Today, the word of God given to us is from Matthew 11:2-6 and Matthew 14:1-12. I will read from Matthew 11:2 to 6.
When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” Amen.
John the Baptist was the one who prepared the way for Jesus. He proclaimed repentance in the wilderness and declared, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." He also confessed, "He must become greater; I must become less," directing people's attention away from himself and toward Jesus. However, the end of John's life was far from what we might have expected. He was imprisoned for rebuking Herod, the wicked king. Although he heard about the works Jesus was doing while in prison, the judgment he anticipated did not occur, and the prison doors did not open. The reality before him was so different from what he had believed and waited for that questions and turmoil arose in John's heart. Thus, he sent his disciples to Jesus to ask, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?" Jesus answered John's question and acknowledged him as a great prophet before the people. Jesus himself recognized that there was no one greater than John among those born of women. Yet, the doors of John's prison did not open. Ultimately, we see through the Scriptures that he was killed in a very futile manner at Herod's birthday feast.
