Seeking for the help of the Lord,
I desire to continue with the questions asked in Scripture
by bringing before you in Matthew chapter 11, the chapter that
we read, verse 3. The question that John Baptist
asked through his disciples of our Lord, and said unto him,
Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Matthew 11 verse 3. Art thou he that should come,
or do we look for another? What a vital and important question
to answer. Do we know? that Jesus of Nazareth
is the one that should come, that there was one that should
come, that it is he, or should we be looking for another? How
easy it is to maybe just take for granted or not really consider
how we would answer this question We have later on in the chapter,
our Lord asking many questions. In verse seven, concerning John
the Baptist, he asked those that ran about him, the multitudes,
what went ye out into the wilderness to say? A reed shaken with the
wind, but what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft
raiment. That's five questions. Verse
nine, but what went ye out for to see? A prophet? All these questions. Questions
that demanding an answer. What were the people expecting
there? What were they going out to see? What were they looking for? And our Lord tells them very
clearly. This is the one that was written
in verse 10, Behold I send my messenger in Malachi chapter
3 verse 1. I send my messenger before thy
face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. And he sets
forth John the Baptist as the last of the prophets, the one
that was immediately to show forth the coming of the Lord. If ye will receive it, this is
Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let
him hear. as to the great position in the
history of the world, in the history of the church, in the
plan of salvation, in God's appointments that John Baptist occupied. And yet John Baptist was caused to be, and by God,
permitted to be locked up in prison and later to be put to
death in prison, and to come into such darkness
as when he hears of the works of Christ, to send two of his
disciples and ask this question, what a lesson this is for us. We might think, well, we would
never get into such a dark place that we would question whether
Jesus of Nazareth was truly the Christ that should come. But
John the Baptist did. And it wasn't long before he
died as well. That should be an encouragement
or a help to those that may be tried and tempted and dark as
he was. It is also a reminder to us of
the scripture that no man can say that Jesus is Lord but by
the Holy Ghost. It is by faith he must be revealed
and it is by faith that we believe It is God's work. And here we
see that John Baptist, he would have known this did not belong
with him. And if he did, he lost it. But
the Lord gave it back again. How clearly in the beginning
of his ministry did he point out the Lamb of God that taketh
away the sin of the world. How wonderfully, while he was
in the womb, that Elizabeth and Mary met, and he leapt in the
womb at the salutation of Mary. This is that same John the Baptist,
and he is the one asking this question. If one so eminent position was
tempted like this, got so dark like this, let us not be surprised
if we also know a little of it as well. But you know, he went
to the right place. He went straight to the Lord. He asked the Lord. Ask the Lord this question and may we have the same assurances
and the same answer from the Lord as what John Baptist did. I want to look this evening firstly
at he that should come. The question was formed in this
way. Are there he that should come? Implying very clearly there was
one that should come. Secondly, there's looking for
the one that should come. Because John Baptist says that
if Jesus is not, Then do we look for another? And the implication
again here is, they were looking for he that should come. They'd
already been looking. They felt, they believed that
they had found him. But if they hadn't, they would
continue looking. And then lastly, the answer,
aren't thou he? Jesus is He. And to notice how
the Lord answered John Baptist's question. And though we come
to it later, I feel just to highlight it right at the beginning. Because
what gave John the reason to ask? He had heard in the prison
the works of Christ. And it was hearing those works
that he asked this question. The answer that the Lord gave
was not to give him a sermon like the two on the way to Emmaus
had, Christ in all the scriptures, but to do those same works in
front of John's disciples and they were to then go and show
John again those things which ye do hear and see. They were to be witnesses of
the works of our Lord while he was on earth. Now just think
of this later on in this chapter In verse, from verse 20, we have
our Lord upbraiding the cities wherein most of his mighty works
were done because they repented not. Our Lord on earth didn't
go pointing the people to all the Old Testament scriptures
