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A Roman commander trusted Jesus implicitly, and Jesus healed his valued servant. Jesus brought a widow’s dead son back to life, and the people of Nain said, "God has come to help his people." But in prison (Luke 3:20), stalwart John the Baptist began to wonder. When was Jesus going to "clear his threshing floor," "burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Luke 3:17)? Was he "the one," as John had preached? He sent the question to Jesus.

• We tend to experience Jesus first in terms of what we know best. How did the Roman centurion draw on his military command and control knowledge to express his trust in Jesus’ power? How did Jesus’ response to that foreign military officer point ahead to a church that welcomed Gentiles and Jews as equals before God (e.g. Galatians 3:29)?
• How did Jesus’ words in verses 22-23 respond, in a gentle, Bible-based way to John’s troubled question? (Remind yourself of how Jesus quoted Isaiah in Luke 4:18-21 to see how well his answer here meant that he was indeed "the one.") Then he added a forceful, loyal defense of John’s ministry. How can Jesus’ gracious way of dealing with John’s question give you confidence in going to him when you have questions or struggles?