304-Blessed are those who do not stumble because of Him#
304-Blessed are those who do not stumble because of Him
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
The topic of sharing is: Blessed are those who do not stumble because of Him
Matthew 11:1-6
1 When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities. 2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank You and praise You! As we begin a new week, we come before You once again. You give us comfort and strength; You will not let us stumble. You said, blessed are those who do not stumble because of You. We stand on the rock of Jesus; You will not let us fall to pieces but will lift us up. Today, through this word, supply us once again, personally lead us. You know their needs, supply them in due time, and bless this time together. In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!
I believe that everyone has moments of weakness after believing in Jesus. I wonder if you have ever doubted God, perhaps because you prayed for a while without an answer and felt like giving up. Sometimes you might even question whether God exists because you have never seen Him. Although I have experienced miracles and many people around me testify to Jesus, when I am in a low valley, I start to wonder if He is really there. This is a normal experience in the life of faith.
Is this God really there? He is always there, whether you feel His presence or not; He is indeed there. John was such a great prophet, yet in his moments of weakness, he also doubted, “Are you the one, or should I wait for another?” Is it weakness? In times of weakness, through the testimonies of others and the words of Jesus Christ, you can stand up again; the truth of God can give you strength anew.
The first point of sharing: Everyone has weaknesses, so we need to serve one another.
John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit even while still in his mother’s womb. This is the only historical mention in the Bible of someone being filled with the Holy Spirit in the womb and responding to Jesus. The Bible says that after he grew up, he lived in the wilderness. John the Baptist was very knowledgeable about the Old Testament; he studied God’s word deeply. According to some historical church documents, John the Baptist put in a lot of hard work studying the contents of the Old Testament law. For thirty years, he completely dedicated himself to God and prepared the way for Jesus. He had never been to school, had no girlfriend, and had never been married; he did nothing unrelated to God.
The Bible records that Jesus was a carpenter. Is there any record of John the Baptist doing anything else before the age of thirty? No record. In fact, from church history, John the Baptist worked harder than Jesus. He did not engage in worldly affairs and devoted his entire life to the work of the Gospel.
You will find that his actual working time began at thirty, lasting only six months. Isn’t that a pity? After preparing for so many years, he worked for just six months, and it seems there was nothing more for him afterward. In just six months, how significant was his ministry? It turned the entire Jewish nation around. Some people may work their whole lives without making a splash, but although John the Baptist only worked for six months, his impact on the Jewish people was immense, including those from surrounding nations, such as Edom and those who frequently visited these places. Many turned to God because of him, and thousands came to John the Baptist, creating a wave of revival.
John the Baptist preached differently from us; we are in cities, while he cried out in the wilderness, saying the kingdom of heaven is near, and you should repent. Was there anyone in the wilderness? No.
Why did these Jewish people go into the wilderness to receive John the Baptist’s teachings? Was it because his voice was louder? No. There was a four-hundred-year silence between the Old and New Testaments, known as the silent period, from the book of Malachi to the Gospel of Matthew. God did not speak a word to the Israelites during that time. The priests and prophets were not inspired, and the Jewish people were waiting for God to speak to them, but there was silence; it seemed God did not exist. Many people doubted whether God was still there. Some said, “God is dead; let’s just live our lives.”
However, when John the Baptist came, his strange behavior and the gospel words he proclaimed gave the Jewish people hope again. Although he was in the wilderness, people were still willing to seek him. After four hundred years, a prophet appeared who was refreshingly different. In six months, he prepared the way for Jesus.
Matthew 3:1-6
1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’” 4 Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
Brothers and sisters, is this not the ministry of John the Baptist? In your mind, what is the difference between Jesus and John the Baptist? Do you believe in John the Baptist? If you believe in John the Baptist, he cannot save you; he is not the Christ; you believe in Jesus. Amen!
Is John the Baptist the beginning of the Gospel? No, the true Gospel begins with Jesus. John the Baptist was a witness for Jesus, preparing people’s hearts to welcome Jesus. How many places today are still preaching a John the Baptist-style gospel? What are the characteristics of such a gospel?
