Matthew 11:3
and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?”
John the Baptist said the Messiah would bring judgment in the form of a winnowing fork (Matt. 3:12). But instead of ridding Israel of Romans and riff-raff, Jesus went to their houses for dinner. The only fork he wielded was a dinner fork. “He eats with sinners” (Matt. 9:11). Jesus’ acceptance of sinners and Romans not mesh with the Jews’ picture of a judgmental Deliverer, hence John’s confusion. “Are you the Messiah?”
Jesus said the kingdom had come, but how could that be so if evil was still present? “The wheat and tares are growing side by side,” said Jesus (Matt. 13:30). The new has come, but the old remains. But one day Jesus will come with a winnowing fork and then the tares will be removed forever (Matt. 13:41).
John the Baptist was not the only one who wondered whether the kingdom had come. The Pharisees asked similar questions (Luke 17:20).
Matthew 11:10
“This is the one about whom it is written, ‘BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.’
(а) It is written. Jesus is quoting Malachi 3:1.
(б) My Messenger is John the Baptist.
(с) Prepare your way. Malachi 3:1 is a prophecy about two messengers, and the first one (John) clears the way for the second (Jesus, the herald of the new covenant). According to the prophecy, the latter follows the former suddenly, like a two-punch combination. First one, then the other. And this is what we see in the gospels; first John then Jesus.
John prepared the way for the Lord by baptizing people for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:5, Luke 3:3) and by foretelling the imminent arrival of the Messiah (Mark 1:7). When he saw Jesus coming he proclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
Matthew 11:11
“Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
(а) Born of women. How could Jesus not be greater than John? Jesus was not being modest. Jesus was made of a woman (ginomai) while John was born (gennetos) of a woman. See запись for Gal. 4:4.
(б) Anyone greater. John was not just the last and greatest in a long line of prophets, for Jesus called him “more than a prophet” (Luke 7:26). John was prophecy fulfilled (Matt. 11:10). He prepared the people to receive Jesus (Luke 1:17) and bore witness to the Light (John 1:6–7).
(с) John the Baptist; see запись for Mark 1:4.
(г) Least. The lowliest and most humble believer.
(е) Greater than he. As an old covenant prophet, John had only a partial glimpse of God’s redemption plan. He foretold that the Messiah would come with a winnowing fork (Matt. 3:12). He expected Jesus would come to harvest, but Jesus came to sow (Matt. 13:37). (The harvest will come later (Matt. 13:39).) He was one of those prophets and righteous men who desired to see what we see and hear what we hear (Matt. 13:17), that is the fulfillment of God’s redemption plan at Calvary. But John died before he had a chance to see it.
We who live this side of the cross are privileged indeed for we have a clearer revelation of God’s grace than any of the Old Testament prophets. While they were credited with a righteousness that had not yet been given, we are made righteous with the righteousness of God.
(е) The kingdom of heaven; see запись for Matt. 3:2.
Matthew 11:12
“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.
(а) John the Baptist was the first to preach “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2). He was saying the time of waiting is over. At the start of his ministry, Jesus echoed that claim (Matt. 4:17).
(б) The kingdom of heaven suffers violence. Hungry, desperate people are coming to the kingdom.
Jesus is speaking to the crowds (Matt. 11:7). Crowds followed Jesus because he preached the good news of the kingdom come (Matt. 4:17, 10:7). With signs and wonders, Jesus revealed the kingdom of God to a people who had been oppressed by the burdensome yoke of the law, and they responded with faith.
(с) Violent. The original word (biastes) is related to a word (biazo) that means to force or crowd oneself. Picture Jesus being crowded by hungry people desperate to hear the good news or receive healing (Luke 5:15). There was nothing timid or restrained about their desire. The people trampled over each (Luke 12:1) or tore roofs apart to get close to him (Luke 5:18–19). They were like an army besieging Jesus and the kingdom of heaven (John 6:15).
Matthew 11:13
“For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
(а) Закон refers to the Law of Moses, the commandments, ordinances, punishments, and ceremonial observances given to the nation of Israel through Moses (Jos. 8:31). This law is sometimes referred to as the law of commandments (Eph. 2:15) or the law of the Jews (Acts 25:8). See запись for The Law.
(б) Until John. John was both the last prophet of the old covenant and the messenger who prepared the way for the herald of the new covenant (Jesus; see Matt. 11:10).
Matthew 11:15
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Ears to hear. “This is important. You need to hear and receive this.” It’s not enough that were merely hear the word of the kingdom; we need to receive it in our hearts and hold fast to it (Luke 8:15).
This phrase, which comes from Ezekiel 3:27, was one that Jesus often used (Matt. 11:15, 13:9, 43, Mark 4:9, 23, 7:16, Luke 8:8, 14:35). Jesus utters a variation of this phrase – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says” – at the end of each of his letters to the seven churches. See запись for Rev. 2:7.
