Matthew 11

Matthew 11:1

Matthew 11:1 — Conclusion – Matthew 11:1 serves as a transitional statement. Matthew 11:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities. Matthew 11:1 — Comments - Matthew 11:1 is the second of five verses in the Gospel of Matthew that closes a lengthy discourse. Each of these five lengthy discourses ends with the similar phrase, “when Jesus had finished these sayings (or parables),” giving these five sections a common division. Matthew 7:28-29, “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Matthew 11:1, “And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.” Matthew 13:53, “And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.” Matthew 19:1, “And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;” Matthew 26:1, “And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,” Thus, each of these five discourses is separated with large sections of narrative material, with the discourses being interwoven between the narratives. Each section of narrative material relates to and prepares us for the next discourse. Matthew 11:1 — Comments – Matthew 4:23; Matthew 11:1 provide the same description of the office and ministry of the Teacher, one of the five-fold offices of the New Testament Church, which is to preach the Gospel, teach God’s Word concerning the Gospel, and to heal the sick in demonstration of the Gospel. While Matthew 11:1 does not mention the healing aspect, the verses that follow make references to the works of Christ (Matthew 11:2) and to the many types of healing miracles that Jesus and His disciples performed (Matthew 11:5). Matthew 4:23, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.”

Matthew 11:2-13

Man’s Response to the Proclamation of the Kingdom of God – Matthew 11:2 to Matthew 13:53 emphasizes Israel’s rejection of the various testimonies of the Gospel as well as the persecutions from religious leaders against those who serve in the Kingdom of God.[433] The narrative passage in Matthew 11:2 to Matthew 12:50 emphasizes the rejection of the various testimonies of John the Baptist and Jesus, of the Scriptures, and of physical miracles. In this passage of Scripture Jesus demonstrates to His disciples how to respond to persecutions. This rejection and the persecutions that followed arose not because of the messenger of God, but because the people were rejecting the testimonies that God had given to them so that they might believe and be saved. It appropriately follows Jesus’ commissioning and sending out of the twelve disciples in the previous passage. This passage tells us about His rejection by the Jewish people amidst His miracles and how He rebuked them for their hardness of hearts. Yet in the midst of rejection Jesus walked in meekness.

