Matthew 11

Have you ever met someone who seemed to have a strong, committed, growing walk with the Lord? Someone whose life you wanted to imitate and hoped model? Has there ever been someone in your life who knew scripture, displayed a dynamic witness for Christ and regularly testified about God’s goodness and work in their lives? Have you ever experienced seeing that person’s zeal grow more and more cool and then witness their gradual fall back into their old, ungodly lifestyle? Have you ever experienced a period of doubt and darkness in your walk with the Lord? Have you gone through difficult times and questioned if the Lord was real, or if His love and commitment to you was genuine?

Matt. 11 presents this dilemma as faced by John the Baptist. John was the one who announced the coming of the Lord and baptized Him in the Jordan river. At one point when many of John’s disciples began to leave him and follow Jesus he rightly said ‘He must increase but I must decrease’ (Jn. 3:30).
Why then is John who had such a strong ministry and testimony now wondering if Jesus of Nazareth is in fact God’s long promised anointed savior? Matthew doesn’t make that clear. It could be that John believed that the full expression of God’s kingdom would commence once Jesus unveiled Himself to the nation of Israel. At this point in Jesus’ ministry however, the Romans are still in power, the corrupt religious leaders are still running the temple, and John himself is in prison. Perhaps confused by these turn of events John wants to know is the kingdom of God really here or is Jesus merely another powerful prophet?

Jesus answered John’s disciples by pointing them to the signs of the kingdom and in doing so gives us the main point of this chapter which is the truth that He is the long awaited savior of the world, the king of God’s creation and the only one people can turn to for true, satisfying, spiritual rest. In showing these signs to John’s followers Jesus highlights the distinction between the now and not yet aspects of the kingdom. It’s that distinction that can cause all of us to question and wonder if the Lord is real, if He’s truly in control and if He is really watching over and guiding our lives with proper, loving care. That could be why our Lord encouraged John and his disciples not to fall away from holding on to God’s promise of redemptive rule through Him. The king had indeed come. God’s long-awaited, long prophesied savior had entered the world just as God said He would. The signs of His coming and thus the kingdom He brought were present in the works of Jesus Christ. Did that mean that the complete manifestation of the kingdom was here and now? No it did not. The Romans still ruled the world, corrupt religious leaders still oppressed God’s people, sin was still present in God’s world and death was still the fate of all who existed.

Matt. 11 teaches us that God is faithful to His promises. For thousands of years He promised to send a savior who would destroy the works of Satan, redeem God’s people and inaugurate the eternal kingdom of God. Furthermore Jesus stated that the Father in His good pleasure has hidden the truths of the kingdom from wise and intelligent and revealed them to the simple. And it is the will of the Father to give all things which include the things concerning salvation over to the Son. The last important thing this passages teaches about the Father is that we can know, that is have a growing, intimate, life-changing, covenantal relationship with Him.

Once more the gospel of Matthew highlights and emphasizes the unique supremacy of Jesus Christ. Jesus did not see Himself as one more in a long line of holy men of God who like the others looked forward to the coming of God’s salvation. He is the unique servant and messiah the prophets spoke of. When John’s disciples came to Jesus and asked if they should look for another that is should they keep watch for the actual messiah, Jesus turned their gaze toward Him. At the end of the passage Jesus once more calls those who want spiritual rest to come to Him. If that weren’t enough to convince us of His unique and special place with the Father Jesus boldly states that no one can come to know the Father unless Jesus reveals Him to them. It is Jesus who knows the Father fully and who by His grace will grant that blessing to anyone He wants to.

What are some of the ways we can apply the truths of this passage? We should begin by understanding and accepting the distinction between the now and not yet aspects of God’s eternal kingdom founded in Jesus Christ. The kingdom is present here now and we know this because the gospel is preached, those whom God has chosen believe the gospel, lives are changed and the church continues to press forward with the peace, righteousness, worship and justice that characterize the kingdom. However, that doesn’t mean that the life we live within the kingdom will be free of trouble, pain, distress and difficulty. Remember just one chapter before Jesus told His followers that they will experience persecution when they proclaim the gospel of the kingdom. Our calling therefore is to persevere in following the Lord and proclaiming the gospel in the midst of the regular difficulties that remain present in our lives.

To Him Who Loves Us…
Pastor Lance