Mateus 11
John MacArthur · Citado em PreceptAustin
Mateus 11
MacArthur - Weary translates a present active participle and refers figuratively to arduous toil in seeking to please God and know the way of salvation. Jesus calls to Himself everyone who is exhausted from trying to find and please God in his own resources. Jesus invites the person who is wearied from his vain search for truth through human wisdom, who is exhausted from trying to earn salvation, and who has despaired of achieving God’s standard of righteousness by his own efforts. Illustration of Very, Very Weary - The date was August 15, 1930. On that day, a 45-year-old New York State Supreme Court Justice named Joseph Crater, after spending an evening eating out with friends, hailed a taxi and was never seen or heard from again. It remains one of the most mystifying Missing Person cases in FBI files. The FBI immediately suspected a kidnapping by someone who held a judicial grudge against Justice Crater. But that didn’t seem to pan out. They then suspected Mafia activity because Justice Crater was an enemy of the Mafia. But, again, that led nowhere. There is only one clue which remains to this day. When Mrs. Crater returned to their apartment the evening her husband disappeared, there on the table was a large check made out to her and a note attached to the check in her husband’s handwriting which simply said, "I am very, very tired. Love, Joe" Maybe you can relate to Joe Carter– tired and stressed out in life thoughts of Checking out! 2% of Americans are regularly dealing with stress –Those most likely to deal with stress are those in their 40’s. I walked life's path with worry, Disturbed and quite unblest, Until I trusted Jesus; Now faith has given REST. -HGB Spurgeon....expounds on the meaning of weary..."all ye that labor," in whatever form. In the service of formal religion, in the attempt to keep the law, or in any other way of self-justification. In the service of self to get gain, honor, ease, etc. In the service of the world to discover, invent, legislate, etc. In the service of Satan, lust, drink, infidelity, etc. J C Philpot on "weary"... The Lord's purpose in laying burdens upon us is to weary us out. We cannot learn our religion in any other way. We cannot learn it from the Bible, nor from the experience of others. It must be a personal work, wrought in the heart of each; and we must be brought, all of us, if ever we are to find rest in Christ, to be absolutely wearied out of sin and self, and to have no righteousness, goodness, or holiness of our own. The effect, then, of all spiritual labor is to bring us to this point: to be weary of the world, for we feel it, for the most part, to be a valley of tears; to be weary of self, for it is our greatest plague; weary of professors, for we cannot see in them the grace of God, which alone we prize and value; weary of the profane, for their ungodly conversation only hurts our minds; weary of our bodies, for they are often full of sickness and pain, and always clogs to our soul; and weary of life, for we see the emptiness of those things which to most people make life so agreeable. By this painful experience we come to this point: to be worn out and wearied; and there we must come, before we can rest entirely on Christ. As long as we can rest in the world, we shall rest in it. As long as the things of time and sense can gratify us, we shall be gratified in them. As long as we can find anything pleasing in self, we shall be pleased with it. As long as anything visible and tangible can satisfy us, we shall be satisfied with them. But when we get weary of all things visible, tangible, and sensible—weary of ourselves, and of all things here below—then we want to rest upon Christ, and Christ alone. Heavy laden (5412) (phortizo from phortos = something carried [Acts 27:10 = freight of a ship], from phero = to bring or carry) means to load or burden with something, to cause someone to carry something, to overburden. Phortizo in a figurative sense describes overburdening someone spiritually (with ceremony, rules, laws, etc). In the only other NT use Jesus used phortizo to describe the lawyers (prototypical "legalists" in a spiritual sense) placing impossible religious demands on the the people, especially the "burden" of keeping the law. Luke 11:46 But He said, "Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down (verb - phortizo) with burdens (noun - phortion) hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Heavy laden here in Matthew is in the perfect tense which describes a past completed action (at some point they became weary) with ongoing effect (they are still weary). They are pictured as overloaded like beasts of burden. MacArthur adds that in the passive voice the idea is "that at some time in the past a great load was dumped on the wearied person." He goes to explains that while "weary refers to the internal exhaustion caused by seeking divine truth through human wisdom, heavy-laden suggests the external burdens caused by the futile efforts of works righteousness." Jesus bore every burden we could never bear, just as prophesied by Isaiah... Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. Isaiah 53:4+
Mateus 11
MacArthur comments "In the case of John the Baptist, and of countless believers since his time, doubt might better be described as perplexity or confusion. The perplexity dealt with in these verses is the perplexity of a believer, a true child of God and citizen of His kingdom. John was not questioning the truthfulness of God’s Word as revealed in the Old Testament or as revealed to him at the baptism of Jesus. He was rather uncertain about his understanding of those truths. Virtually all the gospel references to doubt pertain to believers rather than to unbelievers; and the kind of questioning John the Baptist experienced concerning Jesus’ identity can only occur in the life of a believer. In that transitional time, before the written revelation of the New Testament, there were many things that seemed unclear and needed explanation and confirmation." (see Matthew Commentary - Page 238) His doubt was not unbelief. Unbelief rejects the revelation of Christ, refuses to believe that He is both God and man, and does not accept the finality and sufficiency of the work of Christ on the cross and in the resurrection. Phil Newton -Many commentators refuse to intimate doubt on John's part. They suggest that his questions were for the sake of his disciples. Others admit that John was despondent, and perhaps even depressed from the situation he faced, but stop short of declaring doubt. We must accept the plain reading of the text. John heard of what Christ was doing, and before he faced the executioner's axe he wanted to allay any lingering doubts about the Messiah. His doubt was not unbelief. Unbelief rejects the revelation of Christ, refuses to believe that He is both God and man, and does not accept the finality and sufficiency of the work of Christ on the cross and in the resurrection. "Unbelief is unambiguous in its denial of certain things and clear about where it stands," writes Don Whitney [BORROW How can I be sure I'm a Christian? : what the Bible says about assurance of salvation PAGE 20]. But doubt is different. It often comes out of the blue, maybe even after wonderful times of Christian growth. Doubt piggybacks the despondencies of life, and even the misunderstandings of Scripture. As John MacArthur (ED: SEE HIS NOTE ABOVE) points out, "Virtually all the gospel references to doubt pertain to believers rather than to unbelievers; and the kind of questioning John the Baptist experienced concerning Jesus' identity can only occur in the life of a believer" [see Matthew Commentary - Page 238]. One of the Puritan divines, Obadiah Sedgwick, put it quaintly, "I had almost said... there is none had faith, but has found his doubtings" [SEE PDF The Doubting Believer, 9]. (Matthew 11:1-6 Settling Doubts) Newton goes on to add "Look at this, my doubting friend. John, though detained himself due to imprisonment, sent some of his disciples to Christ. They represented John. He knew that the answers to his questions and lingering doubts would not be found among the Jewish scholars of his day or among the Greek philosophers. He needed to hear from Christ. Is this not what anyone struggling with doubts needs as well? (Matthew 11:1-6 Settling Doubts) "The Christians chief occupational hazards are depression and discouragement." --John Stott Louis Barbieri proposes that "John must have thought, If I am Messiah’s forerunner and Jesus is the Messiah, why am I in prison? John needed reassurance and clarification, for he had expected the Messiah to overcome wickedness, judge sin, and bring in His kingdom." (See The Bible Knowledge Commentary Gospels ) We need to remember that not only John the Baptist, the herald of Christ had doubts, but so did the men who were closest to Him, in His presence, witnessing His miracles and wonderful teaching. Here are some examples... (Mt 8:26) (See context Mt 8:24) He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. (Mt 14:31) Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him (PETER - see Mt 14:29, 30), and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Mt 21:21) And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. (Mt 28:17) (EVEN POST-RESURRECTION) When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. (Mk 11:23) “Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. (Mk 16:11) When they (HIS OWN DISCIPLES TO WHOM HE TAUGHT HE WOULD RISE FROM THE DEAD IN 3 DAYS!) heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it. (Lk 12:28+) “But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! John MacArthur on John's question which expresses doubt - Honest doubt, on the other hand, is not a bad starting point, but it is a bad finishing point. Even the noblest of saints, such as Abraham (Gen. 17:17), Sarah (Gen. 18:12), Moses (Ex. 3:10-15), Gideon (Judg. 6:13-23, 36-40), Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-14), and the apostles (Matt. 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8; 28:17; Luke 12:28; 24:38; John 20:24-25) had their moments of doubt. The capacity to doubt is an aspect of the rationality that is part of the image of God in man. A healthy skepticism, being able to discern truth from error, is critically important. For example, the Bible commends the noble-minded Bereans, who “received the word” preached by Paul and Silas “with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Even the greatest man who ever lived up to his time (Matt. 11:11), John the Baptist, struggled with doubt. He had believed that Jesus was the Messiah. He had witnessed the testimony to His identity by the Father and the Spirit when he baptized Jesus. John had declared that Jesus was “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29), and testified concerning His identity to the Jewish leaders (vv. 26-27). But despite his powerful witness to Jesus as the Messiah, doubts had arisen in John’s mind regarding His identity. This passage gives the reasons for John’s doubt, and Jesus’ response to that doubt. (See MacArthur New Testament Commentary) Myron Augsburger - The doubt may not have been about our Lord’s mission but about His way of manifesting the mission. What kind of Messiah is He since He has not toppled the powers of the political and religious orders? The idea of the Suffering Servant was not primary in John’s perception. But it may be that John’s intent in his question was to press Jesus to be more open about His messiahship. (See The Preacher's Commentary - Vol. 24: Matthew) (See also the Discovery House booklet on The Jewish Tradition Of Two Messiahs) Adrian Rogers - I’m going to tell you something about John—and this I appreciate about John: John had some doubts, but they were honest doubts, and he took them to Jesus. And that’s what you need to do with your doubts: If it’s an honest doubt, bring it to Jesus. And I’ll tell you about Jesus, Jesus will give you an honest answer. (Are you Angry With God? page 819) David Abernathy summarizes the thoughts of different commentators on what John's question indicates - John’s confidence had been shaken by the delay of God’s judgment on sin and by John’s own imprisonment [BECNT - David Turner, CC - J. Gibbs, Lns - Lenski, NAC - C. Blomberg, NTC, NIBC - R Mounce, NICNT - R T France, WBC - D. Hagner], as well as by the growing opposition to Jesus [BECNT, NICNT, WBC]. The use of ἕτερος ‘another’ (heteros) may mean that John is wondering if he should be expecting a different kind of Messiah, so it was really a question about what kind of Messiah Jesus was [BECNT, NIBC]. John was expecting an eschatological judge and deliverer [NIGTC-John Nolland]. John expected Jesus to bring judgment but Jesus didn’t do that [Lns, PNTC-Leon Morris], and moreover, Jesus abstained from religious practices like fasting [PNTC]. (An Exegetical Summary of Matthew 1-16) Charles Wesley's great hymn has a description similar to "the Expected One"... Come, thou long expected Jesus, Born to set thy people free; From our fears and sins release us; Let us find our rest in Thee. Israel’s strength and consolation, Hope of all the earth Thou art; Dear Desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart. Born Thy people to deliver, Born a child and yet a King. Born to reign in us forever, Now thy gracious kingdom bring. By Thine own eternal spirit Rule in all our hearts alone; By Thine all sufficient merit, Raise us to thy Glorious throne. Midlife Questions - Midlife feels like an emotional blizzard. Some of the swirling, disorienting confusion in your mind may be created by questions like: Am I stuck here for the "rest of my life"? Is this how it feels to get "old" Is anything worth it? Will I ever drive a race car, like I've always wanted? Why can't you understand me? Why can't I understand myself? Will I ever get the promotion? Do I even really want it? Where has all of my former confidence gone? When I'm old, will I become just like my mother/father? Why does God feel so distant, so uncaring, so silent? Are my kids ever going to get out of their troubles? Did I really marry the right person in the first place? Is this lump on my body cancer? Should I have it checked? Or am I just being paranoid? See: Matthew 9:11, 14; Matthew 11:3; 18:1; 19:3; Mark 8:11; Luke 20:22; John 6:28 The Art of Overcoming Doubt When we are in doubt, God will never fail to give light when we have no other plan than to please him and to act in love for him. —Brother Lawrence in The Practice of the Presence of God. Christianity Today, Vol. 36, no. 7. See: Judges 6:17; Matthew 11:3; John 20:25. The story is told (supposedly true) of a missionary who was sitting at her window when the mail arrived. She opened a letter and out fell a $10 bill. As she read the note accompanying the money, the sight of a poorly dressed man on the street below caught her eye. Touched by the sight, she placed the $10 bill in an envelope on which she wrote, "Don't Despair" and tossed it out the window. The man picked up the envelope, opened it, looked at the contents, smiled, tipped his hat, and went on his way. The next day there was a knock at the missionary's door and when she opened it there stood the man she had given the money the day before. He was standing there holding out a handful of cash to her. "What's this," she asked. The man said, "Lady, it’s your cut; 'Don't Despair' paid five to one at the races yesterday." Lowell Johnson -Let's be honest this morning. Have you ever been disappointed with Jesus? Have you ever felt as if Jesus had let you down? Have you ever expected something from Jesus and He didn't fulfill your expectations? Several years ago, a lady who was angry with God came up to a young man in her work place. He was a young Christian and was on fire for the Lord and with a joyful spirit told his co-workers what Christ meant to him since he was recently saved. She said to him, “I was in that 'Christianity' stuff once, but I turned away from it, and I'll never return again. I want nothing to do with the kind of God you Christians worship. He let me down when I needed Him most.” The young Christian asked the lady what she meant. She told him of a sister that she loved very much. They were best friends. But she came home one day to the horrible sight of her sister in her room – hanging by the neck at the end of a rope. She said with bitter tones, “If there's a God in heaven, then why did He let my sister commit suicide? Why didn't He stop her? If that's your God, then I want nothing to do with Him.” The young man who told that story said that he wished he could make a happy ending to that story, but he couldn't, He was young in the faith and didn't know what to say to the poor woman. He said that if he could go back in time, he would listen to her pain and weep with her over her loss. He said, “I'd ask about her sister's life and let her share what she loved about her sister.” Then after a lot of tender and sympathetic listening to her pain, I would gently and lovingly let her know that she was mad at Jesus for failing to keep a promise that He never made. She had an unfair expectation of Jesus. She had expected Jesus to violate the will of her sister to prevent her from ever doing something harmful to herself. And so, when God didn't do what she expected that He had a duty to do, she became disappointed with Him, grew to resent Him, and finally came to reject Him. That's just one incident, but I've met many people who became offended at Jesus because He didn't do what they EXPECTED Him to do. Can I say with love; the problem is never with Jesus when He disappoints our expectations. The problem is always with us and our expectations. We expect Him to do something that He never said He would do. QUESTION - Did John the Baptist lose his faith in Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 11:3; Luke 7:19)? ANSWER - In John 1:29, John the Baptist declared of Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” On several occasions, John communicated his own unworthiness compared to Jesus (Matthew 3:14; John 1:27). And he famously said of the Lord, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30). John the Baptist recognized Jesus to be the Messiah and had faith in Him. However, later, as recorded in Matthew 11:3 and Luke 7:19, John the Baptist sent messengers to Jesus to ask Him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” What is happening here? Was John the Baptist’s faith faltering? Was he doubting whether Jesus was truly the Messiah? Or is there another motivation for the question? There are two main theories concerning John’s question: Theory Number 1: John the Baptist asked, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” because his current situation caused him to doubt. John the Baptist was in prison when he asked this question via messengers. He had been thrown in prison by Herod, a wicked ruler (Matthew 11:2; Luke 3:20). John had perhaps been confined for over a year by the time he asked his question. He likely knew that he would eventually be executed (and he was, shortly after he sent the message to Jesus; see Matthew 14:1–12). Also, Jesus was not being received as the Messiah by the majority of Israelites. In fact, Jesus was meeting strong resistance from the leaders of Israel: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Sanhedrin. The Messiah was to inaugurate the kingdom of God, and no kingdom had yet appeared. John had told the crowds that the Messiah was coming soon, and “the ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10). John described the judgment the Messiah would bring: “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12). But now, in chapter 11, John is in prison. There was no ax, no winnowing fork, and no fire. Perhaps there was no Messiah. Given these circumstances, it is understandable that the faith of John the Baptist would waver. Why would the Deliverer of Israel not deliver His own messenger? Theory Number 2: John the Baptist’s question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” was asked for the sake of his disciples, to point them to Jesus. That is, it was John’s disciples who were doubting, and John sent them to the Lord to hear and see His answer for themselves. John’s faith remained strong, but, knowing his time on earth was short, John sent his followers to the one they needed to follow from then on. He sent them to ask a question—a common teaching method—and the answer they received was faith-affirming. Ever since John had pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:29), he had been pointing people to Christ. He continued that mission even from prison. Jesus’ response involved a time of show and tell. “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor” (Matthew 11:4–5). All the works that John’s disciples witnessed that day indicated that Jesus was the Chosen One. Isaiah 61:1 was being fulfilled before their very eyes: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” Jesus then says to the disciples of John the Baptist, “Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me” (Matthew 11:6). Was this meant for John? Or was this meant for John’s followers to whom Jesus was speaking? A case can be made either way. John’s disciples return to the prison to report on Jesus’ words and actions. There, either John was strengthened and encouraged in his faith (theory 1), or seized the teachable moment to emphasize to his disciples that Jesus is the Messiah (theory 2). After speaking to John’s disciples, Jesus turns to the rest of the crowd and proceeds to praise John the Baptist: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:7–11; Luke 7:21–27). Jesus does not rebuke John the Baptist for asking the question. If John had doubts, Jesus’ response shows the caring, tender way He handles wavering faith (see Matthew 12:20). If John was simply teaching his disciples, Jesus provided incontrovertible evidence that faith in Him is not misplaced. Steven Cole believes John truly had doubts - At some time or another, every thinking person has wrestled with the problem of doubt. How can I be sure that Christianity is true? What if I have put all my hope in Christ, but I’m wrong? What if there is no heaven or hell? What if critics are right and the Bible is not the Word of God? Questions of this sort can nag at the heart of the most sincere believers. Even