08/02/2026 John the Baptist in Prison (Matthew 11; 14; Mark 6; Luke 3; 7)

John the Baptist was a faithful messenger of the gospel and he was commended by Jesus for his faith. Though John the Baptist centered his ministry on proclaiming Jesus as Messiah, John needed to be encouaged and reminded that Jesus is truly the one God promised to send. Confined to a prison cell, John relayed his questions in his time of need to Jesus’ disciples and sent them to get an answer from the Lord. “Are you the one who is to come,” John asked Jesus, “or should we expect someone else?”

Jesus offered words of assurance to John and his followers by quoting Isaiah 35:5–6 and pointing to His miracles and proclamation of the gospel. Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth wasn’t to be a political hero for the Jews against the Romans, but to restore the relationship between God and man.