Matthew 12:25-30

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25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad." ~ Matthew 12:25-30

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 12 where the Lord Jesus has just delivered a man from demon possession. Whereas in Matthew 1-10 the Lord Jesus is presented as the King, in Matthew 11-12 He is presented as the rejected King. The people's rejection of the Lord Jesus began with their doubt that He was the Messiah. Those doubts led to criticism which led to their indifference and then rejection. The religious leaders of Israel revealed their rejection of Him when they accused Him of working under the influence of Satan. Even for the most ardent skeptic, this seems like harsh criticism to level against a man who has been raising the dead, giving sight to the blind, and delivering the demon-possessed. But when the heart is hardened against God, there is no limit to the sort of criticism one will spew out. 

In v.25 of today's passage we read, "But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: 'Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.'"

The Lord Jesus knew the thoughts of the religious leaders of Israel. We shouldn't be surprised since as God He is omniscient. It was at that moment the Lord Jesus shared a logical defense to the religious leaders of Israel. He didn't do this for His benefit but for theirs. Essentially, the Lord Jesus built a case to accommodate the faith of the religious leaders when He told them, "If I am doing this by Satan's power then I'm diminishing Satan's kingdom. It makes no sense that Satan would cast out Satan." But, His case was rejected because He did not fit their definition of the Messiah. They couldn't understand that their sin had to be vanquished before their enemies could be crushed.

The kingdom of anyone who rejects the free gift of being made right with God will be brought to desolation or waste. Oh, it will not be God who will do the destructive work, it will be Satan who is bent on destroying everything God has pronounced as good. The wrath of God is the absence of His goodness and love in any context. The absence of God in any context will result in that context falling apart. In Colossians 1:16-17 we read, "16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." The Lord Jesus spoke the worlds into being by just one word and "in Him" all things consist. This means the Lord Jesus holds the worlds from falling apart. He is the rebar, the glue to it all. Without His ability to hold all things together, we would be hurled into orbit.

In v.26-28 of today's passage we read, "26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you."

It was at this point that the Lord Jesus turned the tables on the religious leaders of Israel. His logic was sound which enabled Him to make a cogent presentation to His skeptics. The patience demonstrated here by the Lord Jesus underscores His character which they attacked. This is the way it is for those who shroud themselves in lies. Their lies made it impossible for them to think straight.

In v.29 of today's passage we read, "Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house."

The Lord Jesus demonstrated by His ability to tie up Satan, that He was and is greater than Satan. He took his property, controlled his hosts, threw out his demons, and He delivered the people who were captive to his system. The religious leaders of Israel knew well that Lucifer was the anointed cherub. They knew there was only one person who can bind the Devil and He stood before them. They just didn't believe the Lord Jesus was the promised Messiah.

In v.30 of today's passage we read, "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."

Those who lack a personal relationship with God do not have His heart for others. Sadly, those who are against the Lord even lack His heart for themselves. As a result, they repel others by their rebellion against God. On the other hand, those who know God's heart for them, they not only love themselves but they love their neighbor as themselves. It is all about the heart and who sits on that heart. The road that leads to brokenness is most often long because the journey from head to the heart is one of the longest and most difficult journeys of all. This is why the Lord Jesus began this presentation to these religious leaders with a logical argument.

God knows everything there is to know about us and the amazing thing is that He still likes us. But, His love is only accessed through the sacrifice of His Son on the cross. His love is not dependent upon who we are or what we do but upon who He is and what the Lord Jesus did on the cross. It is through the cross that we have been given the truest definition of God's love toward us. He stopped at no expense to deliver us from the clutches of the evil one. Once we have become unafraid to admit everything that is wrong with us, it is then that we have become the objects of His love precisely because of our sincere cries for Him to help us. Such sincerity is based in our confidence in His unfailing mercy and unbelievable grace.

Matthew 12:22-24

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22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" 24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons." ~ Matthew 12:22-24

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 12 where the Lord Jesus was imparting His culture to the people along with healing the sick and feeble of their infirmities. We all fall into one of two categories, we are either with the Lord Jesus or we are against Him. And, our eternal destiny is determined accordingly. In the war between God and Satan, between good and evil, between light and darkness, between truth and lies there is no middle ground. Those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are automatically in partnership with Satan whether they know it or not.

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw."

On six different occasions in the Gospels, the Lord Jesus cast out of people demons that were inhabiting them. In today's passage, after a demon-possessed man was brought to the Lord Jesus, He healed him. This man was both blind and mute. His physical issues appear to have been the result of his demonic possession. This was nothing new for the Lord Jesus for He had shown His dominance over the demonic world before. But another exorcism didn't appear to make the people believe more in Him. They didn't need more miracles, they had witnessed the Lord Jesus heal many. Sadly, most didn't believe Him to be the promised Messiah, even though He showed His power over all of the dimensions in this world. 

In v.23 of today's passage we read, "And all the multitudes were amazed and said, 'Could this be the Son of David?'"

Seventeen verses in the New Testament describe the Lord Jesus as the "Son of David." But, how could He be the Son of David if David lived approximately 1,000 years before Him? The answer is He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of the seed of David. The Lord Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah, which means He had to be of the lineage of David and He was just that.

While the people were amazed at the obvious miracle, some asked if the Lord Jesus was the promised Messiah. According to Luke 11:15, some concluded the Lord Jesus was from hell. They concluded He was of Satan, not of God. They concluded He was a liar and not of the truth. In fact, they concluded, He was the source of death, not life. As a result, the religious leaders of Israel opposed the Lord Jesus because it suited their self-righteousness to do so. Eventually, this is why the nation as a whole rejected Him. They didn't just sort of stumble into this, they were led into it by their false leaders. And it wasn't just the religious leaders that wanted the Lord Jesus dead. Eventually the whole crowd screamed, "Crucify Him!"  They had been deceived and brainwashed over a couple of years to buy the lie that the the Lord Jesus was not from God.

In v.24 of today's passage we read, "Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, 'This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.'"

The poor theology of the religious leaders threw them under the bus. They failed to see the real identity of the Lord Jesus, even though His miracles and message could not have been more clear. This is the nature of deception, it is guided by the rejection of a proper understanding of God.The Pharisees couldn’t deny that the Lord Jesus could drive out demons, so they accused Him of doing this miracle by Satan's power. They used the word "Beelzebub" which was one of the names of the Philistine god Baal. It means "lord of flies on dung." The Jews often used this name when referring to Satan. No rational person would assume their statement to be true. Satan would have been divided among himself had it been true.

