Do you ever question someone is who they claim to be? Have you heard about someone and wonder if the stories are true? Do you want to verify the stories, perhaps even see them for yourself? Do you think you are alone in your quest for truth?
We may hear rumors of a new boss. Perhaps the stories being told sound too good to be true. Perhaps the stories sound so audacious we just cannot believe them. On the other hand, we may simply desire to have every story verified before we believe them.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to verify the facts of any story we hear. However, verifying every story becomes an overwhelming task. Therefore, we must discern which stories are of such importance we should verify and which ones we can accept as they are told or simply ignore them. Discerning the difference can be a bit challenging. We tend to lean toward those of interest, which may cause us to avoid a very important story we should investigate.
As we see in today’s passage, John the Baptist discerned correctly to investigate what he heard about Jesus. He sent a few of his followers to see Jesus and question Him. Though John had prepared the way for Jesus, and even baptized Him, he still wanted to verify Jesus was who he thought He was. John knew this was a very important point to verify.
Jesus didn’t give a simple yes or no. Instead, Jesus told John’s followers to report to John the miracles Jesus performed and the good news He was proclaiming. John would have known Jesus was fulfilling prophecy and the expectations of the Messiah. He also would have taken the warning Jesus gave to heart. I’m sure John’s faith was fortified by the report his followers brought back to him.
I pray we all perform our own investigation of Jesus. I pray we seek to know the truth about Jesus. I pray each one of us will heed Jesus’ warning to not stumble on account of Him. Seek the truth. Verify what you have heard. Spend time in God’s Word. Know that Jesus is who He claims to be.
Matthew 11:2-6 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.”
Marty Pressey 