Let’s take a look. First, John the Baptist was a prophet, and what he preached was that the kingdom of heaven is near; you should repent. What does repentance mean? It means confessing sins and repenting. Why did the Jewish people know to go to John to confess their sins? Because they understood the Old Testament law.
When do we realize we are sinners? When you understand the law and compare yourself to the Ten Commandments, you will find that you are a sinner. If you have no idea what the Ten Commandments say and do not acknowledge that you are a sinner, you might think you are doing fine. This is why when some people are told, “You are a sinner,” they respond, “What sin do I have?” They do not know the Ten Commandments and thus do not recognize themselves as sinners. But the Jews knew because they learned Moses’ law from a young age and understood they had sinned against God. For four hundred years, God had not spoken to them. When John the Baptist said, “The kingdom of heaven is near; you should repent,” he was actually calling them to come before him and confess their sins.
Verse 6 states clearly that they confessed their sins and were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
How many churches today still teach this message! Can John the Baptist save people? Many asked him, “Are you the Christ?” He said, “I tell you clearly, I am not the Christ; I am not worthy to untie his sandals.” Today, do not preach the message of John the Baptist; that was to prepare the way for Jesus. Jesus has already come, leaving us His words. He is about to return a second time; you should not be preaching a John the Baptist-style gospel anymore. Amen!
When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming, he made the greatest declaration. Let’s look at John 1:29. The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
The Bible records these verses for our reference, allowing us to know accurately that Jesus came to John the Baptist, accepting the path John had prepared for Him. When John saw Jesus, he knew his ministry was essentially over.
Think about it; since he was a road preparer, when the master arrives, is there any need to prepare the road anymore? No, his mission was complete. He boldly declared that Jesus is the Messiah. You know, it takes a great heart to do that! Not only did he acknowledge Jesus as Lord and the Messiah, but he also introduced his two disciples to Jesus, saying, “You two should follow Him from now on.”
Brothers and sisters, what is the reason for the frequent attacks between churches and among people? It is because they feel that something belongs to them, and in order to seize it, they argue fiercely. Right? But what kind of person was John the Baptist? When he saw Jesus, he said, “I am a road preparer; now you two go follow Him.”
These two might have been Andrew and John, or Andrew and Peter; in any case, two disciples followed Jesus. This should have been a very harmonious thing, right? But in the middle, a Jew stirred up trouble between Jesus and John the Baptist. He said to John, “Do you know that Jesus now has more followers than you?” If there was even a bit of selfishness, wouldn’t hearing that make you feel uncomfortable? Especially uncomfortable! I have worked for six months, and now so many followers have gone to Him; I can’t stand it…
Do you remember when I told you why the high priests, Pharisees, and scribes ultimately decided to kill Jesus? Because they said, “Look! We are laboring in vain; everyone has gone to follow Him.” So they tried every means to get rid of Jesus. But now John the Baptist said, “You all go follow Him.”
Although this seems like a true servant of God, does he not have moments of weakness? Yes, after his disciples left, there were not many people around John the Baptist. Previously, there were crowds and celebrations, but now there were not many left. The desolation and contrast are unbearable for many.
Now can you understand why many stars choose to commit suicide when they are no longer famous? They cannot accept that kind of contrast; it is too unbearable. If we are always doing things for ourselves, we cannot handle this. In times of great ups and downs, people easily become discouraged and despair. But if we are always doing things for Jesus, we will not have these issues.
Let’s look at how this situation unfolded in John 3:25-27.
25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.”
It seems there is no problem here; John the Baptist still had freedom and could speak these words. But when he was truly imprisoned and lost his freedom, he became discouraged. Initially, the words spoken to him did not seem to plant a seed in John’s heart. In previous discussions, we talked about the parable of the sower; is it possible that someone sowed a seed in John the Baptist’s heart? Saying, “Look at your disciples; the one you bore witness to is now baptizing, and everyone is going to Him.”
