Matthew 11

Chapter 11

The following material is adopted from John MacArthur’s commentary on Matthew and his Study guide. Additional material taken from sources listed at the end

Read and summarize

Look for

— Prayers ( Blue )

— Promises ( Green )

— Warnings ( Red )

— Commands ( Purple )

Q: There’s no shortage of opinions about who Jesus is and no shortage of expressions for or against Him. What are some of the strongest reactions to Jesus — positive and negative — that you’ve heart or seen? Why do you think Jesus elicits such strong reactions from people?

To Summarize

— The first ten chapters of Matthew are a series of testimonies that prove that Jesus is the Messiah

— Chapter 1: The gospel of Matthew began with the genealogical proofs that Jesus was indeed the promised Son who would reign on the throne of David; We saw His miraculous birth that was prophesied in the OT ( 1:1-17). Matthew demonstrated Jesus’ legal qualification through His genealogy

— Chapter 2 & 3: The promised Son & king is visited by the wise men; His fulfilment of other OT prophesy surrounding His birth and fleeing to Egypt ( 2:1-23 ); The early ministry of John the Baptist. Matthew establishes His prophetic qualification through the fulfillment of prophecy by His birth and infancy

— Chapter 4: Jesus temptation in the wilderness. Matthew establishes His spiritual qualification by His perfect resistance to Satan’s temptations

— Chapter 5 through 7 - Jesus presents the principles of His coming kingdom in the Sermon on the Mount that emphasizes spiritual and moral principles that govern the kingdom of God. Here is the manifesto of the new Monarch, who ushers in a new age with a new message about true righteousness. Matthew establishes His theological qualification through the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount.

— Chapter 8-9: We see his miracles. Matthew establishes Jesus’ divine power and confirm His deity and His claim to be the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world.

— Chapter 10: The commissioning of His disciples to send them to the lost sheep of Isreal ( 10:1-42 )

— Chapter 11 & 12: In Chapters 11 and 12 Matthew focuses on the reaction Jesus encounters from various individuals and groups to the evidence that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah. We could write one word to describe this chapter and it would be Rejection

Hendriksen

— This chapter follows the experience of The Twelve on their first missionary journey, but Matthew gives no details about it

— He is far more interested in Jesus than in the latter’s disciples

— Even Mark and Luke, who share an equal degree of inspiration with Matthew, have but little to say about the experiences of the disciples ( Mark 6:12, 13; Luke 9:6 )

— In Chapter 11 we learn about John the Baptist’s doubt but Matthew does not even record his reaction when the answer reaches him. This is intentional, John is not the focus but Christ. The conclusion of Jonah is an interesting parallel. Have we not wondered how Jonah reacted to God’s searching question ( Jonah 4:10, 11 )? It is not recorded, for the emphasis mush be placed on the love of God, not Jonah

Q: There’s no shortage of opinions about who Jesus is and no shortage of expressions for or against Him. What are some of the strongest reactions to Jesus—positive and negative—that you’ve heard or seen?

Jesus Ministers Alone ( 11:1 )

( 11:1 ) Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities

Matthew Henry

— Once Christ said what He had to say to His disciples, they left and began to preach in the surrounding cities

— Christ would now teach them how to live and how to work without His bodily presence

— In that Christ went away, He was preparing them for His long departure and that by the help of the spirit, their own hands might be sufficient for them ( Deut 33:7 )

— We are told that while the disciples had been sent out, Jesus continued teach and preach alone in the cities of Galilee

— Christ empowered the Disciples to work miracles, and while they worked miracles he returned to teaching and preaching as if that were the more honourable of the two

— Healing the sick was the saving of bodies, but preaching the gospel was to the saving of souls.

Going Deeper

Hendricksen

— There is a difference between preaching and teaching, though, it is true that good preaching is also teaching

— The emphasis is not the same ( cf. 4:23 )

— The word used in the original for preaching means heralding, announcing, proclaiming

— Teaching, on the other hand, indicates imparting more detailed more detailed information about the announcement ( preaching ) that was made

Q: Can you doubt and be a believer? What might cause you to doubt your faith?

Doubting Belief

John Doubts Jesus ( 11:2-3 )

( 11:2-3 ) And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?

