The Prophet and the Messiah; Luke 7:18-23

Delivered during the Sunday morning worship service, 7/24/2022. As Luke continues to describe the Galilean ministry of Jesus, the major theme of the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth is continually evident. But a close observer might question the way Jesus is going about it. After all, the prophets spoke of His power and judgment on the wicked and a Kingdom that knows no end. But Jesus seems to be focused on a small number of disciples, associating with people of suspect morals, opposing the traditions of the Jews, and healing and ministering primarily to the poor. How will He create a mighty Kingdom with these methods? One such close observer was John the Baptist, the one who came to prepare the way for the Lord. But as he was languishing in prison, he began to doubt that Jesus could be the Christ because He was not fitting into the mold both he and his culture had created for the Messiah. We will analyze John's confusion and find that many of the same factors that led to his doubt are plaguing and indeed crippling the church today. We will discover that the problem is not in Jesus, but in our own inability to comprehend Him as the divine Son of God-- infinite in both compassion and holiness. Ultimately Jesus will reveal the solution to this dilemma for all who have eyes to see and ears to hear, with a powerful lesson for both John the Baptist and the church today-- as the last of the Old Testament prophets comes to know the true Messiah of Scripture.