At that time, John the Baptist said, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.” This statement can comfort us and others, but if your faith wavers, this statement can turn into your hurt, right? John the Baptist said without reservation, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Can everyone say this? But what about when you are weak?
Previously, John the Baptist said, “I am not worthy to untie His sandals.” He wanted to clarify that he was certain Jesus was the Messiah and had declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” He clearly proclaimed this and even sent his disciples to Jesus, having no doubt about Jesus.
But now, in prison, when he had few disciples around him, he began to doubt. He asked, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” This is the content of Matthew 11:2-3. John, hearing about the deeds of Christ while in prison, sent two of his disciples to ask Him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” In fact, “He must increase, but I must decrease,” is something you can say when your faith is strong. We are willing to lay down our lives for Jesus… But once you are weak and face difficulties, will you still believe that this God still loves you? When things do not go well, when your prayers are unanswered, do you still believe that this God cares for you and watches over you? This is something everyone needs to understand.
Now John the Baptist is clearly weak. Do not forget, John the Baptist dedicated his entire life to the work of the Gospel; he had nothing else to rely on. His whole life was given to God. The prophecies about him in the Bible state that God would send him as a messenger to prepare the way for Jesus.
The last prophecy in the book of Malachi is also about John the Baptist. He was once a prominent figure, favored and born for this ministry. He might have thought that this was the purpose and hope of his life. Now he has no family, nothing at all, and is left with nothing.
Do not forget, he heard about the deeds of Jesus, which proves that he knew what Jesus was doing outside. The Bible mentions many times that people heard about Jesus and began to seek Him, receiving healing and comfort. Now John the Baptist also wanted healing and comfort.
I am not talking about physical healing but spiritual healing. Now John the Baptist is extremely weak; he begins to question whether he is on the right path. Brothers and sisters, are you sure that the Gospel you believe in is correct? What if God does not answer your prayers? Are you still sure you are correct? If you are in trouble, pray, and there is no change at all; do you still believe that this God loves you?
So this faith is extremely important. When we are strong, we can serve those who are weak. When we are strong, they are weak, and we can support and help them. Yesterday you were full of faith, but today you might feel discouraged because of a small situation. Is that normal? It is very normal. Brothers and sisters, remember that this is very normal; this is the weakness of humanity.
Previously, he never doubted Jesus, but now he asks, “Are you really the Christ?” Almost all of Jesus’ disciples expected the Messiah to establish an earthly kingdom, a specific nation, including John the Baptist and his disciples. They expected someone like David or Solomon to establish an earthly kingdom while they were oppressed by the Romans. But the reason John the Baptist felt a bit discouraged and weak was that Jesus did not seem to do what he expected. Jesus healed many people but had no intention of overthrowing the Roman government; He did not even have the slightest thought about it and even told them to pay taxes to Caesar and obey the governing authorities.
John the Baptist might have heard similar teachings and began to doubt: “Is this not the person I was waiting for?” Some people in the apocryphal texts and pseudepigrapha say that Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus because he initially followed Jesus with great enthusiasm, expecting Him to defeat the enemies like David and establish an earthly kingdom, hoping to gain a position beside Jesus. But as time went on, Jesus kept saying He would die, and perhaps Judas could not bear it anymore and said, “Alright! I will give you a push; you are God, but I do not believe you can die.” As a result, Jesus really died. This is what the apocryphal texts describe. We are not justifying Judas Iscariot but trying to tell everyone that at that time, Jesus’ disciples were all expecting an earthly king, including John the Baptist.
At that time, John the Baptist’s faith was not entirely correct. If their hope was like that, it was wrong. This was likely John the Baptist’s situation; the key is that things did not happen as he expected, and he became weak.
Brothers and sisters, have you ever thought about how many times you prayed for something: “Lord! Give me a black pen.” You prayed hard… In the end, God gave you a pencil, and you got angry: “Lord! Why didn’t You answer my prayer? I don’t want this; You didn’t fulfill my prayer.” Isn’t it different from what we expected?