— Whenever the gospel writers deal with a doubting person, it is always a believer

— Doubt is something that is part of being a believer

— The apostles doubted, even after the resurrection ( Matt 28:17 )

— Moses, Gideon, Elijah, and Jeremiah all doubted

Mark 9:14-24

— The gospel writer Mark records a story of a man with a demon-possessed boy

— The demon had made the boy mute and he could not speak

— He foamed at the mouth and ground his teeth

— Jesus said to the father, “All things are possible to him who believes”

— And the father’s response is famous. Mark 9:24 says the father said this, “ I do believe, help my unbelief”

What a strange statement

— What a strange statement

— You believe but help my unbelief; but we all understand that; we understand believing doubt

— That is to say, I believe but my faith is incomplete, my faith is assaulted and filled with doubts

— This is exactly the situation here in the Matthew 11:2-3

— John the Baptist is the greatest man who ever lived according to Matthew 11:11

— Here is a saint of God, a prophet of God, the forerunner of the Messiah, the last of the OT prophets who is struggling with doubt

— As John sat in prison, he began to have some doubts about whether Jesus really was the Messiah

Q: Did John ever have doubts as to whether Jesus was really the Messiah ( 11:2-3)? For what reasons might he have doubted?

Family History

— Mary was related to Elizabeth, John’s mother

— Zacharias, while doing his priestly duties, was told by an angel that he was going to have a son, and he was probably in his 80s and his wife was barren

— The angel Gabriel told Joseph and Mary that the Spirit of God was going to plant a child in the womb of Mary who would be a virgin when the child was born

— And even though John’s family lived in the Judean hillside and Jesus’ family lived in Nazareth and they were spread apart by about sixty miles, they must have come together for family events and passover

— And no doubt the stories must have been about the great angelic appearances, the virgin birth and all that; that was part of the family history

— And they were aware of Jesus coming down through the Davidic messianic line, both Joseph and Mary were descendants of Mary. Joseph was a descendant of Solomon, the royal line; Mary a descendant of Nathan, the legal line

John in Prison

— According to Matthew 11:2-3 John is in prison, a place called Fort Machairus

— John had been put there by Herod Antipas, one of the sons of Herod the Great

— John had confronted him about his wicked life, particularly the fact that Herod Antipas had seduced his brother’s wife and married her; she was also his niece

— John in his normal fiery form confronted Herod Antipas with all of the wickedness he had done, and Herod slammed in him a dungeon in Fort Machairus which is out in the wilderness on the northeast portion of the Dead Sea

— John had been in prison for months and months and will soon have his head chopped off because of the sexual desire and the perversion of Herod Antipas when he is seduced by the daughter of his wife, Salome

— In the case of John the Baptist, and of countless believers since his time, doubt might be better described as perplexity or confusion

John’s followers

— John’s is allowed some access to his disciples while in prison

— His disciples follow Jesus and may have been there when he raised the widow’s son at the funeral and healed the centurions sick son

— They were outside of Matthew’s house when he threw a party ( Matt 5:33 )

— John’s disciples go back to John’s prison and report what Jesus has been doing ( Matt 11:2-3 )

— John sends two of his disciples and asks the Lord, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?

Q: Why would John even have doubt?

Reasons for doubt

— Our difficult circumstances / personal tragedy

— Inadequate knowledge or understanding of God’s Word

— Worldly expectations ; Jesus’ preaching did not square with the Jew’s perception of the Messiah

— Unfulfilled expectations

John’s Doubts

— John’s doubt is proven by the way that he reacts to his doubt; if he had no trust in Jesus he would not go to Jesus to dispel his doubt

— He is struggling against temptation and weakness in the flesh

— You do what you always do with doubt, you take it directly to the Lord

— And remember in John’s case the picture wasn’t clear

— Christ had not died

— He had not done His saving work

— He hasn’t knocked off Rome and established a welfare state, etc

— And he doesn’t know that there is a big gap between Jesus’ first and second coming

— If you want to get your doubt cleared, go to the Word of God

Going Deeper

— James warns believers that “the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind” ( James 1:6; cf. Eph 4:14 )

— John had all the information, but his faith had become weakened by circumstances

— John the Baptist had done exactly what God had told him to do

— But now he could not helping wondering if prison, shame, hunger, physical torment, perplexity, and loneliness were his rewards

Q: In what sense was Jesus’ answer to John reassuring ( 11:4-6 ) ?

Jesus Reassures John ( 11:4-6 )

( 11:4-6 ) Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

— Jesus answered John’s doubts not with a yes or no answer

— Jesus told John’s disciples to present John with the evidence — the acts of healing the blind, lame and deaf, curing leapers, raising the dead and preaching the good news to the poor

— With so much evidence, Jesus identity was obvious

— The message as phrased by Jesus had a familiar ring

— It must have reminded John of certain prophetic predictions, namely Isa 35:5, 6 and 61:1

— If you sometimes doubt your salvation, the forgiveness of sins, or God’s work in your life, look at the evidence in Scripture and the changes in your life

— When you doubt, don’t turn away from Christ, turn to him

Blessed

— Refers back to Isa 8:14-15

— Christ would be a stumbling block to many

Q: What did you learn about John’s the Baptist ( 11:1-8 )?

