Reading first of all the six
verses and then finding that our text is in the third verse,
Matthew 11 and 1. It came to pass when Jesus had
made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed
thence to teach and to preach in their cities. Now when John
had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his
disciples and said unto him, Art thou he that should come,
or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto
them, that is, the disciples of John, Go and show John again
those things which you do hear and see. That is, the blind receive
their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf
hear, The dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel
preached unto them, and blessed is he whomsoever shall not be
offended in me." Now, the third verse is principally where all
of our focus is directed this morning. "...And said unto him,
Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" Now,
it is this question that we are interested in in our study today. We will take this as our starting
point, and our closing point will be that Jesus of Christ,
Jesus of Christ, Jesus the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus the
one who died on the cross, Jesus, the one that John gave witness
to, and the Father gave witness to, the one that was to come
is He. And there is no need to expect
or wait for any other. The Lamb of God, the Lord, is
He that was promised of old. Now the question is intriguing,
I guess because it comes from John. not John the other apostle,
but John the Baptist, who was at this time and had been for
some time shut up in the prison. And he was in the prison for
having reproved Herod for his open immorality with his brother's
wife. And so John sins and he asks
the Lord, are you the one that should come Or should we wait
or look about for another? Now the question is after this
order, I believe. Are you the coming one? Or may
we expect another to come? Are you Him? Or do we wait and
do we expect that another might come? And then note what precipitated
this move on the part of John, that he sent his disciples two
of them in number, to inquire of the Lord. What brought it
about is in the second verse, Matthew 11. It was when John,
languishing in the prison, heard of the many wonderful, mighty
works that the Lord Jesus Christ had been doing among the people. And how did John get word in
prison of what was going on on the outside Well, in Luke chapter
7 and verse 18, his disciples reported it unto him evidently
having visitation rights unto him in prison. Some commentators
think that John at this time has already been in prison under
the edict of Herod for up to a year. And his disciples allowed
some contact with him gave word of the mighty work that Christ
was doing here and there among the people. The latest one, perhaps,
being the raising of the son of the widow of Nain. Now, the
hard part of the text is answering the matter. What is the nature
of John's question? And more importantly, what is
the state of mind of John in asking this question. The question
is whether John at this time had faltered somewhat in his
faith, having once been such a bold, open, unafraid witness
for the Lord. You know, Elijah did the same
thing. After having been a mighty man
of God, he cowered, as it were, in the cave at one time. Some
say that John did this mainly for the sake of His disciples,
in order that He might establish them in the faith and the truth
of the Lord Jesus Christ. In order that He might cause
them by hearing to espouse Christ, and by that, that they might
graduate from being John's students to being the students of Christ. You have an example of this in
John chapter 1 and verse 35 through verse 40, where John preached
Jesus is strong, that two of his disciples left him and began
to follow the Lord. Some have contended that John
had come to doubt, for the Christ was in fact the Messiah. This, some rationalists have
taught, was the attitude of John. So let's see. if we can somewhat
this morning get into the mind of John, in order that we might
get insight into the question that he seeks an answer for at
the mouth of our Lord. That having from the very first
boldly declared Christ to be a special one, and having openly
endorsed the Lord, this is he greater and mightier than I,
and openly endorsing. He would know now whether or
not Christ is the true one, or do we look for another? Now concerning
the questions that have just been raised, and for whose sake
