(Click here to read the passage)

Sometimes, circumstances in our lives are so different from our expectations, we begin to doubt our own beliefs and what we remember.  This can happen to the best of us when tragedy strikes or we endure seemingly endless trials.  Paul tells us that suffering ultimately produces hope (see Romans 5:3-5), but sometimes we must go through despair and doubt to get there.  It’s there, but we just can’t see it right now.  John the Baptizer went through that kind of experience just before his death.

If for no other reason than what happened at Jesus’ baptism (see John 1:32-34), John should have been fairly sure of Jesus’ true nature.  He also preached a fiery sermon about the consequences of people’s reaction to Jesus, specifically (see Matthew 3:11-12).  Also, John’s disciples came back and testified to the amazing things that Jesus was doing.  So, why did John send his disciples to ask Jesus who he was?  Could it be that John, who had stood strong in his prophetic ministry, had finally been brought to a low point in his faith?  He prepared the way for Messiah with direct words and emphatic demands, but at this point, he was unsure; he doubted. 

The end of John’s life is a sad one, to me.  Someone who lived an austere life sold out to Yahweh should not have finished it in a prison, doubting words he himself had spoken about the “One who is to come.”  We might think poorly of someone who didn’t “endure to the end.”  Jesus’ response, however, was not so condemning.  When John’s followers showed up to ask the telling question on his behalf, Jesus didn’t answer with words.  Jesus showed them.  In so doing, he gives us insight into what his miracles were all about. 

We sometimes have an odd view of miracles, that somehow they are primarily intended to benefit the folks who receive the result – the blind receive sight, the lame walk, etc.  Jesus indicates otherwise in his response to John’s question.  Oh, people received tremendous personal benefit, but that was not the primary objective for Jesus.  His first and foremost intent was to demonstrate who he was through what he did.  

John was obviously a student of God’s word – his testimony and preaching reflect that.  Most notably, he spoke as though he was very familiar with Isaiah’s prophesy.  So, when his disciples returned to him with Jesus’ response – his actions – I suspect that John could not help but think of Isaiah and what he said about Messiah.  Jesus’ actions (and words) reflected at least three different passages from Isaiah’s prophesy that speak of Messiah when he described the miracles he had just shown John’s disciples.  The message and the intention were clear:  “Remember God’s word, listen to the testimony of witnesses, and have your faith renewed.”

Jesus doesn’t expect John to believe in a vacuum.  He knows that his faith needs constant feeding to survive.  The same is true for us.  When we remember (study, read, talk about) God’s word and listen to (read, watch) the testimony of witnesses around us, our faith can be renewed.

During our current times of unusual and unexpected suffering, how is your faith?  Are you struggling with doubt, or do you know someone else who is?  Are you or they wondering if things are what you previously thought they were in spiritual matters?  Is there a growing concern that you were deceived when you first believed that God is sovereign and that Jesus is Lord?  You are not alone.  Even someone like John began to wonder if he had misunderstood what he had previously believed.

Perhaps today is the day to spend some time with God’s word.  Turn off the news feeds and shut down your smart phone, walk outside in the woods or sit quietly by a stream or the ocean.  Read some of the stories of Jesus or the prophesies from the Old Testament prophets.  (As I’ve done so lately, I’ve been surprised how fitting the descriptions are to our times.) 

Then talk to, read about, or listen to something that speaks to what God is doing today.  Call a friend with whom you haven’t talked in a while and ask them what God has been doing in their life.  Pick up an annual report from a mission organization to see what God has done in the last year.  Groups like Wycliffe Bible Translators, Samaritan’s Purse, Cru, or Voice of the Martyrs have some great testimonies (click the links to check out their websites).  Or just spend some time reflecting on your own last year and how God has carried you through.  You might be surprised when you look back.

If you have never chosen to believe, then your experience might be different.  You may even feel triumphant that your choice not to believe is justified.  That’s your prerogative, and I respect that.  However, I would challenge you today to read some of what I have referred to, or talk to someone you know who has a faith-walk with Jesus.  Honestly ask yourself if your unbelief is as solid as you want to think it is.  I know that sometimes, we can hide behind a façade of unbelief, thinking we won’t be held accountable for it.  You might be surprised by what you find in yourself when you take a look.