unbelievers have their moments of doubt. C. S. Lewis, who was an atheist before he was saved, wrote (source unknown), Just as the Christian has his moments when the clamor of this visible and audible world is so persistent, and the whisper of the spiritual world so faint that faith and reason can hardly stick to their guns, so, as I well remember, the atheist also has his moments of shuddering misgiving, of an all but irresistible suspicion that old tales may, after all, be true, that something or someone from outside may at any moment break into his neat, explicable, mechanical universe. Believe in God, and you will have to face hours when it seems obvious that this material world is the only reality; disbelieve in Him, and you must face hours when this material world seems to shout at you that it is not all. No conviction religious or irreligious will, of itself, end once and for all this fifth-columnist in the soul. Only the practice of faith resulting in the habit of faith will gradually do that. We usually associate doubt with the infamous “Doubting Thomas,” but at first, all the apostles doubted the reports of Christ’s resurrection (Luke 24:11+). In the text before us, even the great forerunner, John the Baptist, was struggling with doubt as he languished in Herod’s prison. Although some respectable commentators don’t attribute doubt to the great man, I do not agree. I think that in spite of the fact that John was a great man of God, he was wrestling here with doubt. Through his honest question, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for someone else?” and through Jesus’ reply to John’s disciples and His comments to the crowd, we can learn some things about dealing with our doubt. (Sermon Dealing With Doubt) Related Resources from Gotquestions.org: What does the Bible say about doubt? | GotQuestions.org If you doubt your salvation, does that mean you are not truly saved ... Doubting God - how can I overcome doubt in my relationship with God? How can I avoid being a doubting Thomas? | GotQuestions.org How can I overcome the fact that I am struggling with faith? How can I stop doubting Jesus? | GotQuestions.org What is the meaning of “I believe; help my unbelief” in Mark 9:24 What if I don't feel saved? | GotQuestions.org How can I stop questioning my salvation? | GotQuestions.org Related Resources: Don Whitney - BORROW How can I be sure I'm a Christian? : what the Bible says about assurance of salvation Obadiah Sedgwick - PDF The Doubting Believer 175 page book John MacArthur BORROW Saved Without a Doubt - How to be Sure of Your Salvation Articles and sermons from John Piper and Desiringgod.org James Denney - The Question of Doubt MESSIAH THE EXPECTED ONE: The anticipation of national deliverance through a Man anointed by God has been a theme of Judaism throughout the ages, even as many first century Jews were “eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel…looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem” (Lk 2:25,38). John the Baptist asked the question every pious Jew had been asking for centuries “Are You the Expected One?” (Mt 11:3, Lk 7:19-20), which is another way of asking “Jesus, Are You the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Deliverer?” The 12th article of the orthodox Jewish creed says “I believe with a perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah, and though He tarry, yet will I wait daily for His coming.” (Rambam) The first century Jews expected a conquering king who would free them from Rome, but instead this Messiah died a shameful death on a Roman cross. And so there was great disappointment because Jesus did not appear to be the Expected One. Have you ever been discouraged because someone in whom you placed your hope let you down?” Then you can identify with the two disciples who walked on the dusty road to Emmaus and were joined by a resurrected Stranger whose identity was veiled. Jesus saw they were “looking sad” for they “were hoping that (Jesus) was (the Messiah) Who was going to redeem Israel.” (Lk 24:17, 21) Had not Zacharias said that “the Lord God of Israel…(had) visited us and accomplished redemption (paid the ransom to effect deliverance) for His people?” (Lk 1:68) And yet Israel was still in Rome’s grip, a grip “as strong as iron!” (Da 2:40+) Against this backdrop of hopelessness and despair began the greatest Bible lesson ever taught, for the Teacher, the Messiah, “beginning with Moses (Pentateuch – Genesis to Deut) and all the Prophets explained to them what was said in ALL the (OT) Scriptures concerning Himself.” (Luke 24:27, cp Jn 5:39, Lk 16:29-31) And so Messiah gave hope to these downcast disciples explaining that the woman’s SEED (Messiah) would have His heel bruised but would crush the head of the serpent (Ge 3:15 – the protoevangelium = the “first Gospel,” cp Heb 2:14-15+, Ro 16:20+). He explained that the prophet Micah had foretold of His birth from the clan of Judah in Bethlehem Ephrathah (Micah 5:2+). He explained that 500 years earlier Daniel had predicted the exact time of His arrival as “Messiah the Prince” (Da 9:25+) and that He would not conquer but “be cut off” (crucified) (Da 9:26+). In fact 60 major messianic prophecies with 270 ramifications (Jewish rabbis saw up to 456 messianic allusions!) were inspired by the Spirit so that there would be absolutely no doubt to OT readers that the Man Jesus was truly the long expected Messiah. Sadly, first century Jews were looking for Messiah to be a conquering King, not a suffering Servant and as a result most failed to recognize Him as God’s “Wonderful” One (Isaiah 9:6+) because they missed Isaiah’s later prediction that He would be “despised, forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief…stricken, smitten of God, afflicted…and pierced through for our transgressions…crushed for our iniquities…by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:3-5) In His first coming Messiah came as a King riding a donkey to conquer sin (Zech 9:9, Mt 21:4-5), but in His second coming He will return as King of kings riding on a white horse to conquer sinful men (Rev 19:11-16+)! “Born Thy people to deliver, born a Child and yet a King; born to reign in us forever, now Thy gracious Kingdom bring.” --C Wesley In New Evidence that Demands a Verdict (free online scroll down to page 250) Josh McDowell has the following Objection: Fulfilled Prophecy in Jesus Was Coincidental—an Accident - “Why, you could find some of these prophecies fulfilled in the deaths of Kennedy, King, Nasser, and other great figures,” replies the critic. Answer: Yes, one could possibly find one or two prophecies fulfilled in the lives of other men, but not all sixty-one major prophecies! In fact, for years, if you could have found someone other than Jesus, living or dead, who fulfilled half the predictions concerning Messiah, as listed in Messiah in Both Testaments by Fred John Meldau, the Christian Victory Publishing Company of Denver offered to give you a thousand-dollar reward. There are a lot of men in the universities who could have used this extra cash! H. Harold Hartzler, of the American Scientific Affiliation, Goshen College, in the foreword of Peter Stoner’s book writes: “The manuscript for Science Speaks has been carefully reviewed by a committee of the American Scientific Affiliation members and by the Executive Council of the same group and has been found, in general, to be dependable and accurate in regard to the scientific material presented. The mathematical analysis included is based upon principles of probability which are thoroughly sound and Professor Stoner has applied these principles in a proper and convincing way” (Hartzler, “F,” as cited in Stoner, SS). The following probabilities are taken from Stoner in Science Speaks to show that coincidence is ruled out by the science of probability. Stoner says that by using the modern science of probability in reference to eight prophecies (1.—No. 10; 2.—No. 22; 3.—No. 27; 4.—No. 33 & 44; 5.—No. 34; 6.—No. 35 & 36; 7.—No. 39; 8.—No. 44 & 45 [crucified]), “We find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 1017” (10 to the 17th power). That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000 (17 zeros after the one). In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it by supposing that “we take 1017 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote them according to their own wisdom. “Now these prophecies were either given by inspiration of God or the prophets just wrote them as they thought they should be. In such a case the prophets had just one chance in 1017 of having them come true in any man, but they all came true in Christ. This means that the fulfillment of these eight prophecies alone proves that God inspired the writing of those prophecies to a definiteness which lacks only one chance in 1017 of being absolute.” (Stoner, SS, 100–107) Stoner considers forty-eight prophecies and reports, We find the chance that any one man fulfilled all 48 prophecies to be 1 in 10157. This is really a large number and it represents an extremely small chance. Let us try to visualize it. The silver dollar, which we have been using, is entirely too large. We must select a smaller object. The electron is about as small an object as we know of. It is so small that it will take 2.5 times 1015 of them laid side by side to make a line, single file, one inch long. If we were going to count the electrons in this line one inch long, and counted 250 each minute, and if we counted day and night, it would take us 19,000,000 years to count just the one-inch line of electrons. If we had a cubic inch of these electrons and we tried to count them it would take us, counting steadily 250 each minute, 19,000,000 times 19,000,000 times 19,000,000 years or 6.9 times 1021 years. (Stoner, SS, 109, 110) Such is the chance of any individual fulfilling forty-eight prophecies. Related Resources: Holman Chart of Messianic Prophecies of the Old Testament - Part 1 (nice) - Specific Prophecy - OT References - NT Fulfillment Holman Chart of Messianic Prophecies of the Old Testament - Part 2 (nice) - Specific Prophecy - OT References - NT Fulfillment Norman Geisler - The highly reputed “predictions” of Nostradamus were not that amazing at all. Contrary to popular belief, he never predicted either the place or the year of a great California earthquake. Most of his “famous” predictions, such as the rise of Hitler, were vague. As other psychics, he was frequently wrong, a false prophet by biblical standards. John MacArthur gives a summary of "the Expected One" which is in essence a recap of many of the OT Messianic Prophecies... The Old Testament is filled with references to the Expected One that point unmistakably to Jesus Christ. The Expected One, along with the Father and the Spirit, created everything (Gen. 1:1, 26; cf. John 1:1-3). His coming was first promised to Adam and Eve immediately after the Fall. God reassured them that Satan, who had deceived and devastated them, would himself be destroyed by the Expected One (Gen. 3:15; cf. 1 John 3:8). God’s killing of animals to provide clothes to cover Adam and Eve’s shame pictured His sacrifice for sin (Gen. 3:21). The Expected One was to be a descendant of Abraham (Gen. 22:18; cf. Acts 3:25; Gal. 3:16), from the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10; cf. Heb. 7:14). The Old Testament priest Melchizedek (“king of righteousness”; Heb. 7:2) pictured the Expected One in that his lack of a recorded genealogy symbolized Christ’s perpetual priesthood (cf. Heb. 6:20). Abraham’s offering of his son Isaac (Ge 22:1-14) symbolizes the sacrifice of the Expected One; just as God provided a ram as a substitute for Isaac, so also is Jesus the sacrifice for sinners (1 John 2:1-2). Joseph, scorned and rejected by his brothers, nevertheless became their deliverer. In the same way Jesus “came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:11-12). Noah’s ark, a place of refuge from God’s wrath, pictures Jesus—the true ark of safety in whom believers ride safely above the waves of divine judgment. The angel of the Lord (Gen. 16:7-13; 22:11-18; 31:11-13; Ex. 3:2-6; Jdg. 6:11-23; 13:2-22) was the preincarnate manifestation of the Expected One. Every spotless, innocent lamb offered as a sacrifice pictured the final sacrifice of the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29; cf. 1 Peter 1:18-19). The manna in the wilderness foreshadowed the coming of the Expected One, the true bread of life (John 6:31-58). Aaron and all the high priests who succeeded him pictured the Lord Jesus Christ, the great high priest (Heb. 2:17; 3:1; 4:14-15; 6:20) who was to come. The fiery serpent in the wilderness, to whom sinners bitten by poisonous snakes looked and were healed, symbolizes Jesus, who declared, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). The Expected One was to be the ultimate prophet of whom Moses spoke (Deut. 18:15-19; cf. Acts 3:22-23; 7:37). Boaz, Ruth’s kinsman-redeemer (Ruth 4:1-12) was a type of Christ, the redeemer of His people (Matt. 1:21). Like David, the shepherd king, the Messiah would come as a shepherd (John 10:11) and King (Matt. 27:11; John 1:49; Rev. 17:14). The filling of the temple with God’s glory (1 Kings 8:10-11) provided a glimpse of the glory of Jesus (John 1:14). The Expected One is the Son of God and King of Psalm 2, the resurrected one of Psalm 16, the crucified one of Psalm 22, the shepherd of Psalm 23, and the betrayed one of Psalm 41. Isaiah predicted that the Messiah would be a light shining on those who walk in darkness (Isa 9:2), be born of a virgin (Isa 7:14), bear exalted titles (9:6), be God with us (Isa 7:14; cf. Matt. 1:23), be a descendant of David (Isa 11:1), and sit on his throne (Isa 9:7). Isaiah also described the crucifixion of the Messiah and its profound theological implications in Isaiah 53. The rest of the prophets filled in other details concerning Jesus, the Expected One. Micah predicted His birth in Bethlehem (5:2); Jeremiah, Herod’s slaughter of the innocent male babies (Jer 31:15; cf. Matt. 2:17-18); Hosea, the flight of Joseph, Mary and Jesus into Egypt (Hos 11:1; cf. Matt. 2:15); Joel saw that through the coming of the Expected One the Spirit of God would be poured out (Joel 2:28-32; cf. Acts 2:16-18); Daniel predicted His death (Da 9:26); Zechariah predicted the triumphal entry (Zech 9:9), the exact amount Judas would receive for betraying Jesus (Zech 11:12-13), the piercing of Jesus’ side (Zech 12:10), and the disciples’ forsaking of Him (Zech 13:7). In his great little apologetic book More than a Carpenter (see free online) in chapter 9 "Will the Real Messiah Please Stand Up" Josh McDowell writes... In the Old Testament there are sixty major messianic prophecies and approximately 270 ramifications that were fulfilled in one person, Jesus Christ. It is helpful to look at all these predictions fulfilled in Christ as his "address." You've probably never realized how important the details of your name and address are—and yet these details set you apart from the four billion other people who also inhabit this planet. With even greater detail, God wrote an "address" in history to single out his Son, the Messiah, the Savior of mankind, from anyone who has ever lived in history—past, present, and future. The specifics of this "address" can be found in the Old Testament, a document written over a period of 1,000 years which contains over 300 references to his coming. Using the science of probability, we find the chances of just forty-eight of these prophecies being fulfilled in one person to be only one in ten to the 157th power. The task of matching up God's address with one man is further complicated by the fact that all the prophecies of the Messiah were made at least 400 years before he was to appear. Some might disagree and say that these prophecies were written down after the time of Christ and fabricated to coincide with his life. This might sound feasible until you realize that the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, was translated around 150-200 B.C. This Greek translation shows that there was at least a two hundred-year gap between the prophecies being recorded and their fulfillment in Christ. Certainly God was writing an "address" in history that only the Messiah could fulfill. There have been approximately forty major claims by men to be the Jewish Messiah. But only one—Jesus Christ—appealed to fulfilled prophecy to substantiate his claims, and only his credentials back up those claims. What were some of those details? And what events had to precede and coincide with the appearance of God's Son? To begin, we need to go way back to Genesis 3:15 . Here we have the first messianic prophecy. In all of Scripture, only one Man was "born of the seed of a woman"—all others are born of the seed of a man. Here is one who will come into the world and undo the works of Satan ("bruise his head"). In Genesis 9 and Genesis 10 God narrowed the "ad-dress" down further. Noah had three sons, Shem, Japheth, and Ham. Today all of the nations of the world can be traced back to these three men. But in this statement, God effectively eliminated two-thirds of them from the line of Messiahship. The Messiah will come through the lineage of Shem. Then, continuing on down to the year 2000 B.c., we find God calling a man named Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees. With Abraham, God became still more specific, stating that the Messiah will be one of his descendants.' All the families of the earth will be blessed through Abraham. When Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, many of Abraham's descendants were eliminated when God selected his second son, Isaac.2 Isaac had two sons, Jacob and Esau, and then God chose the line of Jacob.3 Jacob had twelve sons, out of whom developed the twelve tribes of Israel. Then God singled out the tribe of Judah for Messiahship and eliminated 11/12ths of the Israelite tribes. And of all the family lines within Judith's tribe, the line of Jesse was the divine choice.' One can see the probability building. Jesse had eight children and in 2 Samuel 7:12-16 and Jeremiah 23:5 God eliminated 1/7th of Jesse's family line: we read that God's Man will not only be of the seed of a woman, the lineage of Shem, the race of the Jews, the line of Isaac, the line of Jacob, the tribe of Judah, but that he will also be of the house of David. A prophecy dating 1012 B.c.s also predicts that this Man's hands and feet will be pierced (i.e., he will be crucified). This description was written 800 years before crucifixion was put into effect by the Romans. Isaiah 7:14 adds that he will be born of a virgin: a natural birth of unnatural conception, a criterion beyond human planning and control. Several prophecies recorded in Isaiah and the Psalms 6 describe the social climate and response that God's man will encounter: his own people, the Jews, will reject him and the Gentiles will believe in him. There will be a forerunner for him (Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1), a voice in the wilderness, one preparing the way before the Lord, a John the Baptist. THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER Notice, too, the seven ramifications of a prophecy' that narrows the drama down even further. Here God indicates that the Messiah will (1) be betrayed, (2) by a friend, (3) for thirty pieces, (4) of silver, and that it will be (5) cast on the floor, (6) of the temple, and (7) used to buy a potter's field. In Micah 5:2 God eliminated all the cities of the world and selected Bethlehem, with less than 1,000 people, as the Messiah's birthplace. Then through a series of prophecies he even defined the time sequence that would set his Man apart. For example, Malachi 3:1 and four other Old Testament verses require the Messiah to come while the temple of Jerusalem is still standing. This is of great significance when we realize that the temple was destroyed in A.D. 70 and has not since been rebuilt. The precise lineage; the place, time, and manner of birth; people's reactions, the betrayal; the manner of death. These are just a fragment of the hundreds of details that made up the "address" to identify God's Son, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. OBJECTION: SUCH FULFILLED PROPHECY WAS COINCIDENTAL "Why, you could find some of these prophecies fulfilled in Kennedy, King, Nasser, etc.," replies a critic. Yes, one could possibly find one or two prophecies fulfilled in other men, but not all sixty major prophecies and 270 ramifications. In fact, if you can find someone, other than Jesus, either living or dead, who can fulfill only half of the predictions concerning Messiah which are given in Messiah in Both Testaments by Fred John Meldau, the Christian Victory Publishing Company of Denver is ready to give you a $1,000 reward. II. Harold Hartzler, of the American Scientific Affiliation, in the foreword of a book by Peter W. Stoner writes: "The manuscript for Science Speaks has been carefully reviewed by a commit-tee of the American Scientific Affiliation members and by the Executive Council of the same group and has been found, in general, to be dependable and accurate in regard to the scientific material presented. The mathematical analysis included is based upon principles of probability which are thoroughly sound, and Professor Stoner has applied these principles in a proper and convincing way." The following probabilities are taken from that book to show that coincidence is ruled out by the science of probability. Stoner says that by using the modern science of probability in reference to eight prophecies, "we find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 10 to the 17th power." That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it by supposing that "we take 100,000,000,000,000,000 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote them in their own wisdom. "Now these prophecies were either given by inspiration of God or the prophets just wrote them as they thought they should be. In such a case the prophets had just one chance in 10 to the 17th power of having them come true in any man, but they all came true in Christ. "This means that the fulfillment of these eight prophecies alone proves that God inspired the writing of those prophecies to a definiteness which lacks only one chance in 1017 of being absolute."9 ANOTHER OBJECTION Another objection is that Jesus deliberately at-tempted to fulfill the Jewish prophecies. This objection seems plausible until we realize that many of the details of the Messiah's coming were totally beyond human control. For example, the place of birth. I can just hear Jesus in Mary's womb as she rode on the donkey: "Mom, we won't make it . . ." When Herod asked the chief priests and scribes, "Where is the Christ to be born?" they said, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet" (Matthew 2:5). The time of his coming. The manner of his birth. Betrayal by Judas and the betrayal price. The manner of his death. The people's reaction, the mocking and spitting, the staring. The casting of dice for his clothes. The non-tearing of his garment, etc. Half the prophecies are beyond his fulfillment. He couldn't work it out to be born of the seed of the woman, the lineage of Shem, the descendants of Abraham, etc. No wonder Jesus and the apostles appealed to fulfilled prophecy to substantiate his claim. Why did God go to all this trouble? I believe he wanted Jesus Christ to have all the credentials he needed when he came into the world. Yet the most exciting thing about Jesus Christ is that he came to change lives. He alone proved correct the hundreds of Old Testament prophecies that de-scribed his coming. And he alone can fulfill the greatest prophecy of all for those who will accept it—the promise of new life: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.. Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." Related Resource: See Messianic Prophecies Matthew 11:4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: NET Matthew 11:4 Jesus answered them, "Go tell John what you hear and see: GNT Matthew 11:4 καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Πορευθέντες ἀπαγγείλατε Ἰωάννῃ ἃ ἀκούετε καὶ βλέπετε· NLT Matthew 11:4 Jesus told them, "Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen-- KJV Matthew 11:4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: ESV Matthew 11:4 And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: NIV Matthew 11:4 Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: ASV Matthew 11:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and tell John the things which ye hear and see: CSB Matthew 11:4 Jesus replied to them, "Go and report to John what you hear and see: NKJ Matthew 11:4 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: NRS Matthew 11:4 Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: YLT Matthew 11:4 And Jesus answering said to them, 'Having gone, declare to John the things that ye hear and see, NAB Matthew 11:4 Jesus said to them in reply, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: NJB Matthew 11:4 Jesus answered, 'Go back and tell John what you hear and see; GWN Matthew 11:4 Jesus answered John's disciples, "Go back, and tell John what you hear and see: BBE Matthew 11:4 And Jesus, answering, said to them, Go and give news to John of the things which you are seeing and hearing: Related Passages: Luke 7:18-21+ And the disciples of John reported to him about all these things. 19 And summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?” 20 And when the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?’” 21 At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He granted sight to many who were blind. YOU SAW IT NOW GO & TELL IT Jesus answered (apokrinomai - to respond to a question asking for information) and said to them, “Go (imperative sense) and report (apaggello in aorist imperative = "Just Do It!") to John what you (present tense - continually) hear and (present tense - continually) see (blepo - take notice of) - Note that Jesus did not directly answer their question "Are you the Expected One?" What He was provide evidence that He was indeed the Messiah Who Israel should have been expecting! Go and report directed them to Jesus' deeds regarding the Old Testament prophecy in the book of Isaiah said that the Messiah would do (see Mt 11:5) Jesus was saying in essence for them to report to John that He was on schedule, was fulfilling Scripture and was doing exactly what the Bible predicted the Messiah would do. So yes, "I’m the Messiah!" Seeing is believing as the old saying goes but of course John could not see it but would surely believe his disciples testimonies. Luke tells us what they saw and heard writing "At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind." (Lk 7:21+). John's disciples were to give a witness which would include not only things they heard, but also things they personally saw. It is notable that He did not answer "I am the Messiah." He answered with actions that one would expect to be associated with the Messiah. Listen to the words of Christ. See the works of Christ. That was our Lord's prescription for times of doubt. -Phil Newton 🙏 THOUGHT - As believers while we likely have not witnessed any of the physical evidences of Jesus the Messiah, most of us have witnessed the far greater miracle of a dead sinner being born again and obtaining a new life in Christ (2Co 5:17+). So we too should obey Jesus' words and go and tell others. And if you are a believer, you have no excuse that you do not know anyone who has a changed life, because all you have to do is look in the mirror at the life that Jesus' Gospel as changed forever. So now go and tell!!!
Mateus 11
MacArthur explains John's superior greatness this way - He was the greatest human being who had lived until that time. From an earthly perspective, John's character and calling made him the greatest man yet born besides Jesus Himself. In superior qualities as a human being, John was unequaled. (See Matthew Commentary - Page 255) We see the compassion of Christ even for struggling saints.... Clouds of doubt may arise but Jesus Christ melts them away. -- Phil Newton 🙏 THOUGHT - What an encouraging passage this is. Why so? If the greatest man to ever live up to that time had doubts about Jesus, then every believer can take comfort in his doubting! In other words, doubting does not mean we are lesser disciples because we doubt. While John’s role was the greatest under the Old Covenant, those of us who come after Christ’s death and resurrection experience the fullness of salvation (the New Covenant in His blood and God's gift of the indwelling Spirit) enjoy an even greater privilege. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom (basileia) of heaven (ouranos) is greater than he - John is regarded as outside the kingdom of heaven. Those in the kingdom of heaven describe every person who has been born again and entered into the New Covenant. Why is every believer greater than John? For one thing believers are now in the Kingdom, a Kingdom John was only privileged to announce as arriving. Every believer is now in Christ and clothed with His righteousness, and thus has a position that John did not have. John MacArthur explains that "the people misunderstand the nature of John's greatness, Jesus added, yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Although he was a spiritual giant among men, John's unique greatness was in his role in human history, not in his spiritual inheritance, in which he would be equal to every believer. Therefore, the least in the kingdom of heaven, the spiritual dimension, is greater than he, that is, than anyone in the human dimension, including John." (See Matthew Commentary - Page 255)
Mateus 11
MacArthur has a lengthy comment on the two interpretations and ends up favoring the positive interpretation - The kingdom of heaven refers to God's general rule, His will for and His work with mankind, especially His chosen people, the Jews. It represents His purpose, message, principles, laws, and activities relating to mankind—all of which had been associated with some form of violence since John began preaching. The form of biazo (from which suffers violence comes) can be read as either a Greek passive or middle voice. (ED: FIRST INTERPRETATION) As a passive, it would carry the idea of being oppressed or treated violently, which would indicate that violence is brought on the kingdom of heaven by those outside of it. The Pharisees and scribes had attacked John verbally, and Herod had attacked him physically. The kingdom was being violently denied and rejected; and because it was being rejected in its spiritual dimension, the kingdom would not come in its earthly, millennial dimension. Soon the enemies of the kingdom would kill not only John but even the Messiah Himself. They would destroy both the herald and the King. (ED: SECOND INTERPRETATION) In the middle voice the verb carries the active idea of applying force or of entering forcibly—in which case the translation would be, "The kingdom of heaven is vigorously pressing itself forward, and people are forcefully entering it." With its focus in John the Baptist, the kingdom moved relentlessly through the godless, sin-darkened human system that opposed it. The first of those two interpretations is negative and the second is positive; but both are true. (ED: THIS IS THE INTERPRETATION CONVEYED BY THE NLT) As already seen, the negative is illustrated by the persecution of John. The positive is illustrated by the many people that John's preaching led to the Lord, just as the angel predicted: "He will turn back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" Luke 1:16-17. Although both interpretations are possible and true, the second seems preferable in the context. Jesus had already taught that the few who enter the kingdom do so by first finding and then entering the narrow gate and walking the narrow way (Matt. 7:13-14). He also said that citizenship in His kingdom requires denying self, taking up one's cross, and following Him (Matt 16:24; cf. 10:38). Following the Lord demands earnest endeavor, untiring energy, and the utmost exertion. To be a Christian is to swim against the flow of the world, to go against its grain, because the adversary—Satan, his demons, and the world system—are extremely powerful. Those who enter the kingdom of grace through faith in Christ do so with great effort through the sovereign power of the convicting and converting Holy Spirit. (See Matthew Commentary - Page 256) D A Carson combines the negative and positive interpretations (see MacArthur above) - The best solution is to take the verb (biazo) in its most likely voice, middle deponent, and the noun and verb of the last clause with their normal evil connotations: viz., from the time of John the Baptist (as explained above) until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing; and violent or rapacious men have been trying (conative present) to plunder it....Now, Jesus goes on to say, from the days of the Baptist—i.e., from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry—the kingdom has been forcefully advancing (the point also made in Luke 16:16) (POSITIVE INTERPRETATION). But it has not swept all opposition away, as John expected (see Mt 11:2–4). Simultaneous with the kingdom’s advance have been the attacks of violent men on it (NEGATIVE INTERPRETATION). That is the very point John could not grasp. Now Jesus expressly affirms it. The statement is general because it does not refer to just one kind of opposition. It includes Herod’s imprisonment of John (cf. J.A.T. Robinson, Twelve, pp. 44–45), the attacks by Jewish leaders now intensifying (Mt 9:34; 12:22–24), the materialism that craved a political Messiah and the prosperity he would bring but not his righteousness (Mt 11:20–24) (See Matthew) Louis Barbieri favors the NEGATIVE INTERPRETATION - But the kingdom had been subject to violence and evil men were trying to take it by force (Matt. 11:12). The religious leaders of Jesus' day (forceful men) were resisting the movement introduced by John, Jesus, and the apostles. Forcefully advancing (biazetai) could be rendered in the passive, "is violently treated." (The verb lay hold of [harpazousin] means "to grasp" in the sense of resisting or laying claim to it on their own). Those leaders wanted a kingdom, but not the kind Jesus was offering. So they were resisting the message and attempting to establish their own rule. (See Bible Knowledge Commentary - Page 44) David Lowery favors the NEGATIVE INTERPRETATION- Suffers violence (biazetai)-This saying could be positive (cf. Luke 16:16) and translated "forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it" (NIV), positive and negative ("forcefully advancing, and violent people attack it" NLT) or negative (NET, NASB, NRSV, NKJV): "violent men have been trying to take over the kingdom of heaven by force" (CEV). Two reasons lend support to a negative translation. First, in general the word is "most often used in the unfavorable sense of attack or forcible constraint" (BDAG, 175; BAGD, 140-41). Second, the preceding context has warned disciples about fearful opposition (e.g., Mt 10:16-39) which will soon be graphically illustrated in the death of John the Baptist (Mt 14:1-12)-the lauded character of the immediate context (Mt 11:7-19). There is no guarantee the term is used in the same way in Matthew and Luke as the contexts differ. [biazo] (Bible Knowledge Key Word Study) Lord, wake us up! Suffer us not to be using dead formality, where living violence can alone avail. C H Spurgeon Commentary - John had aroused an unusual earnestness which had not died out. Men were eager for the glories of “the kingdom of heaven.” Though they misinterpreted it, they were on fire to seize it. John himself, in his excess of eagerness, had sent his two disciples to our Lord with an impatient question. Our Savior does not blame his intense enquiry; but says that so it must be. A holy violence had been introduced by John, and they had just seen it in his question, and our Lord would have all those who would obtain the kingdom capture it by the same passionate eagerness. The time was come to end indifference, and put on a holy resolution as to the things of God. Thus the King sets forth the spirit demanded in these who would take part and lot in his great cause and kingdom. Lord, wake us up! Suffer us not to be using dead formality, where living violence can alone avail. NET NOTE - NET = "has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it." - Or "the kingdom of heaven is forcibly entered and violent people take hold of it." For a somewhat different interpretation of this passage, see the note on the phrase "urged to enter in" in Luke 16:16. (NOTE on Lk 16:16 = "Many translations have "entereth violently into it" (ASV) or "is forcing his way into it" (NASB, NIV). This is not true of everyone. It is better to read the verb here as passive rather than middle, and in a softened sense of "be urged." See Gen 33:11; Judg 13:15–16; 19:7; 2 Sam 3:25, 27 in the LXX. This fits the context well because it agrees with Jesus' attempt to persuade his opponents to respond morally. For further discussion and details, see D. L. Bock, Luke (BECNT), 2:1352–53. " Suffers violence (971)(biazo from bia = violence) means to overpower, impel, but also to rush into. To use or apply force, to inflict violence on. As noted above, in the middle voice the idea is to overpower or apply force and in the passive voice the idea is to urge, strongly urge or constrain. The only other use of biazo is in Lk 16:16). We see these 2 main senses (apply force versus strongly urge) in the uses in the Septuagint (Ge 33:11; Ex 19:24; Dt. 22:25; 22:28; Jdg. 13:15-16; 19:7; 2 Sa 13:25; 13:27; Est. 7:8) Darrell Bock in his comments on use of BIAZO in Luke 16:16 writes - We turn, then, to the meaning of βιάζω, the basic sense of which is “to apply force.” Several interpretations have been proposed for this term (Leaney 1958: 223–24; Cortés and Gatti 1987 [on options 1, 3, and 4 ]; BAGD 140–41; BAA 280–81): 1. The term is negative and in the middle voice: “all act violently against it”; that is, the kingdom is subject to universal opposition (Ellis 1974: 203 mentions demonic forces). This view reflects a linkage to Matthew, since in the Matthean passage the force is clearly negative.16 In this negative light, the world—and everything in it—stands opposed to the kingdom. But such a pessimistic view is not likely for Luke, since Jesus has gathered some disciples, and in 2:34–35 he divides people, rather than being opposed by them all. Arndt (1956: 361) qualifies this view by suggesting that the entry is not necessarily violent, but neither is it always pursued on God’s terms. This refinement is possible, but if rejection were the dominant image, one would still expect a contrastive particle countering the earlier positive reference to preaching. However, only καί (kai, and) appears. 2. The term is negative and should be translated: “everyone forces his way into it”; that is, people try to violently bring the kingdom to earth. Such a remark by Jesus is seen as a criticism of the Zealot movements (Luce 1933: 266 calls this view “attractive”). Against this view is the supposed juxtaposition of kingdom preaching and political criticism without any use of a contrastive conjunction, not to mention the almost complete absence of explicit political critique in every portrayal of Jesus.17 If Jesus ever took on Zealots or people like them, this is the only place he did so. 3. The term is positive and in the middle voice: “everyone tries to force his way into it [the kingdom]” (Hendriksen 1978: 774; Manson 1949: 134–35; Schrenk, TDNT 1:612; Klostermann 1929: 167; Marshall 1978: 630 [apparently]). The problem with this approach is that it is entirely too positive. Jesus has faced severe opposition in every period of his ministry. And only in this context does Jesus rebuke the Pharisees’ scoffing. In Jesus’ view, they are hardly pressing to enter the kingdom. 4. The verb has a softened force and is in the passive voice: “all are urged insistently to come in” (Schweizer 1984: 258; Fitzmyer 1985: 1117).18 This view fits remarkably well in the current context. Why is Jesus warning and exhorting his opponents so constantly? Because he is attempting to persuade them to respond morally. In a sense, his mission is bound up in his proclamation to and effort toward those most opposed to him, those on the road to rejection. The opportunity is always placed before them. The risk is always expressed to them. Indeed, the special nature of the time creates the urgency. People may think that they can take or leave the kingdom message, but the warnings are necessary because the message will take or leave them, depending on how they respond. Thus the need to urge insistently. Jesus presents the message to all, and all are given the chance to enter and share in the kingdom’s benefits (14:15–24 is similar in thrust). The time of fulfillment has come and all are invited to share in the good news. The kingdom comes, regardless of whether one responds. But if one is to share in the kingdom message, one must respond to Jesus’ authority—not scoff at it (16:14). (See Luke : 2 Volumes Baker Exegetical Commentary) Take by force (726) harpazo from haireô = take, in NT only in middle voice = haireomai = to take for oneself, to choose; akin to airo = to raise up) means to snatch up or way, to seize or seize upon, to steal (see comparison to klepto below), to catch away or up, to pluck, to pull. Harpazo means to take suddenly and vehemently, often with violence and speed or quickly and without warning. The idea is to take by force with a sudden swoop and usually indicates a force which cannot be resisted. In eschatological terms (future events, prophetically related) as in the present verse, harpazo refers to what is often known as the "rapture" (Latin = raptura = seizing or Latin = rapio = seize, snatch) Harpazo conveys the idea of force suddenly exercised, and also well rendered by the English verb to snatch (to seize, take or grasp something {someone} abruptly or hastily with emphasis on the idea of suddenness or quickness)