True Greatness ( 11:7-11 )

( 11:7-11 ) As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ 11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

— No man ever fulfilled God’s-given purpose better than John

— He had strong conviction

— He wasn’t a reed shaken by the wind

— He never changed his message or compromised his standards

— Yet in God’s coming kingdom all members will have have greater spiritual heritage than John because they will have seen and known Christ and his finished work on the cross

Going Deeper

Hendricksen

( 11:11 ) “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

— He had done exactly what a herald must do

— First, he had clearly announced the arrival of Messiah, directing the people’s attention to that Great One: Look, the Lamb of God who is taking away the sin of the world ( John 1:29 )

— Second, he had emphasized the necessity of repentance as the only way for the sinner to enter Messiah’s kindgom ( Matt 3:3; Lk 1:76, 77 )

— Third, since it is the duty of the herald to recede to the background when the One whom he has introduced has fully arrived upon the scene, so John had resisted the temptation to call attention to himself

— Instead, in humility of spirit he had said, He must increase, but I must decrease ( John 3:30 )

— Jesus always links true greatness with humility ( Matt 8:8, 10, cf. Luke 7:6, 9; Matt 18:1-5, cf. Mark 9:33-37 and Luke 9:46-48; Matt 20:26, 27, cf. Mark 10:43-45; Matt 23:11; Matt 15:27, 28 )

Q: What is your understanding of the intent of this verse ( 11:12 )?

John’s Powerful Culmination ( 11:12-15 )

( 11:12-15 ) And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers 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 receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

— There are three common views about the meaning of this verse ( 11:12 )

( 1 ) Jesus may have been referring to a vast movement toward God, the momentum began with John’s preaching

( 2 ) He may have been reflecting the Jewish activist’s expectation that God’s kingdom would come through the violent overthrow of Rome

( 3 ) Or he may have meant that entering God’s kingdom takes courage, unwavering faith, determination, and endurance because of the growing opposition leveled at Jesus’ followers

— The kingdom, then, is not for weaklings, waverers, or compromisers

— It is not for men like Balaam ( 2 Pet 2:15 ), the rich young ruler ( Matt 19:22 ), Pilate ( John 19:12, 13 ), and Demas ( 2 Tim 4:10 )

— It is not won by means of deferred prayers, unfulfilled promises, broken resolutions, and hesitant testimonies

— It is for strong men like Joseph ( Gen 39:9 ), Nathan ( 2 Sam 12:7 ), Elijah ( 1 Ki 18:21 ), Daniel and his three friends ( Dan 1:8; 3:16-18 ), Mordecai ( Esther 3:4), the Peter of Acts 4:20, Stephen ( Acts 6:8; 7:51 ), and Paul ( Phil 3:13, 14 )

— And let us not forget such valiant women as Ruth ( Ruth 1:16-18 ), Deborah ( Judg 4:9 ), Esther (Ester 4:16), and Lydia ( Acts 16:15, 40 )

Going Deeper

— Why do we have three possible interpretations of this verse?

— The form of βιάζω (biazō) ( from which suffers violence comes ) can be read as either a Greek passive or middle voice

— When read as a passive voice it carries the idea of being oppressed or treated violently

— As a passive voice it is unfavorable, the passage would read: “…the kingdom is suffering violence, and violent men are seizing it”; this meaning should be rejected

— The middle voice carries the active idea of applying force or of entering forcibly ( #2 )

— The second interpretation better fits with Jesus teaching that few enter the kingdom by first finding the narrow gate ( 7:13-14 )

( 11:14 ) And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come

— Malachi’s last words said that God would send Elijah before the great day of the Lord ( Mal 4:5-6)

— This man would not be a reincarnated Elijah but another prophet like Elijah

— John the Baptist was not literally Elijah; the angel told his father that he, John, would come in the spirit and power of Elijah ( Lk 1:17 )

— Jesus’s point is that if the Jews received John’s message as God’s message and received the Messiah, he would be indeed the Elijah Malachi promised

— Because Israel did not accept John the Baptist, John could not be Elijah, the kingdom could not be established, and another Elijah will come; possibly as one of the two witnesses ( Rev 11:1-19 )

The Response of Criticism ( 11:16-19 )

( 11:16-19 ) “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying: ‘We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not lament.’ 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, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”

— Some of those who refused to believe the gospel covered their criticism

— Jesus compared them to foolish children sitting in the marketplace who objected to everything the other children did

— Through the centuries the church’s detractors have found it easy to criticize its people and its work

— Yet they are hard pressed to explain how so many lives have been changed from wickedness to righteousness, from despair to hope, from anger to love, from sadness to happiness, and from selfishness to self-giving by the power of Christ

Going Deeper

— Children played one of two games, Wedding and Funerals which were two major social events

— In the Wedding game children played the flute and danced; in the funeral they mourned while a dirge was played

— There were always holdouts who threw a wet blanket on everything their friends did

— John’s serious call for repentance was a life in funeral mode so to speak

— Some people became so resentful they charged him with having a demon

— Jesus lived in the Wedding mode, but Jesus’ critics charged him with being a gluttonous man and a drunkard

— Jesus’ critics were not interested in the truth but in condemnation

( 11:19 ) But wisdom is justified by her children.

