Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for the Bible Recap.

After Jesus appoints the 12 apostles, they start going around to their hometown's preaching.

While they're going from town to town, JT.B. seems to be having an internal

struggle. He has seen the spirit descend on Jesus like a dove. He has heard the voice of the

father affirm Jesus as his son. But then Jesus went away into the wilderness and JTB got thrown

into prison. Their paths barely crossed and now JT. keeps hearing about how Jesus is doing all these miracles for

everyone. Surely if Jesus is the Messiah, he'll actually come and do some miracles to get him out of

prison, right? Maybe that's not what JTB is thinking. Maybe he just needs to be reminded that his life

hasn't been wasted, because his entire life has been about pointing to the Messiah. We don't know

what JTB was thinking. All we know

is that he sends messengers to ask Jesus to confirm or deny that he is the Messiah.

Personally, I don't think this is doubt. I just think this is despair. Jesus sends a message

back, telling the messengers to let JTB know they've seen Jesus do the things Isaiah said the Messiah would do

when he comes. He quotes prophecies JTB probably would have known by heart, but he leaves off a part of

the prophecy that almost certainly caught JTB's attention, the part where the prisoners get set free.

I cannot imagine how it felt to be on the receiving end of this message. Yes, I'm the Messiah Isaiah prophesied about, and the one you pointed toward, it has all been

fulfilled, but you will die in prison. Jesus ends by saying,

Blessed is the one who is not offended by me. And while this certainly has wider implications,

I think it may have also had very personal implications for JTB, too,

as if it's almost an acknowledgement from Jesus that he's delivering hard news to him.

As they go on their way, Jesus praises JTB to his disciples.

He says JTB is the fulfillment of Malachi's prophecy about the coming of Elijah.

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