John the Baptist and Jesus: What to Do When We Have Doubts

Hey, carpool crew, whether you're headed to school, curled up on the couch or cruising around town. I'm Pastor Justin. I'm so glad you're here. This month we are talking about real questions people ask Jesus, not just silly questions or small ones, but the big kind, the kind that come from deep in your heart, questions that maybe even you have had. And today's question came from someone really important in the Bible, John the Baptist. You might remember him. He was the guy who baptized Jesus. He told everyone, get ready, this savior is coming. But in Matthew chapter 11, verse three, something surprising happens. John was in prison. Life had gotten really hard, and even though he believed in Jesus, he sent a message to him asking this: are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else? Whoa. That's a pretty honest question. Even John the Baptist had doubts. Here's the one thing for the ride I really want you to remember. Jesus is the Savior we've been waiting for. Now, why does that matter? Sometimes even strong believers, people who have been Christians their entire lives, they have really thick bibles and they have tons of notes in them, and it seems like they know every single worship song by heart, even those people, people who know God, still wonder, is it really true? John was in a dark place, literally and emotionally. He wasn't sure anymore. But Jesus didn't get mad at him for asking. He didn't call him names or say that was a dumb question. Instead, he gave John the Baptist hope. If you have ever had that kind of a question about Jesus, he wants to give you hope too. Jesus told John's messengers this. Go back and tell John what you see. People are healed, the blind see, the dead are raised and the good news is being preached. Jesus didn't say, yep, I'm the guy, don't worry about it. Or, of course I am, how could you ever doubt? He said, look at what's happening. I'm doing everything the savior is supposed to do. In other words, yes, John, I really am the one. You can see it by my actions. Lemme tell you a quick story that might help. Lily was going through a hard time at school. Her best friend moved away and she felt really alone. One night she told her mom, I'm trying to believe that Jesus is with me, but it doesn't feel like it. Her mom knew everything that she was going through and told her, that's okay to say. Even people in the Bible felt that way sometimes, but Jesus is still here, still working, and even when it's hard to see, he is still there. Jesus is the Savior we've been waiting for. I don't want you to forget this. Even when we doubt, he is still the one, and he's not afraid of your questions. He welcomes them, just like he did with John the Baptist. Thanks for riding with me today. I hope you keep asking big questions because Jesus has answers. No matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. Parents, if you'd like today's podcast, share it with some parent friends so they can have great conversations too. Before you go, answer this question together: what helps me remember that Jesus is real and that he loves me when I have doubts? I'll see you tomorrow on another episode of Carpooling with Jesus.