Friends, welcome to Bible Study Sunday, as we continue exploring the ministry and teaching of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. Today, we find ourselves in Matthew 11.
When Doubt Sends a Question
Matthew 11:1–19 captures a quietly unsettling moment in the ministry of Jesus where certainty gives way to questions and faith is tested by circumstance.
Chapter 10 of Matthew has closed and we see that after Jesus finishes up with this round of instructing His disciples, He continues traveling through the towns of Galilee, both teaching and proclaiming the Kingdom.
Meanwhile, John the Baptist, the fiery prophet who boldly declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God”, sits in prison. Chains have a way of changing how clearly things appear. From his confinement, John hears reports about Jesus’ works and sends his disciples with a question that feels almost unthinkable given John’s earlier confidence:
Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?
Matthew 11:3 NLT
This is not the question of a skeptic. It is the question of a faithful man in pain. John’s doubt does not emerge from rebellion but from suffering. The Messiah he proclaimed is healing others, restoring lives but John remains imprisoned, unseen, and seemingly forgotten. To me, it almost reads as a challenge.
Jesus’ Answer to Honest Doubt
Jesus does not rebuke John. He does not demand stronger faith or clearer theology. Instead, He points to evidence.
Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.”
Matthew 11:4-5 NLT
Jesus anchors His identity in the tangible work of restoration. This is Isaiah’s vision unfolding in real time. Then He adds a gentle but weighty word:
“And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
Matthew 11:6 ESV
In other words: Blessed is the one who can live with unanswered questions without letting disappointment harden into rejection. Jesus is not afraid of our doubt. He does not run away from our questions.
Reframing John’s Greatness
After John’s disciples leave, Jesus turns to the crowd and speaks about John—not to correct him, but to honor him. He reminds them that John is no reed swayed by the wind, no opportunist dressed in fine clothes. John the Baptist is a prophet.
Quoting Malachi, Jesus identifies John as the messenger sent to prepare the way. Then He makes a striking statement:
“Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
Matthew 11:11 ESV
This is not a dismissal of John, but a declaration about the radical shift that is taking place. John stands at the threshold between covenants. He announces the kingdom, but does not yet live fully within its unveiled reality. The kingdom Jesus brings is not about rank or recognition. It invites people to participate in new life.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV
A Generation That Refuses to Listen
The tone shifts as Jesus addresses the broader response of the people. Using a vivid metaphor, He compares the generation to children who refuse to respond to either joyful music or mourning songs.
John was dismissed for his austerity.
Jesus is rejected for His openness.
Too strict. Too free.
Too holy. Too human.
Truth is often rejected because it does not conform to our expectation. It fails to fit neatly into our narrative.
“The Son of Man came, eating and drinking, and people say, ‘Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much wine, and he is a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved to be right by what she does.”
Matthew 11:19 NCV
The evidence of God’s wisdom is not found in public approval, but in the lives it restores. It’s witnessed in us. We are the proof.
What This Means for Us
Matthew 11:1–19 gives us permission to name our doubt without quitting our faith. John’s question did not disqualify him. It simply revealed his humanity. Jesus’ response assures us that faith does not require the absence of uncertainty, only the willingness to bring our questions to the right place. Our faith stands solidly on the rock of Christ. In Him, we have all we need—and more.
There will naturally be seasons when God’s work is visible everywhere except in our own circumstances. We are confident God is at work all around us. We just may have a difficult time seeing Him are work in our lives, even though He is. There will be moments when obedience leads to confinement, not freedom. In those moments, Jesus does not ask us to pretend we are filled with certainty. He graciously invites us to ask honest questions and trust His character even when His timing confuses us and we are uncertain. Sometimes, if not oftentimes, following Jesus is uncomfortable.
Faith, in the end, is not clinging to certainty. It is remaining open to Jesus even when He does not meet our expectations or do things that don’t fit into our personal narrative.
Blessed are those who do not stumble here.
Reflection Questions
1. John asks his question from prison, not rebellion. How are your current circumstances shaping the questions you are bringing to God?
2. Jesus points to signs of restoration rather than offering explanations. Where do you notice God at work, even if it isn’t where you hoped He would be?
3. “Blessed is the one who does not stumble on account of me.” What expectations of God might be making it difficult for you to trust Him right now?
Until my next post…
Be salty, stay lit.
Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™
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The Devotional Guy™ 
Yes, it certainly reframes things. Thanks for reading, Barb.
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I need to be better at asking God, “What’s next?” instead of “Why me?”
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