Asking for a Friend.
Just asking
In the Gospel lesson, we meet John the Baptist in prison. This is the same John who once stood boldly in the wilderness preaching repentance and announcing that God’s Kingdom was near. Now he is locked away, no longer free to preach, no longer free to move. From this dark place, John sends his disciples to Jesus with a question: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for someone else?”
At first, this question sounds like doubt. How could John ask this? John knows the Scriptures. He knows what Isaiah said about the Coming One. “Behold, your God will come… He will save you.” Isaiah also said that the Messiah would bring good news to the poor, freedom to captives, and comfort to those who mourn. John knows these promises well. Yet John is still in prison. Things do not look like the “favorable year of the Lord.” Instead of freedom, there is suffering. Instead of victory, there is waiting.
What John Knows
We must remember who John is. John was filled with the Holy Spirit even before he was born. As a baby, he leapt in his mother’s womb when Mary—carrying Jesus—entered the house. Later, at the Jordan River, John pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” He said he was not even worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals. He told the people that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
John is not ignorant. He is not faithless. Yet here he is, asking a question from a prison cell. Why? Because faith can be tested when life becomes hard. Knowing God’s promises does not always make waiting easy. John’s question is not the absence of faith—it is faith asking for reassurance in the middle of suffering.
Jesus’ Reply
Jesus does not scold John. He does not shame him for asking. Instead, Jesus points John back to what God is already doing. He says, “Go and tell John what you see and hear.” The blind see. The lame walk. The sick are healed. The dead are raised. The poor hear good news. Then Jesus adds, “Blessed is the one who does not take offense at me.”
Jesus is saying, Yes, I am the Coming One. But He says it through actions, not arguments. His works match the promises of Isaiah. At the same time, Jesus only speaks about healing and mercy. He does not talk about judgment or vengeance. He does not promise John immediate freedom from prison.
Why? Because God’s plan unfolds in stages. First comes mercy. Then comes judgment. God heals before He punishes. He saves before He conquers. And the first place where judgment falls is not on the enemy—but on Jesus Himself.
Mercy That Reveals Judgment
We see this clearly in the story of the paralytic. When the man is brought to Jesus, everyone expects healing. But Jesus says, “Your sins are forgiven.” The man’s greatest need is not walking—it is forgiveness. But how do we know Jesus’ words are real? Jesus proves it by telling the man to stand up and walk. The physical healing shows that something deeper has already happened.
This helps us understand Jesus’ message to John. Because people are being healed, we know that God is already dealing with sin and evil. Judgment is coming, but first it will fall on Jesus at the cross. Jesus is telling John, Do not give up. Do not lose heart. God is at work—even now.
What This Means for Us
So what does this mean for us today?
First, Jesus’ work in us is a work in progress. Just because everything is not finished does not mean Jesus has failed. Like John, we may feel stuck in hard places, wondering if God is really at work. But we are called to keep believing that Jesus will finish what He has started.
Second, doubt often shows up during trials. Hardship tests our faith. Scripture tells us that these trials are meant to prove whether our faith is real. It is faith in Jesus that saves us, and that faith must grow if we are to endure to the end. Trials do not mean faith is gone—they are often how faith is strengthened.
Third, Jesus shows us spiritual truth through physical evidence. Just as the paralytic’s forgiveness was confirmed by his healing, our faith must be confirmed by how we live. James tells us that faith shows itself through works. If we claim faith in Jesus, that faith should be visible. Faith without action looks like no faith at all.
We show our faith in practical ways. We gather with other believers. We live as part of the family Jesus has adopted us into. We worship Jesus and order our lives around Him. We love others. We serve like Jesus served—especially the poor and the needy.
People cannot see the heart, but they can see our lives. Only God truly knows who has faith, but faith leaves footprints. The way we live causes others either to question our faith or to be strengthened by it. So we must ask ourselves: Does my life point people to Jesus—or away from Him?
I pray that we would be a church known for faith in Jesus above all else. More than money. More than success. More than schools, teams, or activities. I pray it would be said of Fairview Methodist Church: They did many things—but most of all, they lived by faith in Jesus.
Peace be with you,
Pastor Bruce