they were asked, whether for John's sake or for the sake of
his apostles, in Luke, if we read Luke's account of this same
matter, Luke in chapter 9, And verse 19 through verse 23, there
are two statements here for us to notice. In verse 20, the disciples
of John say unto the Lord, John the Baptist sent us unto you
to ask, are you the one to come, or should we look for another? John the Baptist sent us to ask. Then look at verse 22. As the
Lord dismisses John's disciples to go back to Him, He says to
them, Go and tell John what things you have heard and what things
you have seen. Go tell John the miraculous healings
that have occurred, the mighty works of every magnitude and
of every kind. Now this was very significant. And we will consider the answer
later in our study. As for John's mindset at the
particular time, he had in the beginning of his ministry, for
example, in Matthew chapter 3 and verse 2, he had proclaimed in
the wilderness of Judea, repent for the kingdom of heaven is
at hand. Many of the Jews believed. that
when Messiah did come, He would set up then an earthly kingdom
and reign as a temporal king among them, and set Israel up
again as the head of the nation. You see this in Acts chapter
1 and verse 6 and Luke 17 and verse 20. Could it be that John
was thinking now along these lines himself? And yet, he was
languishing away in the prison. He lay under the wrath and the
sentence of Herod. And the Lord left him there who
might have delivered him by any manner or method. His ministry
had been a short one, proclaiming the Lord, and he faced now the
prospect of death at the hands of Herod because of his faithfulness
to Christ, and yet Christ leaves him, as it were, in the prison. I wonder if David Brown could
be right that in Luke 7 and verse 20 that John got depressed. He said, losing heart and his
spirit clouded, is how the expositor described it. Still, I want to
remind us that Christ very highly commended John the Baptist after
his disciples left as being one of the greatest of those ever
born of women and to live upon the face of the earth. John was
that one predicted by the prophet Isaiah. Matthew chapter 3, 3,
Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 3, coming in the spirit and power
of Elijah. And in Luke 1.14-17, Matthew
11 and verse 14, to herald the coming of the Great One that
should come among mankind. Now, let me suggest something
for our consideration concerning the calling of John to be the
forerunner and the announcer of the coming of Christ, to announce
and introduce the Lord and Savior, to prepare the way for the Lord.
And that pursuant to this goal of being the forerunner of the
Lord, John made a double portrayal of Christ that was to come. He portrayed Him in two ways.
He pictured Him in two ways. Number one, in Matthew chapter
3 and verses 7 through 12, John portrayed the Lord Jesus Christ
that was to come as a judge and avenger upon the hypocrisy and
the corruption and the disobedience of the nation of Israel. He called
them in Matthew 3 and 7, old generation of vipers. He tells them in verse 10, they
act even now. is laid at the foot of the tree. And in verse 12, he likens the
Lord to a man winnowing his wheat out in his garner, so that he
beats out the shaft and it is taken away by the wind. And he
gathers into his barn the true and the pure wheat, so that empty,
worthless religious profession shall be as shaft before the
fire of this great winnowing one who has to come." Yes, remember,
he portrayed the Lord as a judge and avenger upon the corruption
of Israel. Secondly, John portrayed the
Lord in another way, as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin
of the world. In John 1.29, John 1.36, in both
of those, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of
the world. John uses the metaphor Lamb,
and he applies it unto the Lord to refer to Him as the great,
great sin bearer, the one who bore our sins in His own body,
on the tree." 1 Peter 2 and verse 24. Shall we say a few words
about the name that John attributes unto our Lord, and that is Lamb. The Lamb of God. There He is that takes away the
sin of the world. John might have called Him the
Christ. He might have referred to Him
as the Lord. He might have rightly called
Him the Messiah. He might have said, there is
the Son of God. He might have said, there is
the Savior of men from their sin. But he pitches upon the
word Lamb, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. Even the Lamb of God. And he makes the connection.
