God and Your Expectations: Following God When Life Makes No Sense

Then he announces the Messiah, and John expects…he expects…the Messiah to be like him, sober, somber, and austere. And what’s Jesus doing? He’s getting a reputation, too. You know what his reputation is? He eats too much, and he drinks too much. Did you know that? Jesus is a glutton and a drunk. Excuse me, but that’s wonderful. That’s really wonderful. I think it’s glorious that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came from the heavens, became a man, and enjoyed being human. That should encourage you.

But to keep the gospel in line, I want to tell you something. Don’t get too encouraged. You know, I am not here preaching a prosperity gospel to you. Do you know what the Christian life contains for you? It contains for you everything it contained for Jesus Christ, because He was the first Christian. A lot of joy, a lot of feasting, banqueting, glory, awe, ridicule, Gethsemane, crucifixion, abandonment by God. Abandoned by God. Death…and resurrection. That’s what the Christian life holds for you. It’s buried. And, by the way, after resurrection, more eating and drinking, and rejoicing. Say Praise the Lord to that, would you?

The disciples talk to John the Baptist, and they don’t hear anything. He doesn’t hear anything that they’re telling him that encourages him. He was so clear in his direction. Jesus seems to be meandering around here. His direction is not clear, according to John. John is in prison. He’s about to be killed, he thinks, and he’s correct. And his God is not what he thought he would be. John thought he would see Israel’s kingdom restored. He thought he was going to see the Son of God on a throne. He thought he was going to see Rome put down. He thought he was going to see the true religion of God reestablished in vitality. And all he sees is a slimy wall and two walls upon his arms, and reports that his cousin is feasting where he fasted and revering where he prayed. And John…John wants some answers.

Well, two grief-stricken disciples of John look Jesus straight in the face and say, “Lord, what’s your answer?” And I think time and space began to slip now…away. The Lord Jesus interfaces with the Father, and God remembers how many times His children have wanted an answer to an inexplicable God and to the surprises, the unexpectedness, and the disappointments of God.

Israel was in captivity for 400 years, praying every day for deliverance, and not one time in 400 years did God give an answer to a prayer, and not once did He explain why. Job on a dunghill, begging God for clear answers, and God not giving one. Instead, he talks about crocodiles. Israel in Babylon, under the yoke of the Babylonians, crying out to God for deliverance, and for 70 years, not one piece of evidence that He’ll take them out of slavery.

But let’s get this a little closer to home. Perhaps a rabbi, well-trained and faithful to God, back there somewhere in the Old Testament era, is captured by the Greeks, led off to slavery, and spends the rest of his life emptying dung out of a stable. A brilliant man reduced to slavery, and he looks up to God, and he says, “Why? Explain this. This is not what I expected of you.”

A child raped, and a mother wants to know in the face of God, “Why?” A baby born still, and a face looks up to God and says, “Lord, explain. This is not what I expected you to be.” Listen. This is hurting Jesus. In all the times past, He did not give a clear answer to people who had to have clear answers. But today, He’s going to have to be an immutable God, even to his cousin from whom He has demanded everything and is now about to demand his life.

You see, John has never read Matthew, Mark, Luke, the gospel of John, and Acts. He doesn’t know what’s going to happen. I read it. I know. Why won’t the Lord answer John the Baptist? He’s got a right to know. Lord, just once, would you please give one good, clear, straight answer? If ever, give one now. Give his answer, Lord. I’ll help you phrase it. Look at the disciples of John the Baptist and say, “He’s been so faithful, I’ll tell him what’s going to happen. I’m going to preach to more people. Hundreds and thousands are going to believe. I’m going to Jerusalem in triumph. I am going to be crucified, but I’m going to rise from the dead and bring in the kingdom and ascend to my father on high. John, you won’t see it, but that’s what’s going to happen.”

Now, that’s a good Western answer, isn’t it? Good Aristotelian answer. Good, clear, crisp words you can understand. Why won’t this immutable God explain himself to John at least once? Do you know the answer to that? And neither do I. I will die not knowing, and so will you. He has never given one hint as to why He will not answer. And at best, we can only speculate. Brothers and sisters, the question before the house this morning is not whether He’ll give you a clear answer. The question is, are you going to continue to follow a God you don’t understand? And a God who will not live up to your expectations. Will you?

You’ll face that decision, every one of you, right soon. You will be in John’s shoes. Are you going to follow a God who won’t explain the great tragedies of your life, won’t give you any answers, and will utterly disappoint you in the things He does?

Just look at what the Lord says right now that proves the point. He says to them, He gives them three answers that are, to me, totally worthless. I don’t know about you, but they’re worthless. John knows all of this. He knows everything he’s about to be told. Number one, tell Him that many are being healed. Many demons are being cast out. The lame walk, the blind see, and the demons are cast out. Many evil spirits were cast out. Many blind see. Many lame walk. Isn’t that wonderful? Say amen.

It’s not wonderful to everybody. You know why? Because many isn’t all. Many isn’t all.