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MacArthur - JOHN AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN—MATT. 11:12 Daily Readings From the Life of Christ Volumes 1-3 - Page 9 “The kingdom of heaven” refers to God’s general rule and represents His purpose, message, commands, and activities regarding humanity. This great concept was associated in some fashion with violence since John the Baptist began preaching. Wherever he went, his call for repentance and entrance into the kingdom generated strong and eventually violent opposition. The verb translated “suffers violence” carries both negative and positive connotations. First is the idea of the kingdom being treated violently by its foes—by those outside it, like the Jewish leaders. They vociferously rejected its spiritual dimension, and so its earthly dimension could not begin for some time. Second, there is a more proactive and primary meaning to the phrase “suffers violence”—which sees the kingdom as vigorously pressing forward and people forcefully entering it. The angel’s prediction before John’s birth illustrates this positive element (see Luke 1:16–17). Jesus was already teaching about the narrow gate and the narrow way (Matt. 7:13–14), declaring that kingdom citizenship requires self-denial and cross bearing (16:24; cf. 10:38). To be a Christian today means swimming against the world’s flow, going against its grain, because its satanic system is extremely powerful. Those who truly enter God’s kingdom do so through faith and with great effort—effort that is not their own, but from the sovereign, converting power of the Holy Spirit. ASK YOURSELF You’re certainly familiar with the kingdom of God arousing violent opposition from without. But have you ever thought of it flexing its strength to bring you into its borders? How has the kingdom met you in brute force, causing “violence” to your former manner of living? Matthew 11:13 “For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. BGT Matthew 11:13 πάντες γὰρ οἱ προφῆται καὶ ὁ νόμος ἕως Ἰωάννου ἐπροφήτευσαν· KJV Matthew 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. NET Matthew 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John appeared. CSB Matthew 11:13 For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John; ESV Matthew 11:13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, NIV Matthew 11:13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. NLT Matthew 11:13 For before John came, all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time. NRS Matthew 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came; NJB Matthew 11:13 Because it was towards John that all the prophecies of the prophets and of the Law were leading; NAB Matthew 11:13 All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John. YLT Matthew 11:13 for all the prophets and the law till John did prophesy, GWN Matthew 11:13 All the Prophets and Moses' Teachings prophesied up to the time of John. RSV Matthew 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John; NKJ Matthew 11:13 "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. ASV Matthew 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. MIT Matthew 11:13 All the prophets, as well as the law, prophesied right up to John. Mt 5:17-18 Mal 4:6 Lu 24:27,44 Joh 5:46,47 Ac 3:22-24 13:27 Ro 3:21 Matthew 11 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 5:17-18+ “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Luke 24:27; 44+ Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. 44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Acts 3:22-24+ “Moses said, ‘THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. 23‘And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24“And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. Luke 16:16+ “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since then the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. A PIVOTAL TRANSITION IN REDEMPTIVE HISTORY In the context of In Matthew 11, Jesus is explaining John’s identity. The people wondered who John was, and Jesus answers John is more than a prophet (Matthew 11:9), John is the promised forerunner of Malachi 3:1 (Matthew 11:10) and therefore, the long line of prophetic anticipation finds its endpoint with him. Before John, the Scriptures looked ahead to Christ in promise and shadow. With John, the prophesying takes on a new character so that instead of pointing forward distantly, John directly announces the Messiah’s arrival. For - Term of explanation. He is explaining Mt 11:12. Pulpit Commentary says "It is only right that there should be such a seizing of the kingdom of heaven, for in a certain sense the function of the prophets and the Law ceased with John." All the prophets (prophetes) and the Law prophesied (propheteuo) until (heos) John - The phrase “the Law and the Prophets” refers to the entire Old Testament revelation, encompassing both the Mosaic Law and the prophetic writings. Even the Law is said to have “prophesied,” because it pointed forward to Christ through its types, shadows, and promises (cf. Luke 24:27+) (See Messianic Prophecies) Thus, both the Law and the Prophets functioned together as a unified witness anticipating the coming Messiah. This includes figures like Malachi, who closed the Old Testament era with the promise: “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.” (Malachi 4:5–6+) When Jesus says that “the Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John” (Luke 16:16+), the word “until” (See "Until") marks a decisive turning point in redemptive history. Prophesied until John means that the Old Testament era, which anticipated the coming Messiah in types, shadows, and explicit prophecies, culminates with John the Baptist. It signifies that the Old Testament revelation operated up to a specific moment, namely, the arrival of John the Baptist, and then a new phase began. The Law and the Prophets were not abolished, but their preparatory role reached its climax and fulfillment. It is important to understand that the true dividing line between the Old and New Covenants is not merely between Malachi and Matthew, but ultimately at the Cross of Jesus Christ (cf. Hebrews 9:15–17+). All believers who lived and died before the Cross belonged to the era of the Old Covenant (but they were saved by belief in what limited understanding they had of Messiah), while those after the Cross live in the full realization of the New Covenant. John the Baptist stands uniquely at this transition point. He is the final and greatest of the Old Testament prophets (Matthew 11:11), yet also the immediate forerunner of the New Covenant. His ministry signals that the long-awaited fulfillment is no longer distant but present. In that sense, John’s appearance marks the closing of the Old Covenant era and the dawn of the New, which would be inaugurated through Christ’s death and resurrection. All previous prophets declared, in essence, “the Messiah is coming,” but John alone was given the unparalleled privilege of proclaiming: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29+) Thus, John does not merely continue the prophetic tradition, but actually brings it to its climax, standing at the threshold between promise and fulfillment, announcing that the King has arrived. TAKEAWAY - The Law and the Prophets pointed forward to Christ until John, who stands at the turning point of history and announces that what was promised has now arrived. Jesus is the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament (Matthew 5:17). This highlights God’s faithfulness that every prophetic promise converges in Christ. R T France - Until could include or exclude John, but the following verse will make clear his inclusion among the prophets, just as v. 11 showed his exclusion from the subsequent kingdom of heaven. He belongs to the forward-looking (prophesied) era of the Old Testament. (See Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary - Page 199) Craig A Evans - Jesus is teaching that with the appearance of John, the prophetic history has reached its climax, its fulfillment. No more prophesying is necessary before the kingdom of God (or heaven, as it usually is in Matthew) can come in its fulness. But Jesus is not teaching that the Prophets and the Law are no longer valid or are no longer authoritative. He only means that what they proclaimed has now been realized in the advent of the kingdom. (See The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: Matthew-Luke) Steven
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MacArthur explains "The Old Testament era, the era of promise, concluded with the ministry of John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophets. In addition to being the final representative of the Old Testament era of promise, John was also the first representative of the New Testament era of fulfillment; his ministry bridged the two eras. He not only predicted Messiah’s appearance, but also witnessed it. Because of his unique position and his privilege to be Messiah’s forerunner, Jesus declared John to have been the greatest person who had ever lived up until his day (Mt. 11:11). In his outpouring of praise to God, John’s father, Zacharias, had noted the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises in the coming of the Messiah (Lk 1:67-79). John’s ministry reached its climax when he baptized Jesus the Messiah. The transition from John to Jesus, from the Old Testament era of promise to the New Testament era of fulfillment was complete. “He must increase,” John said of Jesus, “but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Not long afterward, John was imprisoned and executed by being beheaded (Mt 14:3-12). (See Luke Commentary) (Bolding added) Leon
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MacArthur says "And so the angel says there’s coming one in the spirit and power of Elijah, he’s the Elijah that Malachi promised. He’s coming to announce the arrival of the Messiah. And Jesus says, “If you believe the message, if you believe the gospel, if you believe Me, he will fulfill that Elijah prophecy. He will be that Elijah-like prophet.” Now that leaves room for another thought, what if they don’t believe because they didn’t. Well they didn’t and therefore even though John came in the spirit and power of Elijah, there still yet must be a future fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy before the great and terrible Day of the Lord. Before Jesus comes to destroy the ungodly, to set up His earthly Kingdom, there will be in that day before He arrives another Elijah-like prophet who will announce His arrival. Perhaps this could be one of the two prophets described in Revelation 11+. (The Greatness of John the Baptist) William
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MacArthur - JOHN LIKENED TO ELIJAH—MATT. 11:13–14 Daily Readings From the Life of Christ Volumes 1-3 - Page 10 All of God’s Old Testament revelation climaxed in John the Baptist. And the apostle John picked up the theme (which at times had been only implicit) that said, “The Messiah is coming!” The Lord Jesus suggests a close likeness between John and the prophet Elijah, based on Malachi’s prophecy, which are the final words of the Old Testament: “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse” (Mal. 4:5–6). That Malachi referred to the future John the Baptist and not a literally reincarnated Elijah is clear when we look at Luke 1:17—“It is he [John] who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah.” John himself clearly denied that he was actually Elijah come back (John 1:21). Rather he was like Elijah—inwardly in “spirit and power” and outwardly in independence and nonconformity. John was uniquely great, in the mold of Elijah and more so than any man but Jesus; but God’s highest bestowing of greatness is not John’s. His greatness, Jesus declared, pales beside those like us who enter God’s spiritual kingdom by trusting in the Son as Lord and Savior. Thus true greatness is to be like Jesus Christ, not like Elijah or John the Baptist. ASK YOURSELF “Spirit and power.” How could these words more readily describe you and your ministry in the kingdom? Are these characteristics the sole possession of the overly demonstrably inclined? Or does “spirit and power” even have a gentle side in the cause of Christ? Matthew 11:15 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear. BGT Matthew 11:15 ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκουέτω. KJV Matthew 11:15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. NET Matthew 11:15 The one who has ears had better listen! CSB Matthew 11:15 Anyone who has ears should listen! ESV Matthew 11:15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear. NIV Matthew 11:15 He who has ears, let him hear. NLT Matthew 11:15 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! NRS Matthew 11:15 Let anyone with ears listen! NJB Matthew 11:15 Anyone who has ears should listen! NAB Matthew 11:15 Whoever has ears ought to hear. YLT Matthew 11:15 he who is having ears to hear -- let him hear. GWN Matthew 11:15 Let the person who has ears listen! Mt 13:9,43 Mk 4:9,23 Mk 7:16 Lu 8:8 Rev 2:7,11,17,29 3:6,13,22 Matthew 11 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 13:9 “He who has ears, let him hear.” Matthew 13:43 “Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. Mark 4:9 And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Mark 4:23 “If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.” LISTEN NOT JUST PHYSICALLY BUT SPIRITUALLY He who has (present tense) ears to hear (akouo present tense), let him hear (akouo) - Only Jesus issues this command. While this phrase is sometimes at the conclusion (Mt 13:43), here it is at the inception of His discourse. This call goes out to everyone, for everyone has ears to hear (deaf cannot hear but they do have ears and would be included in this charge). Let him hear is present imperative calling for continual attention to spiritual truth. However Eph 2:1 says we are all "dead in our trepasses and sins" and so we are unable to hear and understand spiritual truth without God's intervention. In short, spiritually dead men can physically hear, but need a moving of the Holy Spirit to obey Jesus' command and of course they need to act on it. I agree with Bob Utley's comment that "This referred to the fact that unless the Holy Spirit aids believers’ insight they cannot understand spiritual truth (cf. Mt 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8; 14:35; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22; 13:9). However, it also implies that the willingness of the individual to hear and respond is also necessary." F F Bruce on He who has ears to hear let him hear - “A proverbial form of speech often used by Jesus after important utterances, here for the first time in Matthew.” (E.g., see Lk 8:8+) Note that this same command (except now from the risen Jesus) is repeated after each of declaration in the letters to the seven churches in the Revelation (Rev 2:7,11,17,29 Rev 3:6,13,22) R C H
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MacArthur points out that "I compare this generation reflects a common oriental expression used to introduce a parable or other illustration. The Midrash, an ancient compilation of Jewish traditional teaching, contains many expressions (such as "To what is the matter like?" or "How can I illustrate this point?") used by rabbis to introduce illustrative metaphors, analogies, and stories. In this tradition Jesus was saying, "How can I illustrate the responses of this generation of God's people to His truth and work? To what do they compare?" (Matthew Commentary - Page 260) R C H
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MacArthur - CRITICISM OF JOHN AND JESUS—Mt. 11:16–19 Daily Readings From the Life of Christ Volumes 1-3 - Page 11 Contemporary people love to criticize whatever the church does, which is really just a convenient excuse to reject the gospel. Such was also true in Jesus’ day, and here He uses two illustrations of criticism to make that point. First, He applies the children’s game “Funeral” to the criticism of John the Baptist. John lived in the funeral mode, and people became so resentful of his constant stress on repentance and judgment that they claimed he had a demon. He would not let his audience be neutral—he called for commitment to truth and righteousness. But instead of accepting that call, they generally rebuked John’s righteousness. Second, Jesus applies the game of “Wedding” to Himself. In contrast to John’s austere living, Jesus participated in society’s usual activities. His ministry brought Him into contact with hundreds of ordinary people. This difference from John had not escaped his disciples (Matt. 9:14–15), but the critics exaggerated Jesus’ activities and said His appetites were out of control. It was true that Jesus befriended tax collectors and sinners, but only to offer deliverance from their sins, not to be involved with them in sin (cf. 9:12–13). Their opponents criticized John and Jesus differently, but the lesson is the same. Like today, the enemies of truth found it easy to criticize but difficult to explain how so many lives were transformed from despair to hope, from anger to love, from enmity to Christ to fellowship with Him. ASK YOURSELF What are some of the most common criticisms against Christianity? Which ones hold water, and which are just rebellious bluster? Matthew 11:17 and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ BGT Matthew 11:17 λέγουσιν· ηὐλήσαμεν ὑμῖν καὶ οὐκ ὠρχήσασθε, ἐθρηνήσαμεν καὶ οὐκ ἐκόψασθε. KJV Matthew 11:17 And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. NET Matthew 11:17 'We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance; we wailed in mourning, yet you did not weep.' CSB Matthew 11:17 We played the flute for you, but you didn't dance; we sang a lament, but you didn't mourn! ESV Matthew 11:17 "'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.' NIV Matthew 11:17 " 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.' NLT Matthew 11:17 'We played wedding songs, and you didn't dance, so we played funeral songs, and you didn't mourn.' NRS Matthew 11:17 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.' NJB Matthew 11:17 We played the pipes for you, and you wouldn't dance; we sang dirges, and you wouldn't be mourners. NAB Matthew 11:17 'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.' YLT Matthew 11:17 and saying, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance, we lamented to you, and ye did not smite the breast. GWN Matthew 11:17 'We played music for you, but you didn't dance. We sang a funeral song, but you didn't show any sadness.' We - Isa 28:9-13 1Co 9:19-23 piped - Mt 9:15,23 1Ki 1:40 Isa 30:29 Jer 9:17-20 31:4 Lu 15:25 Matthew 11 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries LIKE CHILDREN WHO COULD NOT AGREE and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn - They were like children who were not pleased by anything, could not come to agreement and rejected both the joyful things (flute) as well as the mournful (dirge). As
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MacArthur comments that "John's message and way of life were in the funeral mode, so to speak. Some people became so resentful of his continual emphasis on repentance and judgment that they charged him with having a demon. He grated against their immoral and unspiritual nerves, and they railed out against him. They tolerated him for a short while, enjoying the novelty and excitement of his preaching. But he would not let them be neutral bystanders, uncommitted onlookers who heard and observed without decision or commitment. When they saw they had to choose, they chose not to believe or follow him. Instead of accepting John's rebuke of their wickedness, they rebuked his righteousness. They charged the prophet who had no equal, who was greater than any other person "born of woman" (11:11), with being demon possessed. (See Matthew Commentary - Page 261) Matthew 11:19 “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” BGT Matthew 11:19 ἦλθεν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐσθίων καὶ πίνων, καὶ λέγουσιν· ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπος φάγος καὶ οἰνοπότης, τελωνῶν φίλος καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν. καὶ ἐδικαιώθη ἡ σοφία ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῆς. KJV Matthew 11:19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. NET Matthew 11:19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look at him, a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is vindicated by her deeds." CSB Matthew 11:19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners! ' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds." ESV Matthew 11:19 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." NIV Matthew 11:19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' But wisdom is proved right by her actions." NLT Matthew 11:19 The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, 'He's a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!' But wisdom is shown to be right by its results." NRS Matthew 11:19 the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds." NJB Matthew 11:19 The Son of man came, eating and drinking, and they say, "Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners." Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.' NAB Matthew 11:19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is vindicated by her works." YLT Matthew 11:19 the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Lo, a man, a glutton, and a wine-drinker, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners, and wisdom was justified of her children.' GWN Matthew 11:19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and people say, 'Look at him! He's a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' "Yet, wisdom is proved right by its actions." came - Lu 5:29,30 7:34,36 14:1 Joh 2:2 12:2-8 Ro 15:2 a friend - Mt 9:10,11 Lu 15:1,2 19:7 yet - Ps 92:5,6 Pr 17:24 Lu 7:29,35 1Co 1:24-29 Eph 3:8-10 Rev 5:11-14 7:12 Matthew 11 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JESUS FALSELY ACCUSED The Son of Man came eating (esthio - present tense) and drinking (present tense), and they say, ‘'Behold (idou) a gluttonous (phagos) man and a drunkard (oinopotes), a friend (philos) of tax collectors (telones) and sinners (hamartolos)!’ - Jesus' adversaries hurl at Him these false, libelous charges of excess eating and drinking (which He never did), because they simply could not understand His love for lost sinners, whom they despised (even though they too were lost sinners!) And they did not want to believe His message to sinners! The Holy One was considered falsely to be unholy and as one who compromised by fellowshiping with notorious sinners. Their accusation was accurate in part, that Jesus did continually eat and drink with sinners, but the Jews missed (and/or rejected) His motive which was to save their souls. Paradoxically, the hated tax collectors and despised sinners were society's "outsiders" who ended up being "insiders" with Jesus because they welcomed him (cf. Mt 9:9-13). Sadly, most of the Jews rejected Jesus' and His message calling them to repentance (Mt 4:17, Mk 1:15 = "repent and believe") and they would be the "outsiders" throughout eternity (Rev 22:15+)! John's ascetic lifestyle was branded as fanatical, and Jesus' convivial approach was thought scandalous. --New Bible Commentary 🙏 THOUGHT - We praise God for the truth of the last part of their accusations for we were all greedy like tax collectors and we were all sinners. And the truth is we are still sinners, but now we are saved sinners. Before Christ we chased after sin, but now sin chases after us! We now have the Spirit given power to say "No" to sin (Ro 8:13). The outward form of ministry is never the issue, but rather the truth of the message. -- John MacArthur John MacArthur explains it this way - John was sober, severe, stark, a preacher of judgment, calling for repentance, weeping in light of God’s wrath, and keeping himself separate from sinners. Jesus, in contrast, was tender, merciful, gracious, compassionate, a preacher of blessing who mingled with sinners, whom He came to seek and save. In the end, it is not the style of ministry that matters but its substance. The people ultimately rejected the ministries of both John and Jesus. Though their emphases may have differed, both John and Jesus called for repentance, promised forgiveness, warned of judgment, and proclaimed the coming of the kingdom. The outward form of ministry is never the issue, but rather the truth of the message. In every generation there will be spiritual brats who reject the truth, like those who refused to mourn with John or laugh with Jesus. (See Luke Commentary) There was no pleasing them either way; whichever form of preacher the Lord sent, whether an ascetic or one like themselves, they found fault..
