When John the Baptist was in prison he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the One who was to come or should we expect another?” (Lk 7.20). In his typical manner of responding to questions, Jesus didn’t give a direct answer.
I like that. Jesus didn’t get drawn into the debates and word games the Pharisees tried to lure him into. But, rarely did he reply to someone’s question in such a way the person would feel his response was a clear-cut, black & white answer. Rather, Jesus usually answered in such a way as to highlight the person’s ability to choose. He demonstrated a respect for the individual. He honoured their right to exercise their will. So, he gave information which would allow the questioner to explore their heart, recognise the voice of the Father, investigate the Scriptures and, ultimately, come to belief. This process, though it may seem a bit illusive, is really the most life-giving way to respond. It meant the one who asked the question will be able to ‘own’ the answer for themselves, rather than be expected to simply accept the answer Jesus gave.
His response to the question from John the Baptist, was for John’s disciples to go back and report what they had “seen and heard”. Then he went on to list a number of miracles: the blind can see, the lame can walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf can hear, the dead are raised, and good news is preached to the poor.
By reminding John that the message of God is delivered through what is heard and what is seen, Jesus makes it crystal clear that the whole gospel is communicated in words (Jn 5.24, 17.8) and in action (Mt 4.23f; Acts 10.38). Therefore, the works of Jesus were just as much a part of God’s message as the words he spoke and taught.
Jesus went on to teach the crowd about how John the Baptist was the messenger who prepared the way for the Messiah. By saying this, Jesus declared that he really was the Messiah. At the end of this declaration, the author makes an astounding statement. “All the people, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptised by John. But the Pharisees rejected God’s purpose, because they had not been baptised by John” (Lk 7.29-30).
This is amazing! The people, even the tax collectors, were able to acknowledge that God’s way was right. How could normal people, untrained in theology and the religious traditions, be able to determine the rights or wrongs of God’s ways? How could they even be expected to identify what God’s ways were? And what does being baptised by John have to do with being able to identify God’s purposes?
Baptism was a very public event in those days. To have been baptised, would have meant the majority of the villagers would have either seen the baptism or quickly heard about it from others who had witnessed it. So, anyone getting baptised would not have done so lightly. They would have recognised a need and come to a place of humility. It is also said that John’s baptism was one of repentance – so people would have been willing to adjust their perspective and align themselves with godly thinking. I think it is safe to say the people would have been hungry for God and John’s preaching helped them prepare to hear the voice of God for themselves. And, God’s people are identified by their ability to hear what he says (Jn 8.47).
This attitude of humility and repentance stands in stark contrast to the attitude expressed by the religious leaders, who seemed resolute in their pride and unwillingness to consider the possibility they could be wrong. This refusal to repent meant their hearts remained hard (Mt 23.13; Mk 7.6) which kept them from seeing or hearing the message of God. But, the people who had chosen repentance, displayed their humility by being baptised.
Even if their experience of John’s baptism lacked articulated depth, the people recognised something in their hearts that was ready to respond with belief. In this way, they became exposed to the nature and character of God. Later, when they saw the works that Jesus did, the experience led to an understanding that God’s way was right. The good news of Jesus’ teaching, matched the good news of his miracles. Suddenly, their experience of God held much more freedom, grace, mercy and love than they had ever encountered. They believed, learned and understood because of what they had seen and heard. This was precisely the opposite for the Pharisees and teachers of the Law.