15th December 2019 – What do you see and hear?

December 20, 2019 Pastor Matt Bishop

In today’s Gospel John the Baptist wonders, in effect, if Jesus is really THE Messiah. This is certainly a surprise. Did John the Baptist not leap in his mother’s womb when Mary the mother of Jesus came near? (Luke 1:41). And in John’s Gospel, John the Baptist testifies he is the Messiah and ends prophetically with these words: ’He must increase; I must decrease’ (see John 3:30 within the larger context of John 3:23-30 and John 1:19-37). Part of this might be the different emphasis and witnesses of each Gospel writer. We don’t have to explain it or reason it though in the sense that, regardless, it’s of insurmountable worth simply to focus on Jesus’ answer to John’s question about his Messianic identity, “Go back and report to John what you see and hear…” (Matthew 11:4). I’ll leave it for you to look up what follows. But in essence, Jesus wants us to know the importance of keeping on looking at what he has done and what he has said. This is how God brings us to a saving faith in Jesus. This is because that is how the Spirit works to bring faith in God (‘For the one whom God has sent speaks words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit’ John 3:34, NIV). So… how do you answer what Jesus has done for you and said to you?