Jesus Freak

One of my favorite all-time Christian songs has to be 'Jesus Freak' by DC Talk.  So much so that I've borrowed the name for the classification of my religious beliefs on Facebook.  I first heard it not long after becoming a Christian and at the time, I often felt like or wished I was a true Jesus Freak described in the song.  

This summer, I was listening to the song on a walk and finally put 2 + 2 together to realize that the first half of the song is about John The Baptist.

There was a man from the desert with naps in his head
The sand that he walked was also his bed
The words that he spoke made the people assume
There wasn't too much left in the upper room
With skins on his back and hair on his face
They thought he was strange by the locusts he ate
The Pharisees tripped when they heard him speak
Until the king took the head of this Jesus freak

So I am slow with the lyrics, my wife not so much.  The revelation was significant due to a very interesting verse I was reflecting upon.

When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” - Matthew 11:2-3 (NIV)

This came while reading 'The Circle Maker' by Mark Batterson (a terrific read btw), and he was talking about how Jesus responded to the question.  I wasn't there yet.  I was stuck on 'Why' John would ask the question.  After all, he baptized Jesus and proclaimed that he was the one.  So why would he ask if there might be someone else?

This caused me to scour the Bible for all references about John the Baptist and look on-line for others who had done the same thing, all in search for why John would have any doubt that Jesus was the Messiah.

What I did learn was that:

• their mothers were related - Luke 1:36
• that they appeared to know of each other even though John was brought up in the desert - John 1:29
• John was not aware that Jesus was the Messiah prior to the baptism - John 1:29-34
• Jesus cared deeply for John - Matthew 14:12-13; Luke 7:28

I did not find anything that would give John a reason to doubt the validity of Jesus as the Messiah.  In fact, he asks this question after hearing about all the miracles performed by Jesus.  

So if John the Baptist can show doubt, why should we be surprised if we or someone we know, shows doubt?

We all know the Bible verses and stories.  We all have a God moment that we can bring to mind when we aren't in the face of trials and tribulations.  We all have a unique testimony made special by the sacrifice of God's Son and forgiveness of sins.   And yet, we have moments of doubt or struggles in our faith.

In February 2001, my wife and I were expecting our first child.  This was a special time for us.  We had spent years with infertility issues and after our second in vitro (IVF) procedure, we were blessed with a pregnancy.

On February 28th, the excitement turned to sorrow and pain.  After 16 weeks, well past the first trimester and supposed 'danger' zone, my wife's water broke unexpectedly and that started the chain of events to losing our child.

Why did you let this happen God?

Our doubts became the theme of our spiritual life for many months.

Back to the question that John posed.  I believe John was asking two questions that day.  The explicit question and then the implied question of 'If you are able to perform all those miracles, why am I still in prison'?

Why are you letting this happen Jesus?

Jesus understands both questions and responds graciously with:

Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see:  The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” - Matthew 11:4-6 (NIV)

He doesn't simply say "Yes, I am the one to come".  He answers the explicit question with the reference to the miracles - which John already knew.  He then answers the implied question with: "Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me".

Does not stumble on account of me. Why would Jesus think that someone would stumble as a result of Him?

The ESV translation puts it this way:

"And blessed is the one who is not offended by me". (ESV)

A lost child.  A broken marriage.  A fatal car accident.  A life changing illness.  Sexual assault. <insert your own personal crisis here>.

Any of these life experiences can cause us to question God.  Why God?  Why are you letting this happen Jesus?  And if we trust God, we can be offended if our dreams are shattered.  And the worst cases, walk away from our faith.  For myself, I was almost there until I was changed "From The Inside Out".

For my wife and I, the miscarriage of our only natural child was a loss that still hurts even 12 years later.  We don't have the answers to why and while our faith was shaken, we have been blessed beyond belief.  We now celebrate every February 28th instead of mourning, but that is a story for another day. As difficult as it has been, we have learned to trust God even in our pain.

Many of you are struggling with something that is beyond your control and comprehension.  I have no words of wisdom as to why it is happening.  I do know that God is feeling your pain and He is there for you, to love you and comfort you.

Are you ready to trust God in your pain?


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Thank you for taking the time to read one of the many Wandering Thoughts that God has been putting on my heart. If this has touched you in anyway, I would love to hear from you. You can leave a comment below and share your own personal revelations; or send me a personal message on Google+ or Facebook.

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Have a wonderful day.