John the Baptist spent the last two years of his life in prison. It’s not surprising that he started to question Jesus’ identity as the Messiah when things were going poorly. We do the same thing, frankly. John expected an immediate and full establishment of the Kingdom of God that included setting him free. He was looking for fiery judgment against God’s enemies, but Jesus was extending grace first. Jesus responded to John’s inquiry with a description of his public ministry right out of Isaiah 35:5-6 and 61:1. His public preaching was that the Kingdom of God was now at hand and available in a new way. It was being manifested through signs and wonders. But many people were also not receiving it well, such as the religious leaders. For the time being, there is a choice to reject God’s rule.

The Kingdom is where God’s rule is received.

In Christ the Kingdom is already here, but not yet fully established. We await his return to do this. In the meantime, Jesus was oblique in his response to John because he didn’t need King Herod Antipas hunting him down as a threat. He also wanted John to reassess his own understanding of the Messiah’s ministry. Jesus was going to be a different kind of king than the typical monarch of his day. 

His kingdom comes when the blind see or the lame walk or lepers are cleansed, or the deaf hear, or the dead are raised. These can happen literally or spiritually. For example, in John 9, a man born blind has his physical eyes healed. However, the religious leaders are said to remain blind despite healthy physical eyes (John 9:40-41).

Taking It Home: Prayerfully consider aspects of your own life where you are not fully receiving God’s rule. Ask for his grace to bring these things into the Kingdom through repentance.