This is the third miracle the Lord Jesus performed that elicited from His enemies the accusation that He was of Satan. Instead of rejoicing that God had sent the Redeemer, the religious leaders doubled down in their opposition of God. They rebelled against the truth of God’s Word and they sought to discredit the work and the character of the Lord Jesus. They loved their sin more than the truth they claimed to guard. Imagine being so blind that you could not distinguish the work of God from the work of Satan!

A sure sign that someone is losing the argument is when they start hurling insults at their opponent. This is called an ad hominem which is a personal attack against the source of an argument, rather than against the argument itself. Essentially, it means the person has no more substance to present, so, they get personal. Honesty with the truth is the obvious answer to the questions that come. The Lord Jesus offered the people that day the same that He offers you and me today and that is a personal relationship with the Father, wherein we experience His life which is eternal life. 

We, like these religious leaders, struggle with our doubts, too. We, even though born again, will always hear the whispers in our hearts that come from the unbeliever within. And, if we do not entertain the questions, we will take the safe path of being our own god. This is what the religious leaders of Israel did, they were not willing to embrace the Lord Jesus by honestly wrestling with their questions. They resisted the luring of the very God that they said they worshipped. Biblical faith invites us to wrestle with the skeptic that will always be within us until we are taking home to be with the Lord. The beauty of it all is that when we wrestle with the questions that threaten our faith, it hones our ability to see God with our hearts. Philip Yancey once said, "Faith means believing in advance what only makes sense in reverse." A wrestled with faith delivers answers that are useful when talking with honest skeptics. And, who knows God may even use the products of such wrestlings to save those who are headed to the fires of Hell.

Matthew 12:15-21

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15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. 16 Yet He warned them not to make Him known, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 18 “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory; 21 And in His name Gentiles will trust.” ~ Matthew 12:15-21

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 12 where the Lord Jesus has just healed a man with a withered hand in a synagogue in Galilee. Who knows how much anguish his hand brought to him but once he saw the purpose in it, I'm sure he was grateful for having had it for as long as he did. The purpose was to give the religious leaders of Israel yet another miracle performed by the Lord Jesus. This was another opportunity for those hard-hearted men to see the fulfillment of the many prophecies in the Old Testament coming to fruition before their very eyes in the Lord Jesus Christ. Sadly, their hearts grew harder as they rejected the truth over and over again, even though it was accompanied by many wonders, signs and miracles.

This merely proves miracles do not always improve the trajectory of our hearts toward God. Without some measure of brokenness, we will never come to faith in the Lord Jesus. Since the Fall, brokenness has always been the launching pad for biblical faith to be realized in us. Our brokenness attracts us to the cross of the Lord Jesus where He was utterly broken so that we could enter into a personal relationship with God. It is only the brokenness of the Lord Jesus that makes our brokenness yield meaning and purpose. His brokenness means we can forever know the comfort and security of the Father who is perfect in all of His ways.

In v.15-16 of today's passage we read, "15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. 16 Yet He warned them not to make Him known."

The Lord Jesus did not observe the Sabbath as the Jewish religious leaders did. He observed the Sabbath in the way He intended it to be observed. The principle of rest behind it gives us an opportunity to be restored in our bodies, souls and spirits. The Sabbath gives us the opportunity to bring our week to a screeching halt in order to be rearranged by God. God meant the Sabbath to be a time for redirection and restoration. But the religious leaders of Israel ruined this simple command. In fact, they made it the worst day of the week. The religious leaders missed the true identity of the Lord Jesus because they were watching Him with no objectivity. They did this because they, at some point along the way, had begun defining themselves and their world for themselves. This led to a redefinition of God in their hearts which was shaped by themselves. Had they followed God's definitions, they would have arrived upon the Lord Jesus as their Messiah.

This is why the Lord Jesus proclaimed the gospel so that sinners could be forgiven and set free from all our guilt and shame. He illustrated this message as He continued to heal the many who came to Him. Physical healing has always been His encouragement to us to be healed in our spirit and soul. His message yields a meaningful life through a personal relationship with Him and the sure hope of eternal life. Christianity is not about our ability to measure up to the law, it's about our intimacy with God and with one another. Once we get that right, we begin to realize that we can live with our imperfections, flaws, and brokenness because God lives with these in us. We will even find ourselves more patient with others. And, even the unwanted things in our lives will be included in the ingredients of spirituality that God brings into our lives. 

With reference to the healings, the Lord Jesus warned the people not to make Him known. He didn’t want His miracles to be the focus of His ministry. And He didn’t want to keep feeding the wrong expectations of the people. He knew that one day He would ride into town, mounted on His great white horse, and take out all the enemies of Israel. This will happen at the end of the seven year Tribulation and just before the Millennium. Whereas during His first coming the Jews expected the King on His throne, they failed to recognize that He had to come first to be the Lamb of God who took away the penalty of our sin. Oh, there will come a day at the end of time as we know it that He will come as the conquering King but for now He has come as the redeeming Lamb.

In v.17-21 of today's passage we read, "17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 18 'Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory; 21 And in His name Gentiles will trust.'"

The Lord Jesus continued His ministry of healing which corresponded to His teaching on everlasting life because from the foundation of the world He agreed before the Father and the Holy Spirit to rescue man from sin and death. The sentence "Behold My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased" is the basis to His whole ministry. He healed the people in order to fulfill such passages as Isaiah 11, 42 and 61 which Matthew quotes here to remind us that it was the Spirit of the Lord who enabled Him to do these miraculous things as predicted by the Old Testament prophets.

The justice the Lord Jesus declared was through His teaching but most profoundly through His cross. It was at the cross that justice or judgement on the behalf of all willing sinners was rendered. A better translation of the word justice would be judgement and it was on the cross that the judgement that all sinners deserve fell upon the Lord Jesus. God judged our sin in Christ's body as He hung on that tree.

We read, "He will not quarrel nor cry out"  which means He would be the lamb who was silent before His shearers. His sacrificial death on the cross made it possible for a bruised reed to avoid being broken. It was at the cross that a smoking flax would not put out. It was at the cross that we would learn that He sent forth justice to victory and that in His name, the Gentiles would trust. This was not expected by the religious leaders of Israel even though Isaiah told them in advance it would be the case. The religious leaders of Israel expected the Messiah to set up His kingdom by force, and make people worship God.

The smoking flax and the bruised reeds picture those stepped on, discarded, and thrown away. These are no longer able to play the required tune. They could also no longer give light. These are the kinds of people, like the man with the withered hand, the religious leaders did not value. But these are the kinds of people the Lord does not break. These are the people who qualify for salvation because they had embraced their brokenness.

