Continuing a study of the gospels:
(Matthew 11:1) And it came to pass when Jesus had made an end of commanding His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.
At the end of the last chapter, Jesus had just instructed His twelve disciples and sent them out to preach His gospel. Now that He had sent them out, He Himself went forth to teach and preach in the cities of the Jews.
(2) Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples.
At this time John the Baptist was in prison, but he had been hearing of the works of Jesus, so he sent out two of his disciples.
(3) And said to Him, "Are you He who is coming, or do we look for another?"
John's disciples went to Jesus and asked if He was the coming Messiah they had expected, or if they should be looking to the future for another.
(4) Jesus answered and said to them, "Go back and show John those things which you hear and see: (5) The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them."
Rather than confirm outright that He was the Messiah, Jesus told John's disciples to go back to him, telling what they had seen and heard about Him. He quoted prophecies that had been spoken about Him by the prophet Isaiah. The blind received their sight (Isaiah 35:5); the lame walked (Isaiah 35:6); the lepers were cleansed; the deaf could hear (Isaiah 35:5); the dead were raised up (Isaiah 26:19); and the poor had the gospel preached to them (Isaiah 61:1-3).
(6) "And blessed is he who shall not be offended in Me."
Jesus ended His answer to John's disciples by stating that whoever was not offended by Him would be blessed. This was another prophecy by Isaiah (Isaiah 8:14). The Jews were offended at much concerning Jesus. They were offended by His parentage, by His poverty, by the lowly place of His birth, by His lack of education, by His occupation, by His followers and audiences being usually of a poorer ignorant and scandalous sort, and by the doctrines that He preached. However, blessed would be those who did not stumble because of these things, "stumble" being the literal definition of the word "skandalizo" that was translated as "offend". The similarity to our word "scandal" is obvious.
(7) And as they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?"
As the disciples of John left Jesus, He began to talk to the people gathered around Him concerning John. Back in Matthew 3:5 we learned that multitudes of people from Jerusalem, Judaea, and all the region around the Jordan went out into the wilderness to see John the Baptist. He asked them what they had gone into the wilderness to see at that time. Did they expect to see one easily swayed by every breath of wind, unsteady and constantly changing?
(8) "But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses."
He asked if they had expected to see one finely dressed out in the wilderness, for those dressed that way were more likely found in palaces.
(9) "But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet."
Jesus's point was that they obviously wouldn't have gone out in the wilderness to see one swaying with every different wind of the day, and they wouldn't have gone out to see a grand man splendidly dressed, so was it a prophet they had gone out to see? Yes, Jesus affirmed, John was a prophet and much more than that.
(10) "For this is he of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send My messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way before you.'"
John was not just a prophet, but Jesus said he was the one prophesied in Malachi 3:1, that would be God's messenger and the forerunner of the Messiah who prepared the way for Him, and prepared the people to receive Him.
(11) "Verily, I say to you, among those who are born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; notwithstanding, he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
Jesus told the people that among all who had been born on earth in the traditional manner, there was none greater than John the Baptist. That was saying a lot, when you consider Moses and others before him. John had had the benefit of being the prophet prophesied about in scripture, and he had the privilege of showing the fulfillment of scripture that other prophets could only foretell; John had seen it come to pass, had the honor to baptize the Messiah, and could enjoy the salvation the others could only foretell. However, Jesus said that the very least in the kingdom of heaven was greater than John. That is because the fullness of the kingdom of heaven on earth with the pouring out of the Holy Spirit was not known until after Jesus had been crucified and risen from the dead. The least of these would have the benefit of the Holy Spirit in them.
(12) "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."
Since the time John the Baptist started preaching until the time Jesus was then speaking, He said the kingdom of heaven was suffering violence. The original word "biazo" that was translated as "violence" is more accurately "force, press or crowd into". The "violent", the "biastes", the "strong, forceful, energetic" take it by force. This is a description of people rushing into the kingdom of heaven with a violence or force or earnestness like those taking a city by storm. It's hard to know whether the kingdom of heaven was the one suffering from the force or it was the one doing the forcing, as that word "biazo" can mean either. Therefore, this could also be seen as the present time Jesus was speaking, never had the kingdom of heaven come upon earth with such force, with the demonstration of the Holy Spirit and power. Additionally, this rush of the kingdom of heaven on earth would cause its enemies to fight more violently against it. So this was a spiritual war, and it would take a strong, purposeful, and forceful act to push through all the hazards and obstacles to salvation.
(13) "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John."
The Old Testament prophets and the law were only able to tell of things to come. With John the Baptist, the prophecies were now present and real-time.
(14) "And if you will receive it, this is Elijah, who was to come."