We think God did not fulfill our prayers, but in reality, Jesus came to save them and establish a kingdom, but not an earthly kingdom, rather a heavenly kingdom. Amen! John the Baptist might not have expected to be imprisoned and eventually die; he was the voice in the wilderness. John the Baptist was once so confident; most of his preaching was very righteous: “You brood of vipers, you hypocrites.” Did those people have nothing to say? Unlike Jesus, who was gentle like a lamb and spoke softly, John the Baptist was straightforward. But what has happened to such a person today? No one can preach the Gospel anymore.
He was always ready to testify for Jesus, having prepared for thirty years. After six months, he was thrown into prison, which was a huge blow to him. Brothers and sisters, when we say, “We love God, and God loves us” during peaceful times, when we are in weakness and trouble, can you still hold onto this faith? This is faith: that God still loves you, He has never abandoned you, and He is preparing to give you His greatest blessings.
We can learn a lot from this, one of which is that everyone has doubts, weaknesses, and discouragements. When John the Baptist had great faith, he was not afraid of kings. The king was brought to John the Baptist, and what did John say? “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”
If today it were you, you might not have such great faith. When a king comes before you, you might be very respectful. But John was not like that; he pointed out their problems. This was his faith at that time, but when he entered a negative environment, many people easily lose hope.
Let’s look at a verse from Proverbs, Proverbs 13:12: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.”
When you read this verse, you should understand that this is wisdom from God. If what you hope for is delayed, how will your heart feel? You will worry, right? But look, when the desire comes, is it the same as before? It seems different; this is our Lord. You might want a second-best blessing, but God says, “Wait a little longer; I am enlarging your vessel to give you the best blessing. Just be patient; the precious produce of the earth will ripen, and you will see your barns filled with grain, new wine, and oil.” We say, “No, I just want to eat that wheat that yields two harvests a year.” We really cannot bear it and cannot wait. When we find that the hope deferred makes the heart sick and we do not understand God’s heart, we begin to worry. It is often at this time that people make mistakes.
The Bible has many examples of failures like this. For example, Abraham. God had promised, “From you, a son will be born to be your offspring.” God was very clear, and Abraham received it very clearly. But this child was delayed in coming; did both of them worry? His wife’s cleverness came into play at this time. She said, “You can have a child with my maidservant Hagar, and it will be counted as mine. Isn’t that fulfilling God’s will?” It does not work like that; God’s will and promises are never casually changed. Amen!
Another example is Jacob and Esau. When Rebekah was pregnant, God had already told her: “Two nations are in your womb; the older will serve the younger.” It was very clear, but Rebekah particularly liked Jacob. She thought, “God told me this; I will tell you today.”
Jacob grew day by day and was almost forty years old, yet the promise had not yet been fulfilled. At this moment, both mother and son were anxious, especially Jacob. So he began to deceive his brother out of his birthright and trick his father into giving him the blessing because he could not wait. I know some of you have been praying for something for a long time; some might say, “I have prayed for a year; I cannot wait any longer.” You should know that the more you feel this way, the less you should make decisions casually. Because if you make a mistake, you might really take a long detour. At this time, you still need to pour out your heart before God and accurately know how God leads you. Amen!
If you are currently working and want to change jobs or switch fields, and you have been praying but there is no way forward, what should you do? Besides praying, continue doing your current job. You cannot say, “Since I have heard God speak to me, I will quit this job first and then go.” Sometimes it does not work that way; God’s timing has not yet come. If we walk ahead of God, we will take a detour.
If Abraham had not had Ishmael through Hagar, there would not have been so many years of strife between brothers. This is something we need to understand. Even if you are in weakness or in a low valley, our God is not closing His eyes to you; He is still watching over you. You must believe this. John the Baptist has now gone to prison; does Jesus know him?
Did Jesus deny what John the Baptist had done in the past? He did not mock him, saying, “If you were right, how could you be in this situation today?” Many people mock a pastor, saying, “If you are right, why do you end up like this?” In fact, this is not necessarily what we see.