Matthew 12:9-14

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9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him. 11 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. 14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. ~ Matthew 12:9-14

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 12 where the Lord Jesus has experienced push back not only from the religious leaders of Israel but also the common folk. In context, the Lord Jesus had upset the religious folks when He declared Himself as greater than the Sabbath rest. The people didn't realize that as God the Lord Jesus was the author and the fulfillment of all that the sabbath taught in the Old Testament. These people should have recognized Him as the Lamb of God who came to deal a death blow to sin. It was their inaccurate understanding of their sinfulness that blinded them from recognizing their need for a Savior and the Lord Jesus was that Savior. This is why Matthew wrote His gospel, to reveal the Lord Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Savior. Matthew consistently revealed how the Scriptures point to the Messiah. This is why the Lord Jesus performed signs and wonders. 

In v.9-10 of today's passage we read, "9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?'—that they might accuse Him."

The Lord Jesus didn’t run away when the religious leaders accused both He and His disciples of wrongdoing. He cared so much He went right into their synagogue just to give them another opportunity to respond positively to the truth. Once He entered the synagogue, there was a man there who had a paralyzed hand. The word "withered" means dried up. When any part of the human body is drained of its fluids, it becomes "dried up." It becomes shriveled. Often God uses our weaknesses to help others. Our story with God was intended to become a part of others story with Him. This man's hand illustrated how the heart can be hardened against God. Once hard-heartedness sets in we toil hard in various ways so that we can find fault with God and others. In doing so, we protect ourselves which is in the long run our greatest enemy.

The religious leaders asked, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" The man with the withered hand didn’t mean anything to these religious leaders until he became useful to them in their attempt to trap the Lord Jesus. So, the religious leaders asked, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" They knew the Lord Jesus could heal, yet their blindness was seen through their question. They believed the Lord Jesus was empowered by Satan to heal. They asked this question so they might be able to find some kind of fault in the Lord Jesus. 

In v.11-12 of today's passage we read, "11 Then He said to them, 'What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.'"

The Lord Jesus responded to the ridiculous question of the religious leaders with a miracle for the man with the withered hand. Anyone would have rescued just one of their sheep because that was the job of the shepherd and sheep are not more important than people. To the religious leaders of Israel this man didn't mean anything. But to the Lord Jesus, he was one of the many reasons He came to this earth in the first place. For years this man's hand was the source of much anguish but that day everything changed. Sometimes, the Lord must isolate us before He will elevate us. According to Mark and Luke, the Lord Jesus brought this guy up in the front of the entire synagogue. It was a very dramatic scene. And then He asked a very important question of the religious leaders who were now out to get Him. If the religious leaders had affirmed that it wasn't  lawful to do good on the Sabbath, they would have been shown to be the heartless frauds they were. It was then that the Lord Jesus did great good to this man.

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other."

At that point a chilling silence prevailed. In Luke 6:11 we read, "The Lord read their thoughts and they were filled with fury." In Mark 3:5 we are told, "Jesus was grieved at their hard hearts." The Lord Jesus was compassionate while the religious folk didn’t care if the man was healed. It was at that point that the Lord Jesus healed the man. This was a good thing because to know to do good and to have the ability to do good and to not do good is to do evil. Sadly, it was the religious folk who did evil that day. Clearly their hard-heartedness withered away their ability to reason correctly.

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him."

From this point on the religious leaders of Israel devised a plan to kill the Lord Jesus because they were unwilling to let Him be their God. Sadly, they saw the miraculous and they missed its significance. When this man was healed, it underscored the fact that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah! These Pharisees didn’t deny the miracle. In fact, it was the reality of the miracle that led them to do what they did. It was their stubborn hearts that caused them to use that man with the withered hand. They, yet again, failed in their attempt to derail the Lord Jesus. All of this just highlights the fact that it was their rejection of the truth that hardened their hearts.

When we seek the truth we will be to some degree defined by the God of the Bible who is merciful, kind, and good. The more       we respond positively to God's definitions of things, the more we will live in concert with what is right. The Lord Jesus came to this earth as a man so that we might enter into a personal relationship with the God of truth. This is how we experience and grow in His mercy, kindness, and goodness. That day the Lord Jesus healed the man with the withered hand so that something much greater could be experienced, and that something greater was the kind heart of God which leads us to abandon the self life in pursuit of life that has life.

Matthew 12:7-8

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"7 But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." ~ Matthew 12:7-8

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 12 where the Lord Jesus was feeling the unbelief of not only the religious leaders of Israel but also that of the common folk. In our previous study we noted that the Lord Jesus allowed His disciples to work and to eat the harvest of their work on the Sabbath. As a result, the religious leaders of Israel accused them of sin. It was then that the Lord Jesus cited two Old Testament passages which vindicated the actions of His disciples. It was then that the Lord Jesus noted that He was greater than the Old Testament dwelling places of God. This, of course, was an indirect way of saying that He was God. This infuriated the religious leaders of Israel and this was the reason they began to plot to kill Him.

In v.7 of today's passage we read, "But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless."

Previously, the Lord Jesus brought attention to the fact that the religious leaders loved the Sabbath more than they loved God. They didn't know God therefore they did not know the priorities of God. They didn't know that the Sabbath was designed by God to bring rest to the souls of those who worship Him. The Sabbath was meant to reflect what the other nine commands reflected: Love for God and love for one's neighbor. The religious leaders had made the Sabbath about their fatal understanding of God which led to their burdensome religious practices. They thought that God was so puny that He created the Sabbath for Himself not knowing that He created it to address the inner rest within man's soul. Without His rest, we are hampered in our attempts to love Him and others.

The religious leaders condemned the disciples of the Lord Jesus for working on the Sabbath but the disciples were not guilty of sin. Had the religious leaders understood the priorities of God, they would not have condemned the disciples. God desires a loving heart over rule ridged religion. It is only through our broken moments are we granted a heart for God and others. Our problem is discovered when we run from our pains, we are found running from God. The pains of life toughen our hearts to the point that they are made soft and pliable. We love because He loved us first. We give up on the kind of love that can’t be broken, a love that is kind, a love that protects, hopes, trusts, and perseveres. This is what the love of God looks like and those who know it not do not give it out. The love of God looks like the cross of Christ. God loves us so much He gave His one and only Son so that we could have eternal life. 

The word "sacrifice" points us to the Old Testament ceremonial system which was only a shadow of the cross of the Lord Jesus. It was at the cross that we saw God's heart best. At the end of the day, God desires a merciful heart that cares more about the needs of His people than anything else. Many get caught up trying to substantiate the truth not knowing they can't given their fallen condition. God has given us His perfect standards but He knows we will never attain to perfection. He would be less than God if He instructed us to strive for less than that which is perfect. But, He doesn't desire that we attain to those standards in order to overrule meeting the basic needs of people. This is why He desires of us mercy, kindness, and self-sacrifice.

