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We Believe we are here to A Place to Belong, A Church for the Whole Family.

When I Speak of this I am not talking about a building for the whole family.......I am speaking of a Body of Believers for the Whole Family.

I believe that if we as a Church Body will take on the attitude of Apprenticeship with Jesus. If we will order our lives around three goals : Be With Jesus, Become Like Jesus, and Do What Jesus Did, we will see our lives, our communities, and the cities around us transformed.

Now as we continue in our study of Matthew let us approach it from that attitude.

Pray

Matthew 11:7–15 CSB

7 As these men were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? See, those who wear soft clothes are in royal palaces. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you. 11 “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared, but the 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 been suffering violence, and the violent have been seizing it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come. 15 Let anyone who has ears listen.

Let’s break this section down. John made quite an impression on the people. So Jesus turns to the crowd around him and asks them.

What did you face uncomfortable conditions to go out and see?

A Reed Swaying in the Wind?.........… No He was a man of strong conviction?

According to Pastor Steven Armstrong Jesus may Have been alluding to Greek Mythology:

The Greek word for reed comes from Greek mythology

The Greeks tell a tale of two young boys, Karpos and Kalamos, who were close friends who spent all their time playing together 

One day, as the myth goes, Karpos fell into the river and drowned 

His friend Kalamos was so grieved by Karpos’ death that he turned into a river reed

And to this day you hear the mournful song of Kalamos mourning Karpos as wind blows through hollow water reeds 

And the Greek word for reed is kalamos

Jesus draws upon this myth to make a point about the crowd’s superficial interest in John’s ministry

Jesus says the crowds treated John as if he were a reed standing by the edge of the Jordan river making mournful noises

He fascinated and mesmerized the crowd, drawing their attention in the same way that we slow down to gawk at a car wreck on the freeway 

They weren’t interested in his message…they were captivated by the scene, the novelty of what John was doing

He was a spectacle, a rabble-rouser, someone railing against the powers that be in his day

BUT........

He Knew His Mission and Stuck to it!

Some one dressed in fancy clothing who came from a palace?

No John wore camel skin and ate Locust and Wild Honey.

This Guy did not look royal.......

You went out because for the first time in 400 years God was speaking through a prophet and not just any prophet.

Then Jesus quotes an old testament prophecy.

Micah 2:13 CSB

13 One who breaks open the way will advance before them; they will break out, pass through the city gate, and leave by it. Their King will pass through before them, the Lord as their leader.

Matthew Presents Yeshua, King Messiah (A Messianic Commentary) The Inquiries of Yochanan 11:1–19

In rabbinic tradition, Elijah was considered the one breaking through (ha-poretz) the spiritual obstacles in order that the King (Messiah) may come to rule over the people. As it is explained in one commentary:

When the Holy One, blessed be He, redeems Israel. Three days before the Messiah comes, Elijah will come and stand upon the mountains of Israel.… In that hour the Holy One, blessed be He, will show his glory and his kingdom to all the inhabitants of the world: He will redeem Israel, and He will appear at the head of them, as is said, he who opens the breach (ha-poretz) will go up before them; they will break through and pass the gate, going out by it. Their king will pass on before them, the Lord at their head (

I believe that Jesus is trying to get everyone listening to come to the realization that john is the one they have been looking for to announce the Messiah.

And the Messiah is standing right there in front of them and His Kingdom is available if they will accept him by faith.

This is how what I believe my deepest theological journeys.

From the Beginning of the book of Matthew Jesus has been announcing that the Kingdom of the Most High is with Him.

But everything we know is that the Kingdom has not been established yet.

Here was my question “If Isreal would have accepted Jesus as Messiah and God would he have had to go to the Cross?”

My answer now is Yes.......The Romans would have Killed Him......But............

But Isreal as a Collective did Reject Jesus.......

But Why?

After all

 Jesus offered Israel something they longed to receive

And He proved His ability to deliver it with miraculous power

Why wouldn’t Israel embrace Jesus?

Because they could not accept him as the Son of Joseph.

They were looking for a Messiah that would just come in and wipe out all their issues and make a utopia with out repentance and change...........

They wanted another option......

Every time a prophet showed up and God gave them an opportunity to repent and turn they chose to reject it an kill the prophet.

This is what Jesus is referring to

Matthew 11:11–12 CSB

11 “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared, but the 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 been suffering violence, and the violent have been seizing it by force.

I have heard many preachers use Matthew 11:12 do say that we need to pray violently or take the kingdom by force.

What Jesus is saying is that Isreal keeps trying to get the Kingdom by means that are other than Faith.

Matthew Presents Yeshua, King Messiah (A Messianic Commentary) The Inquiries of Yochanan 11:1–19

While there were certainly violent ones (e.g., Zealots, etc.) trying to snatch it away on their own strength, the kingdom of Messiah will come by different means. It seems to be in this sense the prophet Micah describes that Yeshua defines the place and ministry of Yochanan for the Kingdom of God. He is Eliyahu if Israel is willing to accept it. This passage also helps explains an enigma concerning Yeshua. It is sometimes asked: If Yeshua is the true Messiah, why is the kingdom not here yet? The fact is that the kingdom of Messiah will fully come only when the King is welcomed by faith. Matthew records how, for now, both the messenger and the Messiah would not be totally accepted. Therefore, there would be a delay in the kingdom until the glorious day of Yeshua’s reception. It will surely come because it is the promise of God’s word to us!

Jesus is telling them that Not only is John a Prophet but is the greatest of Prophets because he is seeing His Prophecies happen before His own eyes and Theirs.

Jesus without saying fully that he is the Guy is Saying look you Idiots the One you are looking for is Right in front of you.

Don’t get me wrong there were many Jews in the crowd who got it?

But........

So that last thing he says in this section is

Matthew 11:13–15 CSB

13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come. 15 Let anyone who has ears listen.

Jesus is say that everything that has been Prophesied through John and Though the other prophets is standing right in front of you.

And this King and Kingdom can only be accepted through Repentance and Faith.

But isn’t this what we see today.

Truth.........

two people can’t each have their own, different “truths”

At best, one will have the truth while the other holds to a lie thinking it’s true

This is called relativism…it’s redefining truth to suit our evil desires so that we can hold onto our preferred view......

Today the world thinks it fashionable to invent personal views of God and eternity 

And of course each person’s view of God is carefully crafted so it doesn’t conflict with our social views

How convenient that what they think is true about God just happens to agree with what their flesh desires

Then you have the Atheists..........

But Then There is the Church...........… I don’t like this or I don’t like that.....

2 Peter 1:20–21 CSB

20 Above all, you know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

If something is Scripture, then it’s true and from God, and therefore the meaning of it is also set by God

We don’t get to pick and choose what we obey and what we don’t.

But this is not a problem if we are working on our Spiritual Formation.

The attitude of Apprenticeship with Jesus. If we will order our lives around three goals : Be With Jesus, Become Like Jesus, and Do What Jesus Did.

However, so many of us don’t want Advocate Jesus they want White Horse Jesus.....

Matthew 11:15 CSB

15 Let anyone who has ears listen.

Will you listen............

An opportunity to respond.