Matthew 11:16
“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call out to the other children,
(а) Compare. The parable is an analogy that compares this generation to children in the marketplaces.
(б) This generation. Jesus is in Galilee, speaking to the crowds about John the Baptist (Matt. 11:1, 7). John is in prison, facing death (Matt. 11:2). Jesus pays a moving tribute, calling John “more than a prophet” and identifying him as the prophesied Elijah who was to come (Matt. 11:9, 14). John’s ministry, said Jesus, marked the culmination of the old covenant. “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John” (Matt. 11:13).
In the preceding verses, Jesus asks the same question three times: “What did you go out to see?” (Matt. 11:7–9). The crowds had gone out to see John, yet many didn’t understand who he really was—“more than a prophet”—or his true purpose: to prepare the way of the Lord. To miss John was to miss Jesus. To help them see what they had missed, Jesus tells them a parable.
(с) Children. The Parable of the Children in the Marketplace (also found in Luke 7:31–35) portrays two groups of children playing games. Some play flutes, while others sing dirges. Meanwhile, other children watch but do not join in. So, two groups: players and watchers. Who do these children represent? Linguistically, an argument could be made that the players refer to “this generation.” But in context, “this generation” refers to the watching children who refuse to join the games. The parable is one of several that Jesus spoke to the Jews who rejected him. Like children who refuse to join in the games of others, these unbelievers were missing what God was doing right before their eyes.
(г) Marketplaces in the center of villages were natural playgrounds for children.
(е) Call out to the other children. The active children who call out to the others represent John and Jesus calling to the children of Israel. John called people to repent and confess their sins (Matt. 3:1–6), while Jesus called them to repent and believe the good news (Mark 1:15). John warned of judgment and coming wrath (Matt. 3:7–12), while Jesus healed the sick and proclaimed the salvation of God (John 3:16, Acts 10:38).
Matthew 11:17
and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
(а) Flute, dirge. Two games are being played—one festive, the other funereal. Whether you are in a joyful mood or a somber one, there is something for everyone.
The flute and the dancing, such as might accompany a pretend wedding feast, represent the joyful message of the gospel as preached by Jesus. In contrast, the mournful dirge represents the gloomy message of John.
(б) You did not dance. Jesus traveled from town to town proclaiming the good news of a happy God. Yet despite his astonishing miracles, some did not respond to his message. They were like bored children watching from the sidelines. Jesus names some of these unresponsive towns—Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum (Matt. 11:21–23).
(с) You did not mourn. Others heard John preaching the bad news of judgment, yet did not repent. It is as though Jesus is saying, “You were neither happy nor sad, hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other.”
Matthew 11:18
“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’
(а) Джон and Jesus came preaching different but complementary messages. As the last old covenant prophet, John was the forerunner who prepared the way for Jesus. See also the запись for Mark 1:4.
(б) Neither eating nor drinking. John lived on a wilderness diet of locusts and honey (Matt. 3:4). He drank no wine or strong drink (Luke 1:15).
(с) Demon. John’s austere lifestyle and hard-hitting message led some to accuse him of being demon-possessed. Some people said the same about Jesus (John 7:20, 8:48, 10:20), even though his lifestyle was very different (see next verse). Nothing could satisfy these critics.
Matthew 11:19
“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
(а) The Son of Man. Even though he was the Son of God (Luke 22:70, John 10:36), Jesus usually referred to himself as the Son of Man. This title, which comes from Daniel’s prophecy (Dan. 7:13–14), underlines both his humanity and divinity. See also the запись for Matt. 8:20.
(б) Eating and drinking. While John was known for fasting (Luke 5:33), Jesus was known for feasting. At least one banquet had been hosted in his honor (Luke 5:29). Jesus was no drunkard, but he was famous for turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana (e.g., John 2:1–11).
(с) A gluttonous man and a drunkard. This was a serious slander that was sometimes levelled at stubborn and rebellious sons (Deut. 21:20).
(г) Friend. Jesus’ critics labelled him the “Friend of Sinners.” What they meant as an insult became a badge of honor.
(е) Tax collectors and sinners. Tax collectors were agents who gathered revenue for the hated Roman occupiers, while sinners were the irreligious and those considered unrighteous (Matt. 9:13).
(е) Sinners. If the original text had punctuation, the word “sinners” would be in quotation marks. The religious leaders called them sinners, but Jesus called them lost sheep (Matt. 10:6, 15:24).
(грамм) Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds. God’s wisdom in sending John and Jesus can be seen in the fruit of their ministries. Many who heard John repented and were baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:5), while many who heard Jesus and witnessed his miracles gave glory to God (Matt. 15:30–31). Today, the wisdom of God’s purposes is revealed whenever an unbeliever steps off the sidelines of passivity and joins the joyful dance of the new creation.
