2 Jesus himself, also, "departed to teach and to preach in their cities." So great were the works, that John hearH of them In prison. II. JOHN'S EMBASSY. 1. His messengers. "He sent two of his disciples." The Lord's prisoner (Eph. 3:1) was not quite forsaken. His friends could visit him with the news, and run his errands. They were not ashamed of his chains, but sought him out (1 Tim. 1:16, 17). Thank God for faithful friends, the brother "born for adversity" (Pro. 17:17). They shall have their reward (Mat. 25:34-36). 2. His questions. "Art thou He that should come, or look we for another." The prophets foretold a "seed" (Gen. 3 : 1 5 ); a "Prophet" (Deut. 18:18); a "S t a r" and "Scepter" (Num. 24 : 17 ); a "S'on" (Isa. 9 : 6 ); a "Deliverer" (Rom. 11:26), to come. John had said Jesus was He. B\it if so where was the redemption? why was the faithful wit- ness languishing in prison, while Herod whetted his sword to kill him? 3 Pres- ent questions. Such questions are urged today. Twenty centuries have gone; the kingdom has not come. Truth is still on the scaffold, Error is ascendant. 4 Did John doubt? Most say that he did. We cannot agree. He must have known the incidents of his own and Jesus' birth (Lk. 1-2). Gabriel had an- nounced John's mission as the forerun- ner of the One to come. He could not have forgotten the Dove and the Voice (Mat. 3:16, 17). He had borne wit- ness. What would that witness be worth, the witness himself being in doubt? But his disciples doubted. They saw their master in prison, and told him their doubtts of a Messiah who left him there. John sent them to Jesus. II. JESUS' ANSWER. 1. His miracles. He put in evidence His deeds of might and mercy. Not that miracles certified His Christhood. Other prophets worked miracles. But (1) they were predicted of the Christ (Isa. 35) ; (2) they certified His claims. He claimed to be the One to come. Works of supernatural power and pity sealed His claims. 2. His preaching. His words of grace are co-convincing with His works of power. "The poor have the gospel preached to therii," lit- erally "the poor are evangelized." This has three possible and, therefore, three actual meanings: (1) They "have the gospel preached to them." A more re- markable fact than at first appears. At that time great teachers ignored the
poor. Even some Jewish Rabbis said that God hated them, and put the pov- erty of the poor in evidence. Jesus taught the poor, and His sweetest in- vitations were addressed to them (Mat. 11:25-30). Blessed be His name. (2) We may read, "The poor hear the gos- pel." They listen to it, and understand. To comprehend the wisdom of the world was not possible to them. Therefore there was a mutual aversion between the philosophers and the poor. But Jesus' wisdom babes understood, while "ignorant and unlearned men" (Acts 4:13) apprehend, appreciate, and weigh it. "The tongue of the learned" (Isa. 50:4) is not always that of the man of letters, which are often "a weari- ness of the flesh" (Ecc. 12:12.) That learning is vain which has no word for "him that is weary" (Isa. 50:4). But the perfect has both kinds of learning. (3) Best of all we may read: "The poor are evangelised," the gospel is preached to, heard and heeded, by them. Poor men first received it; poor men first preached it; poor men have ever best practiced it. Yet men rich in lore and lucre, but poor in spirit may share the riches of the poor man's gospel. III. TO MODERN DOUBTERS. 1. It is He. Do you ask, "Art thou He that should come, or look we for another?" If Jesus is not "He," "He" will never come. A famous infidel has said, "Whatsoever may be the surprises of the future, Jesus will never be sur- passed." And another, "Higher has human thought not reached." The Perfect has appeared, there is nothing beyond. No wiser, no holier, no might- ier, no meeker, can be imagined; no sweeter Name, no more gracious mes- sage or simpler holier way can ravish our hearts and enrich our lives. 2. It is He. Go, friend, show thy soul that "the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor a re evangelized." Though all this were Spiritual, it is more evidential than the literal, and is the assurance of that too, in due time. 3. It is He. If you still doubt go and ask HIM; and "blessed is he who shall not be offended," who shall not like John's disciples stumble over the ways of Providence, and a hope de- ferred. It is He, wait for Him (Heb. 10:37), though you sit in chains, you are not fbrgotten. IV. JESUS HONORS JOHN. "Wh at 'went ye out for to see?" 1. John was (1) no reed, "tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind"
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker