The Coming One

In one paragraph

This sermon followed the passage in Matthew 11 and Luke 7 where John the Baptist, imprisoned by Herod, sends his disciples to ask Jesus whether He is truly the coming one. Pastor Jonathan traced that question through the Old Testament voices John would have known, and then walked through Jesus' response, His words about John, His woe on unrepentant cities, and His closing invitation to come and...

Read together

1. Psalm 126:3 opening worship, 'the Lord has done great things for us, we are glad'
2. Matthew 11:2-19 primary text, John the Baptist's question from prison and Jesus' response
3. Luke 7:18-35 parallel account of John's question and Jesus' response
4. Matthew 11:28-30 closing text, Jesus' invitation to come and find rest
5. Matthew 4 Jesus withdrawing to Galilee after John was taken into custody
6. Luke 3 John's earlier message about the one coming who is mightier
7. Psalm 118:26 referenced as 'blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, the coming one'
8. Deuteronomy 18:18 Moses foretelling a prophet to come, 'I will raise up for them a prophet from among their countrymen like you'
9. John 6 people saw Jesus' sign and said 'surely this is the prophet who has come into the world'
10. Malachi 3:1 Jesus identifies John as the messenger sent ahead to prepare the way
11. Malachi 4:5 God sending Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord
12. Habakkuk 2 the vision is for an appointed time, 'though it delays, wait for it'
13. Daniel 7 one like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven to the Ancient of Days
14. Luke 4 Jesus' first sermon in Nazareth reading from Isaiah 61
15. Isaiah 61 the Spirit of the Lord anointing Jesus to bring good news to the poor, release to captives, recovery of sight to the blind
16. Jeremiah 6:16 stand by the ways, ask for the ancient paths where the good way is and walk in it
17. Philippians 2 Jesus did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, found in the form of a man
18. 1 John 1:9 if you confess your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse from all unrighteousness

Talk about it

1. Pastor Mark pointed out that John the Baptist, who boldly proclaimed the coming kingdom, ended up in prison doubting whether Jesus was really the one he had been announcing. Have you ever trusted God in a clear direction and then found yourself wondering if you got it wrong? What did that feel like, and what helped?
2. Jesus stopped reading Isaiah 61 before the line about the day of vengeance, rolled up the scroll, and said the scripture was fulfilled right then. What does it mean to you that Jesus deliberately left that part on hold, and how does it change the way you think about what the church is supposed to be doing right now?
3. Pastor Mark said the people most familiar with Jesus were the ones least likely to repent, and he called that a hard word for the church. Do you think familiarity with Jesus and church life can make us less responsive to Him? What does that look like in practice?
4. Jesus described the religious leaders of His day as fault finders who dismissed John for being too ascetic and dismissed Jesus for eating and drinking with the wrong people. Where do you see that same fault-finding habit showing up in yourself or in Christian culture today?
5. Pastor Mark described taking Jesus's yoke as walking at His pace, tied to Him, learning His gentleness and humility. What would it look like practically in your week to walk that way rather than carrying your burdens on your own?