Yes, Jesus is the Messiah
Sermon December 14, 2025, Matthew 11:2-11
Yes, Jesus is the Messiah
Reverend Fred Okello
There was a time in my life when I was so scared that I couldn't find answers to my questions. My father died when I was just twelve. Death came again, thirteen years later, and took my mother. She was the woman I had known my whole life, my anchor, and my comfort. I didn't have the strength or the knowledge of the Bible to understand death, suffering, or God's plan.
At the very least, my mother's death was the worst thing that ever happened to me. I doubted everything. I had doubts about faith. I asked God questions. What could be the reason for this? Where is God? And maybe the hardest part was that no one could help me. I was the middle child in my family, and at that time, I was the only one who still believed in God. I carried my sadness quietly, and my faith felt weak.
Now that I think about it, I realize that asking questions didn't mean I had lost my faith. It meant that my faith was hurt, and I was looking for hope.
That is where the Bible for today meets us. In Matthew 11:2-11, we find John the Baptist not shouting in the wilderness or baptizing crowds, but sitting in jail. From his prison cell, John sends a message to Jesus with a question that sounds all too familiar: "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?"
John the Baptist was not a typical believer. He was a prophet. He was loyal. "Behold, the Lamb of God," he had said, pointing people directly to Jesus. But now he's in jail, paying for what God told him to do.
Pain can shake even the strongest faith. Questions start to come up when reality doesn't match what we thought it would be. John thought that the Messiah would come quickly and bring judgment and justice. He was instead left alone in a cell.
Doubt is not always a sign of rebellion, Church. When faithful people are in situations that are too much for them to handle, they may start to doubt. John doesn't turn away from Jesus; instead, he asks Him a question.
Jesus doesn't tell John off. He doesn't say, "How dare you doubt?" Instead, He shows proof of God's work: The blind can see, the lame walk, people with leprosy are healed, the deaf can hear, the dead come back to life, and the poor hear good news.
Jesus tells John to look back at what the Bible says. In other words, "Even if things aren't going the way you thought they would, look at what God is doing." Life and ministry are about what is being done. If it is about how we feel and about how we want it, it will keep hurting us!
Jesus says, "Anyone who doesn't stumble because of me is blessed." Faith is blessed when it persists, even when God's plan diverges from our expectations.
Jesus defends John's character to the crowd after John's followers leave. He tells them again that John was not weak, unstable, or selfish. He was the messenger that God chose to prepare the way.
The good news reminds us that times of doubt, fear, or confusion don't take away our faith or our calling. God doesn't define us by our weakest times; He defines us by His grace and our overall faithfulness. This truth makes our church a better place to be, where people don't have to pretend to be strong all the time, where questions are welcome, and where wounded believers are cared for instead of ignored. Knowing that Jesus believes in John even when he has doubts gives us confidence that Christ is still working among flawed people and that His church is built on grace-filled with trust in Him, not perfect faith.
Church, when life doesn't make sense...When you can't handle your grief...When faith seems weak... Ask Jesus your questions. They don't scare him. He is the person you are looking for.