This is nothing new for God because had He not been merciful to us, we would be dead. No sinner deserves God's mercy. But, since the Lord Jesus took our place of undeserved mercy, He has given us His place of deserved mercy. Mercifully, in the case of the Old Testament ceremonial law, God fulfilled that law to reveal His heart. After all, the ceremonial law was always a shadow of the cross of the Lord Jesus. God desires an obedient heart not just an obedient head. But, the religious leaders of Israel were a million miles from that.

In v.8 of today's passage we read, "For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

The Lord Jesus responded to the religious leaders again by pointing out that He created the Sabbath. He also pointed out that He was not only the author of the Sabbath, He was the fulfillment of the Sabbath. In fact, the reason Christians are not required to observe the Sabbath is due to the fact that He fulfilled it. In Hebrews 4 we learn that since the Lord Jesus lived a perfect life and died a perfect death and He rose from the dead, we, having believed that His work earned the forgiveness of God for us, we have entered into His rest. 

The Sabbath has always been a picture of the rest the Lord Jesus earned for sinners but the religious leaders of Israel ruined the illustration. Their understanding of the Sabbath snatched the heart out of the narrative. Again, this is why the Lord Jesus said, "Come over here on My side if you’re laboring and heavy-laden. My yoke is easy; My burden is light. You will find the gift of my rest with me."

Matthew 12:1-6

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1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!" 3 But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple." ~ Matthew 12:1-6

Today, we transition into Matthew 12 where we will see the growth of the rejection of the Lord Jesus from the religious leaders of Israel. We will see that their rejection of God was a slow hardening of their hearts toward Him down through the ages. One of the ways, as we will see in today's passage is that they went from placing most emphasis on the God of the Sabbath to making most emphasis on the Sabbath of God. Such subtle emphasis is that which lures our hearts away from God in an ever so slow manner. Today's chapter, more than any other in this gospel account, focuses on the rejection and the blasphemy of the Messiah. In it we will see the growth to the unbelief of the people of Israel regarding the identity of the Lord Jesus. The first half of this chapter is about the people's rejection of the Lord Jesus, while the second is about their blasphemy of the Lord Jesus. Left unchecked unbelief will inevitably invite the profane.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat."

The convergence of the hunger of the disciples and the passing through a mature grain field led to the disciples "working" on the Sabbath in the eyes of the religious. The Sabbath to the Jews was most sacred. Everything in their legalistic system ultimately focused in on that one day, and they believed when it is violated it was one of the highest expressions of blasphemy toward God. So, when the Lord Jesus allowed His disciples to eat the grain in the grain fields, it was like a striking blow to the heart of their religious system. This was the beginning of the religious leaders plan to put the Lord Jesus on the cross.

As with many things in our everyday lives, the events of this chapter seem random but we mustn't lose sight of the fact that we serve a very big God and the events of our lives fit into His will perfectly. We miss the bigness of God so often because we have such a large view of ourselves. When our view of ourselves is lessened, we will find that we are positioned best for our vision of God to grow. No human has a high enough view of God. Our God, the God who spoke into existence time and space, matter and energy, things seen and unseen, is more awesome than our earthly minds can comprehend. A God who is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and holy is a God we can unswervingly trust. The God of the Bible is unimaginably complex and He is able to do all things. He is the only One worthy of our worship.

It just so happened that day that the Lord Jesus and His disciples were going through that particular grain field, a field that had grain that had ripened. And, since they were there in the Jordan Valley, these events happened near the Passover season. It is hard for us to rectify in our minds but even our mistakes and even our sin factors into what we ultimately see as the will of God for our lives. I don't say this because the disciples sinned that day, they didn't sin, but their actions fit perfectly into God's ultimate purpose for all involved, even the religious. Having said that, we can trust God to render good for us, even when we have missed the mark and have failed miserably. Our God is truly sovereign above all and is deserving of our homage!

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, 'Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!'"

The Sabbath commandment is one of the Ten Commandments and it is the only commandment that is non-moral. In fact, it is the one of the Ten Commandments that uniquely was between God and Israel as a ceremonial rule. It facilitated the peoples worship of God. All the other nine commandments are moral absolutes while the fourth commandment is about worship. And, when we come into the New Testament, every other command is repeated but the fourth, the Sabbath command. It is not repeated because it was a unique covenantal sign between God and Israel. 

The problem with the Sabbath was created by the religious who had added so many ridiculous rules to the Sabbath command. God had given this command to aid Israel in their worship of Him, however, over time it did the opposite due to the additional rules that the religious leaders had paced on it. The additional rules were not given by God. Again, since they missed the heart of the teaching they made it about stupid stuff. Instead of being a day of rest which aided their worship of God, it had become a day of incredible burden. All of this resulted in the Sabbath being a big pain in the rear end for the people of Israel. It was impossible for them to rest. This is why the Lord Jesus had previously said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 

In v.3-6 of today's passage we read, "3 But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple."

As the disciples walked along with the Lord Jesus, they became hungry. So, they ate some of the grain that was all around them. In Deuteronomy 23:25 we read, "When you come into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not use a sickle on your neighbor’s standing grain." The disciples had the right that day to eat the grain even though it was the Sabbath. Again, if we do not know what it is all about, we will make it about something stupid. And, this is what the religious leaders of Israel did. They lost sight of the fact that the Sabbath was to be a day of rest which would aid their worship of God. They failed to follow God's example when after He creating the world, He looked around and saw that "It was very good." That day God ceased from His labor and He enjoyed what He had made. The enduring principle garnered from the Sabbath is the joy that we experience with God who created us. 

In response to the question of the religious leaders, the Lord Jesus cited the time when King David and his men ate the bread that was in the house of God. Obviously, God made an exception in this case as David and his men were running away from the angry King Saul and they were hungry. Then, the Lord Jesus cited the fact that the priests functioning on the Sabbath profaned the Sabbath every Sabbath. They profaned the Sabbath because they worked. They lit fires, they killed animals and they lifted those animals up onto the altar. They profaned the Sabbath all the time, but that was not the point. 

The ultimate happened when the Lord Jesus told the religious leaders of Israel that He was greater than the temple. This disturbed them greatly because they knew this was a claim of deity. In the Old Testament God dwelt in the tabernacle and in the temple. But now, the Lord Jesus said, standing before them was One greater than the temple. In saying these words the Lord Jesus said He was more sacred than any dwelling place that God had occupied during the Old Testament days.