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MacArthur - UNBELIEVING INDIFFERENCE: CHORAZIN AND BETHSAIDA—Mt 11:21–22 Daily Readings From the Life of Christ Volumes 1-3 - Page 12 Indifference is a terrible form of unbelief. It so totally ignores God that He is not even considered worth arguing about. As Josiah realized after God’s people rediscovered His book, “great is the wrath of the Lord that burns against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book” (2 Kings 22:13; cf. Matt. 22:5–6, 14). It is better to have never heard about Jesus than to hear and yet reject Him Probably most citizens of Chorazin and Bethsaida had seen Christ’s miracles, and others knew about them from reports of friends and relatives. But relatively few responded in saving faith (cf. Matt. 7:13–14). Hence the Lord’s righteous wrath came down on them with exclamations of woe for their unrepentance. It is better to have never heard about Jesus than to hear and yet reject Him (cf. Heb. 10:26–27). By contrast, Jesus tells us that pagan, corrupt cities such as Tyre and Sidon would have repented early on had they heard Jesus’ message and seen His miracles. Few statements such as this from the Messiah would have shocked the Jews more than to be unfavorably compared to sinful Gentiles. At the great white throne, God will judge unbelievers from all eras, sentencing them to eternal punishment. At that time, many from places like Tyre and Sidon will fare better than unbelieving Jews. The greater the privilege God offers people, the greater the responsibility they have. The greater the light they see, the worse the consequences for not receiving it. ASK YOURSELF Does your church bear the marks of people who have grown lackadaisical in faith and protectively focused on side issues, or people who are active and animated in their love for the Lord? How can you be part of encouraging faithful zeal in those familiar with Christian faith? QUESTION - What is the significance of Chorazin in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org ANSWER - Chorazin, or Korazim, was a city in the Upper Galilee region sitting upon a hill above the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, close to Capernaum. Along with Bethsaida and Capernaum, Chorazin was part of the “evangelical triangle” of cities where Jesus Christ most commonly walked, taught, and performed miracles during His earthly ministry. Though it was the location of many signs and wonders, Jesus ultimately cursed the city due to the lack of faith and continued sin of its inhabitants. Jesus’ “Woe” to Chorazin The Gospel of Matthew provides an account of the lack of repentance of Chorazin: “Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you’” (Matthew 11:20–22). An additional account of this “woe” is recorded in Luke 10:13–14. Those two passages are the only times Chorazin is mentioned in the Bible. Though the specific miracles Jesus performed in Chorazin are not specified in the Bible, the people there had a front-row seat for “most” of them. It would seem that the people of Chorazin would have had greater faith and a deeper level of repentance than others, but that was not the case. Later, Jesus placed a curse on a fig tree near Jerusalem (Mark 11:12–26). The tree, which was barren of fruit, was symbolic of the nation of Israel, who rejected their Messiah. Much the same way, Chorazin failed to heed the teaching of Jesus or respond to His work. Held to a Higher Standard Jesus contrasted Chorazin with the pagan Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon. Jesus says that judgment day will be “more bearable” for Tyre and Sidon than for Chorazin. The reason is simple: if given the same opportunity to witness the Lord’s miracles, those pagan cities would have repented and turned from their sin. Instead, Chorazin failed to repent and effectively rejected the gospel that Jesus was preaching. The people of Chorazin had been given much light, and they were responsible to open their eyes and see. The same principle is found in Luke 12, where Jesus said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (verse 48). Chorazin witnessed the miracles of Jesus firsthand, and they heard the gospel message preached directly from His lips. They had been entrusted with much, and from them much was demanded. Destruction of Chorazin The woe that Jesus pronounced on Chorazin was ultimately fulfilled. The town, usually identified as the modern site of the Khirbet Karraza ruins, was deserted by the time of the historian Eusebius in the fourth century (Onomasticon, entry for “Chorazin”). Chorazin serves as evidence of the consequences of continued sin and unrepentance. We are all responsible for the light we have been given. And God “commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). QUESTION - Why did Jesus reference Chorazin and Bethsaida in Matthew 11:21? ANSWER - In Matthew 11, Jesus pronounces judgment on the people for rejecting Him. Specifically, He proclaimed woes on the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida (Matthew 11:21) because He worked miracles in those cities, and they still rejected Him. Chorazin was a city in Galilee, a territory in which He worked many miracles (Matthew 4:23). Bethsaida was also in Galilee, northeast of the Lake of Galilee. Bethsaida was the hometown of Philip, Andrew, and Peter (John 1:44), and Jesus went there on many occasions. Galilee had prophetic significance, as it was said that the people (including those east of the Jordan and in Galilee) who walked in great darkness would see a great light (Isaiah 9:1–2). The Messiah was that great light, and He did great things in the region of Galilee. Yet, rather than embrace their Messiah, the cities of Galilee rejected Him. Jesus exclaimed that, if He had done in Tyre and Sidon the miracles He did in Chorazin and Bethsaida, Tyre and Sidon would have repented quickly (Matthew 11:21). Even Capernaum was judged—another Galilean city. If the miracles Jesus had done in Capernaum were done in Sodom, He said, Sodom would have repented (Matthew 11:23). These cities and the people in them would be accountable for their rejection of the Messiah. Chorazin and Bethsaida are mentioned as some of the evilest cities because of the great opportunity that they wasted. Their Messiah had come. He had healed their sick. He had presented them with the kingdom. He came with the good news that they could change their mind about how they might be righteous in God’s sight. He offered them righteousness by grace through belief in Him. He offered a new birth and a place in His kingdom. Instead of changing their minds as He required, they rejected Him as their Messiah. That generation would be held accountable, Jesus said, and the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida would be judged even more harshly than Tyre and Sidon. Capernaum would encounter less tolerable judgment than even Sodom had endured. Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, and all of Galilee serve as a cautionary tale in Matthew 11. They were given a great light and had an incredible opportunity to see firsthand the miracle-working of the Messiah. While we haven’t had that same opportunity to be eyewitnesses of His earthly ministry, we have His Word that testifies of Him. Will we make the same mistakes as Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, and the other cities that rejected Him, or will we embrace our Savior and receive God’s righteousness by believing in Him? QUESTION - What is the significance of Bethsaida in the Bible? ANSWER - Bethsaida was a small town in Galilee best known in the Bible as the birthplace of three of Jesus’ disciples: Phillip, Peter, and Andrew (John 1:44–45; 12:21). Some scholars suggest that there were two towns called Bethsaida during the time of Jesus, as two cities’ having the same or a similar name was common in those days. The Bethsaida most often referred to in Scripture was located near where the Jordan River flows into the Sea of Galilee on the north side of the sea. Bethsaida was the scene of several miracles, enough that Jesus could say, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes” (Matthew 11:21). Bethsaida has come to represent those who have heard the gospel, understood God’s plan of salvation, and rejected it. Jesus implied that their eternal punishment would be harsher than that of those who did not have such a privilege (Matthew 11:22). One of those miracles performed in Bethsaida was the restoration of sight to a blind man (Mark 8:22–26). It is also likely that the feeding of the 5,000 took place near Bethsaida (Luke 9:10–17). It was also the site of one of Jesus’ most famous miracles: walking on water (Mark 6:45–52). He had sent His disciples on ahead on the Sea of Galilee toward Bethsaida while He spent some time in prayer. Late that night, a strong wind made rowing the boat difficult. In the midst of the disciples’ efforts to keep the boat afloat, they saw a figure coming toward them on top of the waves! They were terrified until Jesus got in the boat with them and the waves instantly calmed. It was on His way to Bethsaida that Jesus walked on water. Bethsaida is rarely mentioned after Jesus ascended into heaven. Most scholars believe that Bethsaida was renamed Julias (in honor of Augustus’s daughter) by Philip the tetrarch, grandson of Herod the Great, at some point during Jesus’ public ministry. However, all mention of the city disappeared by the second century, and only buried ruins remain. QUESTION - What is the meaning of sackcloth and ashes? ANSWER - Sackcloth and ashes were used in Old Testament times as a symbol of debasement, mourning, and/or repentance. Someone wanting to show his repentant heart would often wear sackcloth, sit in ashes, and put ashes on top of his head. Sackcloth was a coarse material usually made of black goat’s hair, making it quite uncomfortable to wear. The ashes signified desolation and ruin. When someone died, the act of putting on sackcloth showed heartfelt sorrow for the loss of that person. We see an example of this when David mourned the death of Abner, the commander of Saul’s army (2 Samuel 3:31). Jacob also demonstrated his grief by wearing sackcloth when he thought his son Joseph had been killed (Genesis 37:34). These instances of mourning for the dead mention sackcloth but not ashes. Ashes accompanied sackcloth in times of national disaster or repenting from sin. Esther 4:1, for instance, describes Mordecai tearing his clothes, putting on sackcloth and ashes, and walking out into the city “wailing loudly and bitterly.” This was Mordecai’s reaction to King Xerxes’ declaration giving the wicked Haman authority to destroy the Jews (see Esther 3:8–15). Mordecai was not the only one who grieved. “In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes” (Esther 4:3). The Jews responded to the devastating news concerning their race with sackcloth and ashes, showing their intense grief and distress. Sackcloth and ashes were also used as a public sign of repentance and humility before God. When Jonah declared to the people of Nineveh that God was going to destroy them for their wickedness, everyone from the king on down responded with repentance, fasting, and sackcloth and ashes (Jonah 3:5–7). They even put sackcloth on their animals (verse 8). Their reasoning was, “Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish” (verse 9). This is interesting because the Bible never says that Jonah’s message included any mention of God’s mercy; but mercy is what they received. It’s clear that the Ninevites’ donning of sackcloth and ashes was not a meaningless show. God saw genuine change—a humble change of heart represented by the sackcloth and ashes—and it caused Him to “relent” and not bring about His plan to destroy them (Jonah 3:10). Other people the Bible mentions wearing sackcloth include King Hezekiah (Isaiah 37:1), Eliakim (2 Kings 19:2), King Ahab (1 Kings 21:27), the elders of Jerusalem (Lamentations 2:10), Daniel (Daniel 9:3), and the two witness in Revelation 11:3. Very simply, sackcloth and ashes were used as an outward sign of one’s inward condition. Such a symbol made one’s change of heart visible and demonstrated the sincerity of one’s grief and/or repentance. It was not the act of putting on sackcloth and ashes itself that moved God to intervene, but the humility that such an action demonstrated (see 1 Samuel 16:7). God’s forgiveness in response to genuine repentance is celebrated by David’s words: “You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy” (Psalm 30:11).GotQuestions.org QUESTION - Why did Jesus mention Tyre and Sidon? ANSWER - Tyre and Sidon, ancient cities of Phoenicia, are mentioned several times in both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus mentions Tyre and Sidon in Luke 10 in the context of judgments He was pronouncing against the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida. Tyre and Sidon are port cities located in modern Lebanon on the Mediterranean coast. Sidon is believed to have existed prior to 2000 BC, with Tyre being just a little younger. The Old Testament mentions Israel’s dealings with these cities, including the Israelites’ failure to conquer Sidon in the conquest of the Promised Land (Judges 1:31), their worship of Sidonian gods on several occasions (Judges 10:6–16; 1 Kings 11), and their obtaining materials from Sidon and Tyre for the building of the temple (1 Chronicles 22:4). King Hiram of Tyre provided many of the temple furnishings for Solomon (1 Kings 7:13–51). Tyrians and Sidonians are also mentioned in helping rebuild the temple in Ezra’s time (Ezra 3:7). Queen Jezebel was a Sidonian (1 Kings 16:31). The Sidonian city of Zarephath was where a widow took care of Elijah and the Lord provided oil and flour for her through the famine; later, the widow’s son became ill, and Elijah raised him from the dead (1 Kings 17:8–24). The Old Testament also has several prophecies against Tyre and Sidon that predicted a complete overthrow (Isaiah 23; Jeremiah 25; 27; 47; Ezekiel 26–28; Joel 3; Amos 1:9–10; Zechariah 9:1–4). Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre from 585–572 BC. Alexander the Great conquered Tyre in 322 BC, completely destroying the city. The Persian king Artaxerxes conquered Sidon. In short, God’s prophesied judgment came to pass. Later, both cities became prosperous provinces of Rome. Tyre and Sidon were Gentile cities north of Israel, and Jesus had been sent to the Jews (Matthew 15:24). But Jesus still ministered to them: crowds from Tyre and Sidon came to see and listen to Him (Mark 3:7–8). Jesus helped a Syrophoenician woman and commended her faith (Matthew 15:21–28). Jesus mentions Tyre and Sidon in Luke 10:13–14 (see also Matthew 11:20–24), comparing them to several cities in which He had performed miracles. These cities of Israel had been blessed with Jesus’ presence, preaching, and power, yet they had not repented. Jesus pronounces woes on them, stating that Tyre and Sidon, given the same opportunity, would have turned from their wickedness and been saved: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.” Jesus also says Capernaum is under God’s judgment for their rejection of Christ (verse 15), because “whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me” (verse 16). Jesus used the pagan cities of Tyre and Sidon to highlight the way God’s chosen people refused Him. The Israelites of Jesus’ day believed themselves to be righteously following God, yet they did not recognize God in their midst. Jesus, in essence, shamed Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum—they, who were supposed to be God’s representatives on earth, refused to listen; yet pagan cities would have quickly repented. Jesus’ comments demonstrate the importance of responsibility and stewardship. “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48). God’s desire is for His Word to be known and believed, with the result that people are transformed (see Luke 6:46). To reject the light we’ve been given is to remain in darkness. To spurn the grace of God and reject the Savior is to receive the due penalty for our sin. Matthew 11:22 “Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. BGT Matthew 11:22 πλὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι ἀνεκτότερον ἔσται ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως ἢ ὑμῖν. KJV Matthew 11:22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. NET Matthew 11:22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you! CSB Matthew 11:22 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. ESV Matthew 11:22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. NIV Matthew 11:22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. NLT Matthew 11:22 I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you. NRS Matthew 11:22 But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. NJB Matthew 11:22 Still, I tell you that it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on Judgement Day than for you. NAB Matthew 11:22 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. YLT Matthew 11:22 but I say to you, to Tyre and Sidon it shall be more tolerable in a day of judgment than for you. GWN Matthew 11:22 I can guarantee that judgment day will be better for Tyre and Sidon than for you. It shall - Mt 11:24 10:15 Lu 10:14 12:47,48 Heb 2:3 6:4-8 10:26-31 Tyre - Isa 23:1-18 Jer 25:22 27:3 Eze 26:1-28:26 29:18 Am 1:9,10 Zec 9:2,3 the day - Mt 12:36 2Pe 2:9 3:7 1Jn 4:17 Matthew 11 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Revelation 20:11-15+ (THE DAY OF JUDGMENT) And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Tyre and Sidon (Click to Enlarge) JUDGMENT PROPORTIONAL TO LIGHT REJECTED Nevertheless (term of contrast) I say to you, it will be more tolerable (anektoteros) for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment (krisis) than for you - Jesus is still addressing Chorazin and Bethsaida explaining why eternal punishment will be less tolerable (in other words greater) for these two cities and the reason is because these cities in Israel had greater light than the pagan cities. Not only did they reject the message of Jesus' miracles (which pointed to Him as the Son of God) but they also rejected the very Person Who is the Light of the World (Jn 8:12+). It is interesting that one of the terrors of hell is eternal darkness, absence of light, as well the absence of God (Mt 8:12+; Mt 22:13+; Jude 1:13+). It is as if God gives these cities exactly what they wanted. They choose spiritual darkness during their life and so God will give them physical (and spiritual) darkness in their death! The day of judgment is almost like a play on words because judgment is the Greek word krisis, the root word of our English word crisis. A crisis is a time of intense difficulty, danger, or uncertainty that requires immediate attention or action to resolve.These Christ rejecting cities would experience an "eternal crisis" from which there would be no reprieve or resolution...forever! 🙏 THOUGHT- Clearly there will be various degrees or gradations of eternal punishment depending in part on how much Gospel light was rejected. The greater the light, the greater the degree of punishment. I think of this every time I speak the Gospel to a person and they reject it. If they go their entire life and never repent and believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord, they will be faced with eternal punishment worse than the horribly abominable city of Sodom! Rejection of the Gospel is a very painful thought to me, especially if I am in a situation where I frequently see that individual to whom I have witnessed. Of course I can still continue to pray for their salvation even if they have soundly rejected the presentation of the Gospel. Interestingly, Sodom's judgment came without warning but at least these Jewish cities received clear warning of coming judgment. D A Carson - There are degrees of felicity in paradise and degrees of torment in hell (Matthew 12:41; 23:13; cf. Luke 12:47-48), a point Paul well understood (Romans 1:20-2:16). The implications for Western, English speaking Christendom today are sobering.” (Matthew)
