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John the Baptist Offended?

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Matt:
 Matthew 11:3 states when John was in prison, he sent two of his disciples to Jesus with this question,
“ Are thou he that should come, or do we look for another?”

Was he being sarcastic?  He, of all people knew who Jesus was (even when he was in the womb).

4Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
5The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
6And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

Was John offended at Jesus?

Matt

hillsbororiver:
Hi Matthew,

Perhaps John did not really know what Christ's mission really was, could it be that he also thought Jesus was going to set up a physical earthly kingdom rather than a heavenly spiritual kingdom?

Was John disappointed, confused, upset, even angry at Jesus as he sat in prison? I think we sometimes think these men we read about in the scriptures were on some totally higher spiritual plane than we are, that they of themselves were able to overcome the natural, carnal emotional thinking that plague us so consistantly.

Of course the apostles reached unique spiritual heights after Pentecost and no sacrifice was too big even up to martyrdom, but the OT prophets and John the Baptist were not of the promise, they were all of the Old Covenant, the physical, ritualistic Covenant rather than the New (spiritual) Covenant.

So in light of all that in my opinion, yes, I can see that John at that point had some real doubts (as we all have suffered) and confusion about Jesus and what He was really accomplishing in His earthly ministry.

His Peace and Wisdom to you,

Joe 

Kat:

Hi Matt,


--- Quote ---Matthew 11:3 states when John was in prison, he sent two of his disciples to Jesus with this question,
“ Are thou he that should come, or do we look for another?”

Was he being sarcastic?
--- End quote ---


Was John doubting?  Maybe.
But John had seen the Spirit of God descending on Him at His baptism, heard a voice from heaven, declaring Him the Son of God (Matt. 3:16).  John had pointed Him out to others as the Lamb of God (John 1:29).  So I wonder if it was a question John needed to hear answered so much as his disciples did.

So John sent his disciples to Jesus, didn't ask for Jesus to come to him at this grave situation he was in.  If John wasconsidering that he was about to die, maybe he was sending his disciples to Jesus with this question, so that they may be brought to assurance that Jesus was really the Messiah.  Maybe John's disciples had not been around Jesus much and upon his death John wanted his disciples to have faith in Jesus.  So John knew their seeing first hand the miracles of Jesus, v. 4 "Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see," would have been proof enough for them.

Luke 7:23 And, happy, is he, whosoever shall not find occasion of stumbling in me! (Rotherham)

I wonder if this verse was not directed to these disciples' of John as well. Because surely Jesus was aware of what was about to happen to John and how it would effect John's disciples, who were no doubt his friends also.  They could have thought Jesus was able to save John and this could become a stumbling block for them.  But when John was killed, what did his disciples do?

Mat 14:12  Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

They went to the Jesus, I think just what John wanted them to do.

Just what I was thinking, a perspective to consider  :)

mercy, peace and love
Kat

chuckt:

--- Quote ---Was John disappointed, confused, upset, even angry at Jesus as he sat in prison? I think we sometimes think these men we read about in the scriptures were on some totally higher spiritual plane than we are, that they of themselves were able to overcome the natural, carnal emotional thinking that plague us so consistantly.
--- End quote ---



This is so true!!! great reminder to all of us.

also the word ""offended""

Skandalizo 7:339,1036
Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech
skan-dal-id'-zo      Verb 
 
 Definition
to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall, metaph. to offend
to entice to sin to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey
to cause to fall away to be offended in one, i.e. to see in another what I disapprove of and what hinders me from acknowledging his authority to cause one to judge unfavourably or unjustly of another since one who stumbles or whose foot gets entangled feels annoyed
to cause one displeasure at a thing to make indignant to be displeased, indignant 




blessings
chuckt

UncleBeau:

Matthew 3:11-12
 11.) I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12.) Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

When we look at Matthew, apparently he DID know what Jesus was to do ultimately, but as we learned from Ray, NONE of the prophets (John the Baptist was the last of the law and the prophets) understood the scriptures, and it looks like he didn't know WHEN Jesus would accomplish these things. So did Jesus spiritually baptize anyone with the Holy Ghost and with fire during the three and a half years of his ministry? Time was running short for John the Baptist's head on the chopping block and Jesus had still not fulfilled his prophecy.

After John's death and after Jesus' death and resurrection, John's prophecy still wasn't fulfilled; but it was about to be:

Acts 1:4-6
 4.)And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

 5.)For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

As you can see, Jesus didn't baptize anyone during his life on earth.

John 4:2
 2(Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)

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