What we hope for being delayed makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. The second half of this sentence tells you that when God’s promise comes to you, He does not give you just a fruit but a tree of life. From the day you receive it, this tree will continuously bear fruit. From that day on, everything in your life will be resolved, exceeding what you ask or think. In a negative environment, when things do not go as you wish, if you are not careful, your heart will worry. If you let your heart breed negative desires and believe them, doubt will arise. If even someone as faithful as John the Baptist can doubt, how much more so can any of us.
Let me give you another example to show that it is completely normal for us to have doubts and weaknesses. In the Old Testament, there was a man named Elijah, a very great prophet who performed many miracles and once saved a nation. Did such a great person have moments of weakness? Yes. When Queen Jezebel said, “Elijah, I will kill you, or I will not sleep,” Elijah, upon hearing this threat from that cruel woman, ran away. The Elijah who had boldly declared and rebuked four hundred and fifty false prophets was gone; now he was frightened by a woman and ran to the wilderness, saying to God, “God, I do not want to live anymore; take me away.”
I do not know how many people have prayed like this when their prayers were delayed. “Lord, take me away; I do not want to live anymore.” But God does not take someone away just because you ask; it is because your mission is complete.
Although John the Baptist only worked for six months, his mission was already accomplished. Those six months were enough to prove his great achievements. If we place our hope in a person or ourselves, as long as you take your eyes off Jesus and put them on other things, you will become weak and doubt. If you rely on people, when that person does not trust you and betrays you one day, you will fall from grace and no longer believe anyone. In this regard, sisters have more experiences; after being deceived by a man, they decide that there are no good men in the world. Isn’t this the negative emotion in our hearts that breeds doubt?
In fact, at this moment, John the Baptist just wanted to confirm whether Jesus was the Christ. This doubt relates to his personal salvation and his entire ministry. Just like me, when I preach to you, I not only have to receive what I am saying but also be responsible for you. If I irresponsibly preach, saying, “You have received grace, so you do not need to gather; you can burn incense and bow down; it does not matter; you are saved,” I would not only harm myself but also harm you, right? So when I preach to you, I must be responsible.
John the Baptist was a very cautious person. He knew that if he did not clarify this matter, he would not know whether what he had done before was correct. If what he did before was wrong, then all his ministry would be in vain, and he would not have fulfilled the mission God gave him. This was what John the Baptist was most worried about; he feared he was wrong and misled God’s people. When you serve others in the future, you must have this heart, fearing that you might be wrong and bring errors to others. With such a cautious heart before God, He will surely give you clear guidance.
The second point of sharing: Believe in God’s promises, not feelings.
If someone around you is weak and discouraged, how should you comfort them and give them hope? How can you help them stand up again? Let’s see how Jesus did it.
Luke 7:20-23
20 When the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” 21 In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. 22 And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. 23 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me!”
There is a slight difference from the passage we just read. Let’s look back at what was different in the previous passage.
In Matthew 11:1-6, the two disciples came and said, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
But today, in Luke 7:20-23, what is added? At that very hour, it seems that this detail was not mentioned in the previous reading of Matthew. At that moment, when these two disciples came, what was Jesus doing?
Jesus was healing the sick. When the two disciples came, they saw this. At that very hour, Jesus healed many people of diseases and plagues, meaning that when these two came and said, “We are disciples of John the Baptist; my teacher sent us to ask you, ‘Are we waiting for you or for another?’” At that moment, Jesus did not answer anything but continued healing people. After finishing the healing, there was actually a period of time that passed. After His healing ministry was completed, Jesus answered, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard; blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
I think many people have doubts about the Gospel we preach today. Some even say what others say without thinking. Is this not similar to John the Baptist’s situation? If you also come here with this doubt, what should you do? Look at what we are doing, listen to what we are preaching, and see if we are blessing others after the meeting. If so, you should be assured that what you believe is correct; blessed are those who do not stumble because of Him.
