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Confusion

Briefing: Have you ever projected your expectations on a leader then been disappointed when they did not turn out to be what you wanted? Usually, this is not because of anything they did or did not do but because of our misunderstanding of what we thought they were going to be.

Dispatch (Assignment): Review what you know about John the Baptist. Read Matthew 11:1-19.

On the Street: John the Baptist is a character that deserves our attention. We know that John the Baptist had disciples. One of Jesus’ disciples used to be a disciple of John. In John 1:40, we see that Andrew, Peter’s brother, and one of Jesus’ twelve, was following John the Baptist when he was told about Jesus.

Jesus says some pretty incredible things about John the Baptist. Jesus tells a crowd of people that “among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist”. This is amazing because in this list of people born of women it includes people like Moses, King David, Abraham, Noah and everyone since Adam. (FYI: This does not include Jesus who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was fully man AND fully God.)

As great as John the Baptist was, Jesus says, “yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he”. How can this be? If you are in heaven you are greater than the greatest human still on earth.

John the Baptist is still the most awesome man born of woman. With this fact in mind, does it surprise you that he still questioned who Jesus was? If you read what John said about Jesus in Matthew 3:11, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” you see where John gets mixed up. John did not understand that these baptisms were two separate events. At the time Jesus was on the earth, He would baptize with the Holy Spirit. The baptism by fire would come at Jesus’ second coming.

If John the Baptist can be as great as he was and still have doubts, it’s ok for me to have them too as long as I follow John’s example. He had doubts but he asked Jesus to clarify. When I have doubts, I too need to go to Jesus to clarify. How do I do this since I can’t just send one of my disciples, which I don’t have, to go ask Him? I pray, read the Bible, and seek council from godly men as told in Proverbs 15:22.

Highlights from this Read: John’s disciples come to Jesus on the heels of Him sending out the twelve. I wonder if they were around when John’s disciples arrived and asked Him the questions. Would it have shaken their faith to see John the Baptist questioning if Jesus is who John thought He was? Jesus’ answer should not surprise anyone who has spent any time with Him. This was a fulfillment of Isaiah 29:18-19, and 61:1-2. John would know this passage and understand that Jesus was the completion of this prophesy.

Investigational Resources: Luke 7:18-35 has more of John’s story. For more verses about godly council, look up Proverbs 3:12, 9:7-9, 19:20 and Ecclesiastes 4:13.

Officer Safety Principle: Know where to go to ask questions. It is very important to read your Bible and to be plugged into a local fellowship.

from The Gospel of Matthew Through the Eyes of a Cop
©by Charles Gilliland. Used by permission.
Click here to check out the entire Through the Eyes of a Cop series!