Will You Receive Me

What we live out is what we believe. It may not be what we know. At times in our lives where we find ourselves doubting God, we are not just doubting God, but we are doubting the truth of His Word. It’s through His Word that we know Him in the first place.

We’ve been studying through the book of Matthew since The end of November last year. Since then we’ve seen Matthew take us through

The King Arriving 1-2

The King Being Introduced 3-4

The King Speaks His Heart 5-7

The King Demonstrates His Authority 8-9

The King Delegates His Authority 10

Now, We See the King Start to face opposition

We are actually going to finish up Chapter 10 tonight and then move in an cover the first 15 verses of Chapter 11.

If You Receive Me

Matthew 10:40–42 ESV

40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

These verses have at the core of them, a message to the disciples with encouragement toward those whom they would be staying and receiving their message with gladness. If people receive or accept a disciple of Christ, it’s the same as then receiving Jesus. An act of kindness to a disciple is as an act of kindness to Jesus himself.

There are no clear descriptions in scripture as to what a prophet’s reward is, or a righteous person’s reward is. Looking at Hebrews 11 one could surmise that both prophets and righteous people are listed here and it says that their faith was counted to them as righteousness. To receive a servant of the Lord is to take a step of faith.

Verse 42 takes it a step further. Here we see Jesus referring to certain group of people. One that we will see him refer to again and again. “These little ones”. And what is being done for these little ones? A small act of hospitality. Bringing them a cup of water. Meeting their most simple but life giving need.

Jesus says in Matthew 18:5

Matthew 18:5 ESV

5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,

and in Matthew 25:34-35

Matthew 25:34–35 ESV

34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

It’s not literally saying we must go around offering everyone a glass of water to enter heaven. IT’s saying, humble yourself to care for even one of these little children and let God move in you to show compassion and hospitality to them. Doing that is the same as doing it to Him. The one who does that will not lose his reward. We will be blessed by our Heavenly Father and inherit the kingdom. The heart of the hospitable is at heart inclined toward Jesus.

Messiah Confronted with Doubt

Matthew 11:1–3 ESV

1 When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities. 2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

It’s believed that when it says that Jesus went on from there to teach and preach in “their” cities, it actually means cities right around Galilee. He had unleashed his 12 disciples to go and take the message of “The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand” to the Lost sheep of Israel and Jesus was going to leave them to it. He didn’t just kick back and relax or take it easy because He had everyone else doing his Job. No, he kept on being about His Father’s work.

We then see Jesus approached by the disciples of John the baptizer, coming to Jesus with a puzzling question. “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

At first glance we could make assumptions about either John himself, who’s been locked up in prison since chapter 4.

In John 1 John the baptizer announced to everyone around him “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” He had recognized Jesus for who he was and what he’d come to do. So did he stop believing that? Did he forget what he’d said?

How many times have you experienced some trial or pain, prolonged agony, in your life and had it caused you to doubt God? Doubt his goodness? Doubt His faithfulness? We know what it says in Romans 8:28 and yet, are there times that we truly stop trusting the truth of that scripture?

Romans 8:28 ESV

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

I’ve brought this up before, but, the first statement in the 21 Day Transformational Process says this.

Write down what you believe about God as it relates to you overcoming your particular sin or negative life dominating thought, action or speech. Be honest with yourself, not what you think you should believe but what you are living out.

What we live out is what we believe. It may not be what we know. At times in our lives where we find ourselves doubting God, we are not just doubting God, but we are doubting the truth of His Word. It’s through His Word that we know Him in the first place.

There is no way to know what all was revealed to John the Baptist about Jesus. For a people who had been anticipating a Coming One for centuries, I’m sure there was all kinds of speculation that even John was raised to believe about the Messiah.

It is possible that John made a mistaken distinction between the Coming One and the Messiah. There is some indication that some Jews of that time distinguished between a prophet to come promised by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15) and the Messiah. The dominant note here is one of confusion; John’s long trial in prison has confused him.

Deuteronomy 18:15 ESV

15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—

This explanation gives a lot of traction to the idea that the Messiah would be one who delivered Israel from the hands of their oppressors just as Moses had done, leading the children of Israel out of Egypt.

