LIFE OF CHRIST
LUKE 7:18-30
ONE DISCOURAGED PREACHER,
Life of Christ #21
There are going to be times when you and I
feel depressed.
For some, depression is caused by a medical
condition and needs to be treated. For most of us depression will be a result
of any number of things that will cause us to feel down. And believe it or not,
pastors, teachers, and missionaries are very susceptible to getting
discouraged.
We are continuing our series on the Life of
Christ. Last time, we saw Jesus healing a centurion’s servant. The centurion himself was a gentile who had
greater faith than Jesus had seen in
Today we want to meet a man who was touched
by Jesus who was evidently suffering from depression. This was a man who had stood firmly for the
Lord Jesus and had pronounced that Jesus was coming. Here was a man who was as bold and as
non-institutional as they come.
He called people to repent because the
Messiah was coming. He also pointed out the Messiah when he came. Mark 1:6-8, John
1:29-30
This morning I want us to look at the story
of one discouraged preacher. Let’s look and see if there are any lessons for us
when we get depressed or discouraged.
THE PROBLEM - 18-20 - Depression and doubt
had set in.
As we said a couple of moments ago, Jesus
had raised the son of the Widow of Nain from the dead. This led to great
reports about the Lord Jesus. Luke 7:16-17
Vs. 18 - John's disciples
reported to John the Baptist what was happening. Where was John the Baptist at
this time?
He was in prison! Luke 3:19-20
John, the no-nonsense preacher of
righteousness had taken a stand concerning Herod's sin. Now he was paying by
being in jail.
Life isn't always fair. You can be doing
exactly what God wants you to do and still end up facing tough situations.
Romans 5:3-5
So here is this bold, brazen preacher of
righteousness sitting in a jail cell. He hears reports about Jesus. John, in
his thinking, begins to doubt. John was
undoubtedly looking for Jesus to set up His kingdom. He was looking for Him to
have a bold, brash, approach. He was probably expecting Jesus to take over!
Remember what John had predicted? Matthew 3:11-12
Jesus was probably taking a kinder, gentler
approach.
So John shows signs of doubt.
Remember that there is a difference between
doubt and unbelief.
It is possible for the greatest saints to
have times of doubt and even wanting to give up.
John simply wanted to know. Are you really the Messiah, or should we look
for another? I'm sure the months spent in a dark, damp jail cell were enough to
get anyone discouraged.
I think John's message was his way of
saying, "If you're the Messiah, get busy!”
“If you're the Messiah get the Kingdom set
up!
“If you're the Messiah, get me out of this
place!"
You wouldn't want anyone to judge your
life's work based on a bad moment or two when you lost it! So let's not judge
John based on a moment or two when he struggled. John was a great man of God!
THE PROOF - 21-23 - Look at
the truth!
In this passage, Jesus plays "show and
tell" with John's disciples.
Vs. 20 - They give Jesus John's
message.
Vs. 21 - Jesus shows them what
He has been doing.
It was show and tell time!
Jesus cast out demons, healed people and
made the blind to see! John wanted to
know "Jesus, are you the Messiah?" Jesus answered by giving the
John's disciples a report to send back to their leader.
Vs. 22 - Jesus gives John's
disciples the message.
"You tell John what's happening."
And what was happening was in fulfillment
of Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah." Isaiah 61:1-2, 29:18-19,
35:4-5
Jesus says "John, this is what is
happening in fulfillment of prophecy about me. This is the truth! Then He adds
in verse 23, And blessed is he, whosoever
shall not be offended in me.
John was in danger of being offended or
trapped because of Jesus. He doubted
because of what Jesus was not doing, instead of trusting in what He was doing!
The blessed man is the believer who doesn't
get trapped by what God is not doing in their lives.
It is very easy to doubt when God is not
doing what we think God should be doing.
In a gentle way, Jesus was saying,
"Trust me!"
THE PRAISE - 24-30 - God is
keeping score!
Jesus had a message for John - "Hang
in there!"
Jesus also had a message for those who were
in his audience - "John is a great man!"
God is keeping track of all we say and do.
God will reward Christians according to
their works. 2 Corinthians 5:10, 1 Corinthians 4:5
Vs. 24 - Jesus asks, "When
you went out to see John, did you go to see someone who was so wishy washy that
he was like a reed being blown by the wind?"
The answer, of course, was "No"!
Part of the appeal of John the Baptist was that he was so firm, so bold, and so
sure about what he was saying!
Vs. 25 - Jesus then asks if
they went out to see a man who was well to do! Again the answer was
"no!" Well to do people were in king's courts.
They went to the wilderness to see a man
who was concerned about eternal things, and not comfortable things. I wonder
how much more would be accomplished by Christians today if they were more
concerned about getting out God's Word than being comfortable! Matthew 6:24, 33
Verse 26 - The true prophets of
God were great men.
They went to the wilderness to
hear a great man of
God!
But Jesus says that John was more than a
prophet!
John was a great man because He was the
last Old Testament prophet.
John was a great man because He was closest
to Jesus and knew Jesus personally. He was even related.
John was a great man because He was
prophesied about in the Scriptures.
Vs. 27 is a quote of Malachi
3:1
Isaiah 40:3
called John, The voice of him that crieth
in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
Vs. 28 - What a compliment
Jesus pays here. There was none greater born to women than John the Baptist.
But Jesus doesn't stop there. He says that
the least in the
Vss. 29-30 -
John was sitting in jail. Why?
John's ministry had an impact on the common
men and sinners. They heard John and repented!
The Pharisees and scribes were too good for
John's Baptism and rejected his message. If they had followed John's teaching,
they would not have stood for John being in prison.
God is never fooled. He
knows who serves Him and who doesn't.
God will give praise to
those who deserve it.
And note that Jesus waited
for John's disciples to leave.
Then wasn't the time to
praise John. He would receive his reward later.
Now is not necessarily the
time for us to receive praise, but if we are faithful, it will come later. Jan
McIntosh
THE PROBLEM – Depression and
Doubt had set in.
THE PROOF – Look at the
truth.
THE PRAISE – God is keeping
score.
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