These men came as messengers. They introduce the question as John's: "John Baptist hath sent us unto thee." Luke records the question twice, once as John sent it and once as the men delivered it (Luke 7:19-20), showing they carried it faithfully. Gill believes the question was asked chiefly for their sake, so that their own doubts about Jesus might be removed. So these men were not only carrying a question; they were also there to see the answer.

Before Jesus gave them His answer, "in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight" (Luke 7:21). Then He sent them back: "Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard" (Luke 7:22). Gill notes that only when He had wrought these cures did Jesus turn to John's disciples and answer their question. The men left as eyewitnesses, and Luke says, "the messengers of John were departed" (Luke 7:24).

Gill says the men were sent "from the castle of Machaerus, where he was now a prisoner, to Christ, who was teaching in some city or town of Galilee." Luke first calls them two of John's "disciples," then "the men," and later "the messengers of John" (Luke 7:19-20, 24).

The Arabic version, quoted by Gill, renders Jesus' closing words in Luke 7:23 as "blessed is he that doubts not of me." Gill says the saying had "particular regard" to John's disciples, who "doubted of Christ as the Messiah."

Jesus answered the messengers by letting them see first. He did not ask them to take His word alone; He healed in front of them and then told them to report what they had seen and heard (Luke 7:21-22). Gill says the miracles confirmed the teaching, and "both were proofs of his being the Messiah."

Here Jesus gave John's messengers something to see, and then sent them to tell what they had seen.