The Silence of God

John the Baptist

“Satan feared for the safety of his kingdom.”
-Desire of Ages, p. 224
 John the Baptist
"Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of
the world."
-John 1:29
 John The Baptist
Dove descending upon Jesus at His baptism...
 John the Baptist
The rebuke of Herod and its result...
The lonely prison cell...
John is getting reports ABOUT Jesus, but no visit
FROM Jesus.
"But they questioned why, if this new teacher was the
Messiah, He did nothing to effect John’s release. How
could He permit His faithful herald to be deprived of
liberty and perhaps of life?"
 "These questions were not without effect. Doubts
which otherwise would never have arisen were
suggested to John. Satan rejoiced to hear the words of
these disciples, and to see how they bruised the soul of
the Lord’s messenger."

-Desire of Ages p. 214-215

There are times when we are hurting and wrestling,
and yet the feedback of those around us is worth
nothing (or less than nothing).
 "Oh, how often those who think themselves the friends of a
good man, and who are eager to show their fidelity to him,
prove to be his most dangerous enemies! How often, instead of
strengthening his faith, their words depress and dishearten!"
-Desire of Ages p. 214-215
John had expectations of Jesus' work that were not in
harmony with the will of God. This set him up to be
disappointed and hurt.
This also caused John to doubt the success of his own
work. Shouldn't there have been more results? Were
all of his sacrifices in vain?
All of this is going through his mind as he endures the
deafening silence of God.
But John's faith in Christ did not fail. Angels were
sent to remind him of the hand of God in his life,
and of the powerful testimony at Christ's baptism.
 He refused to express his doubts to his disciples.
Instead, he sent two disciples to hear a report from
Jesus that would affirm their faith.
(Luke 7:18-19)
 "It was keenly bitter and disappointing to [Christ's]
human nature. If John, the faithful forerunner, failed
to discern Christ’s mission, what could be expected
from the self-seeking multitude?"
-Desire of Ages, p. 216
What happened to “Behold the Lamb of God that
takes away the sin of the world”?
“Go back and tell him what you see:
The blind receive sight...
The deaf hear...
The dead are raised..."
“Blessed is he, whosoever shall find none occasion of
stumbling in Me.” Luke 7:23, R. V.
 "The evidence of His divinity was seen in its
adaptation to the needs of suffering humanity. His
glory was shown in His condescension to our low
estate."
-Desire of Ages, p. 217
"The disciples bore the message, and it was enough."
-Desire of Ages, p. 217
From here, John came to understand the true nature of
Christ's work.
 John’s Death
Herodias & her daughter...
No visit from Jesus...
Jesus did not interpose to deliver His servant. He knew that John would
bear the test. Gladly would the Saviour have come to John, to brighten
the dungeon gloom with His own presence. But He was not to place
Himself in the hands of enemies and imperil His own mission."
 Gladly would He have delivered His faithful servant. But for the sake
of thousands who in after years must pass from prison to death, John
was to drink the cup of martyrdom. As the followers of Jesus should
languish in lonely cells, or perish by the sword, the rack, or the fagot,
apparently forsaken by God and man, what a stay to their hearts would
be the thought that John the Baptist, to whose faithfulness Christ
Himself had borne witness, had passed through a similar experience!
Death itself only placed him forever beyond the power of temptation.
In this warfare, Satan was revealing his own character. Before the
witnessing universe he made manifest his enmity toward God and
man.
 Though no miraculous deliverance was granted John, he was not
forsaken. He had always the companionship of heavenly angels, who
opened to him the prophecies concerning Christ, and the precious
promises of Scripture.
 These were his stay, as they were to be the stay of God's people
through the coming ages. To John the Baptist, as to those that came
after him, was given the assurance, "Lo, I am with you all the days,
even unto the end." Matt. 28:20, R. V., margin.
God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be
led, if they could see the end from the beginning, and discern the
glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him.
Not Enoch, who was translated to heaven, not Elijah, who ascended in a
chariot of fire, was greater or more honored than John the Baptist, who
perished alone in the dungeon. "Unto you it is given in the behalf of
Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake." Phil.
1:29. And of all the gifts that Heaven can bestow upon men, fellowship
with Christ in His sufferings is the most weighty trust and the highest
honor.
-Desire of Ages, p. 224-225
"They (the nation) looked for a Messiah who had not
been promised." They wanted one who would fulfill
their desires based upon a misunderstanding of the
kingdom.
 Many of us wrestle with the same thing. We are
looking for a Messiah who has not been promised.
Martha, Mary, and Lazarus
John 11
“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and
Lazarus.”
“So when He heard that Lazarus was ill, He
stayed two days longer in the place where He
was.”
 Jesus loved them.
Jesus made them wait.

“He loved them no less because He tarried.”