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MacArthur - UNBELIEVING INDIFFERENCE: CAPERNAUM—Mt 11:23 Daily Readings From the Life of Christ Volumes 1-3 - Page 13 Often those who have opportunity for the greatest spiritual privileges take those most for granted and enjoy them least. Such could be said for the Galilean city of Capernaum. It was the area where Christ made His headquarters and performed more miracles and preached more messages than in any other region during His earthly ministry. Yet all of this marvelous activity apparently had little impact on the indifferent citizens. Had all of it happened in and around Sodom, Jesus says, that infamously wicked city would have repented, turned in faith to God, and been spared destruction. Even secular people know Sodom as a synonym for moral degradation and a place where homosexuality and other perversions were rampant. On the other hand, Capernaum, like many modern cities, probably had mostly law-abiding, decent residents. Capernaum exceeded Chorazin and Bethsaida in advantage, and Sodom exceeded Tyre and Sidon in sinfulness. By such striking contrasts, our Lord shows that people most blessed by God will be most punished if they spurn Him. Judgment against the spiritual aloofness of Capernaum will far exceed judgment against the egregious sins of Sodom. The sober truth is that the self-righteous, orthodox person is more repugnant to the Father than the externally immoral, unbelieving person. Johann Bengel once noted, “Every hearer of the New Testament truth is either much happier or much more wretched than the men who lived before Christ’s coming.” Such people are either more secure or more condemned. ASK YOURSELF What is the basis for any feelings we have of superiority and supremacy? What are some of the best cures for this type of sin? Which remedies would you prefer to choose for yourself, rather than having some of the more extreme ones thrust upon you? Matthew 11:24 “Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.” BGT Matthew 11:24 πλὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι γῇ Σοδόμων ἀνεκτότερον ἔσται ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως ἢ σοί. KJV Matthew 11:24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. NET Matthew 11:24 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you!" CSB Matthew 11:24 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you." ESV Matthew 11:24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you." NIV Matthew 11:24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you." NLT Matthew 11:24 I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you." NRS Matthew 11:24 But I tell you that on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you." NJB Matthew 11:24 Still, I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on Judgement Day than for you.' NAB Matthew 11:24 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you." YLT Matthew 11:24 but I say to you, to the land of Sodom it shall be more tolerable in a day of judgment than to thee.' more - Mt 11:22 10:15 La 4:6 Mk 6:11 Lu 10:12 Matthew 11 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries HELL "COOLER" FOR SODOM Nevertheless (term of contrast) I say to you (+) that it will be more tolerable (anektoteros) for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment (krisis), than for you - To say "hell" will be cooler for Sodom is of course relative! Jesus judgement against Capernaum was so severe because this city was His headquarters and had received abundant gospel light. Sodom by comparison had received very little spiritual light for the witness of Lot of compromised Lot was compromised and dim! At the judgment men are judged, not primarily by the sin they have committed, but by the light they have rejected. --Adrian Rogers It is intriguing that while Jesus clearly condemns Capernaum, we have no record that the town's people condemned or vilified Jesus, contrary to places like His hometown of Nazareth which attempted to kill Him! Nevertheless Jesus' words make it clear that Capernaum rejected His message despite all of the miracles they witnessed. 🙏 THOUGHT - Once again we see the clear message that miracles do not save! This truth in Mt 11:20-24 obliterates the argument of the skeptic who says "If I could see a few miracles, I would believe." The fact is they would not believe! To reject the gospel of the Son of God- is to create for one’s self a sevenfold hell. C H Spurgeon Commentary - What Sodom will endure when the great Judge of all appoints the doom of the wicked, we may not try to realize; but it will be somewhat less than the penalty inflicted upon those who have sinned against the light, and rejected the testimony of the Lord from heaven. To reject the gospel of the Son of God-is to create for one’s self a sevenfold hell. Here, again, our Lord speaks from his own full authority, with “I say unto you. ” He speaks what he knows: he will himself be the Judge. So far our Lord spake in heaviness of heart; but his brow cleared when he came to the glorious doctrine of election in the next verse.
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MacArthur - JESUS OPENS HIS GREAT INVITATION—MATT. 11:25A Daily Readings From the Life of Christ Volumes 1-3 - Page 14 When all life’s rhetoric, rationalizations, and routines are swept aside, a person is either for Jesus Christ or against Him (cf. Mark 9:40). After performing many miracles (Matt. 4:23–24) and preaching in detail the gospel and sanctification (chaps. 5–7), Jesus more specifically urged people either to accept Him or reject Him. Here begins a final appeal of grace and mercy during His first Galilean ministry. This opening address to God calls our attention both to Christ’s unique relationship to His Father and to the Father’s sovereignty over all things, including salvation. Through the Holy Spirit, salvation is a divine provision and not a result of human wisdom, purposes, or ability, and Jesus is thankful for that. Everyone who evangelizes is sometimes disappointed that so few people respond. We wonder how we can make the message clearer or more convincing, and what things we ought to change. But we also should remind ourselves that some will reject the gospel no matter how effectively we seem to present it. If people rebuffed the Lord when He was in their midst, we have to expect some will also refuse our imperfect witness to them. We are sad and prayerful for those who don’t want the gospel, but like Jesus we must praise our heavenly Father that He has sovereign control over the universe and that His plan for us and others—saved and unsaved—will not be thwarted. Men and women who reject Christ show their sinful disobedience, not any failure by God. ASK YOURSELF Seeing worship as such a natural reaction of Jesus—not in purely religious settings, but right in the middle of any moment—should spur us on to make godly praise a frequent occupant in our heart and on our lips. How often does worship just well up inside you? John MacArthur - THOSE WHO MISS THE INVITATION—MATT. 11:25B–26 Daily Readings From the Life of Christ, Volume 1 - Page 328 God does not exclude intelligent people from His kingdom but those who rely on their own intelligence for salvation. The apostle Paul was a scholar, but he didn’t abandon that brilliance to become a Christian. However, he did stop relying on that training to understand the things of God. Intellect is a gift from God, but it becomes an impediment to authentic knowledge of Him when trust in it supersedes trust in the One who gave it. The means God uses to hide things from certain people who relish their own intelligence is the darkness of their proud hearts. God’s truth is not knowable by mere empirical means. Instead, it must be known and received through the faithful heart, as God graciously reveals it. No amount of human insight can grasp God’s saving truths since the unregenerate “cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (1 Cor. 2:14). Of those who miss the divine invitation, the apostle John writes that, “though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: ‘Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’ … ‘He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and be converted’ ” (John 12:37–38, 40). Those who reject the gospel will one day have their unwise choice confirmed by God, the all-wise Judge. ASK YOURSELF Yes, God’s heart moves at the sight of simple trust, honest dependence, and awareness of need. Does your heart likewise bend toward those who are the least deserving yet the most impoverished? John MacArthur - THOSE WHO ACCEPT THE INVITATION.—MATT. 11:25B–26 Daily Readings From the Life of Christ Volumes 1-3 - Page 16 An infant is completely dependent on others for everything he or she needs. A baby has no resources of its own to draw upon for help. The same Greek word (for “infants”) is used of those who can’t eat solid food (1 Cor. 3:1; Heb. 5:13). It is also used of those who can’t speak (1 Cor. 13:11) and of those who are helpless (Eph. 4:14). To such spiritual babes, those who realize they are utterly unable to save themselves, God wants to reveal the truths of His kingdom. As seen in the Sermon on the Mount, the “poor in spirit” who humbly confess their dependency on the Father and the Son receive a clear and irrevocable invitation to salvation. Infants mentioned here are precisely the opposite kind of persons from the proud Jewish leaders who opposed Jesus at every turn. They are also the antitheses of supposed ideal practitioners of religion who glory in their own self-worth and success. God is totally satisfied to offer a gospel of grace because that glorifies Him. “For thus says the high and exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy, ‘I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite’ ” (Isa. 57:15). ASK YOURSELF Would you say you’ve maintained this same spirit of contrition and trust since you’ve entered into saving relationship with Jesus Christ? What tempts us to claim more confidence in our own identity and our perceived deservedness? Matthew
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MacArthur - JESUS IS GOD—MATT. 11:27 Daily Readings From the Life of Christ Volumes 1-3 - Page 17 Any genuine invitation to salvation such as Jesus gives here must include mention of God’s revelation. Nobody, even the most sincerely religious or philosophically determined, has ever obtained real salvation unless God sovereignly revealed it—and such revelation has to include the truth that Jesus Christ is God. Jesus without doubt or qualification equates Himself with God and calls Himself the Son of the Father. The Jews of His day would never have used the expression about divine fatherhood unless they were referring to God’s fatherhood over their nation. Jesus’ statement was and is one of His clearest declarations of deity, and it discloses an intimate, unique, and inseparable relationship with the Father. Without question, Jesus’ audience knew that His statements about a relationship with His heavenly Father meant He was claiming to be the Son of God. The unbelieving Jews did not at all accept this claim. On other similar occasions they would want to kill Him for such “blasphemous” assertions (see John 5:18; 10:30–38). That Jesus is God is an essential component of the gospel, because apart from deity no savior could redeem a single soul. The heresy of making Christ just another human teacher or martyr devalues the gospel and robs it of its true saving power. ASK YOURSELF To trust God completely means also knowing that He is fully capable of revealing Himself to anyone He desires, any time He desires. Our task is merely to be faithful to reveal what we have heard and seen in Him, trusting the Lord to save His people. Are you being true to that calling? John MacArthur - REVELATION SOVEREIGNLY GIVEN—MATT. 11:27 Daily Readings From the Life of Christ Volumes 1-3 - Page 18 Human ideas and concepts are temporal and completely incapable of producing spiritual truth or guidance. Only because God has sovereignly given all things to Christ and in turn revealed the Son to men and women can any of us be saved. God must break into the vacuum of the sinful human heart and reveal Himself before we can know Him. Because the Father gave the Son all authority in the universe, Jesus had full right to send out His disciples to “make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” (Matt. 28:19–20a). When our Lord pronounced this Great Commission, His earthly ministry had already illustrated His sovereign authority and control over sin, disease, and death, as well as His supreme prerogative to forgive sins and redeem all who believe from the wrath to come. This was a divine preview of the complete authority Christ will have during His millennial reign over the earth. Of God’s sovereignty in revelation and salvation, we can apply the insight of the Reformer Martin Luther: “Here the bottom falls out of all merit, all powers and abilities of reason or the free will men dream of, and it all counts nothing before God. Christ must do and must give everything.” ASK YOURSELF What did Christ reveal to you about Himself that led you to place your faith in Him? What has He revealed of Himself to you in recent days—fresh glimpses into His character, His nature, and His dealings with man? Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Greek: Deute (imperative) pros me pantes hoi kopiontes (2PPAP) kai pephortismenoi, (2PRPP) kago anapauso (1SFAI) humas. Amplified: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
Mateus 11
MacArthur writes that "Meekness is the opposite of violence and vengeance. The meek person, for example, accepts joyfully the seizing of his property, knowing that he has infinitely better and more permanent possessions awaiting him in heaven (Heb. 10:34). The meek person has died to self, and he therefore does not worry about injury to himself, or about loss, insult, or abuse. The meek person does not defend himself, first of all because that is His Lord’s command and example, and second because he knows that he does not deserve defending. Being poor in spirit and having mourned over his great sinfulness, the gentle person stands humbly before God, knowing he has nothing to commend himself. (MacArthur, J: Matthew 1-7 Macarthur New Testament Commentary Chicago: Moody Press) As noted above the Greeks characterized meekness as power under control and in the case of the Spirit filled believer this means that he or she is under the control of God's Spirit. From a practical standpoint, the individual who is "praus" exhibits a freedom from malice, bitterness, or any desire for revenge. The only way to truly define meekness is in the context of relationships because it refers to how we treat others. A gentle spirit should characterize our relationship with both man and God. Humble (5011) (tapeinos) means low, not high, not rising far from the ground. It speaks of one's condition as lowly or of low degree. It described what was considered base, common, unfit, and having little value. It pictures one brought low, as for example by grief. Tapeinos is descriptive particularly of attitude and social positions.
