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We have a story here about John the Baptist, who having heard about the many miracles of Jesus, sent his disciples to inquire of Jesus if He was the Messiah. We need to remind ourselves what John's mission was. God had called him to "prepare" the way of the Lord. By now, John was in prison and must have wondered if his mission was over. "Are you the Christ, or shall we look for another?" How would you have answered that question, for sometime you may be asked that same question about Him ? Would you be able to answer it?
From our study of the Old Testament, we know that His coming had been expected even looked forward to, for thousands of years. They obviously misunderstood his purpose in coming and assumed that it was to restore Israel to it's former glory. Even so, no one spoke of a "Messianic Age, as it is sometimes today.
The question is, why did John send his disciples to ask this question? He had already testified that Jesus was the Son of God at His baptism, and we assume that he had heard the words of God proclaiming Jesus to be "His son in whom He was well pleased" at the time of His baptism. Also, he had, as a yet unborn infant, sensed the presence of the Christ in His mother's womb when Mary visited John's mother, Elizabeth. So why did John send his Disciples when there were these un-mistaken events in his life when he knew that Jesus was the Christ?
Much can be assumed in the way of answering this question. In spite of the fact that Jesus said of John that he was the greatest man ever born of a woman, he still was human like you and I. He, perhaps, like every one else, expected the Messiah to come in pomp and glory and perhaps the humility and poor circumstances of Jesus confused him. I think Jesus sensed this when he said, "Blessed is he who takes no offence at me." Also John now finds himself in prison and Jesus had not visited him or tried to get him released, as a matter of fact, at the rate He was going, Jesus would be lucky if He didn't wind up there also. Surly all of this must have created doubt in the heart of John. There is also another possibility, John may have sent his Disciples to Jesus to learn for themselves that He was the Christ and become His followers also.
Now lets look at the way Jesus answers this question. He tells them to answer the question themselves from what they had seen and heard. There is only one way to know if Jesus is the Christ and that is through "personal" experience brought about by the "enlightenment" of the Holy Spirit. This is first and foremost in anyone's acceptance of Jesus as the Christ. Jesus said the these Disciples, "Go tell John what you have seen and heard." Go remind John of the prophecies of Isaiah in foretelling of the wonders of healing that the Messiah would do and tell him about the ones that you have seen me do, and tell him of what you have heard, the preaching of the Gospel. Again He referred them to the prophecies of Isaiah, "He shall preach glad tidings to the meek", for the poor have good news preached to them. Christ did not go to the rich or influential of His day but rather He went to the poor.
What conditions existed in the life of Christ that people might have taken offence to or at least have influenced their opinion of Him?
Blessed is he who takes no offence to these, for He was set for the fall of many. Many never got over these humble beginnings.
Notice in Matthew, verses 7 through 15, that Jesus pays a great tribute to John. Notice also that He did this after the Disciples of John had gone. Jesus did not want what he said to appear as flattery. Pride is a characteristic that we do not want to encourage in others.
Now lets look at what Jesus had to say about John.
Was John "a reed shaken by the wind?" This would mean that they might have seen him as a misfit, unfit for society, unstable in his beliefs or maybe not knowing what he was talking about. Certainly he was a non-conformist in his day. But John certainly was not a "reed shaken by the wind. He was firm and resolute in his beliefs, his message and his principles. He was unshaken in the face of death. He was unchanging in his simple but timely message.
Was John a self-denying man? Yes, he certainly was. He had given up all to fulfill the mission that God had called him to do before he was born. His clothing was simple, his food was whatever nature provided. His message was taken to the poor.
Was John a Prophet ? Yes, he was the last and the greatest of the Old Testament Prophets. Malachi prophesied of the coming of John, "Behold, I will send my messenger before thy face, who will prepare the way before thee." This was the one of whom this was written. His mission was to prepare for the coming of Christ. His message was that the time was now and the need was to repent.
John was firm in his faith, self denying, and the last of the Prophets. But he was more than that for Christ said of him, "There was none greater, born of woman, than John." Think how great a tribute this was of John. Think of all the great men of old spoken of in the Old Testament. John had obtained this distinction in less than one year. Born for a mission, created for a job, predestined to greatness. "Never-the-less, he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven, is greater than John." John, great as he was, lived and died under the Law. He was saved by his faith in God's provision, a promised Messiah that would, by the Grace of God, provide Salvation to those who believe. This was not accomplished until the resurrection of Christ, therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven was not obtainable until the way was made complete with the death and resurrection of Christ. Jesus was saying that those who come by the way of the cross are greater than even John.
Now, the next statement can be misunderstood. "From the days of John until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has suffered violence and men of violence take it by force." Described here was the manner and enthusiasm with which men had accepted the message of John. It was a improbable multitude from the east and the west, publicans, harlots, sinners, those who previously had been denied God, not the Jewish leaders, and they took it as if by force.
John was the one that the Prophets of old prophesied about. He was the "Elijah" about whom Malachi wrote. All that Jesus had said reinforced what John had been preaching and He ends by saying, "He that has a ear, let him hear."
All of a sudden in verses 16 through 24 in the middle of His phrase of John the Baptist, He stops and turns to His generation, those who had heard both He and John and still stayed in a state of sin and disbelief. He compares them to children who imitating their parents, by dressing up and doing whatever they had seen their parents do, playing at religion, but not really taking it seriously.
