PMW 2026-027 BY KENNETH L. GENTRY, JR.
In this posting I will focus on the question as to whether John experienced doubt regarding Jesus’ identity as the Messiah. As I approach this question, I would note that we need to be aware that “there was messianic ferment in the land of Israel in the first century” (Scott 1995: 320). Because of this anticipation, many who meet Jesus or hear him speak and see him perform miracles are convinced he is the expected Christ/Messiah (John 1:41; 4:29; 7:31, 41; 10:24).
Even though Jesus had indeed come as such, he initially warns his own disciples to “tell no one that He was the Christ” (Matt. 16:20). This was due to the problem of widespread apocalyptically-charged anticipation. This could lead to a wrong-headed and dangerous response from the populace. We see this danger operating, for instance, on one occasion when the people tried to “take Him by force to make Him king” (e.g., John 6:15). Indeed, because of the messianic excitability in these times, Jesus warns that “many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many” (Matt. 24:14; cp. vv. 23–24).
JOHN’S DUTY
In the messianicly-charged setting of the first century, John the Baptist is sent by God as the Messiah’s forerunner. Even before he is born, John’s father, Zacharias, is “filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied” (Luke 1:67) regarding John: “you child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; / For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways” (v. 76).
Not only so, but John’s life and ministry have been prophesied in the Old Testament (Isa. 40:3), for we read this in Matthew:
“Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, ‘“the voice of one crying in the wilderness, / ‘make ready the way of the Lord, / make his paths straight!’” (Matt. 3:1–3)
The apostle John also declares the Baptist to be Christ’s forerunner: “There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him” (John 1:6–7). And Jesus himself declares John to be the fulfillment of the prophecy in Malachi 3:1 (Luke 7:27). And he adds that John himself is a prophet of God (Luke 7:24–26).
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John clearly recognizes his own divine calling in announcing Messiah’s presence. For when the priests and Levites sent from Jerusalem ask him who he is (John 1:19), he quotes Scripture about himself. “Then they said to him, ‘Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?’ He said, ‘I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said’” (John 1:22–23). He proclaims that “I have been sent ahead of Him [Jesus]” (v. 28). Thus, he recognizes prophecy regarding himself (John 3:25–30).
What is more, due to the expectant times in which he lives and his remarkably powerful ministry (Matt. 3:5–6, 7–12; 14:1–4; Mark 1:1–5; Luke 3:7, 10; Acts 13:24–25), many ask John if he himself is the Christ (Luke 3:15; John 1:20; 3:28).
John is not the Messiah, but he very clearly knows who is. For he declares of Jesus “This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me” (John 1:15). When he sees Jesus coming to him, he declares “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). He also baptizes Jesus — though with great reluctance because he knows of Jesus’ superiority (Matt. 3:13–15). God confirms Jesus’ identity to John by the heavens being opened, the Spirit descending on Jesus like a dove, and by God’s voice declaring to Jesus, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased” (Mark 1:9–11; cp. John 1:32–34).
But regardless of all of this, something unexpected happens.
JOHN’S DOUBT
Despite John’s initial confidence in his identifying the Messiah, after he is thrown into prison he wavers with doubt:
“Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, ‘Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?’” (Matt. 11:2–3).
Most modern commentators recognize that John is truly shaken by doubt here. [1] The minority of scholars [2] who doubt John’s doubt (you might say) propose an alternative reason for his question. They usually suggest something along the lines of J. C. Ryle (1856: 79) from a century ago: “This question was not because John doubted Jesus. It was asked for the benefit of his disciples. It was meant to let them hear Christ give his own evidence of his divine mission.”
Or as Excell (1952 ad loc.) puts it: “It will appear odd that John should entertain any doubt, or require any satisfaction about this matter.… John sent this message, not from any doubt which he himself entertained of the matter, but in order that the doubts which his disciples had conceived about it might receive an answer and satisfaction from the fountain head” (1952: ad loc.). In fact, Davies and Allison (1988: 2:241) note that “most of the Fathers convinced themselves that John was inquiring for the sake of his disciples.” (cp. Gibbs 2010: 555).
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However, John’s grammar strongly suggests otherwise. Gundry (1982: 205) provides some helpful exegetical details in this regard by analyzing John’s question: “Are you the Coming One, or shall we look for someone else?” (Matt. 11:3):
“su [‘you’] is emphatic; [and] because of its position, heteron is also emphatic: ‘Are you the Coming One, or should we expect another [heteron]?’ Though Matthew likes allon (14,4—So Luke), here he writes heteron ,,, to emphasize difference: ‘… or should we expect a different kind of Coming One?’”
Here we should understand “the adversative use” by which “heteros points to a pertinent alternative” (EDNT 2:66). Or as TDNT (2: 702) explains: the use of heteros in Matthew 11:3 speaks of “the qualities which Jewish expectations attributed to the Messiah might better fit another than Jesus.” Keener (2009: 335), Gibbs (2010: 555), and Turner (2008: 291) fully agree with this exegetical analysis.
The focus on John’s own problem. The biblical evidence opposing this attempted explanation and defense of John’s question is quite strong. Gibbs (2010: 555–56) argues in his characteristically thorough fashion:
“Grammatically, it is John who is the subject of the verb ‘he said’ (eipen) in 11:3. Further Jesus replies ‘Go and announce to John…’ (11:4). Finally, the closing beatitude is singular and in the first place refers to John himself. Grammatically, Jesus has asked a question, and Jesus has answered him.”
