Are you the Coming One? Matthew 11:1-15

1. Are you the Coming One?Matthew 11:1-15 Logos Bible Fellowship 5/09/2007

2. Context of the Passage • Jesus gives His disciples authority and power to preach the Kingdom • Promise of persecution • Jesus’ encouragement to fear not • The dividing Gospel • Eternal Rewards

3. John the Baptist • Imprisoned by Herod (Mt 14:3-4) • “Herod, who feared lest the great influence John had over the people might put it into his power and inclination to raise a rebellion, (for they seemed ready to do any thing he should advise,) thought it best, by putting him to death ... Accordingly he was sent a prisoner, out of Herod's suspicious temper, to Macherus, the castle I before mentioned, and was there put to death. Now the Jews had an opinion that the destruction of this army was sent as a punishment upon Herod, and a mark of God's displeasure to him” – Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews

4. Sequence of Events (11:1 – 11:5) • Jesus sent the disciples to preach and heal (Mk 6:12-13) • Jesus departed to preach & teach in their cities (Mt 11:1) • While in prison, John hears of rumors of Jesus raising the dead (Lk 7:15-17) • John sends 2 disciples to find out if He is the One (Lk 7:19) • They ask “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Mt 11:3, ESV) • Jesus proves He is the one • “And in that hour he cured many from sicknesses, and plagues, and evil spirits, and to many blind he granted sight.” (Lk 7:21) • Jesus’ appeal to His works (John 10:25, 38, Acts 2:22) • Jesus’ answer for John • “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 [meek] have good news preached to them.” (Mt 11:5, ESV)

5. The Messiah in the Old Testament • Isaiah 35:4 “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” 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; (ESV)

6. The Messiah in the Old Testament • Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. (KJV)

7. Continuing Sequence of Events • Jesus places more emphasis on perseverance than on the receiving of miracles • “And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.” (Matt 11:6) • Matt 13:20 “But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.” (KJV) • Don’t just really on a past experience • “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith” (Heb 10:28) • “Go and sin no more” (Jn 5:14, 8:11)

8. Jesus Speak About John • Jesus corrects erroneous opinions about John • “Reed shaken in the wind” • John’s apparent doubt was not due to instability • John already knew who Christ was (Jn 1:29-30) • “Man clothed in soft raiment” • John’s vacillation was not due to discomfort of prison life • He was used to non-luxurious conditions (Mt 3:4) • “More than a prophet” • Partial truth – He was a prophet • Also, the way-preparing messenger sent before the Lord • No other prophet had this direct privilege

9. Jesus Speaks About John • The greatest “Among them that are born of women” • Because of the great privilege of ushering in the Messiah • “least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” • “the least saint in heaven is greater, and knows more, and loves more, and does more in praising God, and receives more from him, than the greatest in this world.” – Matthew Henry • “the Baptist would not partake of the privileges of the already coming Kingdom of which others partook through their association with Jesus. He continued to lead his life apart, on the basis of the Old Testament.” – Geerhardus Vos • John’s disciples questioned Jesus concerning fasting and purifying (Jn 3:25, Mat 9:14)

10. Jesus Speaks About John • “Kingdom of Heaven Suffers Violence” • Up until John, the Kingdom was prophesied (Vs. 13) • People “in general were quietly waiting, without any earnest efforts to prepare for it” - Broadus • But from John on, the Kingdom was at hand (Vs 12) • “John’s ministry awakened an eager expectation of its immediate appearance” - Broadus • "led to a violent and impetuous thronging to gather round Jesus and his disciples" - Hort, Judaistic Christianity • Image – that of storming a city • Are you taking the Kingdom “by Force”? • John is the promised “Elijah” • Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers… (Last OT passage)

11. Group Discussion 1John the Baptist initially baptized Jesus and called Him the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Now in Matthew 11 John is asking Him “are you the Coming One”? Yet, Jesus defends John against potential claims of infidelity. Were there times in your life when you asked Christ for assurance of His presence and help? How did He manifest the answer to you? 2 Jesus said “blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.” Share a testimony of when your circumstances were hard-pressed against you, yet you pulled through by the grace of God. Share a testimony of someone you know who was offended . 3 Jesus said “the violent take it by force”. Should we be quietly awaiting the prophecies of Christ’s second coming or should we be taking the Kingdom by force? What are some ways to show this earnest expectation?