BIBLE VERSE STUDY
Luke 7:20 — John's Question to Jesus
John the Baptist's disciples reach Jesus and repeat their master's question: 'Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?'
Scripture
20And when the men were come unto him, they said, John the Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another?
What this passage means
Verse 20 is the moment the delegation actually arrives. Luke has already told the reader in verse 19 that John 'called two of his disciples' and sent them 'to the Lord.' Verse 20 now narrates the delivery of that commission: the men come to him and speak on John's behalf, attributing the question to 'John the Baptist' rather than to themselves. This is not the disciples' own doubt but John's authorized inquiry carried through official representatives.
The question itself, 'Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for another?', is a careful Jewish phrasing. 'The one who is coming' (ho erchomenos) was a recognized way of referring to the promised Messiah, echoing Hebrew and Aramaic expressions like habba. By pairing it with 'or should we look for another,' John — or Luke's rendering of his message — forces a definite answer: either Jesus is the expected figure, or the search must continue. It is not a casual inquiry but a clarifying challenge.
The verse sets up the contrast that dominates the next chapter: in verse 21 Jesus responds not with a verbal claim but with deeds, and in verse 22 he instructs the men to report what they have seen and heard, quoting a string of Isaianic signs. John's messengers therefore stand at the hinge of the passage: their question is answered, but only after Jesus chooses to let works speak first.
Context
Verses 17–18 explain why the question comes at all: news about Jesus had spread through all Judea and the surrounding region (v. 17), and John's disciples reported these developments to him in prison (v. 18). Luke thus frames the inquiry as the product of a real information flow between John's circle and the growing reputation of Jesus.
Verses 21–23 record Jesus' answer, which he gives only after working miracles 'in that hour' and then sending the messengers back to tell John what they have 'seen and heard,' cataloging healings, resurrections, and gospel proclamation to the poor (v. 22), followed by the beatitude on whoever is not 'caused to stumble' by him (v. 23). The chapter continues past the episode with Jesus' own assessment of John (vv. 24–28) and a separate incident at a Pharisee's house (vv. 36–50).
Common questions
Why does verse 20 say 'John the Baptist hath sent us' when verse 19 already said John sent them?
The two verses are not redundant. Verse 19 describes the act of sending from John's side (he 'called two of his disciples' and 'sent them to the Lord'), while verse 20 narrates the delivery of the message from the messengers' side, explicitly naming 'John the Baptist' as the one who commissioned them. Luke uses the repetition to anchor the question firmly in John's authority rather than in the disciples' own uncertainty.
Does John already know who Jesus is, or is he genuinely asking?
The text does not decide this. The passage simply records John's question and Jesus' evidence-based answer. Readers who have followed Luke's earlier testimony about John (for example, Luke 3) may feel John already had prior recognition of Jesus, but here Luke presents the question as an open one that requires Jesus to provide observable signs before judgment is rendered (Luke 7:22–23).
Why send messengers rather than come himself?
The chapter explains that his followers brought reports to him (v. 18), and he was evidently unable to come in person. The provided text indicates he was in a situation where disciples had to come to him, and his response was to 'call two of his disciples' (v. 19). The passage does not specify imprisonment in this section, but the chapter's flow (he hears reports, sends envoys, receives an answer back) matches what one would expect from someone who could not easily leave where he was.