Matthew 11:1-6--on John the Baptist and the kingdom

The facts:

1.	Now when John, while imprisoned, 2.heard of the works of Christ 3.he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?"

1.	Where was John when he sent word to Jesus? In prison

2.	What led him to send word from prison?

3.	What did he ask? "Are you the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?"

What are the two parts of Jesus' reply?

Report to John what you hear and see:

1.	blind see, lame walk, lepers are cleansed, deaf hear, dead are raised, poor have gospel preached to them

2.	"Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me."

What does take offense mean?

Greek is skandalidzo. Means to stumble or be tripped up. in cor it says Jesus is a stumblingblock to the Jews. Why do people stumble on something? What's the root of it? Expectations. No one stumbles over something they expect to find in their path. We only stumble when the table is not where we expected it to be, or the cat is not lying where we expected it to be.

Interpretation:

From the context, what might lead some believers in Jesus to stumble over Him? persecution, imprisonment, betrayal by family, courts and scourgings, being hated for Jesus' sake,

Who was experiencing these things most directly when Jesus gave the warning? John

If one joins in the ministry of Jesus, what then, can he count on happening to him?--trouble

What is the blessing of not taking offense at Jesus? --being confessed before Father

What do Christians know that allows them to believe and persevere anyway? --they can't kill the soul! Amen!!

Application:

What things do we experience today that could lead us to stumble over Jesus? What expectations do modern Americans have which if not met by Christ could cause us to look elsewhere for our salvation?

prosperity:

Matthew 11:7-

The facts:

Who did Jesus address next?--crowds

How did he characterize John? Rhetorical questions.

Not like a reed shaken by wind

sure of himself and his mission, not shaken by trouble that came along--persecution didn't stop him, nor threats on his life from Herod, nor public opinion as with priests

Not a man dressed in soft clothing

focused on his mission, not seeking wealth or comfort, but living for the purpose God gave him to the exclusion of all else--unlike the politicians and Herods of the day who were both swayed by trouble and seeking earthly comforts above all else.

No, not weak and self-seeking but w/ the confidence and focus that shows he is a prophet! and more than just any prophet!

What more did He say about John?

John himself was prophesied about, that he would prepare the way before the Messiah

Truly there is none born of women greater than John.

Now what puzzling element does Jesus introduce? "Yet the one who is least in the kindom of heaven is greater than he."

The Facts:

1. This is the one about who it is written: I will send my messenger ahead of you who will prepare your way before you.

2. I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist;

3. yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Interpretation:

How is John not like a reed shaken by the wind or a man dressed in soft clothes?

Why is there none born of women greater than John the Baptist? He was given the privilege of announcing the Christ, apparently.

Context: How did John the Baptist prepare the way for Jesus?

or Why has there risen no one greater than John the Baptist among those born of women?

or Who is this "least in the kingdom of heaven"? that is greater than John?

Why is the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven greater than John?

who is the least in the kingdom? What does it mean to be greater than John? What made John great? He announced the Messiah's kingdom. Isn't it better to be part of the Messiah's kingdom than to announce it? This is not a statement about John's salvation, but about his chronology. John didn't get to participate in the kingdom as the disciples did, and even as all believers now do. What makes those who are part of the kingdom great? They are indwelt by the Messiah!

Or was John the end of an era, and Jesus is announcing a new era, the inauguration of the kingdom of heaven?

What explanation does he give in the next verse?

"From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence (or advances by force) and violent men take it by force.

The law and prophets said that if the people didn't respond to Elijah (John) they would experience a curse. That's why the kingdom is suffering violence. It is in this land struck with a curse. Jesus goes on and explains that this generation will respond to nothing!

Luke 16:16 says that the law and prophets spoke until John, but now a new message is preached--that of the kingdom of God--a message of resurrection, but if they didn't listen to the message of the law and the prophets, up to John, they won't listen if one comes back from the dead. But here is another obscure expression that everyone is forcing (snatching) into the kingdom. How can anyone force his way in? That's impossible! What does Jesus mean? That there were a lot of "hangers on" that followed Jesus and sought to make His kingdom a kingdom of force according to their expectations? Even John was expecting an earthly kingdom as the Law and Prophets prophesied. He was not of the new kingdom. He had the expectation of power and force like it was in David's day. Wow! Here's a major shift in emphasis. Jesus is announcing the dawn of a new era, a move from a physical kingdom to a spiritual one. Does this mean God changed His mind, and decided not to set up an earthly kingdom, or that He changed His methods and sought to set up a kingdom in hearts, or that He was now through demonstrating that the kingdom of force would never work? Wow! What a concept! God, did you really set up the kingdom of Israel knowing it would fail in order to demonstrate that only a voluntary kingdom would work?

Does this mean that this violence started in John's day and wasn't happening before that? Not necessarily, but Jesus is highlighting that period.

Does this mean that John has the wrong idea? He'd like to take the Romans by storm and that for that reason he is not in the kingdom, only those who are meek and nonviolent are? Or does this mean that since John has been imprisoned we are now going to see more violence perpetrated against the kingdom and its members. (Is John of the old kingdom? That prophesied by the Law and the prophets? And now the kingdom of heaven has come?)

In the Malachi passage it says that God hates violence right before it talks about the messenger, Elijah, who will turn the hearts of families to each other.

"For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.

Why does Jesus qualify His statement with "if you are willing to accept it"? Does that mean that John is not Elijah unless His hearers accept it? What else could it mean? I guess Jesus could be just highlighting the fact that they don't believe. By the Elijah statement He is really saying, "I am the Lord, and the great and terrible day of the Lord is upon you." "Woe to you . . . ."

Who are the forceful men? What is the violence? What is significant about the days of John the Baptist until "now"? that has to do with force and violence?

Since John's day, the kingdom has been persecuted. The only violence in the context here is persecution for the sake of the truth. The forceful men therefore are those who would imprison someone like John. Interestingly the man who imprisoned John, violent as he was was a reed shaken by the wind and wore soft clothing and lived in a king's palace!

Who are the prophets and law that prophesied until John? Do they include John? Does Jesus mean that John is the last prophet? Or that John should be included with the law and the prophets of old who prophesied about Him?

Could verse 11 mean that to be least in the kingdom of heaven is better than to be the greatest prophet there ever was, not excluding John from the kingdom as it sounds, but pointing to the superiority of being in the kingdom over being great, even being a spiritual giant. Perhaps He's drawing a contrast between being born of a woman and being born of the spirit. John is the greatest of human beings, but how much better to be a new creature, divinity united with humanity.