John’s doubt arises, at least partly, due to his own apocalyptic expectations. As Schreiner (2010b: 23) understands the situation:
“John the Baptist voiced doubts about Jesus, presumably because he languished in prison, and his expectations regarding the kingdom were not being realized. John perceived that the political impact of Jesus’ ministry was relatively inconsequential and so began to question whether he was truly ‘the coming one.’”
Davies and Allison (1988: 2:241) explain: “Jesus’ deeds do not match those of the somewhat judgemental figure portrayed by John in Mt 3:10–12. Blomberg (1992: 185; cp. Hagner 1993: 300; Hendriksen 1973: 483) surmises: “John also wondered why there were no signs of the imminent judgment of the wicked that he had predicted (Matt 3:10).”
Green (1997: 295–96) agrees: “apparently, John’s interest lies on the faultline between his eschatological expectations and the realities of Jesus’ performance…. For John (and, no doubt, for others), the nature of Jesus’ activity seems to disqualify any claim he might have” as Messiah. For Jesus was acting in a way “not anticipated by John” (Nolland 1989: 327).
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Thus, Ridderbos (1957: 14) states that “Christ’s appearance and preaching in no way seemed to answer [the] eschatological character of the Kingdom. That is the difference between Jesus and John, and that is John’s problem: ‘Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another?’ (Matt. 11:2). For Jesus does not come with a winnowing fork in His hand, but He walks the land as a physician.”
The popular problem. Not only is Jesus behaving in a way that does not match with John’s own expectations, but he acts in a way contrary to apocalyptic expectations. Hendriksen (1973: 483) notes contrary to apocalyptic scenarios, “Jesus’ ‘messiahship’ little resembled the political and military program of liberation many Jews anticipated.” Hill (1972: 197–98) agrees, suspecting that “John’s question may have been prompted by a current conception of an apocalyptic or political messiah” (cp. Keener 1993: 75).
M. Horton (2011: 54) comments on the two age backdrop of John’s doubt: The Pharisees “divided history into this present age, under sin and death, and the age to come, which would be dominated by life and righteousness…. This is one reason why John the Baptist got a little bit impatient and frustrated with Jesus.” Though this doctrinal division of redemptive history, was true, the Jews held that at the time the Messiah comes he will bring the current age to a catastrophic end while establishing the perfect eternal age.
Beasley-Murray (83) points out the widespread nature of such apocalyptically-induced doubt and disappointment: “nor was this true only of John the Baptist; the Pharisees, Zealots, and many other among the Jews had been nourished by an unqualified apocalypticism.””
J. Brown (2018: 112) points out that John is confused about Jesus’ healing actions in that “these do not exactly fit the expectations for messianic claimants in the first-century context.” This is because apocalyptic messianism “casts a vision of a royal, triumphant Messiah who would bring restoration for Israel and vanquish its present enemy, Rome.” She proposes this while citing the apocalyptic work The Psalms of Solomon 17:21–24. Regarding the report of John’s disciples regarding Jesus’ peaceable healing ministry, the healing “may not have been what John or countless other Jews expected” (D. Carlson 1988: 1203).
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J. Lightfoot (1674: 2:191) expresses the problem rather dramatically: “perhaps [John the Baptist] labored under the dim-sightedness which the disciples of Christ and the whole nation did concerning his earthly kingdom, victories, and triumphs.”
As Gibbs (2010: 555–56) argues, we should be aware that this failure on John’s part should not cause us a problem. For he points out that often men of great faith have been shaken by doubt for a time. For instance, consider Moses when Israel endured suffering under Pharaoh (Exo. 5:22–23), Elijah under Ahab (1 Kgs. 18–19), and Jeremiah when being persecuted by Pashhur the priest (Jer. 20:14–18). Thus, because of his own circumstances and expectations, John “needed further confirmation” (Liefeld 1984: 147). Apocalypticism causes John’s confusion.
NOTES
- See for example: G. Beasley-Murray (1986: 81); D. Turner (2008: 291); J. Gibbs (2:555–56); R. Gundry (1982: 305); C. A. Evans (2012: 236); M. Wilkins (2004: 413); D. Carson (1984: 8:261); R. Mounce (1991: 103); J. Nolland (2005: 450–52); C. Keener (2009: 335); F. Beare (254, 256); R. Tasker (1961: 114); Green (1997: 195–96); J. Brown (2015: 119); G. Osborne (2010: 414); W. Hendriksen (1973: 484–85); A. Robertson (1930: 1: 87); M. Horton (2011: 54); D. Garland (2011: 310); Schreiner (2010b: 23); Hare (1993: 120); Hagner (1993: 300); Davies and Allison (1988: 2:241); I. Marshall (1978: 291); Filson (1960: 137); Blomberg (1992: 183–85).
- Broadus (1886: 236) lists several significant names who do not believe that John is doubting: Chrysostom, Cyril, Augustine, Jerome, Luther, Calvin, Beza, Bengel, and Maldodnatus. Over against these, Broadus also mentions some notables accepting John’s personal doubt: Neander, Meyer, Bleek, Ewald, Keim, Resuss, Godet, Plumptre, and Schaff. We can also add Lenski (1943: 426) and Excell (1952: ad loc.).
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