Mateus 11
MacArthur notes that the English dictionary has several definitions that are wonderful parallels for the spiritual rest that Jesus gives as we trust in Him... First, the dictionary describes rest as cessation from action, motion, labor, or exertion. In a similar way, to enter God’s rest is to cease from all efforts at self-help in trying to earn salvation. Comment: As you read these definitions of rest understand that they apply not only to our initial salvation experience by grace through faith, but to our daily walk by the Spirit, a walk that is also by grace through faith. Too many followers of Christ think that now that they are justified, they can now rely on their self efforts to live the Christian life. Nothing could be further from the truth and undoubtedly accounts for many saints ceasing to diligently work out their salvation -- they have become weary and exhausted because they have trusted in self not Savior nor His Spirit. In short, self reliance is a major gospel enemy. A supernatural life (which is by definition what the Christian life is to be) requires a supernatural Source of power, and that power is found only in the indwelling Spirit of Christ. Second, rest is described as freedom from that which wearies or disturbs. Again we see the spiritual parallel of God’s giving His children freedom from the cares and burdens that rob them of peace and joy. Third, the dictionary defines rest as something that is fixed and settled. Similarly, to be in God’s rest is to have the wonderful assurance that our eternal destiny is secure in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. It is to be freed from the uncertainties of running from philosophy to philosophy, from religion to religion, from guru to guru, hoping somehow and somewhere to discover truth, peace, happiness, and eternal life. Fourth, rest is defined as being confident and trustful. When we enter God’s rest we are given the assurance that “He who began a good work in [us] will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). Finally, the dictionary describes rest as leaning, reposing, or depending on. As children of God, we can depend with utter certainty that our heavenly Father will “supply all [our] needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). Souls (5590)(psuche or psyche from psucho = to breathe, blow, English = psychology, "study of the soul") is the breath, then that which breathes, the individual, animated creature. However the discerning reader must understand that psuche is one of those Greek words that can have several meanings, the exact nuance being determined by the context. It follows that one cannot simply select of the three main meanings of psuche and insert it in a given passage for it may not be appropriate to the given context. The meaning of psuche is also contingent upon whether one is a dichotomist or trichotomist. Consult Greek lexicons for more lengthy definitions of psuche as this definition is only a brief overview. (Click an excellent article on Soul in the Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology; see also ISBE article on Soul) AS SMART AS AN OX! - On one occasion F B. Meyer visited D. L. Moody in Northfield, Massachusetts. Moody, showing Meyer a team of oxen, said that whenever one of those oxen was being yoked in, the other, which might be on the far side of the farmyard, would come trotting up and stand beside the other one until it was yoked in also. Meyer then made this encouraging application to us in our relationship to Christ: `Jesus stands today with the yoke upon His shoulder. He calls to each one and says, `Come and share My yoke, and let us plow together the long furrow of your life. I will be a true yokefellow to you. The burden shall be on Me. When our burden seems heavy and our loads hard to bear, Christ has promised to lift our burdens and lighten our cares. That's how we find rest and peace in every area of life. —Richard W De Haan WALKING WITH THE GUIDE - As Sarah Smiley was preparing to descend a 5,000 foot Rigi Mountain peak in central Switzerland, her guide told her that she should let him carry her load. She agreed to give some of it to him, but she kept a few items. As they made their way down the mountainside, Sarah felt hindered by her load. Soon she had to stop and rest. When she did, her guide demanded that she give him everything except her Alpine walking stick. This time she agreed and transferred the load to his strong shoulders. Without the extra weight, she made the rest of the trip with ease. It was as if her Lord was trying to say to her, "O foolish, willful heart, have you indeed given up your last burden? You have no need to carry them, or even the right." How often we are just like Sarah Smiley! When we face a difficulty, we carry the burden by ourselves. God invites us to cast all of our cares on Him, and He is strong enough to shoulder the burden. Let's take Him up on the offer. Our pathway will be easier and our steps lighter. —P. R. Van Gorder Our work is to cast care. God's work is to take care. COME APART AND REST OR YOU'LL COME APART - Greek legend tells us that in ancient Athens a man noticed the great storyteller Aesop playing childish games with some little boys. The observer laughed and jeered at Aesop for this undignified behavior. Instead of replying, Aesop picked up a bow that he sometimes used for playing a stringed instrument. He unstrung it and laid it on the ground. Then he said to the critical Athenian, "Now, answer the riddle, if you can, and tell us what the unstrained bow implies." The man could not tell him. He had no idea what it meant. Aesop explained, "If you keep a bow always bent, it will break eventually; but if you let it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it." Its like that with people too. That's why we need to take time to rest—when the bow of life can be relaxed. God "rested from all His work" (Gen. 2:3). Shouldn't we follow His example? You can't do your best for the Lord if you don't rest a while. —P R. Van Gorder Matthew 11:30 FOR MY YOKE IS EASY AND MY BURDEN IS LIGHT: ho gar zugos mou chrestos kai to phortion mou elaphron estin (3SPAI): Greek: ho gar zugos mou chrestos kai to phortion mou elaphron estin. (3SPAI) Amplified: For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
Mateus 11
MacArthur - Baros in Gal 6:2 is a strong word, which means “a heavy weight”; whereas phortion in Gal 6:5 refers to anything that is easily carried. It was often used of the general obligations of life that a person is responsible to bear on his own. One of those obligations is to help others with their crushing burdens, a kindness that will reap eternal rewards. (The Master's plan for the church). W E Vine - Phortion which, with the exception of Acts 27:10, is used only in a metaphorical sense in the New Testament; of discipleship, whether of the scribes, Pharisees, and lawyers, Matthew 23:4; Luke 11:46, or of the Lord Jesus, Matthew 11:30. The difference between baros, Gal 6:2, and phortion is that phortion, as its derivation from phero, “to carry,” shows, is something borne; be the load light or heavy, its weight is not the point. With baros, on the other hand, weight is the essential thing. Thus phortion is used in Matthew 11:30, “My burden is light,” where baros would be unsuitable. The burden of the transgressor is of necessity a heavy one, hence baros appears in Gal 6:2; but the burdens that all must bear are some lighter, some heavier, the point is that, heavy or light, each must bear his own; hence in Gal 6:5 phortion is used. (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
Mateus 11:28
MacArthur - Weary translates a present active participle and refers figuratively to arduous toil in seeking to please God and know the way of salvation. Jesus calls to Himself everyone who is exhausted from trying to find and please God in his own resources. Jesus invites the person who is wearied from his vain search for truth through human wisdom, who is exhausted from trying to earn salvation, and who has despaired of achieving God’s standard of righteousness by his own efforts. Illustration of Very, Very Weary - The date was August 15, 1930. On that day, a 45-year-old New York State Supreme Court Justice named Joseph Crater, after spending an evening eating out with friends, hailed a taxi and was never seen or heard from again. It remains one of the most mystifying Missing Person cases in FBI files. The FBI immediately suspected a kidnapping by someone who held a judicial grudge against Justice Crater. But that didn’t seem to pan out. They then suspected Mafia activity because Justice Crater was an enemy of the Mafia. But, again, that led nowhere. There is only one clue which remains to this day. When Mrs. Crater returned to their apartment the evening her husband disappeared, there on the table was a large check made out to her and a note attached to the check in her husband’s handwriting which simply said, "I am very, very tired. Love, Joe" Maybe you can relate to Joe Carter– tired and stressed out in life thoughts of Checking out! Maybe you can relate to Joe Carter– tired and stressed out in life thoughts of Checking out! 2% of Americans are regularly dealing with stress –Those most likely to deal with stress are those in their 40’s. I walked life's path with worry, Disturbed and quite unblest, Until I trusted Jesus; Now faith has given REST. -HGB Spurgeon....expounds on the meaning of weary..."all ye that labor," in whatever form. In the service of formal religion, in the attempt to keep the law, or in any other way of self-justification. In the service of self to get gain, honor, ease, etc. In the service of the world to discover, invent, legislate, etc. In the service of Satan, lust, drink, infidelity, etc. J C Philpot on "weary"... The Lord's purpose in laying burdens upon us is to weary us out. We cannot learn our religion in any other way. We cannot learn it from the Bible, nor from the experience of others. It must be a personal work, wrought in the heart of each; and we must be brought, all of us, if ever we are to find rest in Christ, to be absolutely wearied out of sin and self, and to have no righteousness, goodness, or holiness of our own. The effect, then, of all spiritual labor is to bring us to this point: to be weary of the world, for we feel it, for the most part, to be a valley of tears; to be weary of self, for it is our greatest plague; weary of professors, for we cannot see in them the grace of God, which alone we prize and value; weary of the profane, for their ungodly conversation only hurts our minds; weary of our bodies, for they are often full of sickness and pain, and always clogs to our soul; and weary of life, for we see the emptiness of those things which to most people make life so agreeable. By this painful experience we come to this point: to be worn out and wearied; and there we must come, before we can rest entirely on Christ. As long as we can rest in the world, we shall rest in it. As long as the things of time and sense can gratify us, we shall be gratified in them. As long as we can find anything pleasing in self, we shall be pleased with it. As long as anything visible and tangible can satisfy us, we shall be satisfied with them. But when we get weary of all things visible, tangible, and sensible—weary of ourselves, and of all things here below—then we want to rest upon Christ, and Christ alone. Heavy laden (5412) (phortizo from phortos = something carried [Acts 27:10 = freight of a ship], from phero = to bring or carry) means to load or burden with something, to cause someone to carry something, to overburden. Phortizo in a figurative sense describes overburdening someone spiritually (with ceremony, rules, laws, etc). In the only other NT use Jesus used phortizo to describe the lawyers (prototypical "legalists" in a spiritual sense) placing impossible religious demands on the the people, especially the "burden" of keeping the law. Luke 11:46 But He said, "Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down (verb - phortizo) with burdens (noun - phortion) hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Heavy laden here in Matthew is in the perfect tense which describes a past completed action (at some point they became weary) with ongoing effect (they are still weary). They are pictured as overloaded like beasts of burden. MacArthur adds that in the passive voice the idea is "that at some time in the past a great load was dumped on the wearied person." He goes to explains that while "weary refers to the internal exhaustion caused by seeking divine truth through human wisdom, heavy-laden suggests the external burdens caused by the futile efforts of works righteousness." Jesus bore every burden we could never bear, just as prophesied by Isaiah... Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
Mateus 11:28-30
MacArthur - Weary translates a present active participle and refers figuratively to arduous toil in seeking to please God and know the way of salvation. Jesus calls to Himself everyone who is exhausted from trying to find and please God in his own resources. Jesus invites the person who is wearied from his vain search for truth through human wisdom, who is exhausted from trying to earn salvation, and who has despaired of achieving God’s standard of righteousness by his own efforts. Illustration of Very, Very Weary - The date was August 15, 1930. On that day, a 45-year-old New York State Supreme Court Justice named Joseph Crater, after spending an evening eating out with friends, hailed a taxi and was never seen or heard from again. It remains one of the most mystifying Missing Person cases in FBI files. The FBI immediately suspected a kidnapping by someone who held a judicial grudge against Justice Crater. But that didn’t seem to pan out. They then suspected Mafia activity because Justice Crater was an enemy of the Mafia. But, again, that led nowhere. There is only one clue which remains to this day. When Mrs. Crater returned to their apartment the evening her husband disappeared, there on the table was a large check made out to her and a note attached to the check in her husband’s handwriting which simply said, "I am very, very tired. Love, Joe" Maybe you can relate to Joe Carter– tired and stressed out in life thoughts of Checking out! Maybe you can relate to Joe Carter– tired and stressed out in life thoughts of Checking out! 2% of Americans are regularly dealing with stress –Those most likely to deal with stress are those in their 40’s. I walked life's path with worry, Disturbed and quite unblest, Until I trusted Jesus; Now faith has given REST. -HGB Spurgeon....expounds on the meaning of weary..."all ye that labor," in whatever form. In the service of formal religion, in the attempt to keep the law, or in any other way of self-justification. In the service of self to get gain, honor, ease, etc. In the service of the world to discover, invent, legislate, etc. In the service of Satan, lust, drink, infidelity, etc. J C Philpot on "weary"... The Lord's purpose in laying burdens upon us is to weary us out. We cannot learn our religion in any other way. We cannot learn it from the Bible, nor from the experience of others. It must be a personal work, wrought in the heart of each; and we must be brought, all of us, if ever we are to find rest in Christ, to be absolutely wearied out of sin and self, and to have no righteousness, goodness, or holiness of our own. The effect, then, of all spiritual labor is to bring us to this point: to be weary of the world, for we feel it, for the most part, to be a valley of tears; to be weary of self, for it is our greatest plague; weary of professors, for we cannot see in them the grace of God, which alone we prize and value; weary of the profane, for their ungodly conversation only hurts our minds; weary of our bodies, for they are often full of sickness and pain, and always clogs to our soul; and weary of life, for we see the emptiness of those things which to most people make life so agreeable. By this painful experience we come to this point: to be worn out and wearied; and there we must come, before we can rest entirely on Christ. As long as we can rest in the world, we shall rest in it. As long as the things of time and sense can gratify us, we shall be gratified in them. As long as we can find anything pleasing in self, we shall be pleased with it. As long as anything visible and tangible can satisfy us, we shall be satisfied with them. But when we get weary of all things visible, tangible, and sensible—weary of ourselves, and of all things here below—then we want to rest upon Christ, and Christ alone. Heavy laden (5412) (phortizo from phortos = something carried [Acts 27:10 = freight of a ship], from phero = to bring or carry) means to load or burden with something, to cause someone to carry something, to overburden. Phortizo in a figurative sense describes overburdening someone spiritually (with ceremony, rules, laws, etc). In the only other NT use Jesus used phortizo to describe the lawyers (prototypical "legalists" in a spiritual sense) placing impossible religious demands on the the people, especially the "burden" of keeping the law. Luke 11:46 But He said, "Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down (verb - phortizo) with burdens (noun - phortion) hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Heavy laden here in Matthew is in the perfect tense which describes a past completed action (at some point they became weary) with ongoing effect (they are still weary). They are pictured as overloaded like beasts of burden. MacArthur adds that in the passive voice the idea is "that at some time in the past a great load was dumped on the wearied person." He goes to explains that while "weary refers to the internal exhaustion caused by seeking divine truth through human wisdom, heavy-laden suggests the external burdens caused by the futile efforts of works righteousness." Jesus bore every burden we could never bear, just as prophesied by Isaiah... Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
Mateus 11:28-30
MacArthur writes that "Meekness is the opposite of violence and vengeance. The meek person, for example, accepts joyfully the seizing of his property, knowing that he has infinitely better and more permanent possessions awaiting him in heaven (Heb. 10:34). The meek person has died to self, and he therefore does not worry about injury to himself, or about loss, insult, or abuse. The meek person does not defend himself, first of all because that is His Lord’s command and example, and second because he knows that he does not deserve defending. Being poor in spirit and having mourned over his great sinfulness, the gentle person stands humbly before God, knowing he has nothing to commend himself. (MacArthur, J: Matthew 1-7 Macarthur New Testament Commentary Chicago: Moody Press) As noted above the Greeks characterized meekness as power under control and in the case of the Spirit filled believer this means that he or she is under the control of God's Spirit. From a practical standpoint, the individual who is "praus" exhibits a freedom from malice, bitterness, or any desire for revenge. The only way to truly define meekness is in the context of relationships because it refers to how we treat others. A gentle spirit should characterize our relationship with both man and God. Humble (5011) (tapeinos) means low, not high, not rising far from the ground. It speaks of one's condition as lowly or of low degree. It described what was considered base, common, unfit, and having little value. It pictures one brought low, as for example by grief. Tapeinos is descriptive particularly of attitude and social positions.