and to showing them that he was fulfilling those. But he testified
that the works that he did, they are they which testify of me,
that the father was doing those works in his beloved son. And this is what is so emphasized
in this chapter, and this is the answer given by our Lord
to John as to prove and to show that he truly is scriptures. And we have, not
as John had at that time, but we have all of the New Testament. We have all of our Lord's sufferings,
His death, His resurrection. We have all of that so clearly
fulfilling what had gone before. But our Lord's time on earth,
it was His works. And the Lord still works. He
works in sinners. He brings them To spiritual life,
he says, because I live, you shall live also. And as the dear
man that was born blind testified, that if this man were not of
God, he could not do these things. But we want to come to that a
bit later, but I felt right at the beginning, we should highlight
what the Lord chose. to answer John with, and nothing
you might say out of ordinary, nothing different than what he'd
already heard. But it was by the witnesses that
saw it, and by the authority and power of God. Those of you,
those of us that may be in darkness, All we need is the same Word,
but in power. The same Word with the Saviour's
authority on it. The Saviour sending it to us. That is what will make the difference. Not all manner of arguments,
not new things, but that which comes from the Lord. by the Spirit
with power and savour and the witness of heaven into our souls. I want to look then firstly at
he that should come. I don't want to just confine
my remarks to our Lord's first coming as it was here. but think of it also by grace
and by the Lord's second coming. He that should come. Right at the very beginning,
when our first parents sinned and death entered into the world,
sin entered into the world and death by sin, then there was
given the promise and an expectation that there should be one that
would come. That is what the Jews, the people
of God, were raised up to the expectation of. He that should
come. He that should come. How is it
set forth? First, the promised seed, the
seed of the woman that should bruise the serpent's head. He that should come would be
born into this world. That was the expectation. But what line? Well, the promise
was given to Abraham, in thee and in thy seed shall all nations
be blessed. And the Apostle Paul said, it
was not to seeds as of many, but to seed, which is one, which
is Christ. But Christ came in the line from
Abraham. We have it made again clear. Abraham, his descendants were
divided into 12 tribes, the 12 sons of Jacob. You know, when Leah had Judah,
she left off bearing. She called his name Judah, which
is praise. Thou art he whom thy brethren
shall praise. And Jacob, when he was dying,
he blessed his sons, and he blessed them in that way that the scepter
should not depart from Judah. So he that should come, would
be born into this world, it would be of the seed of Abraham, and
it should be through the tribe of Judah, the Lion of the tribe
of Judah. And this was the expectation. Then there was given in the prophet
Isaiah that there would be that sign given, the Divergence, should
be with child, that thou shalt call his name Immanuel. And Solomon before then, when
he dedicated the temple, he was very clear, though the heaven
and heaven of heavens could not contain God, yet will God in
very deed dwell upon the earth. There was that expectation Not
just that it should be one born into this world, but it should
be God himself. Remember what the answer to Isaac's
question, when they were going up the mountains, Isaac said
to Abraham, his father, my father, the fire and the wood, but where
is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham's answer was, my
son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. God did provide a literal lamb,
a ram at that time, as a substitute for Isaac. But our Lord says
that Abraham saw my day and rejoiced at it. And so We have that expectation
that was raised up as he that should come would be born, would
be a real man, yet would truly be God, that would be he that
should come. And there was that expectation
that he would indeed come. And we know then and here is
John Baptist and he is asking this question, now thou he that
should come. Up to this point, John in his
epistles and in his gospel so dwells on this point that Jesus
of Nazareth is the Son of God, that he is the Christ. But in this first point, that
which John framed his question around, there was He that should
come. We can think of a reason why
He should come. Because without the shedding
of blood there is no remission, that there is no redemption in
any other way. The power and might of God could
not Redeem a people, it had to be by blood. Without the shedding
of blood, there is no remission. And so, this expectation, the
Lord's first coming. But what about His coming by
grace? I will not leave you comfortless.
