Introduction
John the Baptist is rotting in prison. From his cell he hears about Jesus' miracles — the blind see again, the deaf hear, good news preached to the poor — and yet he, the first witness, remains locked up. He sends his disciples to Jesus with a raw, bare question: « Are you he who comes, or should we look for another? » This message from Stéphane Guillet starts from this painful gap between the promises of the Kingdom and the life you're actually living, inviting you to discern the quiet signs of the Kingdom already at work around you.
Sermon outline
1. John the Baptist facing the gap: the question that hurts
- John had recognized Jesus at his baptism: « He who comes after me is mightier than I. »
- But in the meantime he's been thrown in prison, while Jesus multiplies miracles outside.
- The gap becomes unbearable: on one side, good news preached to the poor; on the other, him, one of Jesus' first supporters, rotting in a cell.
- Jesus' answer is striking: he quotes Isaiah 35 and 61, but deliberately leaves out the part about freeing prisoners. Like a tenderness toward John, a way of saying: « The Kingdom is coming, but not yet fully. »
2. The « already » and the « not yet » of the Kingdom
- Everything Jesus lists to John actually happened in Matthew chapters 8 and 9: the blind healed, the deaf-mute freed, the leper cleansed, the young girl raised to life.
- But Jesus didn't mention the freeing of prisoners, because that part isn't fulfilled yet — and John is in a good position to know it.
- The Kingdom is on its way, drawing near, but not yet fully present. That's what explains our « painful gap » between the Bible's promises and our everyday life.
- Jesus doesn't deny this gap. He even acknowledges it as a possible « cause of stumbling »: « Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me » (Matthew 11:6).
3. Two paths: the one already laid, and the one you lay
- Isaiah 35:8 speaks of a path already laid: the « Holy Way » where the redeemed walk toward Zion, shouting for joy. That path is Jesus himself.
- Matthew 11 speaks of a path to be laid: the one John prepared for Jesus' coming.
- Today, you're called to both: walking the sure path Jesus has opened toward the Father, and laying a path of witness so Jesus can reach those who don't know him yet.
- This path of witness can sometimes run through prison, trial, silence. But that's precisely where you may become best placed to open the Lord's way for others going through the same thing — like Joseph, like Paul and Silas.
Key takeaways
- The gap between the Kingdom's promises and your present situation isn't a sign that God has withdrawn: it's the « not yet » of a Kingdom already on its way.
- When this gap crushes you, imitate John: don't withdraw, don't ruminate. Go ask Jesus. A doubt that speaks to Jesus is worth more than a certainty that closes in on itself.
- Learn to discern the signs of the coming Kingdom: an answered prayer, a baptism, a life being restored, a brother or sister finding joy again. There are more of them around you than you're counting.
- The trial you're going through doesn't make you useless. It may make you better equipped than anyone else to lay the Lord's path toward others facing the same trial.
- On this path Jesus has opened, don't be surprised if gladness and joy come to meet you — because that too is a promise of God.
Personal application
- Where are you living out this « gap » today between what God promised and what you're experiencing? Can you, like John, turn it into a question addressed to Jesus rather than silent rumination?
- Take two minutes: what « signs of the Kingdom » have you seen around you in recent months — in your circle, in your church, in your own life? Name them.
- Is there a prayer you've stopped praying because the answer is taking too long? What would you do if you took seriously that the Kingdom is « on its way » but « not yet fully accomplished »?
- The trial you're facing today — is there someone going through the same thing to whom you could — precisely because of what you're living — lay a path toward the Lord?
Scriptures cited in this message
- Isaiah 35 — The desert will blossom, the eyes of the blind will be opened, the Holy Way leads to Zion with shouts of joy.
- Matthew 11:2-11 — John, from his prison, sends his disciples to ask Jesus: « Are you he who is to come? »
- Isaiah 61 — The announcement of the Messiah's coming, the freeing of captives.
- Matthew 8 — 9 — Jesus' miracles that fulfill the list given to John.
- Matthew 10:7-8 — The sending of the disciples: « Proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. »
- Matthew 5:3-12 — The Beatitudes: « Blessed are those who mourn, » « blessed are those who are persecuted. »
- 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 — Paul: comforted in trial so he can in turn comfort those going through it.
Further reading
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't Jesus free John the Baptist from prison, when he's able to heal the blind?
Because the Kingdom Jesus inaugurates is « already here » without being « fully accomplished yet. » Jesus deliberately quotes Isaiah, stopping short of the promise to free prisoners, as if to tell John: « Yes, the promised miracles are happening, but the whole promise isn't fulfilled yet. » John isn't forgotten, and his prison isn't a failure on God's part — it's the very place where he keeps laying a path for the Lord, like Joseph, like Paul and Silas. The gap John lives, you may be living it too — and Jesus doesn't deny it, he takes it seriously.
How do I hold on when my prayers aren't answered the way I hoped?
Do what John does in the text: don't withdraw, engage in dialogue. Go ask Jesus. The right response when the gap is crushing you isn't to spin in your own thoughts, or to convince yourself the promises are just « nice dreams. » It's to go and ask your question to Jesus honestly, like John did: « Are you really the one? » And at the same time, learn to discern the signs of the Kingdom already here: an answered prayer, a baptism, a life he's restoring around you. The Kingdom is on its way, even when your specific prayer hasn't been answered yet.
What does it change for me that John doubted?
It means your doubt isn't a scandal. John was « the greatest among those born of women, » and yet he sent word asking Jesus if he was really the Messiah. Jesus doesn't rebuke him, doesn't despise him, doesn't reject him. He answers — with precision and with tenderness. Your question, even your hardest one, doesn't disqualify you. What would disqualify you is keeping it to yourself and never daring to bring it to the very one who can answer it.
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