A question was recently asked by one of our readers: “Praise the Lord, servant of God. Thank you for your work in ministry. I wanted to ask about John the Baptist. He is the one who baptized Jesus, and testified that he saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove and remain on Him. God Himself had told him, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.’ John even affirmed that the one coming after him was greater than him and existed before him. So why, then, when he was in prison, did he send his disciples to ask Jesus, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’ (Matthew 11:3). Did he begin to doubt what he had previously testified?” Answer: This is a thoughtful and important question. It is human nature that when God gives us a promise or revelation, we often begin to form our own assumptions and expectations about how and when that promise will come to pass. These expectations are usually shaped by our understanding, desires, or even cultural assumptions—not necessarily by God’s actual plan or timing. So when God’s plan unfolds differently from how we imagined, our faith can be shaken, not because God was unfaithful, but because we let our expectations overshadow His truth. This seems to be what happened to John the Baptist. It’s not that John stopped believing what he had seen and heard. He was absolutely convinced that Jesus was the Messiah. In John 1:32-34 (NIV), John says: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him… I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” John had divine confirmation. But like many Jews of his time, John likely expected the Messiah to bring immediate judgment and political deliverance, to come wielding a winnowing fork—separating the wheat from the chaff, gathering the righteous, and destroying the wicked (Matthew 3:12). He preached boldly about this coming judgment. But what he witnessed instead was Jesus moving in gentleness and grace, healing the sick, forgiving sinners, and even being rejected by many—not leading a political revolution or executing divine justice on the Roman oppressors. So, when John found himself imprisoned by Herod for speaking the truth (see Matthew 14:3-4), and Jesus had not yet brought the kind of kingdom he expected, John’s confidence was tested. In his moment of isolation and suffering, he sent his disciples to Jesus to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:3). This wasn’t necessarily a crisis of faith, but a longing for reassurance, a search for clarity amid confusion. Jesus didn’t rebuke John for this. Instead, He responded by pointing to the evidence of His works: “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” (Matthew 11:4–5, NIV) These were direct fulfillments of Messianic prophecies like Isaiah 35:5-6 and Isaiah 61:1. Jesus was affirming: Yes, I am the One—but My mission is unfolding according to God’s timing and purpose, not human expectations. Application: Even today, many believers face the same temptation John did: We receive a promise from God and start imagining how it will come to pass. Then, when reality unfolds differently, we question whether we really heard from God at all. For example, a woman might receive a prophetic word that she will have three children within five years. Instead of simply trusting God’s faithfulness, she might begin to calculate: “I’ll have the first in year one, the second in year three, and the last in year five.” But what if nothing happens in the first four years? Doubt begins to creep in. She might wonder, “Did God really speak to me? Was it just my imagination? Did I do something wrong?” And some end up abandoning the promise altogether. But suppose God had planned for her to conceive triplets in the fifth year. Her timing was wrong—not God’s. The problem wasn’t the promise, but her expectations. We often confuse God’s silence or slowness with absence. Yet God is always working—even when we can’t see it (see Habakkuk 2:3: “Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”) Conclusion: John’s story teaches us a powerful truth: We must hold tightly to God’s promises, but loosely to our expectations of how they’ll be fulfilled. Let God’s Word shape your faith, not your assumptions. “Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”— Matthew 11:6 (NIV) May we learn to trust God’s character even when His ways confuse us, and may we believe His promises without reshaping them into our own image. God bless you.
In the New Testament, both Demas and Mark (also known as John Mark) are mentioned as co-workers of the Apostle Paul. In Philemon 1:24, Paul writes: “…and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.” (ESV) At first glance, both Mark and Demas appear to be faithful servants of God, laboring alongside one of the greatest missionaries of the gospel. But as their stories unfold in Scripture, we see two very different trajectories—each offering profound lessons for the believer today. Mark – A Story of Redemption and Restoration Early in Paul’s missionary journeys, Mark was chosen to accompany Paul and Barnabas as an assistant (Acts 13:5). However, in Acts 13:13 we read: “Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem.” (ESV) The Bible does not specify why Mark left, but it clearly grieved Paul deeply. Perhaps Mark felt overwhelmed by the hardships of mission work, or he was discouraged. Whatever the reason, his premature departure left a lasting impression. When Paul later proposed revisiting the churches they had planted, Barnabas wanted to give Mark another chance. Paul, however, refused—leading to a sharp disagreement between the two apostles: “Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.” (Acts 15:37–39, ESV) But that was not the end of Mark’s story. Later in Paul’s life, we see that Mark had matured, repented, and regained Paul’s trust. In one of Paul’s final letters, he writes: “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:11, ESV) Mark’s transformation is so remarkable that God eventually used him to write one of the four Gospels—the Gospel of Mark. His story reminds us that failure is not final when there is repentance. God’s grace can restore and reposition us for impactful service. Demas – A Cautionary Tale of Apostasy In contrast, Demas also started well. Like Mark, he was once counted among Paul’s trusted companions. In Colossians 4:14, Paul mentions him briefly: “Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas.” (ESV) And again in Philemon 1:24, Demas is called a “fellow worker.” However, by the time of Paul’s second imprisonment, the tone has changed dramatically. Paul laments: “For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.” (2 Timothy 4:10, ESV) Unlike Mark, there is no record of Demas ever returning to the faith. His desertion is not just physical—it is spiritual. Paul’s wording, “in love with this present world,” indicates a turning back to worldly pleasures and ambitions. Demas chose temporary comfort over eternal reward. His story echoes Jesus’ warning in Luke 9:62: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (ESV) Lessons for Today These two men leave us with sobering lessons: God cares more about how we finish than how we start. Mark started in weakness but ended strong. Demas started strong but ended in shame. Repentance can restore your calling. Mark’s story is a testimony of second chances. Failure is not fatal in God’s kingdom when there is humility and repentance (Proverbs 24:16). Love for the world can destroy your destiny. Demas loved the world more than Christ. His heart drifted, and so did his commitment. 1 John 2:15 warns: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Faith must be contended for, not assumed. Jude 1:3 says: “…contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” This Christian journey requires perseverance. The enemy fights hardest when your faith matters most. Don’t tie your faith to favorable circumstances. If you only serve God when things go well, you may fall like Demas when trials come. True faith stands firm even when blessings delay, as Paul testified: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7, ESV) Conclusion: Hold Fast to Your Faith In these last days, when temptations and distractions abound, the stories of Mark and Demas stand as a mirror and a warning. Will you be like Mark, who stumbled but returned, or like Demas, who abandoned the race for fleeting pleasures? Jesus said in Matthew 11:12: “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” (ESV) In other words, the kingdom of God demands spiritual determination. John the Baptist exemplified a life of sacrifice and conviction—even in the wilderness, he was faithful. Should we not also persevere in our time? The gospel race is not for the faint of heart, but for those who endure to the end. As Hebrews 10:39 says: “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.” (ESV) May we fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith. God bless you.