The Sabbath law was never intended to restrict anyone to the point that they could not live their lives. It was designed by God to bring rest, not hardship. The Sabbath was to reflect what the other nine commandments reflected: Love for God and love for our fellow man. The first four of the ten commandments are about our love toward God and the last six are about our love toward our fellow man. Again, the religious folk made it about that which God didn't and they took the heart out of it all. In fact, the heart of the matter has always been about the matter of the heart. Thus, the Sabbath is about more than the external rest of the body; it is about the inner rest of the soul. As the last three verses of our previous chapter points out mankind needs rest from himself, rest from trying to run our lives ourselves.

Matthew 11:28-30

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28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. ~ Matthew 11:28-30

Today, we conclude our study of Matthew 11 where up to this point in this chapter the Lord Jesus had been addressing a people who were dependent upon their own goodness to make them right with God and to get them into heaven. This is religion and its approach to life takes us all the way back to the Garden of Eden where Satan enticed Adam and Eve into defining life for themselves. Up to that point in the narrative God had defined all things, but when the enemy came in disguised as a serpent, their definitions and convictions changed. After the Fall, man was now being defined by the self.

In v.28 of today's passage we read, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Man's sin demanded that God act or all mankind was doomed to hell. People invent religions and they believe if they are good enough maybe they can be acceptable to God. This is why the Lord Jesus came to this earth as a man. He lived a perfect life and then He bore the punishment for our sin on the cross. The fact that His perfect life and death were acceptable to God was proven when He rose from the dead. The Lord Jesus said, "Come to me." Most believe He said, "Come to a ritual or to come to a religion or to a church building." No, He said, "Come to me." This underscores that our salvation can only be founded upon the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ who paid the penalty for our sin at the cross of Calvary.

Before coming to the Lord Jesus for salvation we labored to get life right for ourselves. This led us to the unwanted condition of being heavy ladened. Religion demands we work ourselves to death trying to fix our lives. And, even though we may have worked hard at being good and we may have done many good and altruistic things, it was not good enough. Those who believe they can earn God's favor through their good behavior have a very high view of themselves and a very low view of God. This sounds like bad news and it is. But, if this bad news ushers us to the end of the self life and into personal relationship with God, it is the best news ever.

An amazing truth about the gospel of the Lord Jesus is that it runs counter to religion. The gospel shouts to us that when we see ourselves as more needy, we are positioned to be more successful at knowing the Lord most deeply. There are no self-made Christians. There are only needy people who collapse under the weight of their sin, leading them to fall at the feet of the Lord Jesus. Once we come to the end of ourselves and we cry out to the Lord Jesus, He promises us "rest" from the weight of our sin.

In v.29-30 of today's passage we read, "29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Farmers place a yoke on their oxen in order to plow their fields. Yokes are made out of wood and they are useful steering devices. The oxen are brought in and the carpenter measures their size. They carefully mark out the wood and carve it and then the oxen are brought back later for a final fitting because it is important that the yoke fit perfectly. The yoke enables the farmer to control the animals best. The yoke is an object lesson of submission. Here, the Lord Jesus was saying, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly."

The object lesson from the oxen was transferred over into the realm of the Jewish thinking regarding discipleship. This meant when a pupil submitted himself to his teacher and his teachings, he was said to take the yoke of the teacher upon him. The yoke to the Jews was the teaching of the Rabbi which was a yoke of instruction. The Jews spoke of the yoke of the torah, the yoke of the law, the yoke of the commandments, the yoke of God. This is what the Lord was referring to here. He was saying, "Take My yoke or my teachings upon you." And then He added the phrase, "And learn from Me." This yoke of which the Lord Jesus spoke illustrates our submission to His teaching. 

There is no such thing as a yoke-less life. It’s just a matter of what we’re yoked to. The yoke we receive from the Lord Jesus is not like the yoke of the Pharisees who demanded strict obedience to man-made laws. The yoke of the Lord Jesus is easy and light. And, amazingly He is yoked to us. Nothing in Him shies away from us. He came down to our low place and He will take us up to His high place. He is gentle and He knows our frame. He, while on the cross did all of the heavy lifting and if we believe in Him He will make sure that we arrive home as children of God.

There are two rests in this passage and both point us to the work of the Lord Jesus while He was on this earth. The first rest is immediate and it includes the awakening of our spirit to God. It happened when we first believed on the Lord Jesus and we were born again. This first rest includes the forgiveness of our sin. It granted us a personal relationship with God, while the second is a rest which deepens His rest in our soul. The second rest involves the gradual removal of our guilt and shame from our soul. Both rests enable us to see that He is the end of all of our pursuits, that He is the satisfying destiny to all of our longings.

Matthew 11:25-27

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25 At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. ~ Matthew 11:25-27

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 11 where the Lord Jesus has been revealing what happens to people when they resist the truth. Recognizing truth has become more complicated these days because it has been replaced with deceptions of a variety of kinds. In fact, we live in a world where we are told to discover our own truth. We mustn't forget that this world that we live in is largely run by the devil himself. His world desires to blur the truth so that we would be kept from it. The devil desires to get us to the place where we see his lies as the truth. But, God’s Word makes the truth abundantly clear and the more we are defined by the truth, the more we will know the God of truth for ourselves.

In v.25-26 of today's passage we read, "25 At that time Jesus answered and said, 'I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.'"

The wise and prudent here was a sarcastic reference to the religious leaders of Israel. They were not those who were extra smart or had a great intellect. Rather, they relied on their own wisdom and understanding instead of seeking God accordingly. They were those who believed they were the source of their own holiness. They did not understand that they needed a Savior and they definitely did not look to the Lord Jesus to be their Messiah.

One of the prerequisites to know God is divine revelation. We will never know a person lest they reveal themselves to us. We can know God because He has revealed Himself to us through creation and our conscience. In John 3:36, we read, "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life.  He who does not believe in the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides in him." We enter into a personal relationship with God when we trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin. In 1 John 5:1 we read, "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and everyone who loves Him, who begot, loves Him who is begotten of Him." When we first became believers in the Lord Jesus we were given the witness of the Holy Spirit convincing us that we had come into a personal relationship with the God of love.  

The Lord Jesus came to this earth to reveal the Father to all willing enough to believe in Him. For those unwilling to believe, the truth will be hidden from them. It is the pride of man that prevents him from being made whole by God. The Lord Jesus used a metaphor to describe those who come into a personal relationship with God and that metaphor is "babes." This metaphor represents people who realize they are totally bankrupt spiritually before God. An infant has no capacity to care for itself whatsoever. These are people who are utterly helpless and utterly dependent. They have come to the end of themselves and they know they desperately are dependent on God’s grace. These are the people to whom God reveals the gospel.