-Desire of Ages, p. 528
 Christ knew that as they looked on the dead face of their brother, their
faith in their Redeemer would be severely tried. But He knew that because
of the struggle through which they were now passing their faith would
shine forth with far greater power. He suffered every pang of sorrow that
they endured. He loved them no less because He tarried;
but He knew that for them, for Lazarus, for Himself, and for His disciples,
a victory was to be gained.
Desire of Ages 528.2
 When Jesus arrived how long had Lazarus been
dead?
Previous resurrections?
Those closest to Jesus are sure He failed them.
But the death was allowed to show that the power of
God is not limited by any situation.
“If You had been here, my brother would not have
died.” -Martha

“Your brother will rise again.”-Jesus

“I know he will. Later...” -Martha

“If You had been here, my brother would not have
died.” -Martha

“If You had been here, my brother would not have

died.” -Mary
 All they can think about in their suffering is that if
Jesus had been here they wouldn’t be going through
this hardship right now.
The unbelief of the people moves Jesus to tears.
God cries at our unbelief.
 “Take away the stone.”
“Amen Jesus, roll that stone away”
“You can’t. He stinks.”
 The glory of God lies in this stinky tomb.
The glory of God lies in this stinky situation.
God did get glory out of this. The text later says that
many Jews were leaving the priests and believed in
Jesus because of Lazarus.
 Jesus had comfort for them.
But they wanted their brother more than they wanted
the comfort Jesus longed to give them.
 Some of us have been there.
Jesus has an abundance of comfort for us in our times
of loss and separation.
And yet, in our grieving, we're tempted to believe
He’s not enough.
That’s what brings Him to tears.
 Remember that John only lost his earthly life,
but the life that was hid with Christ, the enemy could
not touch.
John died a conquerer.
“To all who are reaching out to feel the guiding hand
of God, the moment of greatest discouragement is the
time when divine help is nearest...From every
temptation and every trial He will bring them forth
with firmer faith and a richer experience.”
-Desire of Ages, p. 528
“They will look back with thankfulness upon the
darkest hour of their way.”
-Desire of Ages, p. 528
Jesus Himself
Matthew 26-27
A different Jesus than they have seen...
 Jesus is not only dealing with the silence of God,
He’s dealing with the silence of the closest friends He
has on earth.
 Jesus is enduring the most deafening silence
imaginable. He’s been in fellowship with God
from eternity past, yet in this moment it seems as
if God doesn’t exist. He’s nowhere to be found.
Then comes the crucifixion and we hear words come
out of the mouth of Jesus that we would never expect
to hear from God Himself:
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
 Jesus endured the silence of God.
You have this in common with Him.
You also have it in common with Mary, Martha, and
Lazarus...
You have it in common with John the Baptist.
 The common thread through each story?
God never left them.
God never forsook them.
And in the time of their greatest need, He was closer
than He had ever been.
It looks like midnight, yet it’s noon.
Clouds surround the cross...
“In that thick darkness, God’s presence was hidden.
He makes darkness His pavilion, and conceals His
glory from human eyes. God and His holy angels
were beside the cross.”
-Desire of Ages, p. 753
Jesus feels that He is farther from His Father than He
has ever been. But He’s actually the closest to His
Father that He has ever been.
God never left Him.
Satan cast this impenetrable cloud of darkness into the
mind of Jesus to make Him feel that He was forsaken.
But He was not.
 And neither are you.
If you feel that you are in darkness, you can be sure
that God has not forsaken you.
“The Father was with His Son. Yet His presence was
not revealed. Had His glory flashed forth from the
cloud, every human beholder would have been
destroyed.”
-Desire of Ages, p. 753
 “And in that dreadful hour Christ was not to be
comforted with the Father’s presence. He trod the
wine press alone, and of the people there was none
with Him.”
-Desire of Ages, p. 753
 You know why?
Because there are times when you are alone.
He had to be tempted in all points as we are, and yet
without sin. Why?
So that we could "come boldly to the throne of grace,
and obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of
need."
 Jesus had to suffer like you to be able to heal and
comfort you.
So when you feel that God is distant or that He doesn’t
care about you, remember that Jesus knows exactly
what that’s like.
Silence and rejection are not the same thing...
 It’s enough to drive a man crazy
It’ll break a mans faith
It’s enough to make him wonder
If he’s ever been sane
When he’s bleating for comfort
From Thy staff and Thy rod
And the Heaven’s only answer
is the silence of God
 It’ll shake a man’s timbers
When he loses his heart
When he has to remember
What broke him apart
This yoke may be easy
But this burden is not
When the crying fields are frozen
By the silence of God
 And if a man has got to listen
To the voices of the mob
Who are reeling in the throes
Of all the happiness they’ve got
When they tell you all their troubles
Have been nailed up to that cross
Then what about the times
When even followers get lost
‘Cause we all get lost sometimes
 There’s a statue of Jesus
On a monastery knoll
In the hills of Kentucky
All quiet and cold
And He’s kneeling in the garden
As silent as a Stone
All His friends are sleeping
And He’s weeping all alone
 And the Man of all sorrows
He never forgot
What sorrow is carried
By the hearts that He bought
So when the questions dissolve
Into the silence of God
The aching may remain
But the breaking does not
 The aching may remain
But the breaking does not
In the holy, lonesome echo
Of the silence of God

-Andrew Peterson “The Silence of God”

The Silence of God