Luke 7:18-23 18The disciples of John reported all these things to him. 19And calling two of his disciples to him, John sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” 20And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’ ” 21In that hour, he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he gave sight. 22And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. 23And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
Luke returns to the story of John the Baptist. The last word about John came in 3:20 with him in prison, having been locked up by Herod the tetrarch. As far as the historical setting, John was still in prison at this point (Matthew 11:2). John had disciples like Jesus. Some of Jesus’ disciples were first John’s motive for this question is unclear. of John. Word about Jesus had spread, and at some point, John’s disciples had caught wind of this word and brought it to John. Sending two disciples to question Jesus was a way John could confirm the accuracy of a testimony based on Deuteronomy 19:15.
The question in verse 19 and repeated in verse 20 implies that John had some uncertainty about the identity of Jesus. John’s motive for this question is unclear. It is possible that John had been locked up for a while and had not heard of all that Jesus was doing and saying. John’s exposure and knowledge of Jesus may have been limited, even though they were relatives. Many people, including the disciples, did not understand Jesus. People had certain expectations of what the Messiah would be like, and Jesus broke all those pre-conceived molds. John’s preaching was strong on repentance and strongly confronted people about their sins. The message Jesus preached was one of forgiveness and mercy. The two approaches about the coming kingdom were quite different. Luke uses the title Lord in reference to Jesus and leaves no doubt as to whom he believed Jesus to be.
The proof of Jesus’ identity as the Messiah was clearly on display with how he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits. As a physician, Luke made a distinction between illnesses and demon possessions. Healing the blind is referred to as a “grace” (echarisato) and was in fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 61:1 (see Luke 4:18). Jesus did not give a specific response to John’s question but rather told the two disciples of John to look at the proof in the miracles. The evidence should have spoken for itself. Examples of all of the items listed in verse 22 can be found in the previous three chapters in Luke.
Verse 23 gives the simple application and timeless truth for all people. The beatitude comes in the form of a proclamation with an outcome and challenge for how people respond to Jesus. This was a subtle rebuke for anyone who saw or heard about Jesus’ miracles but did not believe in him. Those who were offended (“scandalized, skandalisthē) by Jesus did not believe in him because of their preconceived ideas. Many of the Jewish leaders, such as the Pharisees and scribes, were examples of this type of response. John and his disciples also had a choice about what to believe about Jesus. The verse is stated in such a way that anyone who hears or reads it also must make a choice. Jesus is offensive to those who refuse to believe in him. But to those who believe, he is the way of life, healing, and wholeness.
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