We will see how Jesus faced doubt and rejection from His forerunner John the Baptist, from the cities of Israel, from the Pharisees, and from His family. In other words, Jesus faced rejection from all sectors of the Jewish society. This passage, which gives us an understanding of how the Kingdom of Heaven is received among men, prepares us for the third discourse in which Jesus teaches on the Parables of the Kingdom in Matthew 13:1-53 in order to explain how the message of the Kingdom is received and rejected in various ways by men. Because of this emphasis on rejecting and accepting the Gospel, this narrative material does not emphasis Jesus’ healing ministry, as did the material found in Matthew 8:1 to Matthew 9:38. However, it does take up the theme of Jesus’ discourse of Mat 10:1 to Matthew 11:1 in which Jesus warned His disciples of persecutions and rejection by even their families (Matthew 10:34-39) as He Himself faced (Matthew 12:46-50). This material can be compared to the General Epistles of Hebrews, James, and 1 Peter in that they both deal with the perseverance of the saints amongst persecutions from without the Church. [433] Benjamin Bacon identifies the theme of Matthew 11:1 to 13:53 as Israel’s blindness and rejection of the Gospel and its revelation “to ‘the little ones’ of Jesus’ spiritual Kingdom.” He says, “Hence Mt, at the close of his account of the heralding of the message by Jesus throughout Galilee, and his further dissemination of it through the mission of the Twelve to preach and to heal, can hardly do otherwise logically than to continue his story by an account of ‘the stumbling of Israel at the word’; a narrative whose complement is the reception of it by the remnant of the ‘people of the soil,’ who prove themselves the true kindred of Jesus by ‘hearing and doing the will of God.’” See Benjamin W. Bacon, Studies in Matthew (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1930), 376, 396; Grant R. Osborne, Matthew, in Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, ed. Clinton E. Arnold (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 411. There are three Old Testament prophecies referred to in this division of Matthew’s Gospel. The first one is found in Matthew 12:17-21, which is a quote from Isaiah 42:1-4, and serves to reveal how Jesus ministered the Gospel with gentleness in the midst of persecution, reflecting the theme of this division of Matthew. Matthew 12:17-21, “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.” The second prophecy is found in Matthew 13:14-15, which is a quote from Isaiah 6:9-10, which predicts the hardness of heart of the Jews to the preaching of the Gospel. Matthew 13:14-15, “And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” Isaiah 6:9-10, “And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.” The third prophecy is found in Matthew 13:34-35, which is a quote from Psalms 78:2, revealing how Jesus taught the multitudes inparables because they were not His true followers. Matthew 13:34-35, “All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.” Psalms 78:2, “I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:” These three fulfillments of Scripture support the emphasis of this division of Matthew’s Gospel, which is serving the Lord in the midst of persecutions from without the Church. The section of Matthew emphasizing sanctification through perseverance from persecutions without (Matthew 11:2 to Matthew 13:53) closes with a transitional sentence that concludes each of the five discourses, telling us that Jesus had ended His teaching (Matthew 13:53). Matthew 13:53, “And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.” Literary Evidence of a Common Theme between the Third Narrative Section and the Discourse that Follows – There is literary evidence that the third narrative section shares a common theme with the discourse that follows. The first literary evidence of a common theme is found in the use of the Greek words σκανδαλίζω and σκάνδαλον, key words Jesus uses in the opening of the third narrative section (Matthew 11:6), and three times during the third discourse, in the midst and at the closing of the third discourse (Matthew 11:21, 41, 57).[434] Jesus encounters offenses in the third narrative section (Matthew 11:6) and He teaches on offense in the discourse that follows (Matthew 13:21; Matthew 13:57). The second literary evidence is found in the words of Jesus when He says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear,” a statement that is found in the opening passage of the third narrative section (Matthew 11:15), and twice during the third discourse, in the midst and at the closing of the third discourse (Matthew 13:15; Matthew 13:43). Both of these literary evidences reflect the common theme between the third narrative and the third discourse of the servant of God’s need to persevere in the faith in the midst of opposition to the Kingdom of Heaven. [434] Christopher R. Smith, “Literary Evidences of a FiveFold Structure in the Gospel of Matthew,” in New Testament Studies 43 (1997): 546.Sanctification: Perseverance: Numbers Versus the Third Discourse, which Deals with Persecutions from Without - The narrative passage in Matthew 11:2 to Matthew 12:50 emphasizes the many ways that people received, rejected and questioned the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. This passage, which gives us an understanding of how the Kingdom of Heaven is received among men, and it prepares us for the third discourse when Jesus teaches on the Parables in Matthew 13:1-52 in order to explain how persecutions from without accompany the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven. This service, or work, of the Kingdom reminds us of the book of Numbers, which discusses the perseverance of the children of Israel in their wilderness journey. This narrative material in Matthew 11:2 to Matthew 12:40 tells us the manner in which Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom. For this reason this passage tells us about His rejection by the Jewish people amidst His miracles and how He rebuked them for their hardness of hearts.

Yet in the midst of rejection Jesus walked in meekness. This meekness in Christian service is the duty of the Levitical priesthood. Outline – Here is a proposed outline:

1. Narrative: Man’s Reactions to the King — Matthew 11:2 to Matthew 12:502. Third Discourse: Parables of Man’s Reactions to Gospel — Matthew 13:1-53

Matthew 11:20-24

Jesus Rebukes the Cities that Reject Him (Luke 10:13-15) – Matthew 11:20-24 continues to place emphasis upon persecutions that come against the Kingdom of Heaven when certain cities reject Jesus’ public ministry. In this passage of Scripture Jesus rebukes the cities who have rejected His ministry and that of John the Baptist. The Preaching of Righteousness - The book of Deuteronomy offers us one of the first recorded sermons in human history. Prior to the time of Moses, the Scriptures tell us that Noah was a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5), and the preaching of Enoch, the seventh from Adam, is believed to be recorded in the Book of Enoch (Jude 1:14-15). However, the sermons of Moses stand tallest in Jewish history because he was a man who preached with mighty signs and wonders accompanying his ministry as his sermons shook nations and brought multitudes to their knees in repentance and faith in God (Deuteronomy 34:10-12). The powerful effects of such preaching throughout history are expressed by the Lord Jesus Christ when He was upbraiding those cities of Galilee that rejected His Gospel. He told them that the cities of Tyre and Sidon would have repented had someone stood and preached the Gospel to them. He added that the wicked city of Sodom would still be standing today had someone came a preached to those people with signs and wonders (Matthew 11:20-24). How we need someone to stand up and shout from the mountain tops the unspeakable grace and forgiveness of God coupled with His impending judgment. Matthew 11:20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Matthew 11:20 — Comments - Jesus was able to upbraid these cities because we see in Matthew 11:1 that Jesus not only sent his disciples to all the cities, but He also went Himself to many of these cities preaching and teaching the Gospel. These cities had heard the Good News confirmed with signs and wonders and many had rejected this message. Matthew 11:1, “And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.” Matthew 11:21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Matthew 11:21 — Comments - We see from this verse that Jesus had been to many unrecorded places by this time by this time in His ministry (John 21:25). John 21:25, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.” 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. Matthew 11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 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.