I will come to you. The Church of God, The Lord saying,
Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. And the Lord does visit his people
with blessing. The Lord visits his people with
that quickening of his Holy Spirit. And this expectation is to be
held by the Church right from the beginning, tarry at Jerusalem,
until ye be endued with power from on high. And the Holy Spirit
did come, and his office is to take of Jesus and reveal it unto
us. The Lord ascending into heaven
has promised to the church those visits of his face. the power attending the Word,
the blessing attending the Word, He says, because I live, ye shall
live also. Where would we be, where would
the Church be, where would the people of God be, if they never
had the expectation that there is One that should come? Every
seeker that is seeking salvation, seeking the Lord, What if there
is no expectation that He should come? How many a dear child of
God has been in darkness, in bondage, no spoken to those round
about them of the torments of their soul, their sorrow, their
grief? Then it may be one morning their
loved ones have come in, And there's all smiles, there's
all joy. And they say He has come. The Lord has come. He's come
and He's blessed my soul. He's favoured my soul. What a
difference that makes. The visits of His salvation. May we hold fast to that, that
expectation that the Lord will come and visit and bless our
souls. But then there is the second
coming. The church in Thessalonia, they
were called by grace and to be followers of the Lord and of
his people. And it was that they were to
wait for his son from heaven. You might say, well, those believers
there, they've all died. The Lord hasn't yet come. Why
were they waiting for His Son from Heaven? Well, in one sense,
when the people of God die, as the Apostle says, absent from
the body, present with the Lord, it is equivalent to Him coming
the second time. The same as when He does come
at the end of the world, those that are alive and remain shall
be caught up with those in the air of whom the body is raised
again, and that shall be equivalent to death for them. We shall not
all die, says the Apostle, but we shall all be changed. And
so there is that looking for the time when the Lord shall
come, and in the twinkling of an eye the world shall end, the
dead in Christ shall rise first, We shall be caught up with them
in the clouds, in the air. So shall we be forever with the
Lord. He that should come. When the
disciples stood at Bethany, looking up into heaven as the Lord was
taken from them, the angel appeared to them and asked them, why do
they stand looking up into heaven? He that Ye have seen, go up into
heaven, shall come again, in light manner, in the clouds of
heaven. This is what scripture teaches. This is our expectation, the
same as the Old Testament states, saints had, of He the same Jesus. The same expectation. what the Lord himself has said. But then secondly, there is looking
for one that should come. A looking for him. We think of
what was told of the coming of our Lord, that he should be born
in Bethlehem The Prophet's speaker of Bethlehem, Ephratah, has been
little amongst the thousands of Judah, but it was to be in
him that the Lord should come. And we know that the shepherds
were directed to Bethlehem, and there they found the Lord. But also there was the expectation
that he should be called out of Egypt and we know that our
Lord was sought to be put to death by Herod and warned of
the angel and Joseph and Mary took him and fled into Egypt
and then came from Egypt out and into the coast of Galilee
therefore he shall be called a Nazarene and the prophets Also,
Isaiah spoke of him being called a Galilean. And so, we have the looking for
that one in the places where scripture had foretold he should
be. When the wise men came, They first went to Jerusalem,
but the Jews were able to rightly advise Herod as to where the
child would be, where the scriptures pointed him to be. And so there was a looking in
a very literal way as to the coming of the Lord. Now John
Baptist's ministry was to generate in the people just prior to the
ministry of our Lord and is showing to Israel a real expectation. Many wondered whether John himself
was the Christ. But he testified very clearly
that he was sent before him, he was not the Christ. And yet
there was that expectation and the miracles that he did, the
works that he did, they all showed forth that people should be drawn
to him and look to him as looking for the one that should come.
