Says Who?! (Matthew 11:1-19)
June 22, 2025
Jordan Byrd
When we approach a board game—like the game Life—we usually come with a strategy. We’ve got a plan. An assumption of how we’re going to play. An expectation of how the game is supposed to go. But more often than not, a board game rarely unfolds how we expect. The game takes a turn that we didn’t plan for. A game piece goes missing that we didn’t see coming. A rule we overlooked suddenly matters and everything changes. And real life? It’s not all that different. We bring expectations into life, assumptions about how things should work, and how they should turn out. And when we encounter Jesus, we often bring those same expectations. We want Jesus to fit our plans—to be who we imagine Him to be, to reveal God in a way that makes sense to us.
But in Matthew 11:1–19, we find someone—a well-known prophetic voice—John the Baptist—facing the same temptation. He is tempted to doubt Jesus. Why? Because Jesus wasn’t doing what John expected. And here’s the false news we’re all tempted to believe: That our expectations are the standard. That if Jesus doesn’t match our assumptions, it’s okay to disregard what Jesus says or shows us in Scripture. But this text gently confronts us with something better: Jesus—not our assumptions—is who God truly is. Jesus reveals the presence of God our lives truly need. Today, the good news I hope you’ll hear from God’s word in Matthew 11:1-19 is this: Jesus isn’t always the God we expect—but He’s always the God we need.
In our current context, we’re often tempted to place our own expectations on God—to imagine a God who simply reflects what we want Him to be. A God Who Serves Our Comfort: We expect a God who keeps us safe, wealthy, and happy—who removes pain, shields us from discomfort, and gives us what we want, when we want it. A God Who Approves Everything: We want a God who never challenges us—who tolerates all our choices, affirms all our desires, and never says anything is right or wrong. A God Who Backs Our Agenda: We expect a God who agrees with our politics, our worldview, our enemies—a God who fights for our side and cancels those we don’t like. A God Who Demands Nothing: We imagine a God who lets us live on our own terms, but still shows up to rescue us when life gets hard—a God who never asks for surrender, obedience, or transformation. A God Who Fixes Things by Force: We hope for a God who will make everything right—even if that means blowing it all up or using power and punishment instead of mercy and redemption.
But as we encounter in Matthew 11, Jesus doesn’t meet every expectation—He challenges them. Jesus doesn’t always look like the God we expect, but Jesus reveals who God truly is. Matthew 11 re-introduces us to the biblical character of John the Baptist. John was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, relatives of Jesus’ mother, Mary. He was foretold by the angel Gabriel to be the forerunner of God’s coming presence on earth (Luke 1:13–17). John was born before Jesus, and before the events we read in Matthew 11, John and Jesus had already met. When John first saw Jesus, he prophetically declared: “Behold, the Lamb of God—who takes away the sin of the world.” Soon after, Jesus came to John to be immersed—to be baptized in the Jordan River. And during that baptism, John testified that he “...saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him,” and was told, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit” (John 1). As a prophet, John played a key role in helping people recognize that God’s Spirit—that God Himself—was being made known in flesh and blood, in Jesus. To encounter Jesus is to encounter God.
But now, in Matthew 11 we find John in prison—for correcting ungodly behavior of the Herod, the king of Israel at that time. And John begins to wonder: Was I wrong? Did I misunderstand what God is about? Did I misread who Jesus really is—the who I was preparing the way for? John sends his disciples to Jesus with the question: “Are you the One who was to come—or should we expect someone else?” And maybe you’ve felt that too. You’ve trusted Jesus. You’ve followed Him. But He’s not doing what you expected. And like John, your expectations feel unmet.
But here’s the good news from this moment: Jesus doesn’t scold John for his doubt. He points instead to the evidence of God’s presence—active and alive through what Jesus is doing. Jesus wasn’t the God John expected—but He was the God John needed to encounter. Because Jesus knows: even the most godly people can wrestle with disappointment when God doesn’t fit their expectations. And that’s where this truth speaks to us today too: Jesus isn’t always the God we expect—but He’s always the God we need.
