John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’ ” At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: 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.

–Parallel verses:
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭17‬
[When John the Baptist baptized Jesus]
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Is God a personal and caring God? Is Jesus really the Son of God?

At some point in everyone’s life, doubt will creep in. For me, this came when I was in high school and I had just lost my mom to a tough cancer battle. I figured the best way to honor God and my mom was to try and work things out with my dad and his new wife. She approached life from such a different perspective. And I just couldn’t seem to please her. I didn’t sense a lot of love in our house and life was difficult. So I wrote God a letter and cried out to him, as I camped out in my sleeping bag on the back lawn. I just couldn’t understand how I could be in this situation. I could not gain the love I so craved in my home. What I was really asking (though I didn’t know it at the time) was, “God, are you really in the mess of this life I am experiencing?” And that night, for a brief moment, I saw his answer. I opened my eyes for a split second and I saw a shooting star. And I knew that God was all that he said he was.

I think in a similar way, John the Baptist must have been in a very tough spot. We know that he was thrown in jail during his ministry and was persecuted by the Jewish leaders and some of the Roman leaders. John witnessed the Spirit of God descend upon Jesus as a dove when he baptized him. He witnessed God’s voice saying: “This is my son in whom I am well pleased.” And he heard the testimony of his own disciples speaking of the amazing works of God that Jesus was performing. But he still sent them to Jesus to ask: “Are you really the one who is to come?”

And so we find, even the John the Baptist doubted. At this point in his life, he was in such a tough spot it made him wonder if Jesus was who God said he was. I think my biggest take away in this passage is that John the Baptist, in his doubt, reached out and asked Jesus directly a question. He did not let the doubt linger. He addressed it head on. And Jesus replied by pointing John’s disciples to his works. They spoke for themselves that Jesus was God. If a man like John the Baptist, who was appointed to be the front-runner to Jesus Christ, doubted, then it’s likely that most of us will doubt at some point in our lives too. The question is: “What will I do with the doubt?”

Lord, thank you for this honest and transparent accounting of the doubt of John the Baptist. He was a servant to us all. He was martyred for following Jesus and the truth. I confess I too have doubted. But you are faithful to show me your heart. Thank you for loving me in the doubting times.