Luke

By Joyce Webb 2019

Chapter 7 Vs. 19-30

Vs. 19 John the Baptist was in prison. Herod—the Roman ruler— was angry with John and put him in prison.

John wanted to know about Jesus. He asked his friends to go see what Jesus was doing, and to come back and tell him.

John had baptized Jesus in the river Jordon. At that time —a voice spoke out of heaven and a dove came down on Jesus–the voice said, This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.

John knew then that Jesus was the promised Messiah.

In the Old Testament, God promised that some day God would send someone to save the people from their sins.

For hundreds of years, the Jewish people waited and looked for this person to come.

Then Jesus came. John heard what God’s voice said from heaven and John believed this was the promised Messiah.

John was Jesus’ cousin, so he probably knew how Mary gave birth to Jesus.

But now John in in prison. It is a discouraging time. John is wondering how things are going with Jesus. So he sends his friends to talk to Jesus.

Vs. 19,20 They ask Jesus—are you the One we have been looking for? Or should we be looking for another?

Vs. 21,22 As they were there—they saw Jesus heal many people.

They saw Jesus cast demons out of people. They saw deaf people be able to hear. The blind were able to see.

They heard Jesus teaching.

Jesus told John’s friends—go tell John what you have seen today.

Vs. 23 Jesus said Blessed is the person who is not offended in me.

In other words, blessed is the person who believes Jesus is who he says he is.

Offend means to “be put off” or “to feel angry or upset with”.

Blessed is the person who does not feel angry or upset with Jesus and what he teaches.

Many of the Jewish leaders did not like what Jesus was teaching.

Jesus was teaching that he was God’s Son—the Jewish leaders did not believe it and did not want to hear it.

Vs. 24-30 After John’s friends left, Jesus said to the people—What kind of man did you expect to see when you went to hear John?

Did you expect to see some weak person?

Did you expect to see some one dressed in rich fancy clothes?

John was a prophet. He was greater than a prophet. He came to prepare the way for my coming.

No prophet is greater than John the Baptist.

Many people believed in John. They had listened to him and repented. John had baptized them in the river.

The Jewish leaders did not like John. They did not like what he preached.