I’ve always been fascinated by the Chernobyl disaster. The core of the disaster is simple: during a safety test, critical protocols were ignored, and an explosion occurred, causing radiation to spread across the region. In the early hours of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, when the reactor exploded, the people in charge refused to believe it was a serious issue. They were convinced serious danger wasn’t imminent. It wasn’t just denial—it was a belief based on deeply held assumptions. And so, rather than face the facts, they didn’t immediately remove people from the area. All because the leaders—clung to their version of the truth. They couldn’t imagine being wrong, so they stayed in control and in the dark. And people paid a terrible price. The radiation was real—even if they didn’t want it to be. Rather than seek greater understanding, they stood on their limited understanding, and that choice only deepened the disaster’s impact—on people, on trust, and on the land itself, which still bears the scars today.
We face similar situations today. We carry our own expectations of Jesus. And when His words and actions challenge those expectations, we’re faced with a choice: Will we stand on our limited understanding—or lean into the greater understanding that Jesus’ words and life reveal about who God truly is?
John the Baptist faced this same choice in Matthew 11. He had dedicated his life to preparing people for God’s arrival in the Messiah— to prepare them for the One who would bring deliverance to people like John, and change the world for the better. But now John is in prison. He is not experiencing deliverance. His world has not gotten better since Jesus came on the scene. We meet John in a moment of doubt. And like us, he can either stay rooted in his own expectations—or seek a greater understanding. As the story unfolds, John chooses to seek that greater understanding. He moves toward Jesus in his doubt. The real issue isn’t that John had doubt—it’s what he would do with his doubt. Would he move toward Jesus in the midst of his doubt, or away from Jesus? He could have withdrawn. He could have let pride or disappointment take over. But instead, he sends his disciples to Jesus. And from what we can tell, John was likely imprisoned nearly 90 miles away from where Jesus was ministering at that time. That’s no small journey. But John was willing to make a costly investment—to move toward clarity. He was not too proud to let go of his assumptions in order to gain a clearer view of who Jesus—and God—really is. Jesus isn’t always the God we expect—but He’s always the God we need.
I’ve followed Jesus long enough to see people falter in their faith—some doubt and wander, then return; some give in to sin and live a double life; some walk away and never come back. Many of you may have probably heard of the recent news about Michael Tait—recent lead singer of the Newsboys music group, and former member of the music group, D.C. Talk. He confessed to drug abuse and inappropriate behavior toward other men, all while continuing to tour and sing about Jesus. You’ve maybe been to a concert. That’s my experience, earlier in my life. So what do we do with that? When someone who helped us encounter God is living a lie? Was it all worthless?
As we observe John’s doubt about Jesus’ revelation of God in Matthew 11, we also see Jesus’ response to John’s doubt—and in that, we find clarity. John, a central figure of faith, who pointed people to see God in Jesus—is doubting. But Jesus doesn’t condemn John for his doubt. Instead, Jesus brings clarity—so that John can see a fuller picture of who God is. And Jesus shows us that John’s faith isn’t the central issue. Yes—John’s faith is part of his connection to what God is doing through Jesus. But the clarity of who God is doesn’t rest on John’s faith alone. In verses 7–10, Jesus highlights the fruit of John’s ministry. John stood firm in the revelation of God he received. He stood against the godlessness of his time—he wasn’t a reed swaying in the winds of public opinion. He gave up the riches of the world to help others prepare to meet God in Jesus—no fine clothes, no lavish living. What Jesus helps us see is that God’s revelation, though often carried by a human witness, doesn’t rest on that witness alone. Ultimately, it rests on Jesus. God is the one present and active to make Himself known—and He has a long history of doing that through imperfect people: Doubters, like John the Baptist. Hypocrites, like Michael Tait. And people who struggle to believe, like you and me. (Fruit) Jesus helps us to see that the fruit of someone encountering God through Jesus is not any less true—even if the person that fruit came through later withers or falls away. Ultimately, Our awareness of God, and our faith in God, must rest on Jesus—and no one else. Jesus isn’t always the God we expect—but He’s always the God we need.