Matthew 11:20
Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent.
(а) Miracles are supernatural phenomena that are attributable to a spiritual cause, such as the agency of the Holy Spirit. Classic examples include Christ turning water into wine (John 2:7–11), his feeding of the 5000 (Matt. 14:19–21), his raising of the dead (e.g., John 11:43–44), and the many times he healed the sick and oppressed (Matt. 8:16, 12:15, Acts 10:38).
(б) Repent. To repent means to change your mind. In context, it means changing your mind about Christ and the goodness of God (Rom. 2:4). “Change your unbelieving mind and believe the glad tidings of God’s grace and forgiveness” (see Mark 1:15). Jesus is talking about people who heard the gospel but refused to believe it.
Matthew 11:21
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
(а) Woe is an expression of grief, not judgment; see запись for Matt. 23:13.
(б) Chorazin or Korazim, stood on a hill about two miles north of Capernaum. Jesus performed many miracles there.
(с) Bethsaida, the home town of Philip, Andrew and Peter (John 1:44), was located on the northern tip of the Sea of Galilee. It was about four miles northeast of Capernaum.
(г) Repented; see previous verse.
Matthew 11:22
“Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.
The day of judgment. Judgment Day is the end of days, the day when the Lord returns to separate the sheep from the goats (Matt. 25:31–32). See запись for Matt. 10:15.
Matthew 11:23
“And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day.
(а) Аид is the Greek word for Sheol, the Old Testament abode of the dead. The word can be translated as pit or grave. See запись for Matt. 16:18.
(б) Miracles; see запись for Matt. 11:20.
Matthew 11:24
“Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.”
The day of judgment; see запись for Matt. 10:15
Matthew 11:27
“All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
(а) All things. All of creation including the heavens and the earth (Eph. 1:10).
(б) My Father… the Father; видеть запись for Matthew 5:16.
Matthew 11:28
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
(а) Come to me is the call to action of the new covenant (John 6:35, Heb. 4:16, 10:22, Jas. 4:8). In the old covenant, the sinner dared not approach the Lord without a sacrifice or gift, but in the new covenant we are exhorted to come as we are (Matt. 22:4, Luke 14:23). “Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost (Is. 55:1).
(б) Heavy-laden. Many people bear heavy loads of expectation, duty, and dead religion. “I have to do this to get that.” “I have to work hard to please God.” Or they carry the weight of guilt and condemnation. These loads cripple us, robbing us of joy and peace. Jesus offers us a swap; our heavy loads for his light one. He takes all the guilt and the pressure to perform and gives us peace with God. It’s a wonderful exchange.
(с) Rest. The gospel is not an invitation to pick up tools, but to drop them (Heb. 4:10-11). It’s not a job advertisement, but a holiday. It’s not a day of work; it’s a day of rest.
Grace declares, “It is finished, the work is done,” and faith responds, “Thank you, Jesus!” Faith is not something you must do or manufacture. Faith is resting in the restful persuasion that God is at rest and in him so are we.
See entry for “Rest”
Matthew 11:29
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
(а) My yoke. Jesus invites us to join with him in koinonia-fellowship (1 John 1:3). To take his yoke is to give him the reins of your life. It’s saying, “Lord, not my will but thy will be done.”
We are all yoked to something. We may be yoked to the demands of our bosses, or the expectations of our customers. We may be yoked to duty and religion. The yokes we bear are burdensome. They wear us out and grind us down. But when we yoke ourselves to Jesus, we find true rest for our souls.
See запись for Union.
(б) You will find rest. In Christ, we find lasting rest. In contrast with the endless demands of life and religion, God asks but one thing of us – that we put our faith in his Son (1 John 3:23). The only “work” that counts with God is believing in the One he sent (John 6:29).
Jesus offers us his rest. A faith-response is one that says, “I am done with self-improvement and DIY religion. I choose to rest in the finished work of the cross.” If you are resting in the Lord, you will be free from condemnation and the need to impress. Safe and secure in the Lord’s hands, you will know peace and joy.
Matthew 11:30
“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
(а) My yoke is easy. In contrast with the heavy yoke of Moses (Act 15:10), Jesus’ yoke is light and easy to bear. To live under the ceaseless demands of the law is burdensome, but Jesus is easy to obey (1 John 5:3). His sweet words and gentle call to you are your doorway to the life you were born for.
(б) My burden is light. Obeying the Lord is the most enjoyable and rewarding thing you can do.
This world will try to bury you with heavy demands, but the burdens of the Lord are easy to bear. An easy burden is one that is a pleasure to carry. It’s living in the sweet spot where your God-given talents are aligned with God’s call on your life. It’s shining in a dark world and doing the thing you were put on this earth to do.
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