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth You have for me

Place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclash and set me free:

CHORUS

Silently now I come to Thee, ready, my God, Thy will to see.

Open my eyes, illumine me, spirit divine.

Open my ears that I may hear voices of truth You send so clear,

and while the wavenotes fall on my ear, everything false will disappear:

CHORUS

Open my mouth and let me bear gladly the warm truth everywhere.

Open my heart and let me prepare love with Thy children thus to share:

Chorus

Matthew 11:2-9

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. Blessed is the man

who does not fall away on account of me."

As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to

the crowd about John:

"What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed

by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man

dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are

in kings' palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet."

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