Matthew 11:25-30

Jesus’ Calls the Multitudes to Follow Him (Luke 10:21-22) – The testimonies of John the Baptist and Jesus in Matthew 11:2-24 serve as God the Father’s witness to the depravity of men’s hearts; therefore, Jesus acknowledges that the Father will only reveal His divine truths to those with childlike faith in God. Jesus first gives thanks to the Father for His hand of divine providence in a difficult situation as He works in the hearts of men (Matthew 11:25-27). Then in an act of faith and devotion to the Father, Jesus calls the multitudes to follow Him, knowing that the Father would reveal the Gospel to those of humble hearts with a childlike faith in Him (Matthew 11:28-30). Jesus calls those people who were willing to accept the testimony of John the Baptist and Him to come find true rest in Him (Matthew 11:28-30). Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Matthew 11:25 — Comments – Jesus has just said, “But wisdom is justified of her children.” (Matthew 11:19) In other words, God’s children will recognize wisdom when it is proclaimed. In Matthew 11:25 now says God hides His wisdom from those whose hearts are hardened through human wisdom and prudent. Paul will mention this same topic in his first epistle to the Corinthians, saying, “Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” (1 Corinthians 1:20-21) Jesus describes those who receive God’s Words as “babes” because of their childlike faith in Him. Matthew 11:26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. Matthew 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 — Comments – While the world was seeking rest in their earthly pursuits, they were rejecting the One who created them for rest. Jesus wants us to come to Him so that He can reveal the Father to us, as He states in the previous verse (Matthew 11:27). We can only find true rest when we find fellowship with our Heavenly Fathers. Note these insightful words from Frances J. Roberts: “How can I give you healing for your body whilst there is anxiety in thy mind? So long as there is dis-ease in thy thoughts, there shall be disease in thy body. Ye have need of many things, but one thing in particular ye must develop for thine own preservation, and that is an absolute confidence in My loving care. ‘Come unto Me’, it is written, ‘all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matthew 11:28) Only when your mind is at rest can your body build health. Worry is an actively destructive force. Anxiety produces tension, and tension is the road to pain. Anger throws poison into the system that no anti-biotic ever can counter. ’Be sure your sin will find you out’, the Bible states. One of the most common ways that hidden sin is revealed is through the maladies of the body. More arthritis is brought about by resentments and ill-will than is caused by wrong diet. More asthma is caused by repressed fury than by pollen or cat fur. There was no illness in the body of Jesus because there was no sin in His soul. There was weariness as a natural result of labor and sacrificial service, but there was no undue fatigue and exhaustion brought on by anxiety.”[445] [445] Frances J. Roberts, Come Away My Beloved (Ojai, California: King’s Farspan, Inc., 1973), 92-3.Again: “Thou dost not need to carry thine own load, for I will be happy to help thee carry it and to also bear thee up as well. Thou dost not walk alone nor meet any situation alone, for I am with thee, and I will give thee wisdom and I will give thee strength, and My blessing shall be upon thee. Only keep thine heart set upon Me and thine affections on things above; for I cannot bless thee unless ye ask Me and I cannot answer if ye do not call, and I cannot minister to thee except thou come to Me.”[446] [446] Frances J. Roberts, Come Away My Beloved (Ojai, California: King’s Farspan, Inc., 1973), 110.Again: “O My beloved, ye do not need to make your path (like a snow plow), for lo, I say unto thee, I go before you. Yea, I shall engineer circumstances on thy behalf. I am thy husband, and I will protect thee and care for thee, and make full provision for thee. I know thy need, and I am concerned for thee: for thy peace, for thy health, for thy strength. I cannot use a tired body, and ye need to take time to renew thine energies, both spiritual and physical. I am the God of Battle, but I am also the One who said: They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. Jesus said, Come ye apart and rest a little while. “I will teach you, even as I taught Moses on the back side of the desert, and as I taught Paul in Arabia. So will I teach you. Thus it shall be a constructive period, and not in any sense wasted time. But as the summer course to the school teacher, it is vital to thee in order that ye be fully qualified for your ministry. “There is no virtue in activity as such – neither in inactivity. I minister to thee in solitude that ye may minister of Me to others as a spontaneous overflow of our communion. Never labor to serve, nor force opportunities. Set thy heart to be at peace and to sit at My feet. Learn to be ready, but not to be anxious. Learn to say ‘no’ to the demands of men and to say ‘yes’ to the call of the Spirit.”[447] [447] Frances J. Roberts, Come Away My Beloved (Ojai, California: King’s Farspan, Inc., 1973), 145.Again: “I don’t want you to work for Me under pressure and tension like a machine – striving to produce, produce. I want you to just live with Me as a Person. I have waited for you to wear yourself out. I knew you would find it eventually – the secret of silence and rest, of solitude and of song. I will rebuild your strength – not to work again in foolish frenzy, but just for the sake of making you strong and well. To Me this is an end in itself. Make it your aim to join with Me wholeheartedly in the project. ‘Many joys are waiting yet’.”[448] [448] Frances J. Roberts, Come Away My Beloved (Ojai, California: King’s Farspan, Inc., 1973), 152.Scripture References - Note similar verses: Psalms 38:4, “For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.” Psalms 94:13, “That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.” Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11:29 — “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me” – Comments - Everett Harrison says that in the Pirke Aboth, or Sayings of the Jewish Fathers, there is a eulogy of the man who takes upon himself the yoke of the Torah. He believes Jesus may have drawn upon this analogy when He said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me.”[449] The ancient Jewish eulogy reads, “R. Nechonyiah ben ha-Qanah said, Whoso receives upon him the yoke of Thorah, they remove from him the yoke of royalty and the yoke of worldly care; and whoso breaks from him the yoke of Thorah, they lay upon him the yoke of royalty and the yoke of worldly care.” (Pirke Aboth Matthew 3:8)[450] [449] Everett F. Harrison, Introduction to the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, c1964, 1971), 171. [450] Charles Taylor, Sayings of the Jewish Fathers Comprising Pirque Aboth in Hebrew and English with Notes and Excursuses (Cambridge: University Press, 1897), 45-46. Matthew 11:29 — Comments – Word Study on “yoke” - There are six uses of the Greek word æõãüò (yoke) in the New Testament.