With the woman on the well of Samaria, there's one thing that
she knew about Messiahs, that when he came, when this one that
should come did come, he will tell us all things. The Lord
then said to her, I then speak unto thee, am he? But before
that, he had told her about her own life, things that only she
would have known, really. And she says to these Samaritans,
come see a man that told me all things that ever I did. Is not
this the Christ? And they came out of the cities
of Samaria with that expectation of what the woman had said. Is
not this the Christ? They came looking for Him. Afterwards
they said to the woman, we have now heard Him ourselves and know
of a truth that this is the Christ, the Saviour, that should come
into the world. There was those expectations
before that, like with Simeon, with Anna, who coming into the
temple, rejoiced even in seeing the babe. Simeon had been told
he should not see death until he'd seen the Lord's Christ. When he held the babe, he said,
Lord now, let us there thy servant depart in peace, According to
thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. Thy salvation which has been
prepared even from the foundation of the world. It's good to notice
that in the literal sense when our Lord was to be revealed to
his people that one method that he used again and again was to
bring the people into an expectation. They were prepared, they were,
as John the Baptist ministry, to make ready a people prepared
of the Lord. Ears were opened, interest was
raised as to who this was. And many times the Lord did this
with His miracles, later on with the apostles, Sermon after sermon,
you can trace out a miracle of healing, something that was done
to raise the people's expectation, draw them all together, and then
Peter preached. Not powering himself, but the
Lord Jesus Christ. These things were done through
him that had lived, died, risen again, and ascended up into heaven,
and was alive and was still. performing and doing these miracles. Now let us think of our spy in
grace. Are we looking for the one that
should come? Are we seeking for him? Are we desiring him as the Lord
raised up that expectation with us? Or raised up a real need? a need of a saviour, a sense
of our sin, a real need for the Lord to provide and to deliver
us. There really is a question, isn't
there? Where are we looking? How many
look for their riches or look to idols or look to the work
of men's hands? But the people of God are to
look unto Him. They looked unto Him and their
faces were lightened. Those are the people of God.
They see from far His beauty. They, as in Hebrews 11, embrace
the promises. They see them from far off and
embrace them. Have we got parts of the Word
of God promises, expectations, that we're looking for the One
that should come? Or are we just drifting along day
by day with no thought at all that the Lord does visit His
people? He does bless them, He does deliver
them, like He was to do here with John Baptist, from unbelief,
from darkness, from temptations. He does answer His people's prayers. He is living in heaven, making
intercession for His people, appearing in the presence of
God for us. We do have an Advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. He is in control and He will
come again. Are we then looking for the one
that should come and should come again. Later in his first epistle,
general epistle in chapter one, he says of the prophets of which
salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, he prophesied
of the grace that should come unto you. What a way that you the grace of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. It goes on searching what or
what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did
signify when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and
the glory that should follow. It goes on, unto whom it was
revealed that not unto themselves, but unto us, they administer
the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached
the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven,
which things the angels desire to look into. Through the preaching
of the gospel, Christ is lifted up, Christ is exalted, I, if
I be lifted up above the earth, will draw all men unto me. It's
through that way that we look unto Him and that we are brought
to believe in Him. When Philip preached to the Eunuch
beginning at the same scripture, Isaiah 53, preached unto him
Jesus. He brought him, God brought him
through his ministry to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, brought
him to be able to say that Jesus is the Son of God. And so we have a looking, not
only just that there is one that should come, but looking for
him. That's not a fatalistic spirit. that when He should come, He
should come, is a real desire and looking and longing for Him. And if the prophets were told
that they were diligently looking, do they put us to shame? Are
we diligent in that way, desiring the Lord to come through His
Word and speak to our souls? granting us faith joined with
what we read and that word then prophets us. Only they are looking. Well the
third point is this question, aren't thou he? Jesus is he. The question, and said unto him,
said unto the Lord through his disciples, Art thou he that should
come, or do we look for another? Now we said at the start that
what a contrast is set forth here. It is a contrast that doesn't
just look at the scriptures. Of course at this point our Lord
had not suffered. But in this Gospel day, we do
have those additional things. We can think of Psalm 22, of
which they had at this time, but it was not yet fulfilled. The words of our Lord, my God,
my God, why hast thou forsaken me? The words that are set forth
concerning the encompassing Him, about with the dogs and the assembly
of the wicked, and how they pierced his hands and his feet, or in
Zechariah, they shall look upon him whom they have pierced, or
