Luke 7:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And I did not know Him; but He who sent me to baptize in water told me, “On whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, He is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.’ How then, you wonder, can it be that He is the One who is to come? You previously declared: ‘I have seen and testified that He is the Son of God.’ Yet, the Blessed John the Baptist did not fail to recognize the Word of God made flesh. Do not misinterpret this. He was assured that He was indeed the One to come; rather, his inquiries served a wise and thoughtful purpose, ultimately benefiting his disciples. They, lacking knowledge of Christ at that time, since His majesty and brilliance were concealed from them, subtly reproached him for performing miracles that surpassed those of the Baptist. One day, burdened with envy and irritation, they approached him, longing to be freed from their Jewish ailments, saying to the blessed Baptist concerning Christ, the universal Savior, ‘Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, of whom you testified, He baptizes, and everyone is flocking to Him.’ They desired no other baptizer and elevated themselves above John's honor. Nevertheless, they learned from him about the greatness of Christ's glory and the unmatched splendor of His majesty, as they heard him respond, ‘You are witnesses that I said I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before Him. The bridegroom possesses the bride; the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and listens to him, rejoices at the bridegroom's voice; therefore my joy is complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.’ However, our assertion is not that the blessed Baptist diminished in dignity during the time when the glory of Christ was continually magnifying due to those who believed in Him. Rather, the blessed John remained within the bounds of human nature, for there was no expectation for him to advance to a greater state. The incarnate Word, being truly God and eternally begotten from God the Father, was continually moving toward His rightful glory and capturing the admiration of all people. This is why he said: ‘He must increase, but I must decrease.’ For one who remains static seems insignificant compared to one who is perpetually advancing. The necessity of His surpassing all earthly realities in power and glory is evident when he stated: ‘He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks of earthly matters.’ Who, indeed, is He who came from above and is above all as God? It is none other than the only begotten Word of the Father, who, sharing His nature and equality, humbled Himself for love of the world. Therefore, He must inherently surpass the earthly, which includes the Baptist. Though John was commendable in virtue and unmatched in piety, having attained the zenith of righteousness, and was esteemed and venerated—indeed, the Lord testified of him, ‘Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist’—he was still not from above, nor of that which transcends all; he was earthly, one of us. Returning to this point, since their hearts were still affected by Jewish influences, they reported the divine manifestations of the Savior to the blessed Baptist. He, fully knowing who performed the miracles, rejoiced at the spread of the Savior's glory throughout the world. Yet, to establish a firm and unwavering faith in those who were still unconvinced of His identity as the Christ, he feigned ignorance and sent some to ask Him, ‘Are You the One who is to come, or should we wait for another?’ Some might speculate that he anticipated the coming of the Savior, considering that the Baptist was to face death due to Herod's malevolence prior to the precious cross, and as His forerunner, to precede His descent into Hades, inquiring whether He would come there as well to liberate those in the darkness and shadow of death, held fast by inescapable bonds. This interpretation is utterly unfounded, for nowhere in the divinely inspired Scriptures is it stated that the divine Baptist preached to the spirits in Hades concerning the Savior’s coming. Furthermore, it is reasonable to assert that, understanding the implications of the Only-begotten's earthly sojourn, John certainly recognized that He would redeem those in Hades and manifest His light even unto them, as ‘by the grace of God He tasted death for everyone,’ fulfilling what St. Paul states about Him being Lord of both the dead and the living. But why does he inquire, 'Are you the One who is to come, or must we wait for another?' As I mentioned earlier, this feigned ignorance serves a purpose, not for his own enlightenment—he, being the Forerunner, knows the divine mystery—but to convince his disciples of the incomparable excellence of the Savior, affirming what the inspired Scripture revealed: that He is the God and Lord destined to come. All others are servants sent before the Master, preparing the way for Him who is above all, as Scripture affirms. Thus, the holy prophets refer to the Savior and Lord of all as ‘the Coming One.’ The psalmist David proclaims, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’ What does it mean to come ‘in the name of the Lord’? It symbolizes divine glory, sovereignty, and boundless greatness. This is further echoed in the declaration, ‘The Lord is God and has revealed Himself to us.’ Moses indeed appeared in due time and, through him, the law was delivered to the Israelites; after him, Jesus, the son of Nun, commanded the host, followed by the blessed prophets. These were genuinely holy individuals, deserving of all honor and filled with spiritual magnificence; yet none revealed the name of the Lord with the clarity of divine authority and dominion as the only-begotten Word of God did. It is He whom God the Father referred to through the prophet Habakkuk, stating: ‘A little while longer, He who is to come will come, and will not delay.’ Through another prophet, the only begotten Word expresses, ‘Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Zion, for behold! I will come to dwell in your midst, says the Lord. Many nations will find refuge in the Lord that day; I will be their God, and they will be My people.’ We can see this fulfilled in reality: many nations are caught in His net, and Christ is their God, and they are His people. Therefore, taking the title ‘the Coming One’ from the inspired Scriptures, the divine Baptist sent some of his companions to inquire ‘if He was to come.’

