Matthew 11.1-15

After Jesus' sermon in Matthew10, we are now entering into a new section of narrative material, where Matthew is preparing his readers for Jesus' next sermon in Matthew 13, which the focus is what the kingdom of God is like. So the next two chapters we will see Jesus training his disciples, preaching to crowds and encountering conflict. Actually, it is a real life version of the first parable in Matthew 13.1-9. In this parable, a man goes out to sow his seed, the word of God. Some seed falls on the path and the birds come and eat it up. Other seed falls on rocky places where there isn't much soil. Their roots are not very deep and they don't last long. Other seed falls among thorns, the false teachers, and the thorns choke the plants. And lastly some seed fell on good soil which produces a great crop. In Matthew 11-12, we see Jesus entering into controversy with the religious leaders of the Jews, the ones who are choked by false teachers or even have shallow soil. We see Jesus preach to crowds who are like the seed that the birds come and pick up, they don't last that long. But most importantly, we see Jesus training the disciples. This is the good soil that will produce a great crop. This whole section is leading up to chapter 13, where Jesus teaches the disciples in parables about what being a part of his kingdom looks like.


And we begin with Jesus correcting doubts.


The first doubt that Jesus is correcting is that of John the Baptist. Look what happens in this text:


¹ After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.

 ² When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples ³ to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”

 ⁴ Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵ The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. ⁶ Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”

John, from prison, sent his disciples to Jesus to ask him if he was the one, because it seems like John was doubting that Jesus was doing what he thought the Messiah would be doing. Think about it, the Jews had been waiting for a warrior king, and Jesus was healing people and calling fishermen to follow him. This was not what John the Baptist was expecting. Yet, Jesus quotes two passages from Isaiah, Isa. 35.5-6 and Isa. 61.1, showing him that these were the expected signs of the Messiah, that the Messiah would heal the blind, the lepers, the lame, the deaf and raise the dead. Jesus relieves the doubt of his announcer, his forerunner by showing him himself, showing him that this is what the Messiah was supposed to do. 


Next, the Crowd may have been doubting him, and so Jesus addresses them in two ways: 1) by talking to them about John the Baptist, and 2) by talking to them about themselves. Let's see how he does this:



⁷ As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ⁸ If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. ⁹ Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.¹⁰ This is the one about whom it is written:
   “‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
   who will prepare your way before you.’^[a]
   11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. ¹³ For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. ¹⁴ And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. ¹⁵ He who has ears, let him hear.
   ¹⁶ “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
   ¹⁷ “‘We played the flute for you,
   and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
   and you did not mourn.’
   ¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”


Vs. 7-15, Jesus asks the Crowd basically this, "What do you think about John the Baptist?" He knows that most of them went out to see John the Baptist when he was preaching. He knew that they all really respected John, yet he said that the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than him. The point is this: Jesus is offering an invitation to be a part of his kingdom. If they were doubting him, he was saying the privilege of being a part of my kingdom is better than any privilege John the Baptist had. The kingdom is advancing and you can either be a part of it, or act like the forceful men and try take hold of it. This is the offer Jesus is making to the crowds, that is why he ends with, "he who has ears to hear let him hear." This is the Jewish way of saying, If you want it, come get it. 


And finally in verses 16-19, Jesus addresses the crowd and basically shows them a mirror, revealing to them that if they didn't pay attention, they were going to miss the Messiah. verse 17 is one of the weirdest verses to understand, so we will not dive into the different options for the interpretation for it, I will just tell you the main idea of this passage. And I think it is this, Jesus is saying to the generation, "this generation has both denied John the Baptist and is on the verge of denying me". As we will see in tomorrow's text this is a bad deal.


So Jesus is confronting John the Baptist's doubts by showing him that Jesus is doing what the Messiah is supposed to be doing, contrary to popular opinion. Then he looks at the Crowd and makes them confront their own doubts about being a part of his kingdom or not. And then he makes them look at themselves and ask the question, are we missing the Messiah? 


So let me ask you, Are you missing the Messiah? Are you mission the ministry that Jesus has laid out for you?