Matthew 10 ends with a twist, a bit of a dig at those religious leaders who presume to be prophetic or to be specially connected to the prophets. Matthew 11 begins by recounting a narrative about one whom Jesus recognizes as truly prophetic, John the Baptist.
Matthew last mentions John the Baptist at the baptism of Jesus, recorded in Matthew 3. That was, along with the subsequent temptation in the wilderness, a prelude to Jesus’s public ministry. Now, hearing of Jesus’s works, John poses a question to Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come or shall we look for another?”
That John poses such a question indicates there were those in Israel watching for “one who is to come.” That Matthew tells us that John’s question is inspired by hearing “about the deeds of the Christ” indicates that the “one” for whom he is looking is the Messiah. We have seen a string of references in Matthew’s Gospel to texts in the Hebrew Scriptures that prophesy one who is to come. Matthew is showing that Jesus is the one to whom these prophecies refer, and now John, the contemporary prophet in Jesus’s time, queries whether Jesus is, in fact, the Christ.
Jesus answers John’s question by telling John’s disciples to return and tell John what they hear and see – that Jesus is performing mighty acts and that the poor are hearing good news from Him.
As John’s disciples depart, Jesus speaks to the crowds not about Himself, but about John’s role as a prophet. His teaching about John as a great prophet serves two purposes. It confirms that God is indeed speaking through the prophets once again, therefore this is a time of expectancy, a time when the One may well be revealed.
But as well, Jesus teaches something important about the coming kingdom. This is another instance of Jesus disorienting His listeners and breaking down misconceptions. Recalling Matthew 10 again, we know that there He criticized those who identified with the prophets as a way of lording their power over others. Here, He acknowledges the greatness of John as a prophet, but then says, “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
Jesus soon refers to “this generation,” which he compares to children playing games, and moves from referencing John to referencing Himself, the Son of Man (a title from Daniel in the Hebrew Bible), Jesus says that He is criticized by His contemporaries for eating and drinking and keeping company with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus spends His time fellowshipping with those considered unrighteous by “this generation,” while “this generation” spends its time playing around as “children.” It is in this context that we have what may seem a very cryptic statement: “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and the violent take it by force.” This is followed by another somewhat cryptic statement: “Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” At this point Jesus commences to denounce the unrepentant who have rejected His public ministry.
What to make of these statements about violence and wisdom? To be sure, we know from what follows that Jesus is clarifying that some reject Him while others receive Him. And, we know that Jesus is teaching that it is better to receive Him than to reject Him. This much is clear. But there is the matter of “violence” and the matter of “wisdom.”
Jesus knows His audience well. He knows they have preconceptions, and He knows that some of them know the Bible (what the apostles refer to as “the scriptures,” which were the scriptures of the Hebrew people, what we often call “the Old Testament”), and He knows that some of them have misconceptions about its teachings. They, like we, have preconceptions and misconceptions. And He wants to undermine those conceptions, and undo them, and destroy them, and put something better in their place.
Some thought the kingdom would be a place established by force, by power, by violence. And those with such a misconception would use any means to establish the kingdom as they imagined it. They would set up hierarchies, and they would wield power. But Jesus subverts such thinking by teaching the greatness of John the Baptist, and then pointing out that John is no better than the “least” of the kingdom.
He insists that the kingdom isn’t established by force, not even the violence of persuasion or “wisdom.” The genuineness of wisdom is seen in her deeds. Those who reject the works of Jesus and who refuse to repent do so by reasoning in a certain way. They employ “wisdom” to persuade that Jesus isn’t the One, that He isn’t the Christ. They possess a kingdom of their own making, in which they crown themselves king, and there is no room for a king named Jesus.
But Jesus preaches the good news of another kingdom, a different kingdom. This kingdom is not about power or violence. The kingdom of which He speaks has no hierarchy among its inhabitants – all live in the realm of one King.
This kingdom is not found by rejecting Jesus, but by accepting an invitation. “Come to me,” Jesus says, “all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus delivers this good news by praying to his Father, and praying for the “gracious will” of the Father to be done. Jesus is interpreting the Lord’s Prayer for us, showing us that the will of the Father is for this particular kingdom, this peaceable kingdom, to come on earth.
The kingdom of God is not in the hands of the violent and powerful, but it is carried on the shoulders of those who, admitting their weakness, take of the yoke of Jesus. Don’t miss the fact that the narrative that follows in Matthew 12 begins with teaching about the Sabbath, the day of rest. Jesus invites those who hear to come to Him and find rest, and He tells them – and us – that He is the one through whom the kingdom, and its rest, will come.
