The Prophet

 Matthew 11:1-30

Good morning! We are underway in our new series from the book of Matthew. We picked up last week in at the end of Matthew 9. There, Jesus exhorted his disciples to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers because the harvest was plentiful but the workers few. Then, directly at the beginning of chapter 10, Jesus called his twelve disciples and sent them out to do miracles and preach that the kingdom of heaven is near.

 

Jesus gave them instructions on what to do and told them of the challenges they would face both in those days and in days to come. Jesus’ words do not gloss over or cover up difficulties. Jesus’ words ring true. There will be difficulties, yes, but we should take heart because He has overcome the world. And there is great reward in following Jesus.

 

That is a quick intro, and it brings us to the immediate continuation of events in chapter 11. Let us pray and jump in.

 

Lord Jesus, speak to us from Your Word. Give us eyes to see and hearts to retain the good news. I pray for each soul who will hear this message. Guide us to Yourself and what You have prepared for each individual. Glorify Your Name we pray. Amen.

 

After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” – Matthew 11:1-3

 

Jesus sent the twelve out. Then, He continued His ministry. His ministry has been in Galilee since Matthew 4.

 

The John here is John the Baptist. We were introduced to John and his ministry back in Matthew 3 as he preached repentance and baptized people at the Jordan River including Jesus. After Jesus was baptized and then led into the desert to be tempted by the devil, we heard in Matthew 4 that John had been put in prison. By the time of the events of Matthew 11, John had been in prison for months. Looking at estimates on the chronology of Jesus’ ministry, John’s time in prison at this point is greater than a year.

 

John’s disciples have access to communicate with John. In these months of being in prison, John no doubt has questions about what God’s plan is. John may or may not have had particular expectations about what was going to happen. We do not really know. However, he most likely didn’t think that after acknowledging Jesus publicly that he would be put in jail and stay there.

 

John wasn’t even put in jail specifically for anything to do with Jesus. John was put in jail for speaking the truth and confronting the sin of King Herod and Herodias his wife. Herodias had been married to Herod’s brother Philip. The historian Josephus describes the event in this way, “Herodias took upon her to confound the laws of our country, and divorced herself from her husband while he was alive, and was married to Herod Antipas.”

 

So, here is John stuck in prison for stating what was obvious to the people of that time. Monitoring events from afar, John sees that Jesus continues ministry but only in the area of Galilee. He has a very natural question, “Are you the one who is to come?” Are the testimonies God gave me about You still true? Are you still “the one who comes after me whose sandals I am not fit to untie?” (John 1:27) Are you still “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world?” (John 1:29) Are you “the Son of God?” (John 1:34) After months in prison, John is confused.

 

Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” – Matthew 11:4-6

 

Jesus replies to John’s request. He does not ignore John. He responds in a clear but not overt way. Overt means plain or obvious. We understand from other places in the gospels that Jesus was to speak in parables rather than more directly. This was God’s plan. So here, Jesus tells John’s disciples to simply be witnesses to what they themselves have seen and heard. Jesus is working miracles. Jesus’ miracles are often called signs. By these signs whether healings or multiplying loaves or raising the dead to life, many people believed in Jesus.

 

There is still more depth in Jesus’ answer to John. No doubt Isaiah 61 was a well-known passage to John. Isaiah 61:1 says …

 

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. – Isaiah 61:1

 

John explained when Jesus had come to be baptized (John 1:32) that He knew that Jesus was the Son of God because he had seen God’s Spirit come down and remain on Him. Isaiah 61 says just that. The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me. Then, it answers the why question. Why did the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord rest on Jesus? Because the Lord has anointed Him. Even this short phrase is indicative of Jesus’ divine identity. The root word for Messiah is the word anoint or mashach. The word Christ originates from the same idea expect in the Greek. Christ is God’s chosen or anointed one.

 

The list of actions in Isaiah 61:1 is exactly what Jesus encourages John’s disciples to report. To proclaim good news to the poor. It is reasonable to think of those who had leprosy or were blind or deaf as captives. They certainly were not free to go where they pleased. Likewise those who experienced loss no doubt experienced some broken-heartedness. How better to bind up that brokenness and proclaim freedom to those captives than by healing the sick and raising the dead?

