John the Baptist, of all people, begins to wonder if Jesus is really the Messiah and Jesus’ answer may surprise us. In this episode on Matthew 11:1–6, we look at John’s question from prison, the expectations he carried from the Old Testament, and how Jesus responds by pointing not to a simple “yes,” but to his works, his teaching, and a very different kind of kingdom timetable.In this week’s episode, we explore:How Matthew shifts from Jesus’ instructions to the Twelve (chapter 10) to stories that reveal different responses to himWhy John the Baptist, who once boldly proclaimed Jesus as “the Lamb of God,” now sends messengers to ask, “Are you the one who is to come?”The background of John’s ministry as the herald of Isaiah 40—the voice preparing the way for the LordWhat John likely expected the Messiah to do: wield the axe, swing the winnowing fork, judge evildoers, and establish visible righteousness nowHow John’s imprisonment under Herod and the apparent success of wicked rulers could shake his understanding of Jesus’ missionWhy Jesus answers John by pointing to his miracles—the blind seeing, the lame walking, the deaf hearing, the dead raised—and how these echo Isaiah 35How these acts of healing are both signs of God’s approval and symbolic previews of the full restoration the Messiah will one day bringThe connection between Jesus’ proclamation of good news to the poor and the Messianic mission described in Isaiah 61 and Luke 4What Jesus means when he says, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me,” and how he himself becomes a stumbling stone for mistaken expectationsThe tension between the first and second comings of Christ: why judgment and triumph are promised, but not yet fully realizedHow John’s need to adjust his expectations invites us to examine our own hopes for what we want Jesus to “fix” in this lifeAfter listening, you’ll come away with a more grounded understanding of why even John the Baptist wrestled with Jesus’ unexpected way of being Messiah—and why Jesus points us to what he is doing rather than what he hasn’t yet done. You’ll be encouraged to trust Christ when your circumstances don’t change, to read his miracles and teaching as God’s confirmation of his identity, and to keep walking in faith, confident that the same Messiah who did not spare John’s life will one day bring complete justice, healing, and life in his kingdom.Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity launches January 9. Pre-order your copy now or buy it on launch day. Visit StartStrongBook.org for more details.   Support the show

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