not only a lamb, but the one bearing away the sin of the world. This name, when applied to Christ,
is very significant in the Scripture. In the New Testament, He's called
a lamb. John does it twice, 129 and 136
of the Gospel. Again, in Acts 8 and verse 32, There is a reference to Isaiah
53, him as the Lamb. In 1 Peter 1 and verse 19, he
is called the Lamb without blemish. And how often in the book of
the Revelation, including Revelation 13 and 8, is he called the Lamb
of God, slain from the foundation of the world. Now, his being
called the Lamb is an allusion to so many of those great Old
Testament types of lambs as sacrifices and as sin bearers, offered up
for sin and iniquity in the stead of the people. One of the most
notable of those Old Testament ones is the Passover lamb in
Exodus, the twelfth chapter, which in several ways clearly
portrayed our Lord in type. We won't take time to look at
them now. Numbers 28 and verse 3, two lambs
a day were offered up as well as that prophecy in Isaiah 53
and 7. He is led as a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is done, so he opened not his
mouth. Thus, when John calls Jesus the
Lamb of God and makes mention of Him bearing sin. He is declaring that Christ is
the great propitiation for sin in light of the typical sacrifices
of the law that had gone before. But now let's go back to our
text in Matthew chapter 11 and Luke 7 where there is another
account and the question from John Let's look at it again. Are you the coming one? Are you the one to come? Are
you the coming one, or do we look for another? Now we be very
careful here to notice the occasion of John's asking. It is said
in Matthew 11 and verse 2, when John in prison heard the works
of Christ, And we said, how did He hear? Luke 7 and 18 again. His disciples brought Him word
and kept Him informed of the ministry and the work of Jesus. The mighty works, even raising
men from the dead, and of His fame and His reputation spreading
fast and far and wide. among the people. Not only that,
but his impressive doctrine, his ability to speak as no other
man spoke, and his growing fame, and the mighty power that the
Lord possessed over all situation. We should think that John's question
is by these requests already answered. We should think that
his question is already Christ is a supernatural, extraordinary
being doing mighty works. Plus, John had himself so strongly
endorsed the Lord, saying, the kingdom is at hand. But two things for us to consider
in this question. Number one, some time had passed,
and Christ, perhaps to the thinking of none, had not asserted himself
openly as the king of the nation and over a kingdom. Some time
had passed and our Lord had not done that. Secondly, John is
in prison and perhaps feeling somewhat deserted by Christ and
tempted to think or to wonder why Christ has not visited him
or freed him from that present situation. So his question, are
you the coming one or are we looking for another? Are you the one to whom Moses
in the Law and the Prophets did write? John 1.45. In John 10.24
we do there read, the Jews asked Christ, how long dost Thou keep
us in doubt? How long dost thou hang our souls
in suspense? If you are the Christ, then tell
us plainly." John 10.24. Some were perplexed as to the
identity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some in Matthew 16.14 thought
that He might be John the Baptist, again, risen from the dead. Others
thought Him to be perhaps Elijah. that great Old Testament prophet. Some said he might be Jeremiah. Still others took him to be a
special prophet of some kind and of some sort. So there were
diverse opinions that prevailed concerning the Jews. Who is this
man? But as Spurgeon wrote, all of
these were conjectures and missed the mark." that He's John, that
He's Jeremiah, that He's Elijah, or one of the great prophets,
all miss the mark. Still, the Jews expected a Messiah
who would be a great one. Consider the confession, if you
will, of the Samaritan woman, John 4.25. I know that when Messiah
comes, He will tell us all things. Even she held to that. From God
He will appear. He will come. A Redeemer will
be sent. And He will tell us all things
whatsoever. This was the common expectation
of the Jew. Luke 2 and verse 25, Simeon waited
for the consolation of Israel. That is, he waited in expectation
of the consolation of Israel. Remember the two on Emmaus' road. It's in Luke 24, verse 21. They said to Christ, we trusted,
we hoped that Jesus would be the one, but our leaders have
crucified Him, and this is now the third day. And then they
trail off as if their hope has been dashed. Luke 2, verse 38,
Matthew 20, 28, Mark 15, and verse 43, there were among the
Jews an expectation of a Messiah of a Redeemer, of a Prince, of
a mighty King that would come and help them. But the question
became with many, is Jesus of Nazareth that Messiah, that Redeemer,
and that Savior? One would come from God, for
so the Law and the Prophets and the Psalms had declared. Is this that Great One? Is Jesus of Nazareth, who was
born of Mary, is He that Great One that was to come? Was He
indeed the Holy One of God that the faithful promises of God
had set forth? Or was He an imposter, as some
of the Jewish ecclesiastics had insisted and had maintained? We see this in the question of
John, Are you the one to come? John had said in Matthew 3 and
7, 3 and 11, Mark 1 and 7, Luke 3 and 16, of the one coming after
him. He had spoken of one that would
come, mightier than he, his shoe latched, he is not worthy to
unloose. From the prison now, he asked,
are you the one that was to come? But it puts a second part to
the question. Or do we look for another? Now here's the second part of
the question. Are you the one that is to come? Or do we look for another? Shall we look for or expect? Shall we wait and anticipate
for another to come and to appear? He is asking for a plain statement
from our Lord, whether He was the promised Messiah. And perhaps,
as C. H. Spurgeon suggested, John thought
that another might possibly come before all things could fully
be rectified to follow up on Christ and finish up and put
an end to the great work. Be that as it may, let us consider
the reply or the answer which the Lord gives to the two disciples
of John to take back to Him in His cell. In Matthew 11, 4 through
6, and in Luke 7, 22 and 23, it is not a distinct yes or no. What is His answer? It is not
a distinct yes or a distinct no. He does not say yes. I am He, and no need to look
for another." But see how the Lord, in His sovereignty and
wisdom, is pleased to answer the question concerning Himself. Remember to the woman of Samaria
again, who believed that when Messiah came, He would make known
to them all things? And Jesus answers her, I am He. She said, I know Messiah will
come and tell us all things. Jesus said, the one Me that is
speaking to you, I am He. John 4 and verse 26. Why not give that answer then
to His faithful, devoted servant, John the Baptist? John, he answered
another way. Not a yes or a no. Yes, I'm He. John, he answered another way. He said to John's disciples,
you go tell John this, the blind have been given their sight,
the lame are made to walk, the deaf are made to hear, the dead
are brought forth to life, and the poor are hearing the gospel,
and lepers are being cleansed of their disease and of their
filthiness. In fact, in Luke's account, chapter
7, Verse 21-23, the disciples of John actually became eyewitnesses
to many miracles that the Lord did before they took their leave
to return. And He told them, you go tell
John what you have seen and what you have heard. Now what's the
significance of this answer of our Lord? Instead of answering
yes or no, He says, go back and tell them what you've seen. Go
back and tell them what you've heard. Go back and tell them
what I have done. But the question is, how is this
a proper response to the question of John? John asked, are you
the coming one? Do we expect another? And the
Lord would have His disciples report on the miracles that have
been done by our Christ. Why? Why deal with John this
way? I think because, as John Owen
wrote, these things to John's ears were the confirming signs
of Him being the Messiah. These are confirming signs that
He is the Messiah. Likely the Lord had in mind such
text as Isaiah 35, verse 5 and verse 6. And again, Isaiah 61
and verse 1 enter into these texts here, and there are many
others. Such things were predicted when
Messiah came. The eyes of the blind opening,
deaf ears would be unstopped, the lame would leap as a harp,
and the tongue of the dumb shall sing, the Lord has anointed me
to preach the good tidings unto the meek, to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty unto the captive, and the opening of prison
to them that are bound." These are the prophecies that were
made concerning the Lord. In answering John as he did,
the Lord then, in effect, adopted the signs, the wonders, and the
miracles to their genuine and authentic purpose as set forth
in the prophet. These would serve as his messianic
credentials. These would prove him by credentials
to be the great Messiah. These things would Messiah do,
not only do, but he would do them in great abundance among
men. He stated the truth. of his discipleship
upon the works that he had done, saying in John 5.36, the works
which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that
I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me. Would someone say why others
such as Moses and Elijah and Elisha did great wonders and
miracles in their ministry? And so they did, as well as some
false prophets and teachers along the way. Yet there were notable
marks in the miracles of our Christ, such as, A, their number. Not a few. Not one here, not
one there. Not one now and then, but many. How many miracles and wonders
did our Lord perform. and then be their quality. Not
only their number, but also the quality. They were genuine. They were authentic. They were
verifiable. They were not sleight of hand.