Years ago, before my wife Julia, I went through a really hard breakup. What made it especially painful was trying to make sense of my life and future. I was in my late 20s—watching younger friends and even my younger sibling getting married and starting families. And here I was back at square one. I wasn’t just grieving the relationship—I was wrestling with unmet expectations. I thought, “Isn’t God supposed to provide good things like marriage and family? Doesn’t His Word talk about that?” So why wasn’t it happening? I didn’t stop believing in God, but I started questioning my understanding of who Jesus really is—and what it means for Him to be God and the Lord of my life. During that season, I spent a lot of time with my friend Matt. One day, in the middle of one of my vent sessions, he gently asked something like this: “Is it possible that God is bigger than your expectations?” It wasn’t some immediate “aha” moment, but that idea stuck with me. And over time, God used that idea to shift my perspective—to see that He really is beyond what I expected, and that I can trust who He is as I see Him in Jesus.
In Matthew 11, we see John the Baptist needing help too—help to see more clearly who God really is. John’s followers go to Jesus for him, asking if Jesus is truly the One they were waiting for. And in the background of this conversation is a whole generation of people, just like us, struggling with their expectations of God and how Jesus doesn’t seem to meet them. They rejected John’s message, even though his words were true and in line with the Old Testament Scriptures. But they didn’t like that version of God—so they said John had a demon. But they also rejected Jesus too—because the way He revealed God didn’t fit what they thought was right. They couldn’t believe God would draw near to sinful people, people who didn’t have it all together. So Jesus compares them to children in the streets, playing games and always complaining (v.17): “We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.” The celebratory music’s playing—but you don’t like the song. Someone’s hurting—but you don’t care. Earlier, Jesus says: “Whoever has ears, let them hear” (v.15). It’s a way of contrasting pride and hard-heartedness with humility and surrender. It’s the humble and surrendered—the ones willing to let go of their assumptions—who will come to see God most clearly in Jesus (The humbled and surrendered will come to see God most clearly in Jesus). Jesus isn’t always the God we expect—but He’s always the God we need.
Just like John, we all go through seasons of doubt—wondering who God really is. And like John, we need Jesus to bring clarity. We need to hear again, and again, what God is truly like—as revealed in the life of Jesus. And like John, we don’t just need Jesus’ voice—we need the voices of others who follow Him. We need brothers and sisters who help us see Jesus more clearly when our expectations and assumptions get in the way. I needed Matt. I needed someone to say out loud what I couldn’t make sense of on my own. And you’ve probably needed that too. We all do. We constantly need people who will speak the good news of Jesus into our lives—to move us from pride to humility, from doubt and hard-heartedness to surrender, so we can truly see who God is through Jesus. That’s why our discipleship strategy includes making space in our lives to share vulnerably with each other. To vulnerably confess our doubts. And to vulnerably speak the good news of Jesus to each other—to remind each other of who Jesus really is, especially when one of us can’t make sense of Him clearly. The good news of Jesus isn’t something we hear once and move on from. It’s something we share with each other again and again—because life will always tempt us to doubt. Jesus isn’t always the God we expect—but He’s always the God we need.
Take a closer look at Jesus.
If you’re still trying to make sense of God, I want to simply invite you: take a closer look at the life of Jesus. Let Jesus be your lens—your interpretation of who God really is. And if you have ears to hear, I invite you to humble yourself, and surrender your life to Him—in faith, and in baptism. If you’ve never taken that step, please find me, or another follower of Jesus you trust. We’d love to help you make that decision with a clear mind and an open heart.
Be honest with Jesus about your expectations of God.
If you already follow Jesus, if you believe He’s the clearest picture of who God is, I invite you to be honest with Him—about the expectations and assumptions you’ve been holding onto. Humble yourself, and surrender those expectations to Jesus. Let Him show you more fully who God truly is. And I invite you to make space in your life for deeper relationships with other followers of Jesus—people with whom you can be real and vulnerable about your doubts, and who can graciously and vulnerably help point you back to the truth of God as He’s revealed in Jesus.
Jesus isn’t always the God we expect—but He’s always the God we need.