43. John the Baptist did (John 1:32-33) or did not (Matthew 11:2) recognize Jesus after his baptism?

(Category: misread the text)

In the passage of John 1:29-36 it is abundantly clear that John recognised Jesus. We should have no doubt at all about this.

Matthew 11:2 takes place later on, and many things have happened in the interum. John's original knowledge of Jesus was limited and it seems that subsequent events had disillusioned him somewhat. He did not know exactly what form Jesus' ministry would take. We are told from Matthew 3:11,12 some of what John knew: "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire." This is the classic portrayal of the Messiah as the conquering king who would bring God's judgement on all those who reject him, bringing peace and justice to those who follow him. John obviously understood this.

However, the Messiah was also portrayed in the scriptures as a suffering servant who would suffer on behalf of God's people. This is shown clearly in Isaiah 53, especially verse 12: "For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors". John also understood this, as shown by his statement in John 1:29: *"Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

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• What was sometimes not so well understood was how the two portrayals of the Messiah interacted. Many thought that the Messiah would bring his terrible judgement as soon as he came. In fact, this will occur when he returns again (his return is alluded to in Acts 1:11, for example). Some were confused, therefore, by Jesus' reluctance to act as a military leader and release the nation of Israel from Roman oppression at that time.

This confusion is illustrated by Luke 24:13-33, where Jesus spoke with two of his followers on the road to Emmaus after his resurrection. They were initially kept from recognising him (v.16). They told him how they "had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel" (v.21). They were correct in this hope, but failed to understand the first stage in God's redemptive process. Jesus corrected their misunderstanding in v. 25,26: "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" (emphasis added)

It is most likely that a similar misunderstanding prompted John's question in Matthew 11:2. Despite having been so sure of Jesus' identity as the Messiah of Israel, further events had clouded his certainty. After expecting Jesus to oust the Romans and restore the kingdom of Israel as in the days of king David, instead he had seen Jesus 'teach and preach in the towns of Galilee' (Matthew 11:1), with no mention of a military campaign. John surely wondered what had gone wrong: had he misunderstood the Messiah's role, or perhaps he had made a bigger mistake in thinking Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus' answer in Matthew 11:4-6 makes it clear:

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• "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."

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• These activities were Messianic prerogatives, as foretold by Isaiah 29:18; 35:5,6; 61:1-3. Although John's disillusionment was a natural human reaction, he had been right the first time. Jesus ended his reply with an exhortation to John not to give up hope. The Messiah was here without a doubt and all would be revealed in its proper time.

# John the Baptist's Inquiry: Did He Doubt Jesus was the Messiah?

The Question from Prison

Early in his ministry, John the Baptist boldly proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah, saying, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). He even pointed his own disciples to follow Jesus. However, later, while imprisoned, John sent his disciples to ask Jesus a startling question:

> "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" (Matthew 11:3; Luke 7:19)

Some perceive this as a contradiction or a profound lapse in John's faith. Did the greatest among prophets lose his faith while in the dungeon?

For the Sake of His Disciples

Historic Christian theology maintains that John the Baptist did not doubt Christ's identity. Instead, John sent his disciples to ask this question for their own sake.

John’s disciples were fiercely loyal to him and had previously expressed jealousy over Jesus' growing popularity (John 3:26). John knew his death was imminent. He also knew that as long as he lived, his disciples might hesitate to fully commit to Christ.

By sending them directly to Jesus with this question, John created an opportunity for his disciples to hear and see the evidence firsthand. Jesus responded perfectly, performing miracles in their presence and quoting the Messianic prophecies of Isaiah:

> "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them." (Matthew 11:4-5)

John already knew the answer. He engineered this encounter so that the undeniable miracles of Christ would convince his doubting disciples, ensuring they would follow the true Bridegroom after his martyrdom. Notably, right after they left, Jesus publicly praised John, confirming him as the greatest of prophets—a highly unlikely commendation if John had just displayed a catastrophic failure of faith.