Greatness in the Kingdom

Text: Matthew 11:1-19

Main Point/FCF:

Application:

Matthew 11:1–19 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?” 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.” 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. 16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, 17 “ ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

Unmet Expectations (11:1-6)

Matthew 11:1–6 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?” 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.”

Jesus’ ministry priorities

Looking at verse 1 and all that we’ve seen of Jesus’ ministry so far in Matthew, which do you think was more foundational to Jesus’ ministry: preaching/teaching or healing/miracles? Preaching and teaching was the foundation of his ministry (c.f. 4:17; 4:23; 7:28-29; 9:35; 11:1; 21:23; 28:20)

What was the primary message Jesus preached and taught? “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)

What function did healings and miracles have in Jesus’ ministry? Healing and miracles always served to validate his authority and the arrival of the Kingdom or demonstrate a spiritual truth. (c.f. 11:5)

How should this influence our ministry as a church? What should be our priority and how can we make the best use of our limited time, money, and resources? Preaching, teaching, and discipleship is to be our primary focus. Mercy ministries should not be used as a substitute for these, but should be used to validate the truths we preach (i.e., that God loves you) or demonstrate spiritual truths.

A discouraged prophet

Matthew 14:3–4 ESV

3 For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

Background on King Herod (the tetrarch):

The ESV Study Bible Chapter 14

Herod the tetrarch. Herod Antipas was the Roman ruler over the region where Jesus ministered. He was only 17 years old when his father, Herod the Great, died. The kingdom was divided among three of Herod’s sons—Archelaus, Antipas, and Philip II (see note on 2:22). Herod Antipas was made tetrarch (the ruler of a fourth part of a kingdom) of Galilee and Perea and had a long rule (4 B.C.–A.D. 39).

This “King Herod” is Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great (who was king when Jesus was born).

Why was John the Baptist in prison? Because he had preached against Herod because Herod had taken Herodias (the wife of Antipas’ brother, Philip II) as his own wife.

The ESV Study Bible Chapter 14

Herodias divorced Herod Philip I and Herod Antipas divorced his wife (the daughter of the Nabatean king, Aretas IV), and they were married. John the Baptist had publicly condemned Herod Antipas for his actions (it is not lawful for you to have her). Josephus reports that John the Baptist was imprisoned at Herod Antipas’s fortress-palace called Machaerus (Jewish Antiquities 18.116–119; cf. the description in Jewish War 7.164–177), which was a fortress built atop a steep hill east of the Dead Sea. It had been fortified by the Hasmonean Jewish kings (2nd century B.C.), destroyed by the Romans (c. 56 B.C.), and rebuilt as a palace by Herod the Great. Archaeological investigation has delineated the Herodian palace enclosure, including a cistern from this era.

Why does John the Baptist ask Jesus this question (Matthew 11:3 “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”) What did John expect Jesus to do? Most likely, John is discouraged. He likely expected the Messiah to oust the Romans and the corrupt religious elite (Sadduccees and Pharisees) and establish a new, righteous physical Kingdom, similar to the Davidic Kingdom.

What did Jesus’ ministry look like instead, and what were the consequences for John? Jesus hardly addressed the Romans at all. When he addressed the corrupt religious elite he did so with words instead of swords. All this accomplished (physically speaking) was to stir up those in power to persecute people like John, who preached against them. It made the persecution worse for John.

How does following Christ sometimes contradict your expectations? Sometimes we expect that once we follow Jesus, our lives will get easier and Jesus will fix all of our problems. Sometimes we expect that Jesus will make it easier for us to make decisions and know what to do, and it turns out to not be so simple. Sometimes we expect that the road will be smooth—we’ll be happy, healthy, and wealthy—and instead, when we follow Jesus we’re discouraged, sick, and poor. Sometimes Jesus confronts our sin and disciplines us. And sometimes following Jesus costs us everything.

What proof did Jesus offer John that he was, indeed, the Messiah? He pointed to the evidence in the miracles he had performed (healing the blind, lame, lepers, deaf, and raising the dead) and the message of the “Good News” that he preached to those who were suffering.

What did Jesus mean by the “good news”? The Greek Word “euangellion” means “good news,” and was typically used to announce the birth of a new King. When properly understood, the “Good News” is that the King has arrived to establish his Kingdom.

In John’s situation, what would it have looked like for John to have been “offended” by Jesus (v. 6)? What did Jesus mean by this? Jesus is warning John not to become bitter, disillusioned, or loose faith because of the harsh reality and costliness of discipleship.

Can you think of a time you were tempted by discouragement or disbelief because of the difficulty of the Christian walk or the suffering you endured? How did you endure that time?

More Unmet Expectations (11:7-11)

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.

Why does Jesus ask the crowds these rhetorical questions in vv. 7-9? Because John didn’t live up to many of the people’s expectations as well.

What does Jesus mean by his metaphors “a reed shaken by the wind” and “a man dressed in soft clothing?” The reed shaken by the wind It represents someone with no real personal convictions, who sways with popular opinion. This was an image used by the rabbis to describe someone who adapts to the prevailing mood in a way similar to how reeds are moved by the wind. (c.f. Ephesians 4:14 “14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”) Jesus says that those dressed in soft clothing live in kings’ houses, so it seems that this metaphor is likely meant to refer to those with political inclinations who are tactful, diplomatic, and refined. John was none of these. He was unwavering in his convictions of right and wrong and his brash tactlessness and rigidity landed him in prison and often offended people.

John’s message was often blunt, quite shocking, and did not make him popular with the elite and powerful.

Matthew 3:7 ESV

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Matthew 3:9–10 ESV

9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Matthew 3:11–12 ESV

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Matthew 14:3–4 ESV

3 For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

From what passage did Jesus quote the prophecy he applied to John in 11:10? Isaiah 40:3 “A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.””

In that OT passage, what is the role of this “voice in the wilderness”? To prepare the path for the Lord by exalting the humble and humbling the exalted.

Conflicting Kingdoms (11:11-19)

Matthew 11:11–19 ESV

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. 16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, 17 “ ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

How was John the Baptist both the greatest man who ever lived and yet simultaneously the lowliest? (v. 11) John the Baptist was great in the Kingdom of Heaven, but as a result, was lowly in the earthly kingdoms.

How did John the Baptist’s God-given mission relate to his lowly earthly status? Is it possible to be great in both God’s Kingdom and the Kingdom of this World? John’s mission required him to humble the prideful and exalt the humble. This would inevitably result in backlash from those who were in power, whom he criticized. The Kingdom of this World is at war with the Kingdom of Heaven. It is impossible to be “great” in both. (c.f. Mt 6:24)

Matthew 6:24 ESV

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

How had the Kingdom of Heaven “suffered violence” and how do the “violent take it by force”? (v. 12) That the kingdom has suffered violence probably indicates opposition from the religious establishment, and “the violent take it by force” probably refers to the actions of specific evil people like Herod Antipas, who had arrested John in an attempt to quash his preaching and retain his power.

Read Malachi 4. What does Jesus reveal to us about John the Baptist in Mt. 11:13? Jesus says he is the foretold “Elijah the prophet” from Malachi. This means that he is the last OT Prophet, the Messianic forerunner commissioned by God to prepare the way for the new Messianic age.

Malachi 4 ESV

1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. 4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

What does Jesus mean in vv. 16-19? Both Jesus and John refused to play the “games” of the religious establishment. They defied expectations and lived in such opposition to the religious and political establishment that they were treated as outcasts and persecuted by those in power.

In what ways does our identity as Christians put us at odds with the powers of our day? In what ways are we tempted to compromise?