Luk. 7:19 ... "John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, 'Are You the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?'"
Because John the Baptist had publicly condemned the adulterous marriage of Herod the Tetrarch, that ruler imprisoned him at a remote place east of the Dead Sea. It was after suffering such deprivation for perhaps several months that John called a couple of his disciples to him to take to Jesus the strange question, "Are You the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" This is something we would not expect John to say. While he was preaching, and baptizing in the Jordan River, he had boldly and insistently proclaimed that Jesus was the long-promised Messiah who would take away the sins of the world. He had humbled himself before Jesus at His baptism and had even rejoiced when Jesus' ministry eclipsed his own. Above all things John had witnessed the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus and had heard that great Voice from above proclaim, "This is My beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased," (Mat. 3:13-17).
Some have suggested that the protracted loneliness and inactivity of prison had dulled John's perception to the low point where he had begun to doubt the authenticity of Jesus' ministry. Others have thought John was subtly hinting to Jesus to prove His power by releasing him from prison. Most, however, have concluded that John, realizing his own destiny, was making an effort to point his remaining disciples toward Jesus as their proper Mentor and Master. Whatever his reason, John did the best thing by appealing directly to Jesus. As God's Son, with all power given to Him, Jesus had the answer to every question and the ability to apply that answer to the ultimate solution of every problem. Yet, when problems arise now in people's lives, rather than go to Jesus for the solution, they begin to search only within the realm of human experience for help. While authorities in the various sciences are indispensable in helping us survive, we must not think they diminish our need for Jesus. For He has said, "Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it," (Luk. 17:33). Even if one should save his life from physical or mental deterioration through the wisdom and skill of human science, he would yet lose the fulness of life if Jesus were not an integral factor in his existence.
It is lamentable that so many people give little more than a cursory glance at Jesus and then go to "look for another." They pass right by the One who has all the answers and all the power to implement them unto the greatest good for our human condition. While Jesus yet walked the earth, many looked past Him to Moses and the Law for their guidance and salvation. Through the ages since then people have looked past Jesus to others who set themselves up as religious leaders, and even in several cases, as saviors. Others outside the context of religion have formulated philosophies that appealed to many as the vehicle for interpreting life and existence, all to the exclusion of Jesus and His gospel. The number of alternatives to Jesus and the Way He offers are legion, and new ones make their appearance each year. It is axiomatic that the question, "Are You the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?," faces everyone on earth who hears of Jesus Christ. And as often as the question arises, the individual decides what his answer will be. Either he will yield in submission to Jesus to be reformed and redirected into the Christian Way, or he will pass Jesus by to yield his life to someone or something else. As each of us ponders that momentous decision, our destiny virtually trembles in the balance. To choose Jesus and His Way will lead to everlasting life in heaven, but to bypass Jesus "for another" will lead to eternal destruction.
