Holding On

After Jesus had finished instructing His twelve disciples,

He went on from there to teach and preach

in the towns of Galilee. 

When John heard in prison what Christ was doing,

he sent his disciples to ask Him, “Are you the One who

was to come, or should we expect someone else?

Matthew 11:1-3 

John was discouraged.  He was languishing in prison, probably facing death at some point.  If his cousin was the Messiah, wouldn’t He work His power to get John released?  But Jesus was out preaching to and teaching the people.  So John sends an inquiry – are you the one we are looking for?  Are you really the Messiah?

John’s disciples stayed the day with Jesus, watching and absorbing his ministry.  At the end of the day, Jesus instructed the men to return to John and tell him what they had seen – a literal fulfillment of the prophecies of the Messiah from the book of Isaiah:  “The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers cured, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised.”  And then Jesus says something strange:  Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of Me.” 

Jesus was telling John:  Don’t fall away from discouragement.  God has called you just as He has called Me.  We both have a path to walk, neither of which is going to be easy.  Trust God.  He has brought you this far.  He will see you through until the end of your journey.