make. We doubt others. Certain doubts in and of themselves are not innately sinful or
harmful. Doubt can be a mechanism to prevent us from making mistakes, and being taken in by
others. As a Christian the problem comes when we Doubt who we are in Christ, or what He
wants for our lives. We may experience doubts about our own salvation. We may in fact get to a
point in life where we doubt God, Himself. There is probably no more destructive force in our
lives than unresolved doubt. There are many Biblical characters which could be the focus of this
study, however one rings out loudly. John the Baptist (More correctly, John the Baptizer) gives
us the perfect example of the issue and God’s desired response, when we experience doubt.
John’s experience in prison leading up to His death, provides a rich learning experience. It also
provides comfort, in the thought of who John was. If a man as mighty in the Lord as John was,
can experience doubt, then who are we? We find comfort in finding out that what we experience
is normal. We also find the solution to the problem, as Jesus gives a roadmap out of doubts.
that creates doubt? It comes in the person asking such a question. It would be an appropriate
question for most of the crowd, having been recently introduced to Jesus and His ministry. The
Jews had been promised a messiah; would it be out of line to ask, “Are you the coming one or do
we look for another.” This would be a normal and acceptable question for almost anyone except
John. The truth is that John knew explicitly who Jesus was. John’s appearance on the scene was
the fulfilling of Scripture. ( Isaiah 40:3 ) He was the one who was to prepare the way for the
Lord to come. Remember that since the death of Malachi, God had been silent. No prophet had
prophesied. John came to turn the folks attention back on spiritual matters. Remember also the
force with which this man came. He is the one the Scripture says came in the spirit of Elijah.
(Luke 1:17) John was the only child of the priest Zacharias and His wife Elizabeth. Both he and
his wife were well beyond normal childbearing years. He was in fact the cousin of Jesus. These
Guy’s had met. John knew who Jesus was. The most telling of all things and that which is most
memorable was that it was John who had Baptized Jesus. It was John who had been the first
person to publically recognize Jesus for who He really is, the Messiah. John’s Gospel describes
the scene, as John the Baptist looked up and saw Jesus coming to Him. He turned His disciples to
Jesus saying, “behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29-30)
John was so serious about this that Matthew, Mark and Luke all record John protesting Jesus
baptism, insisting that He should be baptized by Jesus. Yes John knew clearly who Jesus was and
why he was there. Why then is the ominous question coming from such a man as John? How can
he now wonder if Jesus is the Messiah? He not only wondered, but was so upset by the thoughts
in his mind that he sent two of His own disciples to question Jesus. “Are you the coming one or
do we look for another?”
A.)
The Source of our doubts
To
understand John’s doubts we must examine John’s life. John was born into the
priesthood. We are not sure by what method God’s Sovereign hand prevented Him from following in His
father’s footsteps. We can conclude that he was well educated in the religion of the Jews. We
find John coming out of the desert, where his diet was locust and wild honey, and camel hair
made his clothing. Much like the Apostle Paul this is probably where God taught Him the real
spiritual things of God. This is where He prepared for His ministry. It is intriguing that most of
the more influential servants of God in Scripture, spent time wandering in the wilderness alone.
It is not in our mountain top experiences that God teaches us the most. Many times it is our hour
of greatest despair that God prepares our hearts for what He has in store for our lives. John did
come out of that wilderness. He emerged from the desert in the time God had planned. He came
with a new and fresh message. He turned the people’s attention to the promises God had made.
The time was right. The Messiah was coming. His message was simple, “Repent for the kingdom
of Heaven is at hand.” His message focused on the coming of the Messiah all the while knowing
that Jesus was about ready to make His appearance. John was reaching His potential in the
ministry of the Lord. Let’s remember though that all John was to do is prepare the hearts and
minds of the people, for when Jesus came. He in fact would hand over the reins of ministry to the
Lord Himself. In the providence of God John will have trials and tribulations to endure. When
we pick up in this particular study, we find John in prison, for rebuking Herod on his sinful
lifestyle. John the Baptist, the great man of God, having come in the spirit of Elijah, now sits in a
prison like a common criminal. It’s not clear if at this point He knew that His death was
imminent, but He probably expected it. Suffering and rejection became the source of His greatest
faith crisis. It is also the source of ours. I’m sure that John went through a series of questions in
His mind that never made it in the printed word. “Lord, I did what you wanted me to do, so why
am I in this prison?” “Lord if I am in your will why am I being persecuted and rejected?” Lord if
you love me…?” How many times during times of trouble, suffering or grief have we made
statements just like this. There may have been times in your life when, simply seeking direction
and not finding it becomes cause of doubt. We may say, “ Lord I am here, and I want to do your
will, and am open to whatever you want, So why won’t you show me your will.” This can be a
vicious cycle we get into. We expect God to answer and when we cannot determine His will, we
allow ourselves to be clouded with doubt, making it even harder to hear the voice of the Lord.
John the Baptist could very well have said, “ If you are the coming one, why am I in this
prison?” This is much the same way we might say, “ Lord if you are who you say you are, why is
my life such a mess.”
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