Luke 7:18–35: When Doubt Meets Faith

July 23, 2026

The Ten Signposts of the Bible
CAMDE—400—CALY
Creation. Abraham. Moses. David. Elijah. 400. Christ. Apostles. Letters. Yet-to-Come. 

Have you ever doubted Jesus? Had second thoughts about his claims? Felt distant from him in  times of discouragement or despair? Wondered whether following Jesus was worth the cost?

If you’ve had those thoughts, you’re in good company—you can place yourself right beside   John the Baptist. Today’s passage is both relatable and encouraging. 

Jesus had just raised a young man from the dead, and reports of this miracle and others, “spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country” (Luke 7:17). John the Baptist’s disciples told him everything Jesus was doing, but John could not see for himself because he was confined to a damp, dark prison cell. 

God had prepared John for a dynamic and strategic ministry. He called people to prepare for the Messiah, and introduced Jesus to the world. He was bold; a man of action. His austere clothing and simple diet reinforced his urgent message: repent and get ready for Jesus. Yet as Jesus’ popularity grew, John sat in prison, seemingly useless—isolated,  doubting, and awaiting execution. 

John’s questions are understandable: “Why am I in prison?” What is Jesus doing?” “When will he make his move?” “How can Jesus allow King Herod’s power to seem greater than his, and let me die in prison?” John sent two of his disciples to Jesus and summed up those questions by asking, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Luke 7:19–20). Jesus was not angered by this question; he understands the human condition. He also knew that his own death was imminent and that he would endure unbearable suffering. But for now, he sends a reassuring message to John.  

John’s disciples had seen Jesus heal “many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight” (Luke 7:21). To answer John’s heartfelt question, Jesus replied: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them” (Luke 6:22).

These words come from Isaiah 61, the same passage Jesus read in the synagogue at Nazareth. They describe the work of the coming Messiah, and they match what Jesus had been doing. In effect, Jesus was saying, “Tell John what Isaiah prophesied and tell John what I am doing.” He  also added, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Luke 7:23). The word translated “offended” comes from the Greek term meaning “cause to sin.” John’s life was on the line, and Jesus was saying that those who remain loyal to him in the midst of doubt and discouragement are blessed, even in the face of death. 

When John’s disciples left, Jesus praised John for his boldness and for proclaiming the message of repentance that prepared the way for him (Luke 7:24–26). Jesus said of John, “This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you’” (Luke 7:27).^[1] Then he made this distinguishing statement: “I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John” (Luke 7:28a). Jesus placed John alongside Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the other great prophets of the Old Testament. Those who had been baptized by John would have welcomed that statement, while the “Pharisees and lawyers” who had not received John’s baptism would not have appreciated it. 

But then Jesus went on to say, “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than [John]” (Luke 7:28b). 

What did Jesus mean by this? Although John was compared with the greatest of the prophets, he lived on the pre-cross side of history. He died before Jesus paid for our sins by dying on the cross, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. John witnessed Jesus as an itinerant miracle-working preacher, but we worship the resurrected Lord seated at the right hand of God. We know Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords. And we have his Spirit living in us! We experience the “already…not yet” kingdom. We experience the kingdom of God now in part, and one day we will experience it in full. 

Jesus compared the Pharisees' response to a familiar children’s saying of the day. He said they were like “children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep’” (Luke 7:31–32). John lived an austere life, and they said, “He has a demon” (Luke 7:33). Jesus ate and drank, and they said, “Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” (Luke 7:34). Jesus likened the religious leaders to obstinate children who could never be satisfied. 

Jesus ends this story with a proverb: “Yet wisdom is justified by all her children” (Luke 7:35).  In other words, wisdom is shown to be authentic by the fruit it produces. What looks wise in the planning proves itself in the outcome. The Pharisees believed they could be made right with God by keeping man-made laws and distancing themselves from “sinners,” but Jesus revealed that knowing God is all about grace. Good works cannot produce grace; rather, grace transforms us so that good works can follow. 

So back to my original questions: Have you ever doubted Jesus? Had second thoughts about his claims? Felt separated from him during times of discouragement or despair? Wondered if following Jesus was worth the cost?

Follow Jesus’ instructions to John: 
Read God’s Word—he fulfilled every prophecy and kept every promise. 
Search your heart–when you trust in Jesus, you become a new creation. 
Be intentional about seeing how God is working in your life and in the lives of others–God reveals himself through the fruit he produces in the believer’s  life. 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read and reflect on Luke 7:18–35. When discouragement or unanswered questions challenge your faith, where do you turn first—to your circumstances or to the truth of God's Word?

Talking to God: Tell God whatever is on your heart–your joys, your doubts, your fears. 

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