Sometimes It's Hard to Believe in Jesus, But...

I. Matthew 11:6 “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
II. Sometimes it’s hard to believe in Jesus. It was even hard for John the Baptist, the very one God had called to proclaim Christ’s coming.
III. The story of John the baptist:
A. He came preaching:
1. Matthew 3:1–2 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
2. Matthew 3:10–12 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
B. But then things didn’t happen the way he expected. Jesus didn’t act like a lumberjack chopping down trees, but as a healer and a helper.
C. Not only this, but John, expecting to be part of a God-empowered takeover of Israel, was instead arrested and his life hung in the balance, based on the whims of Herod.
IV. God doesn’t follow our agenda, but His own.
A. He often doesn't do what we think He should.
B. He sometimes doesn’t give us what we obviously need.
C. He often doesn't explain our pain.
D. He calls us to build His kingdom but then doesn't grant us success
1. Remember God’s call of the prophet Isaiah. After He reveals Himself to Isaiah in the temple, we read this: I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ 10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” 11 Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste.” – Isaiah 6:8–11
2. This is not what Isaiah was expecting when he volunteered to be God’s messenger.
V. Not only this, but sometimes He’s not nice.
A. The fact is, we have a God who sometimes yells at people, even His own children
1. the cleansing of the temple
2. the man in the synagogue with the withered hand
3. get behind me Satan
4. Matt.23 you brood of vipers
5. The OT prophets
B. Aslan had his good purpose for tearing Aravis. He’s not a tame lion.
VI. Sometimes He even acts distant and cold (Syrophoenician woman in Matt.15)
A. Matthew 15:21–28 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
B. It’s like a movie drama — it doesn’t make sense till the end. And in the midst of the scary or tense parts of the drama, Blessed is the one who is not offended by Jesus. Blessed is the One who trusts and waits.
C. It’s not that His plan is worse, it’s just that it’s so much better.
D. These things happened that we might learn to trust, not in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead. (2Cor.1:8-9)