Not Forgotten

"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?”

Jesus replied, “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.”"
Matthew 11:2-6 (NIV)

Arise and shine, dear one! God is with you!

I was reading this passage this week and it’s a section of scripture that always puzzled me. The John referred to here is John the Baptist. He’s the one that baptized Jesus, saw the Spirit descend on him like a dove, and heard the voice of God declaring that Jesus was His Son (Matthew 3:13-17). John even testifies that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). So why would John send his disciples to double-check that Jesus is the Messiah?

In the Bible Recap, Tara-Leigh Cobble gives some insight into what might be going on. John is in prison at this point, and he likely recalled Isaiah 42:7 where the Messiah would “free captives from prison.” Yet, Jesus hasn’t come to free him from prison. He probably felt like Jesus forgot about him.

Jesus knew that John the Baptist would die while in prison. He didn’t give John false hope, but instead listed other miracles his disciples had witnessed, excluding the prophecy of freeing anyone from prison. Jesus didn’t forget about John, but He knew God’s plans may not be what John was hoping for.

This passage in Matthew reminds me that Jesus is who He says He is, yet He doesn’t always show up the way I would like in my own life. It doesn’t change His sovereignty or His power. While Jesus may not perform the miracles in my life that I want Him to, I can still trust that He is faithful. Jesus never set John free from a literal prison, but He still set Him free to experience eternal life with Him!

Are you discouraged that God hasn’t shown up the way you hoped? Remember the eternal hope that we have in Jesus and that He’s not done working in your life. He hasn’t forgotten you, dear one.