They could not accept what Jesus or John was saying so they tried to find something to accuse them of. They called John a "devil" because he ate and drank very little and they called Jesus a "glutton" because he did eat and drink. But even then, there were some who accepted their ministry, a ministry of "wisdom".
Then he began to turn His disapproval from individuals to the cities themselves. Chorazin and Bethsaida in particular. Both of these cities were located just a few miles from Capernaum near the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had spent considerable time and ministry in these two cities. Most of His miracles had been done in that immediate area and so the were, as it was, without excuse. Notice the charge that he has against them. They would not repent. The more we are exposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the greater the sin of rejection. Both of these cities were rich and prospering at the time of Christ. Bethsaida had just recently grown to the rank of city and it was from there that Christ had called three of His Disciples, Peter, Andrew and Philip. (John 2:44) Its interesting to note that history records that shortly after this, both dwindled into small obscure villages.
He compares these two cities to Sidon and Tyre, both cities in Phoenicia, on the Mediterranean Sea, Sidon was a very old city, founded by Cannan, grandson of Noah, He says of these two cities, if they had been so fortunate as to have had the advantages of Chorazin and Bethsaida, they would have repented long ago. "It shall be more tolerable for them in the day of judgement." It would appear that on the Day of Judgement, all the opportunities to accept the Grace of God, will come into account. Matthew Henry says, "If self reproach be the torment of Hell, it must be hell indeed for those who had so many opportunities of getting to Heaven."
Notice that Capernaum does not escape His condemnation either. Christ had spent so much time there working miracles that the people were accepting them as common place. Jesus warns us about this kind of attitude which will lead to a "lukewarm" performance of religion, sometimes exhausting ourselves and becoming guilty of "lip service" to God. Again Christ refers to "opportunities" versus "responsibilities" Even a city as wicked as Sodom would have repented if it had the opportunities of Capernaum. It shall be more tolerable for Sodom on the day of judgement than for Capernaum.
Verses 25 through 30 is a prayer of thanks to the Father for those whom He gave to His Son. Christ had just expressed disappointment in the indifferent attitude that He had experienced in those who had been the beneficiary of much of his teachings, the people of the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. He certainly must have been emotionally down and needed a "lift". Notice He gets that lift by thanksgiving and phrase.
Note the "titles" that He gives to God. He calls Him "Father" and also "Lord of Heaven and Earth". These are the two extremes of God's activity as far as we are concerned. "Father" indicates love and compassion, "Lord of Heaven and Earth" indicates judgement.
Next note that for which He gives thanks. "Thou has hidden these things (truths) from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes." The truths of the Gospel are often hidden to the intellectual, for accept that we become like "little children", we shall no wise enter Heaven. Paul says in I Cor. "The world, by wisdom, can know Him not", but "babes in Christ" have the saving knowledge of the truth. Why? Because, "Thou has revealed it to them." Matthew Henry explains it this way. God has favored many with learning and much worldly ability and they are proud of that and rest in it. Had they honored God with that wisdom, He would have given them the ability to understand better things, those of the Spirit." Pride resists reliance upon God, humility invites His Grace. This ability to understand is a gift of God for Jesus says here, "This was His gracious will." Perhaps this is why Peter, an uneducated fisherman, was called to be a Disciple and not Nicodemus, an educated Pharisee.
Christ again establishes His authority and who it was that gave Him that authority. "All things have been delivered unto me by the Father." "No one comes to the Father except by me." This is the new covenant between God and man. Then after establishing His authority, He established His relationship with the Father. "No one knows the Father but the Son", and then that wonderful statement that brings man from death unto life, that makes the difference between eternity in Hell and eternity in Heaven, "And to everyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him." Surly this is the Doctrine of the Sovereignty of God. But Christ didn't stop there, He gives an invitation. Notice to whom He gives it. All who are weary and burdened with sin. Weary with the results and burdened with the guilt. John says in chapter 6, verse 8, "The Comforter must first convince", this is the work of the Holy Spirit.
Then Christ says, if you are enlightened and accept God's pardon for sin, then He will give you rest. What kind of rest? Rest from wondering about your eternity. This brings peace that passes all understanding. But it don't stop there, there is something that we must do. We must take His "yoke" upon ourselves. Jesus promises that it will be easy. A yoke is a tie between to beasts of burden, distributing the load. What Christ was saying was that we no longer have to stumble along in our own strength, we are now "yoked" with Christ and you know who is going to carry the most of that burden.
This analogy inspired a beautiful poem called "Footprints in the sand". So these 6 verses in chapter 11 of Matthew, has established His authority, who it was that gave Him that authority, what His authority covered, how that authority effects us, and what we can glean from this.
Christ ends the portion of scripture with an invitation to "come and learn". How can we, who live 2000 years after Christ, learn from Him? We learn daily from our Christian experiences when we are led by the Holy Spirit. Reading the scriptures, studying His word, praying and witnessing. All avenues of life can be "Spirit led". What will this teach us? We will learn to be more Christlike. Developing humility, compassion, christian living. peace, satisfaction and assurance.
Thus we end this section on the opinion of John about Jesus. Sense you may have forgotten what that opinion was because so many subjects were covered also, we believe that John, in his limited understanding, believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah. This, we believe, was revealed to him before he was born.
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