Jesus told them that if they would accept it as truth, this John the Baptist was the one prophesied in Malachi 4:5 who would be sent before the coming of the Lord. In the prophecy he was called Elijah. In the same account in Luke, it was expressed that John would come in the spirit and power of Elijah. The Jews took the prophecy literally, and were looking for Elijah to return in person and usher in the Messiah. That is probably why Jesus said "if" they would receive that truth.
(15) "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
Jesus used a proverbial expression that whoever heard His words should pay the highest attention to what He said. What He had said about John the Baptist was of great importance; John was Elijah who had been prophesied to usher in the Messiah.
(16) "But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the markets and calling to their friends, (17) And saying, 'We have piped to you, and you have not danced; we have mourned to you, and you have not lamented.'"
Jesus posed the question to what He should liken that present generation of Jews. He said they were like children being called by their friends in the marketplaces, but as their friends complained, they would not be pleased with dance music nor would they respond to laments. It seemed nothing pleased them.
(18) "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a devil.'"
Jesus said that John the Baptist came in an austere way, not participating in celebratory feasts; and the people accused him of having a demon.
(19) "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.' But wisdom is justified by her children."
In contrast to John the Baptist, Jesus came eating and drinking freely and socially, and the same people complained He was a glutton and a drunk and a friend of those considered wicked. They could be satisfied neither way. However, Jesus said, wisdom would be shown to be true by its results. The wise children would hear and understand that what He said was true.
(20) Then He began to upbraid the cities in which most of His mighty works were done, because they did not repent.
Then Jesus began to rebuke the cities where He had performed most of His mighty works, because they did not respond to His message and repent. The more God does to draw men to Himself, the less excusable they are if they continue in their sin. "For to whom much is given, of him much will be required" (Luke 12:48).
(21) "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes."
Jesus made a solemn declaration to the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida, cities in Galilee, of the misery they were bringing upon themselves by rejecting the gospel of Christ. Knowing the hearts of all, He remarked that if He had performed the same mighty works in the heathen cities of Tyre and Sidon, and they had received the same advantages as Chorazin and Bethsaida, they would have repented long ago, signified by sackcloth and ashes.
(22) "But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you."
Once again, that is because to whom much is given, much is required. Tyre and Sidon, not having had the advantage of having Jesus teaching in their midst, would be judged less harshly than Chorazin and Bethsaida.
(23) "And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to hell, for if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day."
Jesus turned His attention to Capernaum which He called exalted to heaven. That may have been because it was indeed a very high and lofty city, but certainly because of the privileges that it had enjoyed with Jesus spending most of His time dwelling there. He said that high and mighty city would be brought down to everlasting destruction because it rejected Jesus. He remarked that if Sodom had had the advantages that Capernaum had had, it would have never been destroyed because it would have accepted the truth.
(24) "But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you."
And again, Sodom would be judged less harshly than the cities that enjoyed much more privilege and advantage by having the presence of Jesus and His teaching and miracles.
(25) At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes."
In reference to the high and mighty city of Capernaum, as well as the privileged Chorazin and Bethsaida, Jesus thanked God the Father for revealing His gospel to the poor and ignorant He called babes. You can be sure that God was not purposely hiding the truth from those who considered themselves wise and prudent, but because those learned and self-righteous men could not see the truth, He thanked the Lord for revealing it to others. So often knowledge can stand in the way of simple truth; the well-educated look for complicated and scientific explanations for what they deem to be fairy tale fantasies of the ignorant. They are wise in their own eyes, but are fools (Proverbs 12:15, Romans 1:22).
(26) "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight."
The will of the Father, right and good, was that His message that was despised and rejected by the scribes and Pharisees should be offered to the simple people.
(27) "All things are delivered to Me by My Father; and no man knows the Son but the Father; neither does any man know the Father except the Son and to whomever the Son will reveal Him."
All the things of God the Father are given to God the Son in human form on earth. No man can know the mind of Jesus Christ but God the Father. Neither does any man know the mind of God, nor understand fully His attributes, except God the Son, and anyone to whom the Son reveals those things. That is why men wise in worldly things cannot know the things of God by natural reason. It has to be revealed to them by God, and they have to be willing to receive it.
(28) "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Jesus, having signified that God's truth can only be revealed by Him to those He chooses to reveal it to, called to Himself those who were weary and heavy laden with sin and guilt. He said He (and He alone) was able to give them rest, that was spiritual rest and peace of conscience and mind through His pardoning grace.
(29) "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. (30) For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."
Jesus encouraged those He called to believe in Him, for He was meek toward all men, and lowly and in subjection to God the Father; only in Him would they find rest for their souls. Believing in Him and following Him was easy. There was a heavy burden imposed by the law, but those who accepted Christ's sacrifice for their sins had a very light burden. As Jesus would later sum up the whole of His commandments in Matthew 22:37-40, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind...and...you shall love your neighbor as yourself." How easy is that?!
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