Hope in the Midst of Darkness
Have you ever been so sure of something that you “bet your life on it,” only to soon thereafter find it not to be true? Has there ever been a time that you went from absolutely knowing something is true to only hoping it is so, even after being so sure? Do you struggle with doubts about Jesus amid difficult circumstances? Do you ever find yourself wondering if Jesus really is who He claims to be? If you said yes, you are not alone. We all do at one point or another.
John the Baptist, as he sat in prison awaiting execution, found himself doubting that very thing. John, the very one who told the crowd of the comng Messiah (Matthew 3:11), found himself questioning in that dark moment. John, the very one who after baptizing Jesus saw the heavens open and the Spirit of God descend and rest on Him, even after hearing a voice say, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17), found himself afflicted with doubt. John, the very one who said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29), as he sat in Herod’s prison, questioned whether Jesus was really who He claimed to be.
When the heat is on, when life gets tough, real tough, we often find ourselves experiencing deep darkness. Accusing thoughts flood our minds. Here is what we read in Matthew 11 – “When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’” (v.2)
That seems like a surprising question from John, the very one who boldly announced that he was preparing the way of the One to come. John had been so sure that Jesus was the Christ, but now, sitting in that filthy prison, he seemed to be wondering, “What if I had been wrong?” Have you ever found yourself asking that same question?
Jesus, while sometimes seemingly frustrated with questions that tried to back Him in a corner, never once, not ever, failed to give a genuine answer to a sincere question. He always answers your questions as well. He is faithful and reliable.
In v.4 we read how Jesus responded to that question, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me [shall not fall away in me, tripped up, doubt].”
[As a student of the what we today call the Old Testament, John would be very familiar with those words, they come straight from Isaiah 61.]
Yes, it is true that Jesus does not always answer when, or even how we desire, but He always answers. We are told in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that His grace is all we need; it is sufficient to overcome every obstacle, no matter how big, no matter how long, no matter how difficult.
In the midst of John’s doubt, in the midst of his pain, in the midst of his “dark night of the soul,” in the midst of his deep valley, Jesus sent a promise, a word of hope, a reminder that He is who is claims to be. Do you trust that He will do the same for you?