1. The yoke of Christ: Matthew 11:29-30 Matthew 11:29-30, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
2. This is a reference to the Law: Acts 15:10, “Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?” Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
3. As a reference to physical slavery: 1 Timothy 6:1, “Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.”
4. In its most literal sense: Luke 14:19, “And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.” Comments - Christ’s yoke is a yoke of freedom. We are under the yoke of Jesus, serving Him. Romans 6:16, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” The yoke of slavery: 1 Timothy 6:1, “Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.” See the yoke of the Law: Acts 15:10, “Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?” Galatians 5:10, “I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.” Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:30 — Scripture Reference - Note: 1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” Matthew 11:28-30 — Comments - Jesus is the Great Burden-bearer - One of the greatest pieces of advice to young believers is to not make life so complicated, so busy and so intense. One of the greatest discoveries that I made as a young Christian is that when I stopped trying to please others, I no longer had to work so hard to achieve successes. I learned to enter in to a life of more rest as I began to focus on just the things that the Lord wanted me to accomplish in this life. Life will become too burdensome when we work to achieve success in the eyes of man. God measures success in a much deeper, more important way. When we begin to serve Jesus, the burden is light. We do feel the burden of responsibility for a lost and dying world, for those we love, but this is a much lighter burden than that of being busy pleasing man. The Pharisees had placed tremendous burdens upon the people in the forms of customs and traditions. Matthew 23:4, “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.” The people were confused about what it meant to obey the laws of Moses. Jesus had some to teach the people an easier way to serve the Lord and to lift their burdens. It is very likely that Jesus was referring to Isaiah 10:27 when made this statement in Matthew 11:28-30. Isaiah 10:27, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.”Jesus is the great burden-bearer. He will carry this load with us, but man is limited in his ability to care. Note these words from Frances J. Roberts: “My child, do not share thy burdens with all who come unto thee profession concern. Lo, I, Myself, am the great burden-bearer. Ye need not look for another. I will lead thee and guide thee in wisdom from above. All things shall be as I plan them, if ye allow Me the freedom to shape circumstances and lead thee to the right decisions.”[451] [451] Frances J. Roberts, Come Away My Beloved (Ojai, California: King’s Farspan, Inc., 1973), 17.“My child, lean thy head upon My bosom. Well I know thy weariness, and every burden I would lift. Never bury thy griefs; but offer them up to Me. Thou wilt relieve thy soul of much strain if ye can lay every care in My hand. Never cling to any trouble, hoping to resolve it thyself, but turn it over to Me; and in doing so, ye shall free Me to work it out.”[452] [452] Frances J. Roberts, Come Away My Beloved (Ojai, California: King’s Farspan, Inc., 1973), 18.