with hearing of his work through those of his followers who had become believers in the Son of Man. He was often tempted to doubt Jesus and his divine mission. If Jesus were the Messiah, why did he do nothing to deliver him from this unbearable imprisonment? For more than a year and a half this rugged man of God's outdoors languished in that despicable prison. And this experience was a great test of his faith in, and loyalty to, Jesus. Indeed, this whole experience was a great test of John's faith even in God. Many times was he tempted to doubt even the genuineness of his own mission and experience.
After he had been in prison several months, a group of his disciples came to
him and, after reporting concerning the public activities of Jesus, said: "So you
see, Teacher, that he who was with you at the upper Jordan prospers and receives
all who come to him. He even feasts with publicans and sinners. You bore courageous witness to him, and yet he does nothing to effect your deliverance." But
John answered his friends: "This man can do nothing unless it has been given
him by his Father in heaven. You well remember that I said, 'I am not the Messiah, but I am one sent on before to prepare the way for him.' And that I
did. He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom who
stands near-by and hears him rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.
This, my joy, therefore is fulfilled. He must increase but I must decrease. I am
of this earth and have declared my message. Jesus of Nazareth comes down to
the earth from heaven and is above us all. The Son of Man has descended from
God, and the words of God he will declare to you. For the Father in heaven gives
not the spirit by measure to his own Son. The Father loves his Son and will
presently put all things in the hands of this Son. He who believes in the Son
has eternal life. And these words which I speak are true and abiding."
These disciples were amazed at John's pronouncement, so much so that they
departed in silence. John was also much agitated, for he perceived that he had
uttered a prophecy. Never again did he wholly doubt the mission and divinity of
Jesus. But it was a sore disappointment to John that Jesus sent him no word,
that he came not to see him, and that he exercised none of his great power to
deliver him from prison. But Jesus knew all about this. He had great love for
John, but being now cognizant of his divine nature and knowing fully the great
things in preparation for John when he departed from this world and also knowing that John's work on earth was finished, he constrained himself not to interfere in the natural outworking of the great preacher-prophet's career.
This long suspense in prison was humanly unbearable. Just a few days before
his death John again sent trusted messengers to Jesus, inquiring: "Is my work
done? Why do I languish in prison? Are you truly the Messiah, or shall we look
for another?" And when these two disciples gave this message to Jesus, the Son
of Man replied: "Go back to John and tell him that I have not forgotten but to
suffer me also this, for it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness. Tell John what
you have seen and heard—that the poor have good tidings preached to them—and, finally, tell the beloved herald of my earth mission that he shall be abundantly blessed in the age to come if he finds no occasion to doubt and stumble over
me." And this was the last word John received from Jesus. This message
greatly comforted him and did much to stabilize his faith and prepare him for
the tragic end of his life in the flesh which followed so soon upon the heels of this
memorable occasion.