that he should make his grave with the wicked and the rich
in his death, or that he kept all his bones and not one of
them was broken, as is set forth in Psalm 34. All of these things
that are fulfilling the Scriptures are much when our Lord was crucified
it is highlighted that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. And those
recording the Gospels and recording these events recorded, drawing
our attention to the fact that those events, those things that
were done to our Lord Jesus Christ had been foretold. And they are
very clear evidences that Jesus of Nazareth is He, that should
come. But our Lord doesn't use this
method here, in one sense, as yet he could not use it, because
he had not yet suffered. We have, now our Lord has risen
from the dead and ascended up on high, such fullness of the
scriptures, to show us the Lord Jesus Christ. But I felt here, how vital, that
even in the day of grace, we have our focus on what our Lord
directed John to hear, is what he was
doing, his work. the work that none other but
God could do. The blind receive their sight,
the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the
dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached unto
them. Blessed is he whomsoever shall
not be offended in thee. Now our Lord worked the miracles,
His apostles worked the miracles, And for the most part now, those
signs they've perished with, they ceased with the apostles. They were vital in that time
to give a witness from heaven to our Lord, and to give the
witness from heaven that the apostles were the apostles of
the Lord, and that the gospel that they preached was with the
authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, that those same miracles and
same power was being done in them. Our Lord clearly said that
greater things than this shall ye do, because I go to the Father,
and like as with Elijah and Elisha, Elisha desired of Elisha that
he might have a double portion of his spirit, and the sign was
that he would have it if he saw him when he was parted from him.
And Elisha worked twice as many miracles as Elijah did. And so when our Lord was taken
up into heaven, the disciples did see him. And the miracles
that they did were great miracles. And not only that, especially
the miracles of conversion, of thousands being brought to believe
and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. May we always remember there
is no greater miracle than a sinner saved by grace. Paul, when he
writes to the Ephesians, he tells them that it is the same power
that is wrought in a believer, was wrought in those Ephesians,
as was wrought in Christ when God raised him from the dead.
Every believer is a miracle of grace. Everyone that is a brand
from the burning is changed, is converted. It's not man's
work, it's God's work. And it is a miracle of grace. It is that fruit of the work
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because I live, ye shall live
also. without our Lord's rising and
being in heaven, without His sin-atoning sacrifice, without
the law being satisfied, without the debt being paid, not a single
sinner could be quickened into life. Here's a reminder as well
that we need the Holy Spirit to shine upon the work of God,
and to make us a believer. There were many even in our Lord's
day, and this is where we notice later on in this same chapter,
that saw all of these works, they didn't repent, they didn't
see Christ, they didn't believe. It not only needed those things,
it needed the power of God, it needed the quickening, operation
of the Spirit. When our Lord told the parable
of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man, he thought that
if one were to rise from the dead, then his brethren would
believe. But our Lord said, if they hear
not Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe, though one
rose from the dead. And it is the Lord that gives
that hearing ear. That's why in all the letters
to the churches in the Revelation, he that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. So it is the works
of our Lord. And really every believer is
a monument of grace. Ruth is drawn to Naomi. as she sees the grace of God
in her. Paul says, be ye followers of
me as I also am of Christ. The Lord says to Peter, when
thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren and commissions
him to feed my sheep and to feed my lambs. Men may be able to imitate many,
many things, but man can never quicken one dead in sin and make
them spiritually alive. It's something man can never
do. No amount of duty, no amount of reasoning, no amount of arguments. It is the work of God to make
a believer and to give him his crown. Art thou he? Jesus is he. And we shall know
he is, who he testifies he is, when we know that same power. Unto you which believe, he is
precious. And he is precious because we
know that every blessing comes to us through his precious blood. And like John Baptist, What was
the difference? What made the difference between
his darkness, his unbelief, his questioning, and having it all
settled? The Lord sending, sending back
to him, sending through his servants, his disciples, to tell John,
to show John again. And we know that would have been
effectual. show us through the ministry,
show us through His Word, but needs to come with that same
power, same authority from heaven. My sheep, says the Lord, know
my voice, and they follow me. Know that same voice. Well, may we be able to answer
this question. May we know in our own hearts
that the Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, is he that all the
scriptures pointed to, that God said would come, truly God and
truly man, the only saviour, the only name given among men,
whereby we must be saved. May we have that joy and peace
in believing in this dear man, The Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.