John surely recognized the one he had previously designated to those in ignorance, stating, “He who has a bride is the bridegroom” (John 3:29), “I am not worthy to carry his sandals” (Matthew 3:11), and “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). He had also heard the Divine Voice proclaiming, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). However, his inquiry, “Are you the One who is to come, or should we expect another?” (Matthew 11:3), might reflect a deeper intention: “I know that You are the One who came to bear away the sins of the world; yet, as I prepare to descend into the realm of the dead, I ask whether You will go there Yourself, or is it wrong to believe thus about the Son of God, and will You send another? I wish to understand this so that, having declared You to humanity on earth, I may also proclaim You in the underworld, if You have indeed come there. For You are the One who came to liberate those held in bondage and to free the captives.”

He had received divine instruction in the wilderness to preach repentance and had identified Jesus as the Messiah based on the heavenly sign he had witnessed—the Spirit descending upon Him. John had heard God's voice affirming Jesus and later expressed joy in recognizing Jesus's growing glory, a sentiment he shared not merely for the sake of his disciples.

If John had experienced any doubts, it was not from a place of uncertainty about who Jesus was, but rather a way to direct his disciples to Christ. His question to Jesus would not have been an expression of self-doubt regarding his role as the Forerunner. The phrase “or else?” indicates that John's disciples held John in high regard, while their uncertainty was solely about Jesus. In their view, John could continue to be the Forerunner even if Jesus were not the promised Messiah, as they believed the Messiah might still arrive. However, such reasoning did not align with John's understanding and stance. If he truly questioned Jesus's identity, he would have also cast doubt on his own calling and his role as the Forerunner. John had a divine testimony affirming both truths.

Another possibility for John's inquiry arises not from unbelief or uncertainty, but rather from a sense of urgency to witness the establishment of the Messiah’s kingdom and to be liberated from his imprisonment. Yet, it seems improbable that John would entertain such thoughts, as he referred to Jesus as the Lamb and understood the suffering he would endure. He could not have expected a visible establishment of the Messiah's kingdom without acknowledging the corresponding change in the role of the Forerunner. Thus, it is clear that John's question was not born of doubt. Nonetheless, from prison, he sent his disciples to ask Jesus this question, perhaps believing it was the best way to clear up any misconceptions regarding Jesus's identity. It is likely that such doubts had been instigated by the Pharisees, who sought to pit John's influence against Jesus, even using John's disciples to criticize Jesus's followers for not fasting, which the Lord addressed openly in response (Mt 11:16-19).

Although the messengers sought answers from Jesus for their teacher, it is important to recognize that John's mission to Christ was intended for the benefit of his disciples, not for John himself. They were sent to inquire about Jesus to receive an answer directly from Him. It is unlikely that John harbored doubts about Jesus' Messianic identity, especially after listening to the testimony of God the Father and witnessing the Spirit of God descend upon Jesus during His baptism, having previously affirmed Jesus' role as the Messiah. These profound testimonies reveal the depth of John's perception of Jesus and His ministry, indicating that the humble condition of Christ should not have posed a stumbling block to him.

While John’s disciples questioned Christ, He performed numerous miracles. In His response to their inquiry, Jesus highlighted these miraculous works, thereby confirming the validity of His self-declaration. He referenced His ministry using the words of the prophet Isaiah, invoking Old Testament prophecy as a testament to the truth of His mission. In the context of this discourse, the phrase “the poor have good news preached to them” is used to refer to the Israelites, who were a politically marginalized and distressed people. Jesus further proclaimed, "And blessed is he who is not offended by Me," meaning by His lowly and humble state. Through this, Jesus demonstrated His awareness of the discussions between John’s disciples and their teacher, which led them to question Him about His role in the kingdom of God.