If we are not preaching Jesus but something else, you can say we are wrong. If we preach Jesus and it aligns with the Bible, you should be assured of that. This strengthened the faith of those two disciples at that time. Brothers and sisters, this is what Jesus did. Do not rush to defend yourself to others; such words can lead to problems. Just let others see what kind of God you believe in. The most important thing is to live Him out and have a good testimony. Amen!
No matter what others say, your situation has turned around, your family has turned around, your life has turned around, your finances have turned around; what else can others say? Just like now, Jesus healed these people, the afflicted, those possessed by evil spirits, and many blind people received sight; what else could they say? Isn’t this a testimony?
The true word will produce countless testimonies. This is the most basic way to judge whether something is correct or not. Then those two went back to tell John. After they left, Jesus began to speak well of John the Baptist.
Luke 7:24, When the messengers of John had departed, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?”
Is He beginning to evaluate John the Baptist now? This is actually a sarcastic remark. He is saying, “Think back; what did you go out to see when you followed John the Baptist? Did you go to see a reed shaken by the wind?” Who goes into the wilderness to see a reed? Is there anyone who does that?
Do not forget, thousands of people went to John the Baptist to receive his baptism. Did they go to see a reed? Did they go to see what a reed looks like when the wind blows? Of course not! Reeds have been growing in the wilderness for thousands of years; there has never been a time when thousands of people went to see reeds in the wilderness. They went to hear the preaching of this prophet. Amen!
25 Jesus continues, “What then did you go out to see? To see a man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in king's courts.”
They were not going to see these things. Today, what are you here to see? Luxurious church buildings? Flashy pastors? Or to see if there are young people in the church? You are not here to see these things. If you are here to see these things, when these things disappear one day, you will be gone too.
Did John the Baptist wear soft clothing? The Bible says he wore a garment of camel's hair. Do you know what the characteristics of camel's hair clothing are? Real leather, real camel hair clothing soaked in water will emit a disgusting smell. What was John the Baptist doing for those six months? He was baptizing, and the camel hair he wore would emit a smell that people could detect when they got close to him. If that clothing soaked in water for a long time, the smell would be very unpleasant.
If you were looking for someone dressed in soft clothing, someone who sprayed perfume, you would never go to John the Baptist. You were looking for the way of God, right? This is what Jesus wanted to tell them. He ate locusts and wild honey. At that time, the Jews had a characteristic of not shaving their beards, and they might have seen a locust leg stuck in his beard when they walked by him…
If you were looking for a well-dressed preacher, you would definitely not look for John the Baptist. But so many people went because of the word that came out of John the Baptist’s mouth. Amen! From a human perspective, there was nothing appealing about him, but the word inside him was powerful. Thank and praise the Lord! So Jesus asked them, “What was it that attracted you to him?” Then Jesus said, “Did you go out to see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.”
Let’s look at Jesus’ evaluation in Luke 7:28. “I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
Previously, those disciples who followed John the Baptist all ran to Jesus. Now Jesus began to talk about John the Baptist, saying, “I tell you, John the Baptist holds a very significant place in my heart.” Jesus’ evaluation of him is that “among those born of women none is greater than John.” This means that at this moment, Jesus has a great influence in this country, but He is evaluating another person: “He is the greatest prophet in the world.” This evaluation might be greater than that of Moses, Elijah, Elisha, David, or even Abraham. Although those people were all prophets and great figures, Jesus’ evaluation of John the Baptist is that “among those born of women none is greater than John.”
In your hearts, who do you think is the greatest prophet? Is it Elijah or Elisha? Why do some people think they are greater? Because you think they performed many miracles and were able to lead people back to the right path in their time, performing many miracles. Isn’t their ability the greatest?
Jesus’ evaluation of them should be the highest, right? But it is not, brothers and sisters, do not focus on miracles or how great a ministry is; Jesus looks at our hearts. When everything is lost, can you still believe that He is your God, that He loves you, protects you, and has never abandoned you? This is the key.
The Bible does not record any great miracles performed by John the Baptist, yet now Jesus says he is the greatest prophet. Brothers and sisters, if we focus on a particular influential person, someone with power, someone whom the world thinks is amazing, should we praise him through all the media while he is present? For example, if I want to praise someone today, and that person is present, I would praise him to the skies; wouldn’t that person be the happiest?
