The Doubting John?
When John heard in prison of the works of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3)
The Gospels tell us quite clearly that John sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He is the Messiah (cf. Matthew 11:3, Luke 7:19), but what is not clear is John’s motive for doing so. Based on the translation of this Gospel passage, one could be led to think that when John was in prison, he doubted that Jesus is the Messiah. However, if we look at the rest of the Gospel passages about John, then that might not be so.
When Jesus came to John to be baptized in the Jordan, John objected, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” (Matthew 3:14) It is evident that John recognized Jesus as someone greater than himself. Then, John saw the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus and he heard the voice from heaven say, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) John witnessed all these things, and he would later testify that Jesus is the Messiah: “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him… Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” (John 1:32, 34)
In addition, John’s disciples came to him and complained about Jesus. They said, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.” (John 3:26) John replied, “You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So, this joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase; I must decrease.” (John 3:28-30)
Considering all these passages in the Gospels, it is quite evident that John could not have doubted that Jesus is the Messiah, but why would he send his disciples to ask Jesus that question: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3) One of the possibilities is that John wanted his disciples to go and ask Jesus in person, so that they can personally encounter Christ and see for themselves that Jesus is indeed the Messiah.
Why is this so important? Having a personal encounter with Christ gives us real, authentic experiences and enables us to recognize His presence in our lives. It strengthens our faith and trust in God and it encourages us to stay on the straight and narrow path to God. How can we have a personal encounter with Christ? We can learn about Him in scripture, pray and let Him come into our lives. Knowing that Jesus is right there beside us, we can live life more meaningfully. We constantly remind ourselves: Will the things that I do and not do make me a good follower of His? The rewards are enormous: it gives us a strong inner peace and a steady assurance that we are doing the right things. All this is possible because we have come to know Jesus the Messiah in our hearts.
Jesus replied to John’s disciples, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.” (Matthew 11:2-6) Blessed indeed are those who have had a personal encounter with Christ and have seen the miracles He has done in their lives. And blessed are those who keep it in their hearts.