Yes, Jesus is the One, the Christ, the Messiah, the One who brings rest for our souls.
That John poses such a question indicates there were those in Israel watching for “one who is to come.” That Matthew tells us that John’s question is inspired by hearing “about the deeds of the Christ” indicates that the “one” for whom he is looking is the Messiah. We have seen a string of references in Matthew’s Gospel to texts in the Hebrew Scriptures that prophesy one who is to come. Matthew is showing that Jesus is the one to whom these prophecies refer, and now John, the contemporary prophet in Jesus’s time, queries whether Jesus is, in fact, the Christ.
Jesus answers John’s question by telling John’s disciples to return and tell John what they hear and see – that Jesus is performing mighty acts and that the poor are hearing good news from Him.
As John’s disciples depart, Jesus speaks to the crowds not about Himself, but about John’s role as a prophet. His teaching about John as a great prophet serves two purposes. It confirms that God is indeed speaking through the prophets once again, therefore this is a time of expectancy, a time when the One may well be revealed.
But as well, Jesus teaches something important about the coming kingdom. This is another instance of Jesus disorienting His listeners and breaking down misconceptions. Recalling Matthew 10 again, we know that there He criticized those who identified with the prophets as a way of lording their power over others. Here, He acknowledges the greatness of John as a prophet, but then says, “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
Jesus soon refers to “this generation,” which he compares to children playing games, and moves from referencing John to referencing Himself, the Son of Man (a title from Daniel in the Hebrew Bible), Jesus says that He is criticized by His contemporaries for eating and drinking and keeping company with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus spends His time fellowshipping with those considered unrighteous by “this generation,” while “this generation” spends its time playing around as “children.” It is in this context that we have what may seem a very cryptic statement: “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and the violent take it by force.” This is followed by another somewhat cryptic statement: “Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” At this point Jesus commences to denounce the unrepentant who have rejected His public ministry.
What to make of these statements about violence and wisdom? To be sure, we know from what follows that Jesus is clarifying that some reject Him while others receive Him. And, we know that Jesus is teaching that it is better to receive Him than to reject Him. This much is clear. But there is the matter of “violence” and the matter of “wisdom.”
Jesus knows His audience well. He knows they have preconceptions, and He knows that some of them know the Bible (what the apostles refer to as “the scriptures,” which were the scriptures of the Hebrew people, what we often call “the Old Testament”), and He knows that some of them have misconceptions about its teachings. They, like we, have preconceptions and misconceptions. And He wants to undermine those conceptions, and undo them, and destroy them, and put something better in their place.
Some thought the kingdom would be a place established by force, by power, by violence. And those with such a misconception would use any means to establish the kingdom as they imagined it. They would set up hierarchies, and they would wield power. But Jesus subverts such thinking by teaching the greatness of John the Baptist, and then pointing out that John is no better than the “least” of the kingdom.
He insists that the kingdom isn’t established by force, not even the violence of persuasion or “wisdom.” The genuineness of wisdom is seen in her deeds. Those who reject the works of Jesus and who refuse to repent do so by reasoning in a certain way. They employ “wisdom” to persuade that Jesus isn’t the One, that He isn’t the Christ. They possess a kingdom of their own making, in which they crown themselves king, and there is no room for a king named Jesus.
But Jesus preaches the good news of another kingdom, a different kingdom. This kingdom is not about power or violence. The kingdom of which He speaks has no hierarchy among its inhabitants – all live in the realm of one King.
This kingdom is not found by rejecting Jesus, but by accepting an invitation. “Come to me,” Jesus says, “all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus delivers this good news by praying to his Father, and praying for the “gracious will” of the Father to be done. Jesus is interpreting the Lord’s Prayer for us, showing us that the will of the Father is for this particular kingdom, this peaceable kingdom, to come on earth.
The kingdom of God is not in the hands of the violent and powerful, but it is carried on the shoulders of those who, admitting their weakness, take of the yoke of Jesus. Don’t miss the fact that the narrative that follows in Matthew 12 begins with teaching about the Sabbath, the day of rest. Jesus invites those who hear to come to Him and find rest, and He tells them – and us – that He is the one through whom the kingdom, and its rest, will come.
Yes, Jesus is the One, the Christ, the Messiah, the One who brings rest for our souls.
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