In v.27 of today's passage we read, "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."

In context, the Lord Jesus had earlier referenced John the Baptist as the greatest in the kingdom. John taught us that greatness is accessed through one's admission that we do not and cannot measure up to God's standard. When the Lord Jesus fulfilled all of the Old Testament, He brought it to its intended purpose in our lives. This is greatness! He fulfilled the Law and the prophecies of the Old Testament, and having received His performance on our behalf, we are positionally perfect in Christ. That is greatness! 

The goal of coming to the end of ourselves is to enter into a personal relationship with God through the Lord Jesus. If God in His grace and mercy did not reveal Himself to us, we would remain forever blind to the truth about the Lord Jesus. But, the life-giving gospel, the good news of life now and forevermore has been revealed to the humble and the broken and the honest. Revelation is life because it illuminates for us the good news that though we were formerly blind and lost, now we see reality which is the glory of the Father revealed in and through the Son. It is the will of God that everyone comes to the revelation of the Lord Jesus as Savior. But, we can only see the Lord Jesus as such through the lens of our brokenness. We are wise to embrace our brokenness and those things that led to our brokenness because they rendered to us wisdom and understanding.

Matthew 11:19-24

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19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, "Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners! But wisdom is justified by her children." 20 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: "21 Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you." ~ Matthew 11:19-24

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 11 where the kingdom of God is shown by the Lord Jesus to be quite different than any other kingdom of this world. Mankind was flung into darkness when Adam and Eve ignored God's definition of life. The darkness triumphed in the lives of those who knew no repentance. At this point in his gospel, Matthew records a change in the ministry of the Lord Jesus, and from this point on we see continual opposition to Him and His offer of salvation. 

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children."

The Lord Jesus compared that generation to people who were childish, not childlike. When we want to avoid the truth about ourselves we can always find something in someone else to criticize. This is one way we justify ourselves. But God’s wisdom is not frustrated by these deflective arguments. This is demonstrated in the changed lives of those who believe. This is how true wisdom is proved to be of God and right.

The Lord Jesus came to this earth to earn the favor of God for sinful man. In fact in John 3:16-18 we read, "16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." 

This is incredibly good news worth celebrating but the people to whom the Lord Jesus spoke that day accused Him of not being of God. It was at that point that the Lord Jesus said, "But wisdom is justified by her children." In other words, truth will justify itself by what it produces. If you look at the ministry of John the Baptist that pointed to the Messiah and the Messiah Himself and those who follow the Messiah, the disciples of the Lord Jesus, and you see the changed lives and the healed bodies and the joy that is produced. God's wisdom and the truth that is produced by this duo, John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ justified their ministry is what that truth and ministry produced.

In v.20-24 of today's passage we read, "20 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: "21 Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."

Here, the Lord Jesus isolated three Jewish Galilean cities, Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida where most of His teaching was heard and most of His miracles had been witnessed. Yet it did not change the hearts of the people there. These three cities were located at the Sea of Galilee on the northwestern shore just about two and a half miles from each other right where the Lord Jesus spent three years ministering. When these people didn't respond to God's wisdom, they were driven further into the darkness. They rejected God's wisdom because it is most often counter-intuitive to the human mind. It is not what seems sensible to many. 

Capernaum had become the headquarters of the ministry of the Lord Jesus while Bethsaida was the home town of Peter and Andrew. The folks in these three cities saw enough of the Lord Jesus miracles that they all should have believed on Him as their Messiah. When truth is presented to us and we respond positively to that truth, more truth is therefore given to us. But, when we do not respond to it correctly, we become hardened in our heart to the truth. To whom much has been given, much shall be required. 

The Lord Jesus therefore pronounced a "woe" upon each of these cities. The word "woe" in the Bible is often used by the Old Testament prophets to convey a message of warning or impending judgment from God. This word is an emotive force that transcends mere vocabulary. The Jewish listeners who heard these words from the Lord believed the worst places in the world were in gentile areas. They believed this because they did not understand the nature of sin, they didn't understand that they were as wicked and in need of the Savior as were the gentiles.

Tyre and Sidon were notorious cities having been condemned by Old Testament  prophets for the most heinous crimes. The Lord Jesus likened Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida as worse than Tyre and Sidon and even Sodom. Though hell will be bad for everyone who will end up there, there will be degrees of punishment even there. All men have some light, but light refused increases darkness. The wisdom of God leads us to salvation. Salvation wisdom is vindicated by what it can produce. The spiritual children of John the Baptist were the ones with the most wisdom for they heard what John had to say and they responded to the invitation of God to enter into eternal life. 

Matthew 11:12-18

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12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear! 16 "But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying: 'We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not lament.' 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'" ~ Matthew 11:12-18

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 11 where the Lord Jesus addressed the people regarding His kingdom and the kingdoms of this world which will always be at odds. The kingdom is a big theme in the gospels mentioned 126 times. It is merely mentioned only 34 times in the rest of the New Testament. Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, opposition has always been known by those of faith who are in the family of God. A careful study of history reveals persecution has unexpectedly fueled the spread of the gospel. The more intimate we get in our personal relationship with God will inevitably cause unbelievers to treat us badly because they fear the truth.

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."

With the coming of John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus, God's kingdom or culture was clearly presented to this world. Persecution broke out against John the Baptist who was put in prison. The religious leaders of Israel vigorously opposed the Lord Jesus and His disciples. This explains the final words of this verse which reads, "and the violent take it by force." These words point us to those who were trying to stop the advancement of God's culture at that time. Many, at that time, were trying to usher in a Messiah who would make his political kingdom the priority. Of course, this messiah would not be the Lord Jesus. In fact, many didn't believe in the Lord Jesus as Messiah because He didn't come as a mighty warrior. He came as a sacrificed lamb. This was the cause of the riff at that time.

In v.13-15 of today's passage we read, "13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

The Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of all that is in the Bible. Everything from Genesis to John the Baptist points us to the coming of God's promised Messiah. Underscored here is the fact that everything finds its meaning and purpose in reference to the Lord Jesus. According to Malachi 4:5 before the Messiah was to set up His kingdom on earth, one like Elijah would come as a forerunner. In Luke 1 we learn that John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah. John clearly was not the reincarnation of Elijah as some suggest because he clearly said in John 1:21, "I am not Elijah." The point here is if we receive the message of God's prophet, we will believe on the Lord Jesus as our Savior.

