ESOCS Devotional 20 September 2022
TEXT: MATTHEW 11: 1-6
MEMORY VERSE:“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?” Matthew 11: 2-3 NIV.
0 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. 12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted lace ”
King Herod had cast John the Baptist into prison, because John vehemently preached against His unlawful marriage with Herodias, his brother’s wife, (Luke 3:19-20; Mark 6: 17-18). John probably expected Jesus to come to rescue him from this illegal imprisonment. But when such was not forthcoming, he was forced to send his own disciples to inquire of the Lord. Through these messengers of John, he wanted to know for sure, if Jesus was actually the expected Messiah (vs. 2).
From the account of John 1:29, and John 3: 27-36, there is every suggestion that John knew that Jesus was the Messiah. However, out of desperation and fear of prison torture, John just wanted a confirmation that Jesus was the foretold Messiah (Genesis 49:10; Numbers 24:17; John 6:14).On the other hand, it is probable that John had understood that his own end had come, and therefore, thus directed the interest and attention of his own disciples to Christ.
Be that as it may, and as stated in vss. 4-6 of our text, Jesus simply responded by pointing to His own miracles to assure John the Baptist that He was indeed the promised Messiah. Recall that Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would perform those same kinds of miracles (Isaiah 35: 5-6) In Matthew 11:10, Jesus Himself cited Prophet Malachi (Malachi 3:1), to reemphasize the fact that the ministry of John the Baptist was the fulfillment of prophecy.
Note that the response of Jesus was guided with extreme carefulness. It is likely that at this stage of His earthly ministry, He did not want to openly proclaim His true identity. There was still so much to do in order to achieve His redemptive assignment. He probably did not want to risk being tried and prematurely condemned, before He had accomplished His earth bound mission, as ordained. He simply presented His miracles to John’s disciples as proof of His personality. (John 3:2).
All in all, the generality of the accounts of the four gospels contain extensive proofs that Jesus is indeed the Messiah promised throughout most of the Old Testament Scriptures. He is indeed the second Adam who came to restore fallen man to his originally intended state (1 Corinthians 15:45). He is the last Adam who was made a quickening Spirit.
CHALLENGES: If other miracles could not suffice, what about the resurrection?PRAYER POINTS: Lord Jesus, pardon our doubts and unbelief. You are indeed the indisputable Messiah.
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FURTHER READING: Judges 11: 1-6; Nehemiah 6: 1-15; Acts 4: 23-31..
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ESOCS Devotional 20 September 2022
