“Beyond Reasonable Doubt!”

“Beyond Reasonable Doubt!”(Mt.11:1-6).
LORD, thank you that I entered into today. I go out in the confidence that today, “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you will be with me…”(Ps.24:4).
Sola Scriptura, as upheld by the Reformers, is that
“Scripture alone is the sole rule and norm for faith and life.” From the standpoint of faith, the Bible is the very Word of God. The Reformers also held to the hermeneutic principle that “Scripture interprets Scripture” which means that the Bible is its own interpreter. This is a profound concept whose inspiration was the Bible itself and which had been applied by many of the biblical authors in their generations.
Quite so often, the LORD Jesus Christ used scripture in interpreting scripture. Not only that, he affirmed that he was the fulfilment of scriptures.
Today’s pericope is one such passage in which Jesus is requesting John the Baptist and his disciples to use their ears and eyes to interpret the present as a fulfilment of the past.
John the Baptist was in prison and heard what Christ was doing. He sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”
If John the Baptist was ignorant about the Messiahship of Christ, then we may have a problem with Matthew, the author of the gospel. Earlier on, Matthew had recounted the dialogue between John and Jesus when Jesus came to be baptised by John. John had argued that it was Jesus to baptise him, not the other way round. But Jesus had replied, “Let it be so for now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness.”(3:13-15). However, it is likely that John’s uncertainty was the desperation of being in prison. But again, Matthew emphasises that John heard what “Christ” – Messiah was doing, he does not say, “Jesus” as in his humanity!
However, there is no contradiction here because Jesus’ response to John’s disciples reveals both his humanity and divinity.
Jesus replied, ” Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.'” He replied as Jesus, but the evidence he was pointing out was beyond reasonable doubt a revelation of things only the Messiah was capable of doing.
Jesus was telling John’s disciples to tell John to use scriptures to interpret scriptures. Isaiah had prophesied that in the Messianic dawn ,”the deaf will hear the words of the scroll…the eyes of the blind will see…the humble will rejoice in the LORD…”(29:18-22, cf.35:5-6).
Dear friend, our faith is made strong when we see Holy Scriptures as a unity.
Reading from the word of God should be our daily routine. Where we are in doubt, the Holy Spirit will reveal to us or enlighten our ignorance. We gain new insights from scriptures daily in the same way that God’s mercies are new every day. Great is his faithfulness.
When the doubters of our faith approach us with questions that doubt the Christ, let us tell them to go and see what the LORD has done for us and through us.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, humble us to know you by seeing and hearing your works in us and through us. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.
18/09/2025.