JEFF TURNER

Many people outside the church question who Jesus really is. Secular media and academics often search for the “historical Jesus,” as if the truth isn’t already clear. But one surprising question came from someone you wouldn’t expect—John the Baptist. In Luke 7, while he was in prison, John sent a message to Jesus asking, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

This might seem shocking, since John was the one who introduced Jesus as the Lamb of God, the one who would take away the sin of the world. He had seen the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus and heard the voice of God say, “This is my beloved Son.” Still, time passed, and what John expected didn’t happen. Jesus didn’t overthrow Roman rule or establish a visible kingdom. Instead, He travelled from place to place, teaching and healing—but not doing what many thought the Messiah would do. Meanwhile, John sat in a prison cell, facing death. This wasn’t the future he had imagined.

John’s doubt wasn’t rooted in disbelief, but in confusion and suffering. It shows that even strong believers can struggle when God’s plan looks different from their expectations.

The Bible reassures us that God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8–9). Like John, we may not always see the full picture, but we are still called to trust. Jesus’ answer to John was not a rebuke, but a reminder of the miracles and truth already being shown—a quiet but powerful proof of who He really is.