 

I have heard it observed before that Jesus does not say anything to John’s disciples about releasing the prisoners. Could it be that Jesus is letting John know in a subtle way that his release from prison is not a part of Jesus’ ministry? I do not know for sure. The passage about releasing the prisoners from darkness can also be translated as restoring sight to the blind. In the end though, John will not be released from prison. That was no doubt a hard thing for John to endure.

 

Oddly, a crossword puzzle clue led me to read about Fanny Crosby a little bit this week. If her name is unfamiliar, Fanny Crosby is an extraordinary hymn writer. She wrote more than 8,000 hymns and gospel songs in her lifetime. Some publishers were reluctant to put the same person’s work in their hymnals repeatedly, so she used pseudonyms, more than 200! A few of her well-known hymns in the present day are “All the Way My Savior Leads Me,” “Blessed Assurance,” “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior,” “Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, Our Blessed Redeemer!” “Tell Me the Story of Jesus,” and “To God Be the Glory.”

 

Another detail about Fanny Crosby is that she was blind. Even more remarkable was her attitude about her blindness. She called her lifetime blindness a gift from God. She reasoned that, for her, perfect sight might have been a distraction that would have hindered if not prevented her from singing hymns to the praise of God. She looked forward to getting to heaven, anticipating that “the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior.” I often marvel at ones who have such an incredible faith in the face of adversity and trial

 

I have a friend who suffers from a neurological problem. It is a hindrance and a trial with no real diagnosis. He is on multiple medications to keep his symptoms in check, so many in fact that he keeps a list of them all because he can’t remember them all. My friend is also a dear brother in Christ. Talking to him recently about some challenges he has faced in the last weeks, I was again surprised by his sustained attitude regarding his condition. We talked about how God is working out His best for us. How even in the midst of his now decade long trial, God is working all things out to our good and for His glory. Such an attitude is certainly a mark of faith. Trusting God in all things, especially in the hardest things, and not stumbling. “Blessed is anyone who does not stumble [or fall away] on account of me.” Jesus does not want discouragement or doubt to ensnare John or us. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” II Corinthians 4:17

 

As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 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. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.” – Matthew 11:7-11

 

Jesus here also is speaking words of encouragement to John through his disciples. Who is John? He is not a reed swayed by the wind. He was true to the message of repentance. He is not flashy or ostentatious. He is serious and devoted, not distracted. John is not an idle wanderer. He has a purpose. He is sent by God. John has a special role to fill.  John is more than a prophet. He is the prophet foretold, the one to announce the arrival of the Messiah. Through that, John is the greatest man. Think of that! What if Jesus said you were the greatest? That would build you up, right?

 

“Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” – Matthew 11:11

 

Jesus has spoken the truth about John. He has not embellished things just to try and make John feel better. At the same time, Jesus explains something about God’s economy which is amazing. When I say God’s economy, I mean how God has set things up to work spiritually. When I say spiritually, I mean eternal reality. The things we see with our eyes are temporary. The things we cannot see, those are the eternal things according to II Corinthians 4:18.

 

Who then is a part of the kingdom of heaven?

 

Jesus spoke of how to enter the kingdom of God in John 3 while talking with Nicodemus. Jesus said, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (v.3) and likewise, “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.” (v.5) Jesus then went on to explain that those who believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (v.16) God gave His Son to save the world. Jude 1:24 explains that God “is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.” Isaiah 45:22 is one of the simplest gospel presentations, “Look to Me, and be saved,

All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” And in simple faith anyone can join the kingdom of heaven, and be among the eternally blessed, the greatest.

 

From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. Whoever has ears, let them hear. – Matthew 11:12-15

 

This passage is one which has been debated through the generations, and I don’t think I can settle on a precise meaning. Perhaps one of our other teachers will have a satisfactory interpretation to share in the future. Many commentaries look at this statement generally, but Jesus speaks specifically of the days of John the Baptist until now which would have been a relatively short period of time, say two years.

