The philosopher John Locke traced the narrowness of the path our Lord had to travel. Henceforth, too, He forbids the disciples to proclaim Him as the Messiah. They spake of Christ, but he pointed to him; they said, A virgin shall conceive: he said, Behold the Lamb of God! And what makes this still more striking, is the certainty that the kingdom, bright as it is, is by no means the thing nearest to Jesus. and who are my brethren?" Whoever perceives the connections and concludes that Jesus does the work of the coming one is blessed (11:6). The details, found elsewhere, of her being at the point of death then, before reaching the house, the news that she was dead, are not here. Preachers can use a four page form suggested by Paul Scott Wilson1: The first half of the sermon, therefore, would draw an analogy between Johns question (exegetically unpacked on Page 1) and ours (Page 2). It may well be that John was impatient with Jesus because he was not what he expected him to be. Moreover, end-time Jewish communities debated the nature, identity, and activity of Gods final end-time agent. I am still pushing on, seeking to apprehend that for which I was apprehended." Thus, in the scene of the leper, we have Jesus presented as "Jehovah that healeth Israel," as man here below, and in Jewish relationships, still maintaining the law. This indicates that if Christ, instead of an angel, had visited Sodom, the people would have repented, and the city would have been spared. Jesus wonders why the crowds went into the wilderness. Accordingly, Christ extols and places him above the rank of the prophets, and gives the people to understand that he had received a special and more excellent commission. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient. Elijah did actually return and met with Christ on the mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:3); but in this passage, Christ revealed that the true intention of the prophecy was not a literal return of Elijah, but his spiritual return in the person of John the Baptist. The burden that Jesus said is heavy, one that will weigh you down, is living for yourself. Jesus fits neither John`s expectations nor those of Jewish messianism in general. That the kingdom of heaven here does not mean the state of future glory. Commentary on Matthew 11:2-11 The question of John the Baptist to Jesus is one of the most important questions of Advent and of Christian theology more broadly. Another problem with the delineation of the passage is that the scene has two distinct parts. Matthew says that from the time of John until now the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force. When did this take place, if we enquire into it merely as a matter of historical fact? KJV Standard; KJV 1611; Mobile; Bible Trivia; Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary. I've created my own god, after my own likes and wishes and all." In Matthew 12:1-50 we find not so much Jesus present and despised of men, as these men of Israel, the rejectors, in the presence of Jesus. Yet man, in face of all, is so deceived of the enemy, that he prefers to be left with the demons rather than enjoy the presence of the Deliverer. These had a better opportunity of conversing with Christ, and of seeing and hearing the things they did, than John had; they had the power of performing miracles, which John had not; were immediately sent forth by Christ, to preach the Gospel, and had a clearer insight into the truths of it, than John; especially, after the Holy Ghost was in such an extraordinary manner poured forth upon them, on the day of Pentecost; particularly after the death and resurrection of Christ, they were able to preach him, not only as come in the flesh, but as having suffered and died, and obtained eternal redemption: they could speak of his blood being shed, of his righteousness being wrought out, and of his sacrifice and satisfaction as made, which John could not; and besides, were more successful in the conversion of sinners, both Jews and Gentiles, than ever he was. So He sent them out in front of them, and then He departed and was following up now, and coming into the cities. Just as John was the greatest of the prophets because of his proximity to Christ, the apostles, and indeed all Christians, are greater than John because they are even closer, being "in him" as a result of the new birth. Herod Antipas of Galilee had paid a visit to his brother in Rome. "If I were God this is how I would live; this is what I would do; this is how I would react; this is how I would respond; and so this is my god. The Gospel reading for the First Sunday of Advent (Matthew 24:36-44) began the new liturgical year at the End (with a capital E), with the expectation of Jesus final coming to us. Many Advent wreaths feature a pink candle for the Third Sunday of Advent and its called the Mary candle., Many scriptural texts can be read in isolation of their context and still provide some meaning.1. 177: 151 Matthew 16 . He has His rejection before His eyes, as well as the presumptuous unbelief of this sordid, and self-confident, would-be follower. And wisdom is justified by her works. The disciples most inadequately perceive His glory; but the Lord acts according to His own mind. how is it that ye have no faith? Considerable time, it is true, elapsed between the two facts; but this only makes it the more sure and plain, that they are grouped together with a divine purpose. According to the grace they have been exposed to, will be the degree of judgement by which they will be judged. Put this question to yourselves." It was Jesus' way of saying, "John will stand firm. Hence, lower down in the chapter, after the demon was cast out of the blind and dumb man before the amazed people, the Pharisees, irritated by their question, Is not this the Son of David? Here we find our Lord, after sending out the chosen witnesses of the truth (so momentous to Israel, above all) of His own Messiahship, realizing His utter rejection, yet rejoicing withal in God the Father's counsels of glory and grace, while the real secret in the chapter, as in fact, was His being not Messiah only, nor Son of man, but the Son of the Father, whose person none knows but Himself. We belong to his community of believers, dedicated to him, instructed by him, and carrying out his ministry. Since Christ is Lord, this statement concerning John became the fulfillment of the prophecy that John would "be great in the sight of the Lord" (Luke 1:15). Jesuss answer is that Johns disciples can report back to John what they have seen and heard. He was going to build His Church "upon this rock" Himself, the Son of God. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. Matthew's But nothing turned aside the purpose of God, or the activity of His grace. No matter what the great purpose might be, He was there for faith. 1st. I have endeavoured, though, of course, cursorily, and I feel most imperfectly, to give thus far Matthew's sketch of the Saviour as the Holy Ghost enabled him to execute it. The uncertainty probably arose from the following circumstances: (1) John had been cast into prison, and Christ had made no move to free him; (2) John was suffering cruel and unjust persecution and probably foresaw his approaching martyrdom; (3) Jesus' identity as the Messiah was not being proclaimed at that time with the dogmatic certainty which John doubtless expected; (4) the reasons for Christ's reticence about his Messiahship could not have been clear to John. Such too is the import of Malachis prediction, (Malachi 3:1,) which is immediately added, that the pre-eminence of John consisted in his being the herald and forerunner of Christ; (14) for although the ancient Prophets spoke of his kingdom, they were not, like John, placed before his face, to point him out as present. Once again Jesus tells the people that John is the herald and the forerunner whom they have awaited so long--if they are willing to accept the fact. Disease must obey Him, as the soldier or the servant obeyed the centurion, their superior. "Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom? Pride is a corrupt humour, which we must not feed either in others or in ourselves. _A GREATER THAN JOHN THE BAPTIST_] A _sixth excellency_ of the Baptist-he Alas for you Bethsaida! For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee ( Matthew 11:9-10 ). Our Lord then answers, with perfect dignity, as well as grace; He puts before the disciples of John the real state of the case; He furnishes them with plain, positive facts, that could leave nothing to be desired by John's mind when he weighed all as a testimony from God. A Gentile (indeed, any mind not under any kind of legal prejudice or difficulty) would be far more moved by a detailed account of what was more, conspicuous. a man clothed in soft raiment? The first thing to be remarked is, that the leper was an early incident in the manifestation of the healing power of our Lord. Because the light of the gospel (as that of nature) was to precede and make way for its law, therefore the prophecies of the Old Testament came to an end (finis perficiens, not interficiens--an end of completion, not of duration), before the precepts of it; so that when Christ says, all the prophets and the law prophesied until John, he shows us, First, How the light of the Old Testament was set up; it was set up in the law and the prophets, who spoke, though darkly, of Christ and his kingdom. 1. Basing their confident expectation of the return of Elijah before the advent of the Messiah upon Malachi 4:5,6, the Jews of Christ's day expected a literal return of the natural Elijah and had even tried to shake the faith of the apostles in Jesus' Messiahship because, in their view, Elijah had not yet come. And when you get behind these things, you have to say, well, I am seeking money for myself. Isaiah 35:5-6; Isaiah 61:1). Preachers should avoid psychologizing John at this point. Whereas, on the contrary, there are other kinds of order that call for more profound thought and enlarged views, if we may speak now after the manner of men; and, indeed, I deny not that these the Holy Ghost employed in His own wisdom, though it is hardly needful to say He could, if He pleased, demonstrate His superiority to any means or qualifications whatsoever. If the church opts for Matthews perspective, how does the church regard other possibilities? Power and love were come for any one to draw on. He says, "Come unto me all you who are weighted down beneath your burdens." Woe, unto thee, Chorazin! The Lord, while thoroughly proving that He forgot nothing, owned everything that was of grace in Peter or the rest, while opening the same door to "every one" who forsakes nature for His name's sake, solemnly adds, "But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first." Copyright 2022, Bible Study Tools. Here Jesus is speaking out of experience, the experience that the Rabbis and the wise men rejected him, and the simple people accepted him. Page 2 presents an analogous problem/bad news in the contemporary context. Indeed, John is more than a prophet in that he had a superior role. "My daughter is even now dead, but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live." In either case John fulfilled the spirit of the prophecy because he came in the spirit and power of Elijah. But if you will live for God's pleasure, if you take up the light burden, then your life will be fulfilling, rich, full. In the end of the chapter is set forth parabolically the unlimited forgiveness that suits the kingdom; here, I cannot but think, looking onward in strict fulness to the future, but with distinct application to the moral need of the disciples then and always. Even a non-Christian freely admits that things could never be the same now that Jesus had come. Prudence teaches us to be of a piece. The comparison suggested a sycophant; and John certainly was not that. See more under Matthew 5:13. Did you go down to the Jordan River just to watch the reeds being blown by the wind? There is positively no other way to know God except through Christ (John 14:6). He that is least in the kingdom of heaven.The Greek gives the comparative, not the superlativehe whose relative position in the kingdom of heaven is less than that of John. I 've created my own God, after my own God, after my own and., after my own God, after my own likes and wishes and all. your burdens. the,. Church regard other possibilities been exposed to, will be the same now Jesus. This take place, if we enquire into it merely as a matter historical. Does not mean the state of future glory and when you get behind things. The spirit and power of Elijah which we must not feed either in or. To John what they have seen and heard the state of future glory one is blessed 11:6! 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