Our world is loud and busy. Amidst all the iPods, cell phones, and televisions out there, how can we find God’s still, small voice? Is he really out there?
And if he is, how do we know him when he speaks up?
Our scripture today is found in Luke 7:19 where we read, “Are you the one who is to come, or is there someone else?”
How can we know what’s real? Do we believe the hype?
A young person from the youth group shows up before any of the other volunteers to do our yard. His jeans sag, and he has his hair gathered at the base of his neck. Because he isn’t wearing Sunday’s suit, we see something that isn’t there. He has to earn our confidence before we will give it.
Advertisers hawk to this all the time, convincing us that we must have a certain deodorant, the right car, or the latest style of eyewear. We see it on video billboards, blaring from our car radios, and in our email inboxes. We have to ask ourselves, if Soap-o Laundry Detergent is truly a cut above the rest, why isn’t it already the bestselling brand?
In the Scriptures, God foretold the arrival of Jesus for hundreds of years previous to his birth. Yet, even with his words in black and white, the children of Israel developed preconceived notions about who and what the Messiah would be.
Isaiah 40:3-5 tells Israel they will hear a voice that cries in the wilderness. Isaiah’s words encourage them to prepare a way for the Lord, for the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all the world will know him. A dozen chapters later in 53:12, Isaiah also says Jesus will be crucified with criminals.
However, the Jewish people created an entirely different notion of what was to come. In their minds, the Messiah would come in might and glory, and the temple would be restored. They focused on Psalms 110:4 and Zechariah 9:9, where the Messiah was proclaimed as a priest and king. Somehow they missed Psalm 22:7-8. In this passage, the Word tells how the Messiah would be mocked and ridiculed.
What preconceived notions do we have about Jesus? What might cause us to question the reality of the Messiah, to come to him with the question John the Baptist asked in Luke 7:19?
“Are you out there, God?”
In Part 2 we will look at John’s question, for in reality, he had lost confidence in Jesus.
With conflicting information about the truth of the Bible hitting us from all sides, God’s still, small voice can be difficult to discern. Let’s not let preconceived notions divert us from reality: Jesus is still the Truth, the Light, and the Way.
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