The Lord says to those who are willing to listen to His voice to listen more. He knows that there is a huge difference between hearing and listening. When we listen, we potentially grow in great wisdom. And, when we grow in wisdom, our spiritual understanding broadens and we begin to see things as He does. It is only when we listen that we hear and when we hear we will believe. And, the more we exercise our faith, it grows enabling our hearts to see Him.

In v.16-18 we read, "16 But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying: 'We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not lament.' 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'"

True greatness is bowing our will to the Lord Jesus and allowing Him to define us. The people to whom the Lord Jesus spoke that day in Galilee were looking for a show. We live in a day when people check their Facebook on average every 30 seconds. It is so easy for us to be distracted from that which is really real and what is really real is the truth of God and the souls of people. This is our ultimate reason for being on this earth, to bring people to the truth found in God's Word. It is His Word, both the written and the living that changes us from the inside out.

As indicated here, the most common form of unbelief is indifference. The marketplaces were festive places where the people would play their instruments and dance. But, when met with stubborn indifference, people remain in their unforgiven sin which has prepared them for an eternity isolated from God and all that is good. By and large the people rejected John the Baptist and his message of repentance. They rejected the Lord Jesus and His message of forgiveness. They rejected repentance and they rejected faith in the Son of God and they floundered in this world that is in opposition to God.

I find that I don't have to entertain those whose hearts have been prepared for the gospel. Most people are very well aware of their sin, their failures, their mistakes, their emptiness, their loneliness, and their lostness. Wrongly most try to address the lost state of the unbelievers with inviting them to a church service. Even though they may go to a church service most end up still having emptiness, doubts, and loneliness. I'm convinced that most people are looking for something that says, "You're not alone, you are loved in spite of the flaws and the junk in your life." People want to know that there is hope to be found and the only hope is found in the One who came to die on our behalf. 

What should characterize Christianity is hope and honesty with oneself and God. It is not our stance on abortion, or homosexuality, or some other political issue that brings us relief. No, it is only the truth that sets us free. Once we enter into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus life becomes an adventure that is both exhilarating and scary. The faith that is needed to ride this ride is a gift of His faithfulness and the more we experience His faithfulness in our lives, we will see Him more vividly with our hearts.

Matthew 11:7-11

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7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.' 11 "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." ~ Matthew 11:7-11

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 11. In Matthew 1-10 God gave us the revelation of the king, whereas in Matthew 11-12, He gave us the reaction against the King. In our last study John the Baptist had inquired from prison about the identity of the Lord Jesus through his disciples. It was John's job as the last of the Old Testament prophets to announce the coming of God's Messiah. When the Lord Jesus came onto the scene John proclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Once the Lord Jesus came on the scene, John the Baptist dropped off the radar because his purpose given by God had been fulfilled.

In v.7-8 of today's passage we read, "7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses."

Here the Lord Jesus drew a sharp contrast between John the Baptist and the religious leaders of his day. He reminded His hearers that the so called important people in the world at that time were seen at the rich palaces. John the Baptist was obviously not among them. The Lord Jesus asked His hearers if they went out to see "a reed shaken by the wind." No, they went out to see John the Baptist, a man of great conviction and of great faith. The public opinion polls esteemed John as a prophet sent by God. He was made great because he baptized the Lord Jesus on the heels of his statement that he was not worthy to untie the Lord Jesus sandals. 

John the Baptist was strategically found by the hungry and the thirsty out in the wilderness. In fact, down through time this was where the people found their prophets, out in the wilderness, the place of hunger and thirst. This is why the Lord Jesus provided this contrast between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of mere men. It is a great mistake when we try to get our hungers and thirsts met by anyone other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only One who can meet our deepest needs, but since we operate so often on the beliefs of this world we miss Him. We must be kingdom seekers if we are to be truly satisfied in this life. 

In v.9-10 of today's passage we read, "9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.'"

John the Baptist was the greatest prophet because he heralded the coming of his cousin who was six months younger than he. It was John who said, "He must increase and I must decrease." Since John knew his spot in this world according to the call of God on his life, he was not out to prove himself to man. He was not a weak man because he sought the approval of men, he was strong because he was defined by God. I find it most instructive that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. When we get to heaven we will know fully that it was all about the grace of God. Grace harmonizes the truth of  God with the love of God. I find it also very revealing that neither the Romans nor the Greeks had a word in their vocabulary for humility. 

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

John the Baptist was so remarkable that people thought he was the Messiah. But, it wasn't miracles that made John great. In fact, he did not do any miracles. It wasn't his writings or his prophesies that made John great. In fact, we do not have any writings from John the Baptist. It wasn't his faith that made John great. Indeed, we find John doubting the identity of the Lord Jesus. John the Baptist was great because he identified the Lord Jesus with more clarity than any of the other prophets before him. John was great because his presentation of the Lord Jesus most accurately described Him. John said of the Lord Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." 

Take note of the final statement in today's passage which reads "but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." This statement is true due to the fact that we can identify the Lord Jesus as the Messiah with far greater clarity than John the Baptist ever did. John identified the Lord Jesus more clearly than anyone else before Him, yet he did not know all there was to know about Him. In fact, this is why John wrestled so with his doubt while sitting in Herod's prison. What makes us greater than John the Baptist is we know the full record of the life of the Lord Jesus as recorded in the four gospel accounts. In addition, we know the coming and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit who came within us the moment we believed in the Lord Jesus opening our hardened by sin spirits toward God. And, when we get to heaven we will discover that we accomplished more than John the Baptist because we had the advantage of the Holy Spirit indwelling us.

Matthew 11:1-6

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1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities. 2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" 4 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." ~ Matthew 11:1-6

Today, we transition into Matthew 11 where the Lord Jesus had just concluded instruction for His disciples about how we go deeper in our walk with Him. After the training of the disciples on discipleship, the Lord Jesus departed. Very subtly here we are given a very important insight into the ways of God. Very often our Lord allows us to be drawn into the darkest of moments so that we may see Him most vividly. With the departure of the Lord after discipling the twelve, He went further away from John who was in prison. This is quite the metaphor and given John the Baptist's status at the time, it reveals that God very often works in our lives through the most unexpected and the most unwanted means.

In v.1-3 of today's passage we read, "1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities. 2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'"

After the Lord Jesus finished commanding the disciples, He departed. Given our fallen state, we struggle with being told what to do. We struggle when our understanding of God's will is insufficient. Oh, we are okay with His will when it is producing the type of blessing that is pleasant but when the blessings that appear to be curses come, we struggle. This is why humility is so important. Augustine once said, "Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance."  It is very wise of us to approach each day with the resolve to know and welcome the will of God for us no matter what it might be. 

