Luke 7:16-25

Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country. - Luke 7:16-17 ESV

The report of Jesus spread. In those days, you couldn't deny that Jesus was working miracles. Too many of those miracles were walking around. They couldn't deny His power. They could only reject His teaching. The world may be some time removed from when Jesus walked the earth, but they can still only reject His teaching. They can't deny the joy and peace Christians can feel in some of the most troubled times. They can't deny His power, they can only reject the thought of Him having that power.

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The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” - Luke 7:18-20 - ESV

At this time, John has been imprisoned. It's very possibly that John thought that Jesus would be coming to free him and set up the kingdom here on the earth. Earlier in Luke, John says "'Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Luke 3:9 ESV) John, like others, may have believed that the coming Messiah would set up a kingdom on this earth immediately. And so, presented with Jesus not moving the way John may have expected, he asks a simple question: Are you the Christ?

We should remember that John came before Jesus and pronounced His coming. He identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God, Who came to take away the sins of the world. He fully believed Jesus was the coming Messiah. Now, presented with a dilemma, John may be wondering whether he had been incorrect. But we see Jesus reassuring him in the next section.

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In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. - Luke 7:21-22 ESV

Jesus presents John and his messengers with His proofs; the dead are raised, the deaf hear, the blind see, the good news is preached. Cleansing, healing, walking, hearing, vision, life. The works that were foretold in the Old Testament as signs of the Messiah were being fulfilled. Jesus is telling John, in a way John would understand and be able to back up with Scripture, "I AM the One you are looking for."

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And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” - Luke 7:23 ESV

Those who ware not offended by Jesus = blessed. Those who are not offended because He didn't come how they thought He would or how they would've liked Him to come. Those who trust in God's plan, not their own plans.

When Jesus came, He didn't come how many people expected the Messiah to come. He didn't kick out Rome and set up an earthly throne to rule the world. Instead, He came as a suffering servant. He died on a cross. And He rose again from the dead. He kicked out the real problem for all people; sin. He kicked out sin and death and took up a Heavenly throne. He became our Great High Priest, so that whenever Satan points out a fault in us, Jesus says "they're one of Mine, and I bought and paid for them."

That doesn't mean we can go on sinning as we please. Paul made that abundantly clear (see Romans 6:1-2, 12-14, 15-16). If Jesus is our Lord, we should be obedient to Him and not the sinful desires of the flesh. There will still be remaining sin, and our past sins will still come to mind throughout our lives. But there shouldn't be reigning sin. Sin shouldn't be what's reigning in your life. Tripping, stumbling, slipping, all that comes with life because we're still in sinful bodies. Sin still exists all around us and within us. Until things are made new, sin will exist, even in us. Trust in Jesus and the finished work on the cross and let Him reign in your life, not the sin He saved you from.

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When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. - Luke 7:24-25 ESV

John didn't shake or waver when faced with opposition from rulers, authority, or leaders. He preached what he was sent to preach. Likewise, John wasn't someone removed from the people, separated by luxury. One could say he was roughing it. When people came to see John, they didn't come to see a wavering man who couldn't be trusted or a man of wealth who couldn't relate to the people. So who did they come to see? Cont.