Mateus 11:28-30
MacArthur notes that the English dictionary has several definitions that are wonderful parallels for the spiritual rest that Jesus gives as we trust in Him... First, the dictionary describes rest as cessation from action, motion, labor, or exertion. In a similar way, to enter God’s rest is to cease from all efforts at self-help in trying to earn salvation. Comment: As you read these definitions of rest understand that they apply not only to our initial salvation experience by grace through faith, but to our daily walk by the Spirit, a walk that is also by grace through faith. Too many followers of Christ think that now that they are justified, they can now rely on their self efforts to live the Christian life. Nothing could be further from the truth and undoubtedly accounts for many saints ceasing to diligently work out their salvation -- they have become weary and exhausted because they have trusted in self not Savior nor His Spirit. In short, self reliance is a major gospel enemy. A supernatural life (which is by definition what the Christian life is to be) requires a supernatural Source of power, and that power is found only in the indwelling Spirit of Christ. Second, rest is described as freedom from that which wearies or disturbs. Again we see the spiritual parallel of God’s giving His children freedom from the cares and burdens that rob them of peace and joy. Third, the dictionary defines rest as something that is fixed and settled. Similarly, to be in God’s rest is to have the wonderful assurance that our eternal destiny is secure in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. It is to be freed from the uncertainties of running from philosophy to philosophy, from religion to religion, from guru to guru, hoping somehow and somewhere to discover truth, peace, happiness, and eternal life. Fourth, rest is defined as being confident and trustful. When we enter God’s rest we are given the assurance that “He who began a good work in [us] will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). Finally, the dictionary describes rest as leaning, reposing, or depending on. As children of God, we can depend with utter certainty that our heavenly Father will “supply all [our] needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). Souls (5590)(psuche or psyche from psucho = to breathe, blow, English = psychology, "study of the soul") is the breath, then that which breathes, the individual, animated creature. However the discerning reader must understand that psuche is one of those Greek words that can have several meanings, the exact nuance being determined by the context. It follows that one cannot simply select of the three main meanings of psuche and insert it in a given passage for it may not be appropriate to the given context. The meaning of psuche is also contingent upon whether one is a dichotomist or trichotomist. Consult Greek lexicons for more lengthy definitions of psuche as this definition is only a brief overview. (Click an excellent article on Soul in the Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology; see also ISBE article on Soul) AS SMART AS AN OX! - On one occasion F B. Meyer visited D. L. Moody in Northfield, Massachusetts. Moody, showing Meyer a team of oxen, said that whenever one of those oxen was being yoked in, the other, which might be on the far side of the farmyard, would come trotting up and stand beside the other one until it was yoked in also. Meyer then made this encouraging application to us in our relationship to Christ: `Jesus stands today with the yoke upon His shoulder. He calls to each one and says, `Come and share My yoke, and let us plow together the long furrow of your life. I will be a true yokefellow to you. The burden shall be on Me. When our burden seems heavy and our loads hard to bear, Christ has promised to lift our burdens and lighten our cares. That's how we find rest and peace in every area of life. —Richard W De Haan WALKING WITH THE GUIDE - As Sarah Smiley was preparing to descend a 5,000 foot Rigi Mountain peak in central Switzerland, her guide told her that she should let him carry her load. She agreed to give some of it to him, but she kept a few items. As they made their way down the mountainside, Sarah felt hindered by her load. Soon she had to stop and rest. When she did, her guide demanded that she give him everything except her Alpine walking stick. This time she agreed and transferred the load to his strong shoulders. Without the extra weight, she made the rest of the trip with ease. It was as if her Lord was trying to say to her, "O foolish, willful heart, have you indeed given up your last burden? You have no need to carry them, or even the right." How often we are just like Sarah Smiley! When we face a difficulty, we carry the burden by ourselves. God invites us to cast all of our cares on Him, and He is strong enough to shoulder the burden. Let's take Him up on the offer. Our pathway will be easier and our steps lighter. —P. R. Van Gorder Our work is to cast care. God's work is to take care. COME APART AND REST OR YOU'LL COME APART - Greek legend tells us that in ancient Athens a man noticed the great storyteller Aesop playing childish games with some little boys. The observer laughed and jeered at Aesop for this undignified behavior. Instead of replying, Aesop picked up a bow that he sometimes used for playing a stringed instrument. He unstrung it and laid it on the ground. Then he said to the critical Athenian, "Now, answer the riddle, if you can, and tell us what the unstrained bow implies." The man could not tell him. He had no idea what it meant. Aesop explained, "If you keep a bow always bent, it will break eventually; but if you let it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it." Its like that with people too. That's why we need to take time to rest—when the bow of life can be relaxed. God "rested from all His work" (Gen. 2:3). Shouldn't we follow His example? You can't do your best for the Lord if you don't rest a while. —P R. Van Gorder Matthew 11:30 FOR MY YOKE IS EASY AND MY BURDEN IS LIGHT: ho gar zugos mou chrestos kai to phortion mou elaphron estin (3SPAI): Yoke: Pr 3:17 Micah 6:8 Acts 15:10,28 Gal 5:1,18 1Jn 5:3 Burden : Jn 16:33 2Co 1:4,5 4:17 12:9,10 Php 4:13 Matthew 11 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus Midi with all lyrics Sung by Casting Crowns Sung by Alan Jackson Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus, Just from sin and self to cease; Just from Jesus simply taking Life and REST and joy and peace. — Stead For (gar) is a term of explanation and should always prompt a response, an interaction with the living and active Word of God. Too often we read the text passively and miss the joy and exhilaration of interacting with God's Word, which is the Father's love letter to us, a letter meant not so much to make us more "educated" but to draw us to Himself and make us more intimate with Him. As C H Spurgeon once said "If you wish to know God you must know his Word." Dear student of God's Holy Word, let me encourage you to make great use of these opportunities to pause, reflect and in essence learn the blessed practice of meditating on the Scriptures as you interrogate words like "for" (there are over 7000 "for's" in the Scripture providing abundant "opportunity" for interaction, practice, edification and blessing - see Ps 1:1-note, Ps 1:2-note, Ps 1:3-note, cp Joshua 1:8-note) asking simple questions like "What is the 'for' there for?", "Why is it here?". etc. The more you practice the art of asking the Scripture questions, the more you will find yourself experiencing the joy of self discovery, as your Teacher the Spirit interacts with you and illuminates the passage. Then, when you read the commentary (including the one you are reading now), you can be a good Berean (Acts 17:11-note) and discern truth from error (cp Hebrews 5:14-note). A shrinking of your study time of the Holy Word may result in "shrinking power" from Holy Spirit in your life for He uses the Word to sanctify you by grace through faith! The church needs more men like John Wesley, the powerful eighteenth-century preacher who wrote... I am a creature of a day, passing through life as an arrow through the air. I am a spirit, coming from God, and returning to God; just hovering over the great gulf; a few months hence I am no more seen; I drop into an unchangeable eternity! I want to know one thing—the way to heaven … God Himself has condescended to teach the way. He hath written it down in a book. O give me that Book! At any price, give me the book of God. (May Wesley's tribe increase Lord. Amen!) My yoke is easy and My load is light - What a striking contrast between Jesus and the oppresive Pharisees (See Mt 23:4). William MacDonald's - Jesus’ yoke is easy; it does not chafe. Someone has suggested that if Jesus had had a sign outside His carpenter’s shop, it would have read, “My yokes fit well.” (MacDonald, W & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson) Yoke (pair of scales)(2218) (zugos/zygos related to verb zeúgnuni = to join especially by a yoke, to bind) literally described a beam of balance that connected scales (see translation as scales or balances in Rev 6:5;Lev 19:36; Hos 12:7). BDAG and Liddell-Scott summary of zugos/zygos... (1) Anything which joins two bodies; and so, the yoke or cross-bar tied by the yoke-band to the end of the pole, and having collars or loops at each end, by which two horses, mules or oxen drew the plough or carriage, Homer, etc.:-metaphorically, the yoke of slavery (as mentioned in the Greek classics like Herodotus, etc) A frame used to control working animals or, in the case of humans, to expedite the bearing of burdens. Yoke in our literature only figuratively of any burden. Zugos was the name of the cross-bar joining the horns of the lyre, along which the strings were fastened. Zugos in plural described the thwarts (structural crosspiece forming a seat for a rower in a boat) joining the opposite sides of a ship or boat, the benches. Zugos was used for the middle of the three banks in a trireme (an ancient galley having three banks of oars). Zugos described a a rank (a single line of soldiers or police officers drawn up abreast) or line of soldiers, opposite to a file (a row of soldiers arranged one behind the other) (2) An instrument for determining weight = a scale, the beam of balance, the balance itself. (Rev 6:5) What is the yoke in context of Mt 11:29? Is it not His teaching, His teaching which is calculated to make disciples? As discussed in the notes on the previous passage, to “take a yoke” in Jesus' day meant to become a disciple. When we submit ourselves voluntarily and willingly and wholly to Jesus Christ, we are yoked to Him. And this is a "forever" yoking! Hallelujah! Zugos/zygos - 6x in 6v in the NAS - pair of scales(1), yoke(5). Matthew 11:29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. Matthew 11:30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Acts 15:10 See notes below Galatians 5:1 See notes below 1 Timothy 6:1 All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against. Revelation 6:5 When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come." I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. Zugos/zygos - 46v in the non-apocryphal Septuagint - Gen 27:40; Lev 19:35; 26:13 (" I broke the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect"); Num 19:2; Deut 21:3; 2Chr 10:4, ("Your father made our yoke hard") 2 Chr 10:9ff (‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’"), 2Chr 10:14; Job 6:2; 31:6; 39:10; Ps 2:3; 62:9; Pr 11:1 ("A false balance is an abomination to the LORD"); Pr 16:11; 20:23; Isa 5:18; 9:4; 10:27; 14:5, 25, 29; 40:12, 15; 46:6; 47:6; Jer 2:20 ("“For long ago I broke your yoke And tore off your bonds; But you said, ‘I will not serve!’"); Jer 5:5; 27:8, 11; 28:2, 4, 11, 14; 30:8; 32:10; Lam 3:27; Ezek 5:1; 34:27; 45:10; Dan 5:27; 8:25; Hos 12:7; Amos 8:5; Mic 6:11; Zeph 3:9; My yoke - Not the yoke of the legalists of Jesus day, but His yoke of grace. Jesus' yoke is diametrically different from the yoke that men cruelly place upon other men! His grace laden yoke brings liberty, releasing the captive and setting free the downtrodden (Lk 4:18, 19). The legalistic yoke of men brings bondage, which steals the joy of our salvation (cp Neh 8:10, Ps 51:12, Ps 51:14-note). Every morning, we need to arise and make the prayerful choice to take up and put on Jesus' light, easy, grace-filled yoke and experience His liberating joy and peace throughout the day as His Spirit enables us to live as those who know the truth and are free indeed (Ps 95:1-note, Ps 118:15-note, Isaiah 12:3-note, Jn 8:31, 32, 36)! Here are passages that speak of the placing of men's yokes upon other men... Acts 15:10 (Peter speaks boldly Acts 15:7 [a clear sign he is filled with/controlled by the Spirit - cp Acts 4:8, Eph 5:18-note, notice the first "indicator" of being Spirit filled - Eph 5:19-note - He controls our tongue!]) "Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples (specifically the Gentiles - notice what believers are called most often in Acts! Disciples [see study of the word Mathetes]! Why have we veered away from this pattern presented by the early church? Do we think Jesus' requirements for a genuine disciple are too burdensome?! See 1Jn 5:3) a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? (Answer? Only Jesus could bear the yoke of the law [Mt 5:17-note, cp the Messianic Ps 42:6,7,8], a burden He willingly bore for all who would believe on Him.) Galatians 5:1 It was for freedom (eleutheria - not the right to do as you please but the power to do as you should!) that Christ set us free (eleutheroo); therefore keep standing firm (present imperative - Make this your daily practice. Remember though...don't try to do it alone, but each and every morning make a conscious, volitional surrender to the Spirit of Christ, Who will be your continual Encourager and Enabler throughout the day!) and do not be subject again (present imperative with the negative particle = Stop allowing yourselves to be entangled by the cords of legalism, including subtle lists [whether on paper or in your mind] of "do's and don'ts") to a yoke of slavery (bondage to the law, to works "righteousness", to trying to gain God's approval by being good [Only God is good enough! Lk 18:19], by performing "good deeds " [You can't without reliance on the Spirit! cp 2Cor 3:5,6-note, Jn 6:63]). Galatians 5:2 Behold (ide = imperative of eido = to know by perception, by sight) I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision (or try to keep your list of do's and don'ts, etc), Christ will be of no benefit to you. +++ Easy (5543) (chrestos from chraomai = furnish what is needed) conveys the basic meaning of being well adapted to fulfill a purpose and thus describes that which is useful, suitable, excellent, serviceable. The idea is goodness combined with a nuance of ‘serviceableness.' (as in Luke 5:39 where the old wine is "good enough" - fine for use). Chrestos refers to that which is fit for use, able to be used and hence is good, kind, benevolent, worthy, useful, virtuous, and pleasant (in contrast to what is hard, harsh, bad or unprofitable). Chrestos expresses the material usefulness of things with regard to their goodness, pleasantness and softness. And so we see that Jesus' yoke is chrestos, well-fitting and tailor-made for each believer and their every need. Christ's yoke furnishes what is useful, easy to bear, having nothing galling or harsh, but, to the contrary, it provides us all that we need, what we really need! Do you truly believe that statement? Do you believe that Jesus is enough? ...That His grace is sufficient for all of your needs, your weaknesses [2Cor 12:9-note] ...enough for your victory over the besetting sin that so easily entangles you, impeding your walk of faith [Heb 12:1-note]? Then fix your eyes upon Jesus [Heb 12:2-note], take up His easy yoke, and walk forth in confidence and conviction that He has already won the battle for you dear saint! (See this principle throughout Scripture - 1Sa 2:9, 17:47, 2Chr 20:15, 17, 32:8, Ps 46:11, Zech 4:6, Dt 20:1, 4, Josh 10:42 - see below for Charles Haddon Spurgeon's exhortation and Martin Luther's encouraging hymn)
Mateus 11:28-30
MacArthur - Baros in Gal 6:2 is a strong word, which means “a heavy weight”; whereas phortion in Gal 6:5 refers to anything that is easily carried. It was often used of the general obligations of life that a person is responsible to bear on his own. One of those obligations is to help others with their crushing burdens, a kindness that will reap eternal rewards. (The Master's plan for the church). W E Vine - Phortion which, with the exception of Acts 27:10, is used only in a metaphorical sense in the New Testament; of discipleship, whether of the scribes, Pharisees, and lawyers, Matthew 23:4; Luke 11:46, or of the Lord Jesus, Matthew 11:30. The difference between baros, Gal 6:2, and phortion is that phortion, as its derivation from phero, “to carry,” shows, is something borne; be the load light or heavy, its weight is not the point. With baros, on the other hand, weight is the essential thing. Thus phortion is used in Matthew 11:30, “My burden is light,” where baros would be unsuitable. The burden of the transgressor is of necessity a heavy one, hence baros appears in Gal 6:2; but the burdens that all must bear are some lighter, some heavier, the point is that, heavy or light, each must bear his own; hence in Gal 6:5 phortion is used. (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
Mateus 11:29
MacArthur writes that... Meekness is the opposite of violence and vengeance. The meek person, for example, accepts joyfully the seizing of his property, knowing that he has infinitely better and more permanent possessions awaiting him in heaven (Heb. 10:34). The meek person has died to self, and he therefore does not worry about injury to himself, or about loss, insult, or abuse. The meek person does not defend himself, first of all because that is His Lord’s command and example, and second because he knows that he does not deserve defending. Being poor in spirit and having mourned over his great sinfulness, the gentle person stands humbly before God, knowing he has nothing to commend himself. (MacArthur, J: Matthew 1-7 Macarthur New Testament Commentary Chicago: Moody Press) As noted above the Greeks characterized meekness as power under control and in the case of the Spirit filled believer this means that he or she is under the control of God's Spirit. From a practical standpoint, the individual who is "praus" exhibits a freedom from malice, bitterness, or any desire for revenge. The only way to truly define meekness is in the context of relationships because it refers to how we treat others. A gentle spirit should characterize our relationship with both man and God. Humble (5011) (tapeinos) means low, not high, not rising far from the ground. It speaks of one's condition as lowly or of low degree. It described what was considered base, common, unfit, and having little value. It pictures one brought low, as for example by grief. Tapeinos is descriptive particularly of attitude and social positions.
Mateus 11:29
MacArthur notes that the English dictionary has several definitions that are wonderful parallels for the spiritual rest that Jesus gives as we trust in Him... First, the dictionary describes rest as cessation from action, motion, labor, or exertion. In a similar way, to enter God’s rest is to cease from all efforts at self-help in trying to earn salvation. Comment: As you read these definitions of rest understand that they apply not only to our initial salvation experience by grace through faith, but to our daily walk by the Spirit, a walk that is also by grace through faith. Too many followers of Christ think that now that they are justified, they can now rely on their self efforts to live the Christian life. Nothing could be further from the truth and undoubtedly accounts for many saints ceasing to diligently work out their salvation -- they have become weary and exhausted because they have trusted in self not Savior nor His Spirit. In short, self reliance is a major gospel enemy. A supernatural life (which is by definition what the Christian life is to be) requires a supernatural Source of power, and that power is found only in the indwelling Spirit of Christ. Second, rest is described as freedom from that which wearies or disturbs. Again we see the spiritual parallel of God’s giving His children freedom from the cares and burdens that rob them of peace and joy. Third, the dictionary defines rest as something that is fixed and settled. Similarly, to be in God’s rest is to have the wonderful assurance that our eternal destiny is secure in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. It is to be freed from the uncertainties of running from philosophy to philosophy, from religion to religion, from guru to guru, hoping somehow and somewhere to discover truth, peace, happiness, and eternal life. Fourth, rest is defined as being confident and trustful. When we enter God’s rest we are given the assurance that “He who began a good work in [us] will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). Finally, the dictionary describes rest as leaning, reposing, or depending on. As children of God, we can depend with utter certainty that our heavenly Father will “supply all [our] needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). Souls (5590)(psuche or psyche from psucho = to breathe, blow, English = psychology, "study of the soul") is the breath, then that which breathes, the individual, animated creature. However the discerning reader must understand that psuche is one of those Greek words that can have several meanings, the exact nuance being determined by the context. It follows that one cannot simply select of the three main meanings of psuche and insert it in a given passage for it may not be appropriate to the given context. The meaning of psuche is also contingent upon whether one is a dichotomist or trichotomist. Consult Greek lexicons for more lengthy definitions of psuche as this definition is only a brief overview. (Click an excellent article on Soul in the Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology; see also ISBE article on Soul) AS SMART AS AN OX! - On one occasion F B. Meyer visited D. L. Moody in Northfield, Massachusetts. Moody, showing Meyer a team of oxen, said that whenever one of those oxen was being yoked in, the other, which might be on the far side of the farmyard, would come trotting up and stand beside the other one until it was yoked in also. Meyer then made this encouraging application to us in our relationship to Christ: `Jesus stands today with the yoke upon His shoulder. He calls to each one and says, `Come and share My yoke, and let us plow together the long furrow of your life. I will be a true yokefellow to you. The burden shall be on Me. When our burden seems heavy and our loads hard to bear, Christ has promised to lift our burdens and lighten our cares. That's how we find rest and peace in every area of life. —Richard W De Haan WALKING WITH THE GUIDE - As Sarah Smiley was preparing to descend a 5,000 foot Rigi Mountain peak in central Switzerland, her guide told her that she should let him carry her load. She agreed to give some of it to him, but she kept a few items. As they made their way down the mountainside, Sarah felt hindered by her load. Soon she had to stop and rest. When she did, her guide demanded that she give him everything except her Alpine walking stick. This time she agreed and transferred the load to his strong shoulders. Without the extra weight, she made the rest of the trip with ease. It was as if her Lord was trying to say to her, "O foolish, willful heart, have you indeed given up your last burden? You have no need to carry them, or even the right." How often we are just like Sarah Smiley! When we face a difficulty, we carry the burden by ourselves. God invites us to cast all of our cares on Him, and He is strong enough to shoulder the burden. Let's take Him up on the offer. Our pathway will be easier and our steps lighter. —P. R. Van Gorder Our work is to cast care. God's work is to take care. COME APART AND REST OR YOU'LL COME APART - Greek legend tells us that in ancient Athens a man noticed the great storyteller Aesop playing childish games with some little boys. The observer laughed and jeered at Aesop for this undignified behavior. Instead of replying, Aesop picked up a bow that he sometimes used for playing a stringed instrument. He unstrung it and laid it on the ground. Then he said to the critical Athenian, "Now, answer the riddle, if you can, and tell us what the unstrained bow implies." The man could not tell him. He had no idea what it meant. Aesop explained, "If you keep a bow always bent, it will break eventually; but if you let it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it." Its like that with people too. That's why we need to take time to rest—when the bow of life can be relaxed. God "rested from all His work" (Gen. 2:3). Shouldn't we follow His example? You can't do your best for the Lord if you don't rest a while. —P R. Van Gorder
Mateus 11:30
MacArthur - Baros in Gal 6:2 is a strong word, which means “a heavy weight”; whereas phortion in Gal 6:5 refers to anything that is easily carried. It was often used of the general obligations of life that a person is responsible to bear on his own. One of those obligations is to help others with their crushing burdens, a kindness that will reap eternal rewards. (The Master's plan for the church). W E Vine - Phortion which, with the exception of Acts 27:10, is used only in a metaphorical sense in the New Testament; of discipleship, whether of the scribes, Pharisees, and lawyers, Matthew 23:4; Luke 11:46, or of the Lord Jesus, Matthew 11:30. The difference between baros, Gal 6:2, and phortion is that phortion, as its derivation from phero, “to carry,” shows, is something borne; be the load light or heavy, its weight is not the point. With baros, on the other hand, weight is the essential thing. Thus phortion is used in Matthew 11:30, “My burden is light,” where baros would be unsuitable. The burden of the transgressor is of necessity a heavy one, hence baros appears in Gal 6:2; but the burdens that all must bear are some lighter, some heavier, the point is that, heavy or light, each must bear his own; hence in Gal 6:5 phortion is used. (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson)