SEC 4. Matthew 11:2-6

Introduces 3rd narrative

If you have your Bibles turn to Matthew 11:2-6

This past week, Alicia and I traveled to Kansas City for my commencement ceremony and at one of our stops on the way, I was looking through all the emails that sent us information about the upcoming ceremony. And in one email from a few months back, I found an attached FAQ document that I had never read before. In that email, the details of the dress code were outlined. Men were told to wear black slacks, black shoes, a dress shirt and a tie.

I had not previously read that information, so I had brought with me my usual khaki slacks, a shirt that would work with those slacks but not black ones, and brown dress shoes.

We were hundreds of miles away from home and suddenly I’ve learned I need to update my chosen wardrobe. So, my wife being the excellent partner and helpmate that she is, started plotting out thrift stores for us to stop at and little by little we pieced together a collection of thrifted clothing that met the dress code guidelines.

The night before the ceremony we were looking for a replacement shirt in a thrift store in Kansas City when an older Latino gentleman walked past us and made a friendly comment. I responded with a similarly friendly comment and we quickly chatted about the thrift store and good finds that were available and he shortly went on his way. A few minutes later I saw him again and without any preamble he says, “Do you wanna know why I know God is real?” My first thought was “I should tell him I am a pastor and save him some words,” but I decided to hear him out fully.

This man, whose name was Juan, proceeds to share the gospel story as well as how his life has been changed because of Christ. I was moved by it. He spoke to us in this way for a few minutes and at the end of it we shook hands and spoke for a few minutes about our lives and faith and then we parted ways. There were many wonderful things that happened on this trip, but I have to be honest, meeting my brother Juan was probably the best of them.

Normally, my opening stories have something to do with the sermon, but to be honest this one doesn’t. I just wanted to share that sweet and encouraging story with you because I just find it wonderful that the Lord will do something like that for us.

Now, let’s read Matthew 11:2-6 together.

Matthew 11:2–6 ESV

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?” 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.”

Last week we finished the second major section of Matthew (8-10), where Jesus performs many great miracles, prepares his disciples to be sent out on their own, and then sends them out.

This week begins the third section of Matthew which is completely focused on the different reactions people have toward Jesus. Chapters 11-12 tell us through narrative how different important people of the day react toward Jesus, and Chapter 13 expands on the different reactions through Jesus telling a series of parables.

So, in case you have not spent much time going past reading, into really studying the Bible, it is helpful to have a guide point, a north star that helps keep us on the right path of understanding. There are MANY teachers and followers that have gotten lost because they focus on the wrong points and we don’t want to do that.

So, our north star, our guiding compass, is recognizing that Matthew is intending to show through these three chapters how different people will react differently to Jesus and his Gospel Message as well as how Jesus responds to those reactions.

Matthew 11-13 - Reactions to Jesus

Matthew 11:2 ESV

2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples

John the Baptist

We learned about John’s imprisonment in chapter 4:12, and we learn why he was imprisoned in Chapter 14

So why was John in prison?

For calling out the sin of Herod the tetrarch

John was still in prison at this point in Jesus’ ministry, he’s been hearing stories about Jesus’ works and teachings, and he has some questions for Jesus.

Matthew 11:3 ESV

3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

John wanted to know if Jesus really was the Messiah or not!

Why would he ask such a question? Wasn’t John the one who said “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”? John 1:29/

Wasn’t he there when the spirit of God descended on Jesus like a dove, when the Father’s voice declared from heaven, “This is MY Son, in Whom I am well pleased”?

Why would he ask Jesus if he really was the one or not?

Because John was beginning to doubt.

John was given the task to cry out a message of judgement and repentance! That those who wickedly clung to their sin would be destroyed by the Messiah very soon! Matthew 3:11-12

But what was the reality John was facing?

He was imprisoned by those very wicked and sinful people and it was getting to be a long time! He would ultimately be imprisoned for over a year and his expectations for Jesus, the Messiah, were not being met!

So.. he began to question and doubt whether Jesus really was who he said he was because, though Jesus did preach repentance and judgment, that was not his entire message.

Jesus cared about making the wounded whole. He cared about taking those who knew they were sinners and far from God, and, upon their faith and repentance, restoring them to their Heavenly Father. And this was not what John expected in the Messiah. This isn’t really what anyone expected, though they certainly should have.

So the first reaction to Jesus we see in this section of Matthew’s gospel is John’s.

And what was his reaction?

Doubt - because his expectations for the Messiah were out of sync with the reality of the Messiah

John wasn’t alone in this

Most expected the Messiah to come as a conquering king, not as a sacrificial lamb.

They chose to listen to the parts of the Messianic prophecies that appealed to their cultural sensitivities - specifically the ones that promised the Messiah will free his people and destroy their enemies

While ignoring the ones that prophesied how he would be a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief! That he would do nothing wrong and yet be beaten and afflicted! That he would come in humble weakness to save his people.

John expected a king who would destroy his enemies, namely King Herod and Queen Herodias, and make his life less afflicted.

The reality was that King Jesus was more concerned with destroying the greater enemies of his people: Sin, Satan, and Death

And if we’re honest with ourselves, don’t we act a bit like John?

We get certain expectations in our minds that are rooted in our ideals and when those expectations are not met, we begin to doubt

Think on school.

Was there ever a time that it wasn’t meeting your expectations and so you began to doubt whether you belonged there at all?

Think on work.

You may have fully believed you were skilled enough to do the work of a new position, but once you started actually doing the work you realized your expectations were wrong and it was more difficult than you expected, and so you start to doubt.

Think on marriage.

