Taking offence
v1-3 Why did John the Baptist question if Jesus was truly the Christ? Matthew 10 talks about the cost of serving Jesus. In Matthew 11 we see an example of a person who paid the price for faithfully serving God. John the Baptist spoke up against Herod because Herod married his brother’s wife (Matthew 14:3-4). Herod was offended by what John said and had John imprisoned. The Greek word Christ (χριστός) means anointed one and has the same meaning as the Hebrew word Messiah (מָשִׁיחַ). The Jews expected that when Christ came, He would established Israel as a nation (Acts 1:6). John struggled to understand why he was held captive if Jesus was the Christ who came to set people free.
v4-5 Jesus invites us to examine His works to see for ourselves if He really is the Christ. He invites us to compare His ministry with the ministry of the anointed one spoken off in Isaiah 61:1. Jesus did indeed set people free but not in the way the Jews expected.
v6 We must guard our hearts from being offended by Jesus. There will be times Jesus does not fit our idea of who a Saviour should be. If we allow ourselves to take offence, it becomes a barrier to accepting God’s plans and purpose. Taking offence distorts the way we perceive others and makes it difficult to accept anything that they do. The Pharisees had difficulty accepting Jesus because they were offended by Him. This led them to believe that the good works of Jesus was accomplished through a demonic spirit (Matthew 9:34).
Bible Study Question
From Acts 1:6, what did the Jews expect that Christ would do?
What does Isaiah 61:1 say about Christ, the anointed one?
Why does Jesus teach us to guard our hearts against taking offence?
Rebelliousness
v7-14 The Jews expected the prophet Elijah to appear before the coming of Christ (Malachi 4:5). The Pharisees did not recognise John as the forerunner of Christ (Luke 7:30). But Jesus confirms that John the Baptist has indeed come in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). Although John is the greatest one born of natural birth, those who enter the Kingdom of heaven are more blessed. This is because those who enter the Kingdom of heaven experience new birth and enter into a better covenant through Christ. However, since the arrival of John, the Kingdom of heaven has been experiencing opposition from religious leaders and secular rulers.
v15 The phrase “he who has ears to hear, let him hear” is quoted from Ezekiel 12:2. It speaks of the people’s rebelliousness to listen to the Words of the Lord. Jesus warns us that if we harden our hearts, we will miss what God is doing.
v16-19 Jesus compares the people to immature children who expect God to carry out His purpose according to their expectations. The ministries of John and Jesus were totally opposite in nature and yet the people rejected them both.
Bible Study Questions
Comparing Matthew 11:15 and Ezekiel 12:2, what does the phrase “he who has ears to hear, let him hear” mean?
In what way does Jesus warn us not to be like children?
Repentance
v20-24 Repentance is essential to coming to Jesus. The word repentance (μετανοέω) means to change one’s mind or purpose. Miracles alone do not lead people to Jesus. We may think that if an unbeliever sees a miracle they will turn to Jesus. However without repentance, people will not believe even if they see miracles.
Jesus warns that those who have the opportunity to witness His power but do not repent will face greater judgment. Tyre and Sidon were judged because of their contempt towards Israel, pride and materialism (Ezekiel 26-28). The city of Sodom was destroyed by God because it was exceedingly sinful and wicked (Genesis 19:13). Even these cities would have repented if they witnessed the miracles of Jesus.
Question for Bible Study
What is repentance and why is it important?
Taking up Jesus’ yoke
v25-30 Jesus invites us to exchange our heavy yoke for His yoke that is light. To do this, we need childlike faith, dependence and humility. A revelation of God is not achieved through worldly wisdom or human understanding. Only Jesus can reveal the Father to us. The yoke was a common metaphor in Judaism for the law. The law imposed by the Pharisees was a heavy burden on the people (Matthew 23:4). Jesus did not come to judge but to save the world (John 12:47). Jesus came to free us from the yoke of religious legalism and trying to earn salvation through doing good works. The only way to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life is through repentance.
Question for Bible Study
Looking at Matthew 23:4, what burden were the people carrying?
What does Jesus teach us about His yoke?
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