RC Sproul

— If you want to know if a plan is wise, we have to wait until we see the outcome

Q: What do the cities of Tyre, Sidon and Sodom all have in common ( 11:21-24 )?

The Response of unbelieving indifference ( 11:20-24 )

( 11:20-24 ) Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”

— Tyre, Sidon and Sodom all had a reputation of wickedness and each was destroyed by God

— The people of Chorazin and Capernaum saw Jesus firsthand, and yet they stubbornly refused to repent of their sins and believe in Him

— These cities would suffer even greater punishment than the wicked cities who didn’t see Jesus; both cities are now ruins today

— Similarly, nations and cities with churches on every corner and Bibles in every home will have no excuse on judgement day if they do not repent and believe

Q: How could Jesus actually praise the Father not only for revealing matters touching salvation to some, but even for concealing them from others ( 11:25-30 ) ?

Jesus’ Personal Invitation ( 11:25-30 )

( 11:25-30 ) At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Wise and Prudent

— Wise and intelligent does not refer to mental ability but to a proud spiritual attitude

— Babes does not refer to physical age or capability but to a humble spiritual attitude

— The contrast between wise and learned and babes is not between educated and uneducated people

— It is between those who imagine that, because of their intellect they can save themselves with their doctrine and meritorious works and those who realize that they must be saved by grace alone ( Eph 2:8 )

— As the context makes clear, this prayer was spoken publicly as a part of His preaching to the crowds

— He was addressing His hearers as much as His Father when He prayed these words

— He wanted them to know that God wanted only their faith and nothing else

— He was also warning that “the wise and intelligent” were at a disadvantage as far as spiritual life and understanding are concerned

— It is not that they could not accept and believe, but that pride in and dependence on their accomplishments and abilities could keep them from the kingdom

— Weakness and insufficiency are the climate in which God’s strength is made manifest.

God’s Love and Mercy

— Jesus has just presented the God of judgment and wrath ( 11:20-24 )

— Now He presents the God of love and mercy

— This may have been Jesus’ last invitation during His first and major Galilean ministry — as He offered the people one final appeal to be saved

— Because He had an unyielding trust in the Father’s perfect will, He could rest in that will and give him praise no matter what responses people made to Him

Q: What is Jesus’ yoke? In what sense was Jesus’ yoke easy ( 11:30 )?

Q: In what ways do modern Christians (and churches) repeat the errors of the Pharisees and create a religious system that wears people out?

Submission ( 11:28-30 )

( 11:28-30 ) Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

— This is God’s general call for all mankind to believe ( Is 45:22, 55:6; Ezek 33:11; Matt 11:28; John 7:37; Rev 22:17)

— Jesus invites those who are already weary and heavy-laden

— A student was often referred to as being under the yoke of his teacher; and that is the idea that Jesus has in mind her, because He adds, and learn from me

— Jesus doesn’t offer a life of luxurious ease — the yoke is still a tool that enables oxen to work hard

— But it is a shared yoke with weight falling on bigger shoulders than yours

— Someone with more pulling power is up front helping

— Suddenly you are participating in life’s responsibilities with a great partner — and now that frown can turn into a smile, and that gripe into a song

Additional Resources

MacArthur, John. Matthew 8-15. Moody Press, 1987.

MacArthur, John. New Testament Commentary. Moody, 1985.

MacArthur, John. Why Did God Choose the Foolish Things to Shame the Wise? https://www.gty.org/library/bibleqnas-library/BQ72111/why-did-god-choose-the-foolish-things-of-the-world-to-shame-the-wise.

Macarthur, John. Why the believer doubts, part 1: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/42-95/why-the-believer-doubts-part-1

Macarthur, John. Why the believer doubts, part 2: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/42-96/why-the-believer-doubts-part-2

Matthew Henry. Commentary on the whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Hendrickson Publishers, 1994.

Questions: https://www.bible-studys.org/Bible%20Books/Matthew/Matthew%20Chapter%2010.html

William Hendriksen. Exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1973.

Oceanside Christian Fellowship. SG Discussion Questions - Matthew ch11 February 12, 2023

Sproul, R.C. Romans: The Righteous Shall Live by Faith. Romans an expositional commentary. Ligonier Ministries. 2019.