FORCEFULLY ADVANCING

TEXT: MATTHEW 11 http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/index.php?q=matthew11&niv=yes

PARAPHRASE

“R U THE 1”

After Jesus had instructed his disciples and was teaching and preaching in Galilee, John the Baptist, having heard what he was doing, sent his disciples to ask if Jesus was “the” Messiah they had been waiting for. Jesus told John’s disciples to go back and tell him what they themselves had witnessed – that he has been doing exactly what Isaiah prophesied the Messiah would do when he came, namely heal all kinds of infirmities, raise the dead and preach good news to the poor. In light of his fulfilling prophecy in this way, he told them that whoever believes in him as the long awaited Messiah and doesn’t reject him receives the blessing of God.

While John’s disciples were leaving Jesus spoke about John to the people asking them a series of rhetorical questions about who they went out into the desert to see, figuratively raising rhetorical questions that describe King Herod to contrast who Herod is with who John is - a prophet. However, Jesus goes on to say that John is no ordinary prophet because when the prophet Malachi spoke for the LORD Almighty, He said the LORD would send a messenger to prepare the way for the Messiah. However, Jesus says that even though among all those born of women no one has risen to a greater stature than John in his role as messenger for the Messiah; in the kingdom of heaven, whoever is least is still greater than John, because the least in the kingdom of heaven doesn’t just prepare the way of the Lord, but testifies to the death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord. Jesus says from the time of John’s coming until now, his coming as the Messiah, the kingdom of heaven has been moving powerfully forward in the darkness despite the various types of human and spiritual opposition it has been facing. Jesus says that all Prophets and the Law up to John prophesied about his coming as the Messiah and if the people are able to comprehend the Prophet Malachi, John is the Prophet Elijah Malachi prophesied the LORD as saying He would send to prepare the way of the Messiah for the dawning of the kingdom.

Jesus then asks what he can compare this generation to - stating they are like children in the marketplace who call out to the people: We played our flute and you didn’t dance and we sang a funeral song and you didn’t cry. He uses this comparison to say these children are like those in this generation who say John has a demon because of his simple lifestyle with frequent fasting and at the same time say Jesus is a glutton, alcoholic and sinner through his associations with other sinners because he doesn’t lead a simple lifestyle and fast all the time like John. Jesus tells them that wisdom is proved right by its actions, in that both John and he will be vindicated by the way that they live in contrast to the people who talk out of both sides of their mouths at the same time.

“WOE 2 U”

After this, Jesus charged the cities he performed most of his miracles in with their failure to repent. He cried out in pity for the people of Korazin and Bethsaida, telling them that if the miracles he had done in their midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago. He tells Korazin and Bethsaida that judgment day will be better for the people of Tyre and Sidon than for them. And he tells the people of Capernaum they will see Hell on judgment day, unlike the city of Sodom had the people of that city had the chance to see the miracles because had they, their city would have remained to this day because they too would have repented. Because of their lack of repentance, Jesus tells the people of Capernaum that it will also be better for the people of Sodom on judgment day than for them.

"DISCIPLESHIP"

Then Jesus praised his Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, for His good will - for hiding the spiritual truth that he is the Messiah from the religious rulers and others who are prideful, thinking they know everything and so don’t need a Savior and for revealing who he is to those with the humility of children, know they don’t know everything and know they need a Savior. Then Jesus said His Father has committed all things to him, that no one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son and whoever the Son chooses to reveal Him to. Having identified himself as the Son of God by saying this, Jesus called all who are weary and burdened to come to him so he could give them rest, telling the people to become his disciple and learn from him, telling them he is gentle and humble in heart and that by being his disciple they will find rest for their souls. He says that becoming his disciple is easy and that his disciplines are refreshing.


PRINCIPLES

I. MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT JESUS HAD TO ADDRESS OPPOSITION TO HIS BEING THE PROMISED MESSIAH.

II. HOW DID MATTHEW TELL HIS FIRST CENTRUY READERS THAT JESUS ADDRESSED OPPOSITION TO HIS BEING THE PROMISED MESSIAH?

III. MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTRUY READERS THAT JESUS ADDRESSED OPPOSTION TO HIS BEING THE MESSIAH THROUGH:

A. An assertion about his healings.

C. A pronouncement about John.

D. A Judgment concerning the unrepentant.

E. An offer concerning the weary and burdened.


IV. MATTHEW TELLS US TODAY THAT JESUS HAD TO ADDRESS OPPOSITION TO HIS BEING THE PROMISED MESSIAH.

V. HOW DOES MATTHEW TELL US TODAY THAT JESUS ADDRESSED OPPOSITION TO HIS BEING THE PROMISED MESSIAH?

VI. MATTHEW TELLS US THAT JESUS ADDRESSED OPPOSITION TO HIS BEING THE MESSIAH THROUGH:

A. An assertion about his healings.

C. A pronouncement about John.

D. A judgment concerning the unrepentant.

E. An offer concerning the weary and burdened.


PRAYER

Our Father, We praise You for Your Prophet John who prepared the way of the Lord and for Your Son – the Messiah with whose coming Your Kingdom dawned.

Our Father, We thank You for Jesus’ miracles so we would know he was the Messiah, the Christ, Your Son and would know that we are in need of His Liberation, His Salvation because we are unable to save ourselves.

Our Father, Forgive us when like John we question the Messiah in any way at any time when our faith lacks in anyway – LORD help us with our unbelief.

Our Father, we come to Your Son weary and burdened for rest because He is humble and gentle and our souls are in desperate need of rest, now and forever.

Our Father, we come to Your Son to become His disciples, to learn from Him, to train in His disciplines and to be refreshed by them.

Our Father, we pray that as disciples we will go to all nations in Your Son’s Holy Name so that the Kingdom can continue to forcefully advance in the darkness that remains in the world.

Our Father, we pray all of these things in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

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