At the Corner of Expectation and Disappointment

By: Leo Percer, M.A., M.Div., Ph.D. |June 9, 2024

In Matthew 11:2-11, a story about John the Baptist is told that some readers may appreciate. John was in prison for preaching, and as he languished there he began to wonder if he made the right choice. Remember, he declared that Jesus, an itinerant rabbi from Nazareth, was the Messiah that the Jews had expected. In fact, John proclaimed that his cousin Jesus would be “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29) He had expectations for what that Messianic life would be, but now he isn’t so sure.

John’s Expectations and Disappointment

John’s prison is dark and lonely. A man of the wilderness, open places, the wind and the
sun—now locked away in the dark unable to roam. Stuck in a dark cell, with no sun to warm him or river to cool him, he begins to think and to question his ministry. Perhaps he wasn’t the one to proclaim the coming of God’s Messiah. Perhaps he was mistaken about Jesus or had failed in his work for God. John, plagued by prior expectations and newly discovered disappointment, searches for answers. He sends someone to ask Jesus if he really is the “one who is to come”.

John’s situation could lead to disappointment. Like John, we end up in situations because of our
own actions, while other times it is through no fault of our own. What is our prison? What is our
place of disappointment? What expectation have we had that is now turned to disappointment?

The Jews expected to dwell securely in Israel because of God’s promise, and they ended in exile due to their stubborn disloyalty to God. Yet in that situation God builds the character of his
people by his faithful actions towards them. He trains them to be his people.

John may have expected Jesus to destroy Israel’s enemies and set up God’s kingdom. He
baptized Jesus. He watched as Jesus preached a similar message. But trouble came as John’s
stand for righteousness led to prison. He languished in a dark cell. He began to wonder if he was right. Expectations can be like that. They look good at the beginning, but they can turn to
disappointment as things turn out differently than hoped.

Our Corner of Expectation and Disappointment

Like John, we may have started with great promise and the support of God. Simply amazing stuff happened. But then . . . we found ourselves in a wilderness or in a prison. We entered a dark cell where the bright future seemed to be a lot dimmer. What are we hoping for? Is Jesus the one we should expect?

Sometimes we find ourselves at the corner of expectation and disappointment. Things simply did not work out as expected. But that is NOT the end of the story. When we are at the corner of
expectation and disappointment, we may hear a word from God—a word of encouragement or a
word of hope.

When we find ourselves at the corner of expectation and disappointment, we need to stop and listen. What is God saying? Matthew 11 reminds us that God acts in unexpected ways. God will bring refreshment.

John was in prison, but he still asked Jesus a question—are you the one or should I look for
another? Note how Jesus answered, Tell John what you have seen: the blind see, the lame walk,
lepers are healed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised (Isaiah 35:4-7). In his loneliness and disappointment, John heard of Jesus wonderful work. The outcasts are included, and refreshment came. The kingdom of God was invading earth in an entirely different way. Jesus reminded John that God’s Messiah and method are often counterintuitive. Where expectations are dashed and disappointment becomes the norm, God shows up and acts in unexpected ways.

He doesn’t deliver in the way his people may expect, but he keeps his promise. At the corner of expectation and disappointment, God often speaks and acts unexpectedly. He also uses and empowers some incredibly unlikely candidates—people just like us.

God says that his people—disappointed and abandoned—will find themselves strengthened and crowned. Isaiah 35 says that they will find themselves in a place without lions or vicious beasts, they will find themselves redeemed and crowned with joy. They will be rulers rejoicing in God!

This is good news: The exiled and imprisoned, those who have unrealized expectations and
disappointments will be crowned with joy. The weak in God’s kingdom will be greater than even
John the Baptist!

Good News!

Are we at the corner of expectation and disappointment? Have things failed to pan out as we expected? Have our urgent expectations turned into dark disappointments?

There is good news! God does not place his people in the wilderness without a promise of
provision. God sees the prisoners and gives them what they need. When expectation meets
disappointment, we need to hear from God. We need a reminder of how he works. We need him
in our exile, in our prison, in our disappointment. The good news is that he knows that, and he is with us. He is our freedom and our deliverance.

When we are disappointed, we need to remember what God has done and said. We also need to act on what he tells us. We need to respond with faithful action to serve him—even in our disappointment. Doing so puts us in a position of trust—and God responds to trust. If you are disappointed today, get alone with Jesus. Ask the hard questions. Learn from his Word.
Remember “Weeping may stay overnight, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)

About the Author

Leo Percer, Ph.D.

Leo Percer grew up in Millington, Tennessee, northeast of Memphis, when he first received his call to teaching ministry. He has been involved in numerous ministerial activities, including serving as an elder at Forest Community Church in Forest, Virginia. Dr. Leo Percer graduated with a Ph.D. from Baylor University, an M.A. from Western Kentucky University, and M.Div. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a B.A. from Union University.

After graduating with his Ph.D., Dr. Percer taught at Baylor University, McLennan Community College, and Liberty University, where he served as the Director of the Ph.D. in Theology and Apologetics program for years. His area of expertise is in Second Temple Judaism, the Epistles of Paul, and apocalyptic literature. Dr. Percer is an active member of the Evangelical Theological Society, the Society of Biblical Literature, and is on the board of directors at Ratio Christi. Dr. Percer resides in Lynchburg, VA with his wonderful wife, Lisa, and two children. He loves reading, collecting comic books, and is a coffee connoisseur.

Other Articles by Leo Percer:

Marriage and Homosexuality in the New Testament

James the Less: Larger than His Nickname