King Jesus and the Queen City

Today we heard from Pastor Clay as he shared from Matthew 11. John the Baptist was put in prison quickly after Jesus’ baptism, and while there, began to wonder if Jesus was really the Messiah that he had been preaching about. His doubt came from his thought that Jesus would bring wrath and judgement, but he was hearing about Jesus’ compassion, love, and congregating with sinners. It did not match up. He doubted.

John should be considered the last of a series of Old Testament prophets. They had the wrong take on how Jesus would bring wrath and judgement. Instead of punishing others, Jesus turned that judgement on Himself at the cross.

Jesus honored John, even in his doubt, by recalling for him the prophet Isaiah’s message of making the blind to see, the lame walk, raising the dead, and preaching the gospel to the spiritually poor. He is saying to John, “I don’t fit in your box. Look at the bigger picture!”

Jesus goes even farther by honoring John by saying that no one born of a woman is greater than John the Baptist. That list is prestigious…Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Moses, Solomon, Isaiah… But then Jesus says, “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” Jesus IS the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus is the pivot point of history. The least who know Jesus are greater than all that came before Him. That includes you if you are living a Life in Christ. The veil has been uncovered from our eyes.

Remember:
1. Doubt and questioning are not grounds for disqualification from being a child of the King.

2. We need to be careful to think that we have it all right and know how Jesus acts. It is a mysterious relationship.

3. We can know God in an incredibly intimate way that the people of the Old Testament never could.

Questions to discuss as a family today

1. John the Baptist lost sight of the “bigger picture”. Where do you need gain new perspective in your life

2. How do you take Jesus’ voice for granted? (Remember, those before Jesus did not have that type of access to Him. It is a treasure!

3. When is the last time you doubted something about your faith? Did you realize that Jesus can handle that doubt? Why or why not?

Prayer

Father, thank you for the faithful men and women that came before Jesus. I am in awe of their determination as they looked forward to the Messiah. Jesus, thank you for taking the judgement and wrath that I deserve. Thank you for pursuing me and for speaking to me through your Word, through others, and through the Holy Spirit. I count it a privilege to have the veil removed from my eyes, and I choose now to sit and worship you.