 

We see John in prison for speaking the truth, physically assaulted. Likewise, John opposed the corrupt Pharisees and teachers of the Law. At that time, the kingdom of heaven was opposed by the religious leaders. Things were completely upside down. Jesus Himself would overturn the tables of the money changers in the temple saying, “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” The religious leaders including the chief priest and his family had made temple worship into a racket by which they increased their wealth. The arrival of Jesus initiated a time of unprecedented change, and there was great resistance to the kingdom of God in Jesus’ time and that resistance continues even unto the present time.

 

Jesus again highlights John. This time as the Elijah who is to come. Earlier in our passage, Jesus said of John, “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.” Jesus was quoting Malachi 3:1. Then, in Malachi 4:5, the Lord said, “I will send you the prophet Elijah before the Lord comes.” Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament. It had been 400 years from Malachi until John the Baptist and Jesus had come. Jesus is tying these things together. John is that bridge from Old Testament to New. He is the messenger who announces Jesus’ coming, the Son of God, the Lord. How will the people respond?

 

“To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 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 deeds.” – Matthew 11:16-19

 

Indeed, there were some who responded rightly to John’s message and to Jesus. However, there were many who did not respond rightly. They sort of played the middle. They did not respond to John in his austere and somber lifestyle. They rejected him. Then, when Jesus, the bridegroom had come, they rejected him, too. The response of those who reject Jesus is a foolish one.

 

It is interesting to consider this name, this moniker, this nickname “friend of sinners.” The people who said that about Jesus meant it as an insult. Instead, it has become glorious good news. Jesus is a friend to sinners offering all of us a way out of our lost and depraved sin-sickness. Thankfully, we are not rejected but have a way to be made clean and whole in Christ.

 

Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” – Matthew 11:20-24

 

Jesus gives a clear accounting of the different responses. In the previous verses, Jesus related the reactions of the people to John and Jesus in general. Now, he speaks of the reaction of the citizens of several cities to the signs and miracles that Jesus performed. The purpose of these miracles was to draw the people to God. Did the people repent as a result of the mighty works of God? No, they did not repent, and they will be judged as a result. Our response to God is not inconsequential. It is vitally important.

 

There is a significant principle at work here, too. The more the awareness a group of people has of the great things of God, then the deeper the accountability. Looking at our place in the history of the church, we in this nation in this time have unprecedented access to the truth. We should be sensitive toward and respond to Jesus and His Word every day, seeking Him first and His kingdom and His righteousness. From there, we have the other things we need as Jesus said in Matthew 6:33. We need to remember that and remind one another of that.

 

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.” – Matthew 11:25-26

 

Jesus had been speaking first to John’s disciples. Then, He spoke to the crowd about John in the hearing of John’s disciples. Now, He speaks to the Father, and opens the door for people to come to Him. This is Jesus desire, not to condemn people but rather to bring them to salvation.

 

It is not a matter of intelligence or ability. It is a matter of faith and trust. Little children have a great deal of trust. I imagine most parents have experienced those moments of awe and wonder when they realize how much their children trust them. I know that has happened to me many times. I just hope and pray that I can be that father that they think that I am because I know that apart from Christ, I most definitely am not.

 

I think some people are put off by the idea that God has hidden things from some people. I tend to think of it as a both-and situation. The wise and learned are often proud. The people whom Jesus has been talking about are obviously proud in their evaluation of John and Jesus. They have rejected them both for opposite reasons. They have seen truly miraculous things but have been unmoved. The “wise and learned” teachers of the Law were corrupt and put burdens on humble people who were seeking God. The pride of these leaders blinded them. They needed to repent from their pride and their self-righteous “wisdom.” In becoming like little children, they would then be able to see and God would reveal his kingdom to them, too.

 

“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” – Matthew 11:27

 

Knowing God is Jesus’ message that He brings to us. There are many ways that people can hear about Jesus. However, the purpose of hearing about Him is a direct relationship with Him, with Jesus. We each one of us come to Jesus. Through Jesus, we know God. He is the way, the truth, the life. (John 14:6) He is the doorway to security and life. (John 10:7, 9)

 

We also see a glimpse of the relationship between the Father and Son in this simple verse. We see one of many examples of the reality that Jesus, the Son of God is equal to the Father: “All things have been committed to Jesus by His Father.” Commentator David Guzik explained some conclusions that can be made in this way: (1) There are no secrets between the Father and the Son; (2) There is no one who knows the Son as well as the Father does; (3) There is no one who knows the Father as well as the Son does; (4) The Son chooses to whom He will reveal the Father.