Jesus did not do this. Let me ask you a question: Why did Jesus not say this when those two disciples were present? If He had said this, how much faith and joy would those two disciples have had! They would have gone back saying, “Just now, Jesus said you are the greatest prophet.” Shouldn’t this statement have been told to John the Baptist? Have you ever thought about why He did not say it?
Afterward, this is so important! You went out into the wilderness to see what? Not for anything else, but to hear John the Baptist; he was so great that no one was greater than him! He should have told those two disciples this while they were there, but now that they have left, He speaks of John the Baptist, and John cannot hear it!
Now I will explain this to you. It seems that Jesus missed the opportunity; it seems that Jesus should have said these words while those two disciples were present. This way, when John the Baptist hears it, his heart would be filled with passion, and he would die without regrets. But He did not; after they left, Jesus spoke highly of John the Baptist.
Brothers and sisters, those praises make people feel good, but if you stop there, you are only staying at the level of feelings. Because He respects John the Baptist so much, He does not want to build John the Baptist’s faith on an emotional level. He praises John the Baptist for an hour and then lets him die; this is what we humans do. Jesus never does these things. When you come to listen to the word, I do not hope that you come because of a good relationship with me; that is useless. When you encounter problems, you will throw me aside, or when I disappoint you, you will leave immediately. Do not let our relationship remain at the level of feelings. I often say things that give you goosebumps, and you feel good, but that does not necessarily benefit you.
He gave the words to John the Baptist: “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” Now Jesus is telling John what He is doing: “Didn’t you prepare the way for me? Your way has been prepared; I am continuing to walk on the path you laid before me. Now I have told you the results of this work; you are correct. What you did before was not meaningless; do not be discouraged. You are walking in God’s will.” Hallelujah! He pointed John the Baptist to a prophecy, and it was this prophecy that called John the Baptist into his mission. John the Baptist also knew the calling God gave him, so Jesus used the truth to resolve John the Baptist’s doubts.
My role is that of a teacher, so I am willing to do the teaching work. I hope that when you encounter problems, I can use the truth to help you resolve them, rather than saying, “It’s okay; just endure a little longer, and it will pass.” Many people endure a little longer and never wake up again. We do not comfort you like that; I am telling you that in the truth, that is enough.
Whether you are in trouble or in blessings, on the mountain or in the valley, I tell you, God has never left you. Does that give you faith? So how did Jesus resolve John the Baptist’s doubts? He let him know that faith comes from hearing, and hearing comes from the word of Christ. When John the Baptist’s two disciples brought these words to him, what he received was not emotional comfort but the assurance that his path was correct. Amen!
If you know your path is correct and that there are abundant rewards prepared for you ahead, will you still be afraid of the pit in front of you? The fear comes from not knowing whether this path is correct. Even if the path ahead is flat, you will not dare to walk it. So I am telling you, your path today is correct.
Let me give you an example. If there are two doors in front of you, one door is called the word, and the other door is called feelings. If you are feeling discouraged, which door will most people enter? Feelings; they will definitely not go into the word. So when people are weak, they say they do not want to gather, do not want to read the Bible, and do not want to pray. Isn’t that putting God’s word aside? They begin to believe their feelings. Most people, when they are weak, will walk through the door of feelings. I am not telling everyone to ignore feelings; I am telling everyone not to focus on feelings more than God’s word. Many people want to feel better, but that is just self-comfort.
For example, we particularly hope for more praise from others, but do you know? This feeling comes quickly and goes quickly. Jesus deeply understands this principle. When He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, what was the attitude of the people toward Him? The cheers were truly overwhelming, louder than anything, even more than John the Baptist’s. At that time, the people laid their clothes and palm branches on the ground; that was the highest level of welcome. But not long after, the same crowd shouted, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him! We have no king; our king is Caesar. This man is a fraud; kill Him.” If you believe in feelings and the praises of people, at this moment, you will fall into an ice hole! Why is Jesus not affected by these fluctuations? Because He knows what His mission is, He knows why God sent Him, and whether you praise Him or curse Him, He still loves you.
