Day 63: Graded on a Curve

“This is my servant; I strengthen him, this is my chosen one; I delight in him. I have put my Spirit on him; he will bring justice to the nations. He will not cry out or shout or make his voice heard in the streets. He will not break a bruised reed, and he will not put out a smoldering wick; he will faithfully bring justice.” Isaiah 42:1–3

Luke’s narrative describes John the Baptist as Jesus’ second cousin. Why? Because Johnny B’s mom was Elizabeth, who was Mary’s first cousin. And they weren’t just relatives, they were the oldest of friends because they met before they were even born and Johnny B was apparently so excited by the encounter, he jumped up and down in Elizabeth’s pregnant belly and gave her terrible indigestion (Luke 1:39–44). It may even be technically correct to say the Gospel was first legitimized when Liz took a Tums. But I digress.

Anyway, Jesus and John the Baptist surely climbed jungle gyms together when they were young and their moms were chatting over coffee, but they didn’t see much of each other during their teens and twenties because John moved out to the Judean desert after being orphaned by his elderly parents—Zechariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1:80).

While Jesus was growing up in a noisy household with two loving parents and a gaggle of brothers and sisters, John came of age in the austere silence of the wilderness. While Jesus conversed with Rabbis and celebrated religious festivals, John fasted and prayed in solitude. And the older they got, the odder John seemed to get. Not only did he abstain from socializing and alcohol (dutifully following the instructions an angel gave his dad before he was born; Luke 1:5–25), but he began wearing putrid animal skins and eating bugs and honey. Then things got even weirder when John the Baptist offended the king’s trashy new wife, who was formerly wed to the king’s half-brother, and got thrown into the slammer (Matt. 14:1–4)!

And while he was incarcerated, the disparity between he and Jesus threatened to become an impassible divide: Now when John heard in prison what the Christ was doing, he sent a message through his disciples and asked him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matt. 11:2–3).

In other words, John was asking Jesus, “Are You really the Messiah? I mean, good night, Cuz, here I’ve been slaving away in the desert without wine, women, or Netflix, and You’re going to parties, hanging out with drunks at happy hour, and telling people to love those who persecute them? I don’t get it.”

It’s understandable that John started getting suspicious if Jesus really was the Lamb of God like he had once declared Him to be. It makes sense that his dedication wavered. I mean he was wasting away in jail, and the circumstances at the time didn’t quite look like this Messiah knew what He doing. Sure, I get the moment of unbelief. But still. Don’t you think this guy should’ve at least been reprimanded for doubting the divinity of the Christ? Wouldn’t you expect at least one of those “Oh you of little faith!” statements to fly out of Jesus’ mouth right about this time? I know, me too. Thankfully for Johnny B—and for us!—our Creator-Redeemer is slow to anger and rich in compassion (Ps. 145:8). Instead of condemning His cousin for getting weary on his walk of faith, our Savior sent a very encouraging personal message regarding fulfilled prophecy, then essentially grabbed a megaphone, began a “Johnny B” cheer, and incited the crowd to do the wave in his honor:

Jesus told them, “Go back and tell John what’s going on:

The blind see, The lame walk, Lepers are cleansed, The deaf hear, The dead are raised, The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.

“Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves most blessed!”

When John’s disciples left to report, Jesus started talking to the crowd about John. “What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A prophet? That’s right, a prophet! Probably the best prophet you’ll ever hear. He is the prophet that Malachi announced when he wrote, ‘I’m sending my prophet ahead of you, to make the road smooth for you.’” (Matt. 11:4–10 msg)

• How has God given you a figurative high-five when you deserved a time-out?
• In moments of doubt or suspicion, how has Jesus helped you remember that He really is all that the Bible says He is?
• How does Jesus’ demeanor toward John encourage you as you face wilderness seasons of your own?