The Roman ruler, Herod, had “locked up John in prison” (Luke 3:20) where he awaited execution. From the confines of the dungeon, John the Baptist must have heard reports of Jesus’ travels and teaching, and of course, His many miracles. John heard that Jesus had completely cleansed the Leper (Luke 5:12-13), and he’d likely heard the story of four friends who carried their bedridden buddy to Jesus, how they climbed to the roof, tore open a hole, and lowered him down before the Lord. John must have heard that Jesus had first forgiven the disabled man’s sin and then commanded him to rise, roll up his stretcher, and walk out (Luke 5:18-25).
Even in prison, John’s spirit must have leaped to hear about a man with a weak and withered hand healed on the Sabbath Day. “Stretch out your hand” (Luke 6:10), Jesus had said. The man had never extended his atrophied fingers. He couldn’t. But when Jesus commands, He also gives the capacity to obey. Standing in full view of the crowd of looky-loos, the bashful man, quite shockingly, stretched it out, joyfully flexing his digits (Luke 6:6-10).
Surely, John must have heard about Jesus’ visit to the little village of Nain. When Jesus arrived, a funeral procession was exiting though the city gate. When Jesus saw the grieving momma, “he had compassion on her and said, ‘Don’t weep.’ Then he came up and touched the open coffin, and the pallbearers stopped. And he said, ‘Young man, I tell you, get up!’ The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother” (Luke 7:13-15).
In light of these revelations, John the Baptist sent messengers to Jesus asking, “Are You the Coming One?” (Luke 7:20, NKJV). John desperately needed to be certain.
Are you the Messiah? Are you the One who will crush the head of the Serpent? (Genesis 3:15). Are you the Lion of the Tribe of Judah who will carry the Royal Scepter? (Genesis 49:8-10). Are you the long-awaited Prophet like Moses? (Deuteronomy 18:15). Are you the Son of David and heir to his throne? (Isaiah 9:6-7). “Are you the Coming One?”
Are you the One who will defeat death and the grave, the One who will not be “abandoned in Sheol,” whose body will never experience “decay?” (Psalm 16:10; 49:15). “Are you the Coming One?”
Like John the Baptist, we’ve heard the report and revelation of Jesus. We’ve read and heard that Jesus promised to return. “If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3). He promised to return with a shout and with the trumpet blasts from Heaven to gather His beloved bride. He promised that we will be raptured to “meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
We know, forty days after Passover, Jesus ascended into Heaven. As Peter, James, John, and the others watched, “He was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven’ ” (Acts 1:9–11).
When He returns, we won’t need to ask, “Are you the Coming One?” We’ll know. Jesus is the One and Only “Coming One!”
