What I Learned in Church Today

Crossroads is doing a sojourn through the New Testament in 2009.  We are currently traveling through Matthew (duh! It’s only January).  Today, Mark taught about how John the Baptist was a forerunner to Jesus; which fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 40:3.  In Matthew 11 we find John the Baptist in a fortified jail in Machaerus (present day Jordan).  John sends two of his disciples to Jesus to find out if Jesus is truly the one and if so will he do something miraculous to get John out of prison.  Jesus responds:

“Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 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.”

This response is amazing…and this is why.  Jesus is quoting verses out of Isaiah; Isaiah 35:4-6 and Isaiah 61:1.  John who probably has the Book of Isaiah memorized would have understood what Jesus was saying to him.

Isaiah 35:4-6 – The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the deaf hear

Isaiah 61:1 – the good news is preached to the poor.

Isaiah 61 also says proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners

John is a prisoner, but Jesus eliminates this part of Isaiah from His response, because he knows John will never leave Machaerus alive.  Jesus knows a few days/weeks/months later that John is going to be beheaded.  Jesus leaves John with hope because he “the dead are raised” to His response and then encourages John with His final statement “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”

Present day Machaerus pictured below.

Maybe you’re in your own Machaerus and you are waiting for God to do something miraculous.  Know this – Jesus is hope!  He releases you from whatever it is that is imprisoning you.  He frees the captives and releases us from the ever present darkness.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Jesus Christ