Jesus goes on in verses 4-6 to point out what was going on at the hands of the Coming One that absolutely pointed to Jesus being the fulfillment.

Matthew 11:4–6 ESV

4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

This is a reference to what Isaiah said in Isaiah 35:5-6

Isaiah 35:5–6 ESV

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;

We might phrase John’s question like this: “Jesus, why aren’t You doing more?” Morgan answered this: “To all such restless impatience, He utters the same warning…For the most part, the way of the Lord’s service is the way of plodding perseverance in the doing of apparently small things. The history of the Church shows that this is one of the lessons most difficult to learn.”

Jesus knew that the focus of His ministry was offensive to the expectation of the Jewish people, who longed for political deliverance from Roman domination. But there was a blessing for those who were not offended because of the Messiah who came against the expectation of the people. Blessed are those who aren’t offended by Jesus Christ. It’s like an additional beatitude. Meaning, you received the truth about me instead of rejecting it.

This word for Offend here in the Greek language refers to something that would cause you to trip over it or stumble. To be displeased or indignant. As I said last week, Jesus Christ is the most divisive subject ever! Truth divides. We are either going to believe the truth or we are going to reject that and believe a lie.

I believe that John the baptist had sat in prison long enough that it might have caused him to start to question whether Jesus was really the Messiah. But there’s a challenge in this question. “Are you really who you said you are, who I thought you were, or should we look for another.” Why aren’t you doing what I thought you came to do? Hold up your end of the bargain!

As stated many times in this series, God was establishing an everlasting covenant with those who would believe that was contingent on what he was going to do about our issue of sin and eternity. Not the issue of circumstances in what was temporary. We want God to make the pain stop. Stop the hurt. Take away the discomfort. Solve our problems. We have little comprehension sometimes as to what God might actually be up to in the “behind the scenes” footage in our lives. When he says that all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, he really means all things. That means our pain as well. Actually it especially means the pain and suffering we go through.

John as Elijah

Matthew 11:7–15 ESV

7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written, “ ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered 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 accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Jesus reminded them that John was God’s chosen herald of the Messiah, not a man-pleaser or a self-pleaser. He was in fact more than a prophet, because he alone had the ministry of serving as the Messiah’s herald. For that, he was the greatest of prophets and the greatest of men.

John was steady, not shaken easily like a reed.

John was sober, in that he lived a disciplined life, not in love with the luxuries and comforts of this world.

John was a servant, a prophet of God.

John was sent, as the special messenger of the Lord.

John was special, in that he could be considered the greatest under the Old Covenant.

John was second to even the least in the kingdom under the New Covenant.

He who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he: Though John was great, he was not born again under the New Covenant. This is because he lived and died before the completion of Jesus’ work at the cross and empty tomb. Therefore, he did not enjoy the benefits of the New Covenant

Jesus’ reference to violence refers to both the intensity of spiritual warfare surrounding the ministry of Jesus and His herald, and also to the intensity required to persevere in following God and His kingdom.

“The kingdom has come with holy power and magnificent energy that has been pushing back the frontiers of darkness. This is especially manifest in Jesus’ miracles and ties in with Jesus’ response to the Baptist…The kingdom is making great strides; now is the time for courageous souls, forceful people, to take hold of it.” (Carson)

And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come: John may also be seen as Elijah, in a partial fulfillment of Malachi 4:5. John was not actually Elijah, but he served in the same spirit and power of Elijah, thus fulfilling his “office” (Luke 1:17). Because John was Elijah in this symbolic sense, Jesus added “if you are willing to receive it.”

Elijah did come in fact during Jesus’ ministry, during the transfiguration (Matthew 17:3). But in further fulfillment of the Malachi 4:5 promise, Elijah will come again before the Second Coming of Jesus, likely as one of the two prophets of Revelation 11:3-12.

People might criticize John, but look at what he did — he led countless people into repentance, preparing the way for the Messiah. People might criticize Jesus, but look at what He did — taught and worked and loved and died like no one ever has.

In the end, the world is faced with the same dilemma. What do we do with this Jesus? Are we going to run into him as a stumbling block and be offended by him, or are we going to receive him and his word with we are confronted with it?

Do we receive Him, or do we reject Him? We all have to decide.

John 1:12 ESV

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

Let’s pray