Whether you are in a high position or quietly abandoned by society, He still loves you. This is the God you believe in. Hallelujah! Build your faith on God’s word; do not build it on feelings. If we build our lives on God’s word, you can see through His evaluation of John. He said he is the greatest prophet in the world, respecting what John the Baptist did in the past. He does not want to give him something that feels good. If you give him something that feels good, he may feel temporarily relieved, but after a while, he will still feel discouraged. Through what Jesus did, John the Baptist understood that his path was correct.
But most of us think, “I would rather He say some good words to me to make me feel better; I do not want to hear the truth. I do not like to hear the truth.” Isn’t this the current situation in the world? People would rather believe lies than hear the truth. Perhaps after those two went back to tell John, John was turning it over and over in his mind, thinking, “What does it mean to tell me what you have done? What kind of answer is that? The answer I want should be yes or no.”
How many people come to me and say, “Teacher Ren, just tell me if I can do this. Qingming Festival is coming soon; tell me if I can go to the grave and kneel there?” They particularly want to get an answer, whether it is yes or no, just like today when John the Baptist’s disciples told him, “Should we wait for you, yes or no?” Did Jesus answer yes or no? No, Jesus said, “Tell him what I have done.”
What I am telling you today is, it is not about whether you can or cannot; it is about whether you are willing. Are you willing to do these things? If you are not willing, then do not do them. If you are willing, then you are not doing what the world does; they kneel to seek blessings from their ancestors, but that is not your purpose. Do you understand?
So this is Jesus’ answer; He hopes he returns to the truth. In the end, John the Baptist understood: “I understand; Jesus is telling me the results of His current ministry to remind me of the ministry I did in the past. We are very similar; He is now leading the tide of this era, and I was the one who prepared the way for Him, doing all this for Him.”
The Holy Spirit had also spoken such words to him, so he believed Jesus was the Messiah, not based on what Jesus told him or any comfort or promise Jesus gave him, but because he saw what Jesus was doing now was exactly the fruit he had been expecting. Amen!
At this moment, John the Baptist finally placed his faith on God’s promises, not on feelings or emotions. So when he understood this, John the Baptist was completely at ease. You must know that when a person has strength inside, the suffering they endure outside is nothing. Amen! I also believe that when he understood this, when King Herod sent people to behead him, he could go to meet the Lord peacefully because he was relying not on feelings and no longer doubted. Amen!
I also believe that when you build your faith on God’s word, these troubles and problems will be nothing. Hallelujah! The faith produced by God’s word can keep you in various environments and allow you to pass through peacefully.
Hebrews 6:10-15
10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” 15 And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise.
God did not tell Abraham, “Just wait a little longer; it will come soon. In twenty years, I will give it to you.” If He had said that, Abraham would have fallen. Every time he was weak, God reminded him, “Do you remember what I told you? Do you remember the promise I gave you?”
So today I hope everyone remembers God’s promises in your weakness. Those promises never change, just like God’s promises to Abraham; His promises do not change. God is not unjust and has not forgotten the suffering you have endured or the work you have done. Hallelujah! Just do well in your current work and service, showing all diligence, and have a hopeful expectation, believing that God will not overlook you. Everything you do in Christ is not in vain; you must have this hope to inherit God’s promises. Amen!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! Thank You for bringing us such words today to comfort and encourage us. We will not stumble because of people’s evaluations. We are willing to stand strong on the words of Christ. You said that blessed are those who do not stumble because of Jesus. I know Jesus will not disappoint me; in Him, we will not be ashamed. He will always prepare the best for me.
In this new week, I will live with Your faith. I am blessed and a blessed person, just like Abraham. God has not forgotten the environment I am in now, nor has He forgotten everything I do. I believe He will arrange the best for me and will leave me with abundant rewards in the future. Thank and praise You! In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!