Is Jesus the Messiah? Is He the One?
When life leaves us questioning where God is and whether He will come through, we may find ourselves asking, “Is Jesus the Messiah, the One we have been waiting for?”
This morning I was meditating on the Scripture in Matthew 11:2–5:
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.”
Is Jesus the Messiah, the One We Need?
Is He the One? THE One? That is the question that so many have been asking over the centuries. Is He THE One who will:
Save my marriage?
Take away my pain?
My drug addiction?
My sense of unworthiness?
When John the Baptist Questioned Jesus
John the Baptist was thrown into prison. Read the story of how he got there (Mark 6:14–20). And now he is discouraged, feeling defeated perhaps and wondering.
He remembers baptizing Jesus and seeing the dove rest on Him. He remembers that he was told that the One on whom the dove would rest would be the Messiah, and yet here he is in prison. He had waited so long and hoped that it was He.
We all find ourselves in seasons of feeling imprisoned by our losses, our sorrows, our disappointments. Seasons that teach us that we aren’t really in control of our lives, and in the midst of it all, it’s easy to forget.
John questioned because, for a moment, his presumed discouragement in prison caused him to wonder if Jesus was really the long awaited Messiah. Jesus answered him by describing the miraculous things He was doing as well as the power of the Gospel being released into the world. He assured them that the testimony of these things pointed to Him as the Messiah.
We Need a Genuine Messiah
We need a Messiah and not just a wanna-be-Messiah (there are plenty of those), but a genuine Messiah, Son of God who performed miracles, declared God’s Word and sent His Holy Spirit so that we could do the same.
So, I have a question for you. Do you find yourself asking: Is He THE One?
Years ago, raising teenagers, I asked myself this question. I remember raising my fist up and saying: “If You are not THE One I am helpless.” I even went one step further and said I will believe when I see.
Yet God spoke to my heart that day. “No, Joanne, you will believe, and then you will see.”
Not what I wanted to hear, and it’s not what our world wants to hear. We are sophisticated, educated, and we want facts. Nothing wrong with that unless you are searching for the ONE Messiah.
Jesus Proved He Was the Messiah by Serving
In our quest, we may find counterfeit demi-gods, cultural gods, power, prestige, self-serving… but when we find the ONE… ahhhh… everything changes.
We find the suffering servant who washed His disciples’ feet and went to the cross to save us. We find a humble servant who did not want to be crowned a king and was given a crown of thorns instead. He struck out in ministry to serve, and He proved that He was the Messiah by serving.
If you are seeking to know Jesus more deeply, explore our Drawing Near to God Bible studies for biblical teaching and encouragement.
Is Jesus the Messiah? The Question We Must Face
Is Jesus the Messiah? Is He THE ONE? That is the question we all must face. That is the question that will determine whether or not you are able to walk in the same manner as He did.
Joanne
