Have you heard this saying: "Two men looked out from prison bars, one saw the mud and one saw the stars"? Our story today takes us on a visit to a prison. Let us find out what the prisoner is wanting to see from behind his prison bars, and we can learn a very important lesson from him.
John had been a faithful messenger announcing the coming of the Christ. Fearlessly he had preached about the Holy and Just God's terrible anger against sin
1*.
and the necessity of trusting in Jesus as the Saviour and Messiah God had promised He would send.
2*.
But among those foolish enough not to want to hear about or believe in God's judgment on sin was king Herod. He had John thrown into prison for preaching against the king's sinful ways!
While John was in prison his disciples came to him and told him about all the things Jesus was doing.
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"Calling two of them He sent them to the Lord to ask; `Are You the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?'" From his prison bars it was easy for John just to see the "mud" - just to see the horrible mess he had ended up in because of his belief that Jesus was the Messiah! This left him wondering if Jesus really was the Saviour and Deliverer John had announced Him to be!
Maybe you have a similar problem today. Perhaps you know someone who has put their trust in Jesus as Saviour and Lord and because of this have faced many problems and persecutions.
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Or you wonder why so few people believe that Jesus is the only Priest God wants us to have.
5*.
Jesus warned His followers to expect these very things!
4*.
Jesus was not annoyed at John's check-up on Him. He said, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of Me."
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When John would think about all this evidence of the great love and power of Jesus he would be left without any doubt that this was indeed the promised Messiah, doing all the things that the prophets had said He would do.
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No one has any excuse for falling away from believing that Jesus truly is the Son of God and the only Saviour of the world.
8*.
Now John could focus his mind, not on the "mud" and discomfort of his surroundings, but on the One whom he had trusted to be his Saviour, the true Messiah God had sent. At that time John would not have realized that soon the evil Herod would order his execution, and he would exchange that prison cell for his place in Heaven!
9*.
Be careful that you don't focus on the problems Christians have instead of putting your whole trust in the love and power of Jesus to be your very own Saviour.
Read in Luke chapter 7, verses 18-23, of John wanting to be very sure his faith was in the true Messiah.
Bye for now,
John Nixon, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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Bible quotations from N.I.V.
1 Psalm 5:4-6. 7:11.
2 John 1:29.
3 Matthew 14:3-5.
4 John 15:18-25. 16:33.
5 Acts 4:12. Matthew 7:13-14.
6 Luke 7:22-23.
7 Isaiah 35:5-6. 61:1-2. 53:4-6.
8 John 20:29-31. 5:33-47.
9 Mark 6:17-29.