 

Many of you are likely familiar with C.S. Lewis’ observation from his book Mere Christianity. “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. ... Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God.”

 

That thought then brings us appropriately to yet another remarkable saying of our Lord.

 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30

 

I saw an unattributed quote yesterday that compared Jesus to some of well-known Greek philosophers, people who taught for decades, 40 and 50 years. Jesus ministry lasted just 3 years. And yet, Jesus influence infinitely surpasses the impact of the combined hundreds of years of teaching by the greatest philosophers of all antiquity. Why? Because Jesus is not a philosopher. He is beyond mere philosophy. Augustine who was a famous theologian and philosopher and lived around 400 AD made this observation, “I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are very wise and very beautiful; but I never read in either of them: ‘Come to me all you who are weary and burdened.’ ”

 

Who says that? I mean, in our own strength, we can be overwhelmed by one weary and burdened person. Jesus invites all who are weary and burdened to come. There is no limit, no restriction. All may come. That is good news that gets even better.

 

We do not see yokes very often anymore because we don’t work with draft animals like horses or oxen. Even if we see those animals, we only rarely see them working together in pairs or teams. I didn’t have a lot of time to dig into learning about training oxen, but in the short amount of time I did spend on it, I would say that training a younger ox by putting them with an more experienced ox is pretty well not best practice. Generally, the idea is to couple young animals together and let them get used to working together.

 

It would take a very special experienced ox to put up with being yoked to a younger one. Here are a couple of pictures. In the upper left, you see a yoke. The ox’s neck goes into the loops there, and then their shoulder presses against the yoke to pull a load attached in the middle. This has been a common form of work from ancient time till the present day. The second picture there is an ox pulling competition in Maine. The sled their pulling has concrete blocks on it. Each block weighs 400 lbs. Those two oxen are pulling 6,400 lbs, just over 3 tons.

 

This language of being yoked may sound strange to our ears, but it is a word picture of a reality that we all must face. We are all subject to some external influence. We are all yoked to something. Romans chapter 6 speaks of how we are either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness (v.15-18). Being a slave to sin means being yoked to sin, it is exhausting. Paul described it as being wretched. In Ephesians 4, we are reminded to put off our former way of life which is being corrupted by deceitful desires. Instead, we should be made new in the attitude of our minds, to put on a new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (v.22-24)

 

And so, Jesus makes an incredible offer to us. Give up the old yoke of slavery. Take on His yoke. Learn from Him. Jesus is going to be yoked together with us. He is gentle. He is humble. He is not going to drag us all over the place. In being yoked to Him, we will find rest because His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

 

If you are feeling a heavy load today, or if you feel burdened and weighed down from time to time, perhaps that is a reminder that you’re not under Jesus’ yoke. I know I feel like that more often than I would like to admit.

 

I’m not trying to say that all difficulty or pain comes from having the wrong yoke. Paul communicated clearly that they were at times hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted and even struck down. Paul also described being “under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.” In both cases, the conclusion was these times of difficulty resulted in Paul and his companions seeking God all the more. They did not rely on themselves, but on God. And, in the midst of those trials, Jesus’ life was being revealed through their mortal bodies. And, God delivered them. In John the Baptist’s life, he remained in prison. His deliverance came through death. He gained his freedom into God’s eternal kingdom.

 

If you are feeling a heavy load today, and you are not seeing God amidst trial, then I encourage you to come freshly to Jesus. He is there waiting for each of us to give rest not yet perhaps to our bodies, but something far more valuable, rest for our souls. Cast your cares on Him for He cares for you. Breath in that lightness of the Spirit of God and easiness of walking in Him. He is not far off, but right there just like always. Call on Him. Praise God. Let’s pray.

 

Father God, Lord Jesus, help us to stay yoked to You, connected to the true vine. May the hard times be an opportunity for Your light and life to shine through us. We love You. Thank You for caring for us and meeting us in the midst of our desperate need and being gentle with us. Glorify Your Name we pray Jesus. Amen.