We all understand believing doubt or doubting belief. We believe but often we discover that our faith is weak due to our lurking doubts. Amazingly this is exactly where John the Baptist was in today's passage. This one whom the Lord Jesus identified as the greatest prophet of all, we discover struggling with doubt. John had questions that his theology could not answer. Like John, most do not understand the important role that doubt plays with the development of our faith in the Lord. Doubt is different than unbelief.

I find it quite comforting that the Bible makes a clear distinction between doubt and unbelief. Doubt says, "I struggle to believe" while unbelief says, "I will not believe." Doubt is honest while unbelief is obstinate. Doubt looks for light while unbelief is content with darkness. We should not be surprised by this question of John the Baptist. The faith of John is seen in the fact that he sent his disciples some eighty miles to where the Lord Jesus was ministering. If the greatest man who ever lived had doubts, then maybe it's understandable that we have some doubts as well. And, I am finding that doubt is the shadow cast by faith.

Our doubts come from our inability to deal with the unwanted circumstances that we face, especially when we think we deserve better. Like John the Baptist, our doubts come when we have been faithful and we think we have checked all the right boxes, only to find ourselves in the unexpected. When we think God has not delivered on His promises as we thought He should, we struggle with our faith in Him. It is not bad to wrestle with doubt, as long as it does not become our finishing point. John's problem wasn't his doubt, though, it was his lack of understanding the revelation God had given him to that point in his life. 

In v.4-6 of today's passage we read, "4 Jesus answered and said to them, 'Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.'"

No sooner had John's disciples uttered John's question did the Lord Jesus respond by performing many miracles right before their eyes. Like John the Baptist, we wrestle with understanding God's ways and that is ok. We must not let our poor theology and our wrong expectations of God cause us to stumble in our pursuit of Him. John the Baptist was soon beheaded before the Lord Jesus died and rose from the dead. He never heard much of what the Lord taught and he never saw His greatest powers on display. And when he died, his disciples came to tell the Lord Jesus because He was John's Messiah. Not all of John's questions were answered before he was murdered. The kingdom, however, has not been thwarted. According to God's timetable things are going just as planned. Even though it's not yet in its final form, the kingdom is still in place and you and I are in it. And yet, we still struggle strategically with our doubts. It is through such that our understanding of God and His ways are being developed.

Today's passage ends with, "And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." The Greek word translated "offended" here is the word from which we get our English word "scandal." The Lord Jesus promises a blessing for those who are not knocked off the path of following Him as He brings about His will in our lives. He didn’t come to forgive our sins so that we could keep committing them. No, the Lord Jesus came to forgive our sins and to free us from the power of sin. He didn’t come to make us feel good about ourselves; He came to offer us a personal and an intimate relationship with Him through which He is changing us from the inside out. He didn’t come to rescue us from every unpleasant thing we face. No, He came to give us eternal life and to raise us from the dead, so that our growing relationship with Him might herald His goodness to others. And, I am finding that when I follow God's will for my life, I will see how yesterday's trials prepared me for today's challenges and tomorrow's blessings.

Matthew 10:40-42

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40 He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward. ~ Matthew 10:40-42

Today, we conclude our study of Matthew 10, the lengthiest description given in the gospels of what it looks like to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. We must be careful that discipleship is not to be confused with becoming a member of the family of God. There is only one thing that gets any of us into heaven and that is our faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross to garner the forgiveness of our sin. Once in the family of God, we all experience quite a difference of experiences with God resulting in His discipleship of us. The key to genuine discipleship is to be so utterly consumed with the cause that we have no thought for our own life.

In v.40 of today's passage we read, "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me."

When we remind others about the fact that we are all broken and in need of the Savior, they will be positioned to make a decision whether the Lord Jesus is their Savior or not. Due to the blindness that was hoist upon us so long ago in the Garden of Eden, there will always be tension when we share the bad news about how our sinfulness and how it has separated us from God. It is at this point that we must be poised to share the good news that at the cross the Lord Jesus bridged the gap between the us and the Holy God. Not everyone will refuse the message. There will be those who choose to believe in the greatest message to ever enter the human ear. And, when they believe in the Lord Jesus they will believe in the Father. This is known in Math class as the transitive property. 

When the world receives us and the gospel, we can call that "A." Then, when those who receive us and the gospel enter into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, we can call that "B." Then, when those who enter into a relationship with the Lord also receive the Father, we can call that "C." In the end this means A = C. This transitive property, theologically, means the Lord Jesus is the only way to be blessed by the Father who sent Him. It means whoever receives the Lord's message delivered by His disciple will believe in the Lord Jesus alone for salvation. 

In John 14:6 we read, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

In v.41 of today's passage we read, "He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward."

The prophet is the one who has the task to deliver the message from God to man. The prophet who has been called and sent by God has been acknowledged by God as righteous. Throughout the Bible the basis of our righteousness before God has always been faith in the God of the Bible. The proclamation of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ either alienates or it reunites. Those who are reunited to God through believing in the Lord Jesus as their Savior are the rewards into eternity for those who were humble enough and brave enough to share the gospel with the lost.

As disciples of the Lord Jesus we play a role in the ultimate destiny of our hearers. We cannot believe for them but when we are faithful to share the gospel with people, they are given the opportunity to respond in belief in the Lord Jesus. Since the just penalty for our sin is infinite and eternal, only the infinite and eternal God could pay the penalty created by our sin. But God, in His divine nature, could not die. So, God became a human being in the person of Jesus Christ. God took on human flesh so that He could sacrifice Himself on our behalf. And, the criteria for forgiveness of our sin is to believe that what the Lord Jesus did on the cross was sufficient for our salvation.

In v.42 of today's passage we read, "And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."

The "whoever" here means there are no limits to God's promise of salvation. The words "little ones" describes the insignificant. The words "cold water" highlights the smallest deed of kindness. People do not care about what we believe until they know that we truly care. Even when we do the most insignificant for the most insignificant the attentiveness of God is triggered to the point of reward for all involved.  

In Romans 8:18 we read, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

There is that word again, "worthy." The worth of anything comes from God. And, the greatest value having ever been issued was issued at the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. He valued us so much that He laid down His life for us. When we find our security in the person and the worth of the Lord Jesus, our motivation for choosing to walk in God's way is changed from selfishness to selflessness. We obey Him because we love Him. And, it is His love that has trained us to love Him in return. This is the greatest reward because in this is freedom which is the ability to do what we were created to do.