They were not trickery or witchcraft. They were done clearly out in
the open for those observers to see. See their greatness. The greatness of them. Not only
were there many, not only their quality, but their greatness.
not just colds and flu, not viruses, not gallstones like some of these
con artists are talking about today, not something visible
to the eye, something inward, but lepers were cleansed. Yes,
they were. Twisted limbs were made whole.
Blind eyes were given sight, even eyes that never had seen
in all of their life. And the dead got up off of their
bed and went home again to their loved ones and came out of the
grave. Let me see, Benny Hinn, match
any of these quality for quality. The quality and the greatness
of the Lord's miracles. Then I'd like to mention something
else, and that is their openness. Now, the Lord never said, well,
you know, I can't do it here in front of all these people.
You'll have to come and see me privately. Fill out this card
and make an appointment. One of my apostles will make
an appointment, and you come, and we'll go in the back room."
No. Their openness. They were done in public. They
were done for all to see. Believers and unbelievers alike. Not in secret. Not in a corner. The apostle Peter said to those
Jews gathered on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2 and verse 22, Jesus, a
man approved of God among you, by signs and miracles and wonders,
which He did in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know."
Now, there are two things about the great miracles of our Lord. Number one, they were confirmatory
signs of His messiahship. You remember that the apostles
also had the same. They had credentials and the
power to work miracles as apostolic credentials. But then, B, the
many healings were confirming signs that Jesus was the one
who would take away sin. Without the taking away of sin,
no one could ever be cured since sin is the ultimate cause of
disease and sickness and of death. If you read a passage, I think
it's Matthew chapter 8, 16 and 17, Mark 2 and verse 1, where
the Lord said, which is easier to say? Thy sins be forgiven,
or take up thy bed and walk." And then he said, that you may
know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sin. He said to that one sick of the
palsy, Arise, take up your bed and walk. So there is a connection
between these two things in the Scripture. Now let's make some
applications as we draw our study of the morning to a close. Though
Jesus was confirmed as a Messiah by His great and mighty works,
there is no reason, or is there any cause, to seek to revive
this great cluster of miracles. In fact, it is impossible. There is no new revelation now
to be made. There is no new gospel to be
introduced, and there is no other Savior to come. There is no great
change that is to be made. They stand confirmed once and
for all by the miracles of Christ and His Apostle. He was the one
to come, and many, many prophecies met together and were fulfilled
in His life and in His death. But poor, blind, ignorant Israel,
yet waiting for and looking for another, even to today. But in the destruction of Jerusalem
by the armies of Titus in the year 70 A.D., their genealogies
were burned and destroyed so that none from that day forward
could prove himself a high priest by the genealogy. He could not
answer the prophecy of being a Messiah. None could ever again,
because the Jewish genealogy are completely destroyed. Any other claiming to be Messiah
would be nothing but a cheap lying imitation, a horrible counterfeit,
a liar and a deceiver, unworthy of any messianic or ministerial
honor at all. Thus the Lord answered John in
the affirmative by declaring the works he had done were the
works of Messiah. For no man can do these miracles
which Jesus did, except they were the Messiah. The prophets
were men sent by God. Messiah was one with God and
came down directly from the Father in heaven. He was God. manifest in the flesh. He is
the eternal Word of God. He assumed flesh and He tabernacled
among men. No other will ever come to save
sinners. There will be no other. And as a closing application
to you, my friend, no other ever will appear that has the ability
or the mission or is ordained of God to save sinners. And I
tell you this, if you find your heart prejudiced against Jesus
Christ, there is no other name given under heaven among men
whereby we must be saved. He is the only way to God. Neither is there salvation in
any other. In Him is life and life more
abundantly. He is the only One that has come
down from God. He is the only way to God, the
truth, the way, and the life. He came down from God. He came
down to die once and only once for sin and for sinners. Yes, this is the One that was
to come. And we need not look for another. There is not another Savior.
In heaven or under the earth or below the earth, Christ is
the one and only Savior, the one come from God that He might
save His people from their sin. And thank God for that. Let's
bow our heads together for a word of prayer, please.