Show Me Your Identification

Show me your identification, please.  These words from law enforcement might send a chill down your spine.  However, showing your ID doesn’t have to be a negative thing!  In our text from Matthew 11 John the Baptist was asking Jesus for some ID.

When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

That’s quite the question.  John’s disciples asked Jesus, but there is some debate if the question was for John or for disciples?  There are some who like to think that John the Baptist would never doubt his faith, would never question if Jesus was really who he claimed to be.  John is the one who pointed to Jesus and confession – Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.  It was John who heard the voice of the Father thunder from heaven at Jesus baptism and saw the Spirit descend in the form of a dove.  John is clearly asking for the sake of his disciples.  “Who is Jesus?”  That’s one way to look at it.

The other… I don’t mind thinking that John was having a bad day.  You’re in prison.  Jesus is God.  What’s going on?  This isn’t going the way I thought it would, at all.  The same thing happened to the prophets of old.  Elijah, calls down fire, slays the wicked prophets of Baal and… the next day is running for his life, depressed, praying that God would call him home.  Everyone… has a bad day.

Just to be clear – it doesn’t really matter for whom the question was asked.  The important thing was that the question was asked and that they went to the right place for the answers.  There is nothing wrong with YOU having questions.  What do you think I did for eight years after high school?  I have been professionally taught who Jesus is.  But let’s listen to Jesus’ answer.

John’s disciples show up – Jesus, can we see your ID?  People are saying a lot of things about you.

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.”

With these words Jesus quotes Isaiah 35.  Jesus is God’s promise kept!  Want to hear more about our God keeping his promises to you?  Watch this week’s message taken from Matthew 11 – Show me your identification.