If you can say you’ve never had unmet expectations for your spouse, then you’re either the only one who can say so or you may need to see a doctor about some delusions. From the chore-dispersion, to the way they respond to stress and conflict, to the secret sins they hold, to even the way they parent (or even in my case, to the timing in which they pack for a trip).

Most of us can think of a time when our expectations were not met and in our weakness, doubt can creep in.

Think on Church.

Raise your hand if you ever have been hurt by something someone did or said who was from your church. I would be shocked if anyone said no to this who has been in church for more than a year or two.

I certainly have. And I certainly will again. I know I haven’t met the expectations of many of you as what your next pastor was going to be.

So what happens if our expectation is that the church is full of perfect people who always should act as we think they should act, what happens when their sin or your sin raises its head and you are hurt or offended? Doubt begins to creep in.

Maybe church isn’t for me. Maybe I should take a break from participating in the church. Maybe Jesus really isn’t as good as they say cause they certainly aren’t acting like they believe he is.

As doubt builds, our confidence in our choices wavers.

Did I choose the right school, job, spouse, church, or pastor?

Did I choose the right religion?!

Am I just a fool for believing this?

The more doubt builds, the more we begin closing into ourselves, cutting ourselves off from our only hope of restoration!

Cutting ourselves off from the right move for Christians, which is to trust Christ and follow his teachings! Matthew 18:15-17, 21-22

Matthew 18:15–17 ESV

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Matthew 18:21–22 ESV

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Doubt can lead us to question the Goodness of Christ and his church

And I’m specifically talking about the doubt that comes from unmet expectations here.

I am not saying that we should never have any questions ever about Jesus, and the Bible and whether or not it is true. We should look for truth above anything else, because God himself is the author of truth. Questions are not evil. They often mean that we’re actually wrestling through some difficult topics which we must do as Christians!

But we should never use our questions and our own inability to answer them as an excuse to leave Christ and his church, especially if we’ve never put in the effort to listen to good teachers on the subject.

There is a pastor who told this story about a young man in the church whose parents were worried because he was starting to state that he was an atheist and that the Bible wasn’t true.

This pastor addressed the son and asked him for his arguments against Christianity. Hearing the arguments, the pastor then said, those are really poor arguments that have been answered time and again by Christians throughout the centuries.

And then insightfully asked the teen, “Where did you hear these arguments?”

“From a comedian on the Comedy Central channel”

The pastor then rightfully pointed out that it was foolishness and laziness to adopt the positions of an entertainer while ignoring the countless theologians, and philosophers, and other brilliant minds from the past two thousand years of Christian History.

Honest questions are welcomed throughout historic Christianity. Dishonest questions are just looking for an excuse to leave.

So, how should we respond to doubt? Should we push it aside and ignore it, hoping that it goes away?

Jesus’ Response to John’s Doubt

READ

Matthew 11:4–5 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.

What was Jesus’ Response to John’s Doubt?

Was it to chide and chastise?

“O you of little faith! Just trust that I am the promised one, okay? Shouldn’t you already know this? Aren’t you supposed to be a prophet?”

No?

Was it to give him vague responses that are intended to encourage but are ultimately unhelpful?

“Oh John, just count your blessings and lay your fears and doubts at Jesus’ feet”

No!

Jesus responded by reminding John of what he had done!

“The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead come to life, and the poor are hearing the gospel message that they can enter God’s kingdom!”

And Jesus also responded by reminding John of what was promised long before!

He was intentional in sharing these specific actions because they summed up his works from Chapters 8-9 and they were all prophesied to be the works of the Messiah in the prophet Isaiah! (Isa 26:19; 29:18; 35:5–6; 42:18; 61:1)

Jesus is saying that he is fulfilling Isaiah’s visions for the age of salvation! That age has arrived in Jesus!

And though John expected a great judgement and is not seeing it, a judgment is promised in the contexts of the passages in Isaiah, but that judgment is delayed for a time so that JEsus may save many people before then.

Jesus finishes by saying this

Matthew 11:6 ESV

6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

How should we respond when doubts come?

By remembering what Christ has done, and when others doubt by reminding them.

This means that we must know the things that Christ has done!

On the Cross...

Now in heaven...

And as we see our prayers get answered we see that Christ is working on our behalf! It would be wise to keep a prayer request journal so you can go back and remember what Christ has done!

And we should also respond by looking to the promises that were given long before!

“You are blessed if you do not take offense to Christ”

“To the one who overcomes, Jesus will give...”

“Whoever is found in Christ is a new creation...”

Jesus has done it all.

Our doubts are so often birthed from expectations that are not situated in reality, whether that’s because we’ve fantasized something that is not real or whether it is because we have listened to bad teachers.

Jesus responds to those doubts by reminding us of his work and of the promises given long ago. God will always fulfill his promises.

I will leave you with the words of an excellent new song that makes this point clearly.

I Set My Hope On Jesus - Matt Boswell, Matt Papa, and Keith Getty

When this life of trials test my faith I set my hope on Jesus When the questions come and doubts remain I set my hope on Jesus

For the deepest wounds that time won't heal There's a joy that runs still deeper There's a truth that's more than all I feel I set my hope on Jesus

I set my hope on Jesus My rock, my only trust Who set His heart upon me first I set my hope on Jesus

Though I falter in this war with sin I set my hope on Jesus When I fail the fight and sink within I set my hope on Jesus

Though the shame would drown me in its sea And I dread the wave of justice I will cast my life on Calvary I set my hope on Jesus

Though the world call me to leave my Lord I set my hope on Jesus Though it offer all its vain rewards I set my hope on Jesus

Though this heart of mine is prone to stray Give me grace enough to finish 'Til I worship on that final day I set my hope on Jesus

I set my hope on Jesus My rock, my only trust Who set His heart upon me first I set my hope on Jesus