John the Baptist's Doubts

Even the great preacher Spurgeon had moments of doubts. If one of Jesus’ inner twelve disciples and many other Christians had doubts about Jesus, should we be surprised that even John the Baptist had doubts after being in prison for twelve to eighteen months? From John’s point of view, it appeared that the future was now dark. It probably appeared the mission was going in the wrong direction. As a result doubts about Jesus existed.

John’s Problem. John’s fundamental error was that his expectations about the future and Jesus were wrong. His concept of the ministry of the Messiah was in error. His view of the coming kingdom was faulty. So Jesus gives the following beatitude and politely rebukes John with these words,

That is, blessed are those who do not reject Jesus because He is not what they expected and He did not do what they expected.

Today, some want a God who is perfectly holy or good and infinitely loving. Yet, they do not understand that a perfectly good or holy God will hate sin and be morally obligated to remove those who love sin from His presence forever. As a result some take offense at Jesus and reject Him. God provided these words in Isaiah for all of us who think that God should be like us,

For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
(NASB) Is. 55:8-9

Conclusion. Are you having doubts about Jesus? If so, how should you respond? The first place to start is to realize that Jesus helped John believe by performing many miracles. In John 20:28-29 we read these words,

Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. (NASB) John 20:30-31

I would also encourage you to review some of the statements that secular writers made about Jesus. Here are some great quotes from men of Jesus’ day,

The Christians. . . worship a man to this day - the distinguished personage who introduced this new cult, and was crucified on that account. . . . You see, these misguided creatures start with the general conviction that they are immortal for all time, which explains their contempt for death and self devotion . . . their lawgiver [taught] they are all brothers, from the moment that they are converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage, and live after his laws. All this they take on faith . . . - Lucian of Samosata, The Passing Peregrinus

On the eve of the Passover Yeshu [Jesus] was hanged. . . but since nothing was brought forward in his favor he was hanged on the eve of the Passover. - Babylonia Sanhedrin Talmud, 43A

At His coming the lame will leap as a deer, and the stammering tongue will clearly speak: the blind will see, and the lepers will be healed; and the dead will rise, and walk. And that He did those things, you can learn from the Acts of Pontius Pilate. - First Apology 48

They pierced my hands and my feet, was used in reference to the nails of the cross which were driven into His hands and feet. And. . . they cast lots for His clothes, and after they crucified Him distributed it among them. And that these things did happen, you can ascertain from the Acts of Pontius Pilate. - First Apology 35

Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man. For he was a doer of surprising feats - a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct to this day.* - Antiquities of the Jews 18.3.3

Last of all, I would encourage you to ask God to reveal Himself to you in some way and He will. Here is His promise,

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. “I will be found by you,” declares the LORD . . . (NASB) Jer. 29:13-14