Read Matthew 11:2-6 and Luke 7:11-23. Jesus had been performing miracles, curing diseases, casting out demons, and He had just raised a widow’s son from the dead. The reports of what Jesus had done and what He had not done had filtered back to John the Baptizer, who is in prison. John had already identified Jesus publicly as the Messiah, but John, as with almost every Jewish believer of that day, expected the Messiah to bring in the Kingdom. They expected the Messiah to lead an army, throw out the Roman oppressors, and set up a righteous Jewish Kingdom. But Jesus has shown no sign of raising an army. He speaks of the Kingdom being ready to come but does not seem to be doing anything to start a military takeover. There are a lot of miracles but no army. This has caused John to wonder, is this the one we are looking for, or is there another yet to come? So he sent his followers to ask Jesus if this were the case.
1. What was Jesus’ answer to the messengers from John?
Tell John about all the miracles you are seeing. Tell him, blessed is the one who keeps from stumbling over me.
2. What do you think, He was telling John in this reply?
You see the miracles. This is of God. Don’t stumble just because I am not doing what you expect. Do not lose faith.
Read Matthew 11:7-30 and Luke 7:24-35. After the messengers left to report our Lord’s answer to John, Jesus addresses the crowds. He does this, no doubt, for several reasons. Many probably had overheard the conversation between John’s messengers and our Lord and might have been tempted to lower their estimation of John because of his questioning our Lord’s being the Messiah. Others certainly had the same questions John had but had not asked them. Our Lord wants to reassure the people about John’s status and encourage them about the coming kingdom. He begins by directing their attention back to John.
3. He asks the people three times what they went out to see when they went to see John when he was preaching. He answers three times. The first two times, the answer is what they did not go out to see; the last answer is what they did go out to see. What are the three things they could have gone out to see?
a. A reed shaken by the wind,
b. Someone dressed in soft (expensive) clothing and
c. A prophet
4. What do you think Jesus meant by the first answer he gave, by the second answer?
a. Someone who makes a lot of noise but does not say anything. Someone who will not endure but will dry up and blow away.
b. Someone who would be found in a palace, a ruler living in luxury.
5. What do you think our Lord meant when He said that John was not just a prophet but something more?
There had been many prophets, but there was only one who was the prophet who would announce Messiah’s first coming. He was a very special prophet.
6. What do you think Jesus meant when He said, “Among those born of women, there is no one greater than John, but he who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.”?
John is a prophet, no one greater. But the Kingdom is coming, and those who will be in it are more blessed than John, who only foresaw it.
7. What does Jesus mean when He states, “And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.”?
He is referring to the prophecy of Malachi 4:5-6, where God promises to send the prophet Elijah before that great and terrible day of the Lord; that is, before our Lord’s setting up the physical kingdom upon the earth. Our Lord means that John fulfills the near reference in this prophecy, which has a double fulfillment as do many prophecies in the Scriptures. In our Lord’s first advent, Malachi 4:5-6 was fulfilled by John the Baptizer, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah. John was the forerunner who heralded the coming king. But there will be a far or future fulfillment in which Elijah himself will return before the last half of the tribulation period, the Great Tribulation. He will be one of the two prophets spoken of in Revelation 11:3-12, who testify during the first three and a half years of the tribulation. See Matthew 17:11, where Jesus says that Elijah comes and will restore all things (future tense in reference to Elijah) and then He says that Elijah has already come (past tense in reference to the person of John the Baptizer).
8. What does Jesus mean when He says, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.”?
He is saying that there had been many even from the beginning of John’s ministry who had attempted to rebel against Rome and try to set up the Jewish kingdom. They had used bloodshed, violence and force. He is implying that this was not what He was going to do, at least not at this time.
9. In Matthew 11:25, Jesus states, “…You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.” To what is He referring by these things?
He was referring to the truth about the setting up of the kingdom, namely, that our Lord did not intend at that time to set up the kingdom on earth. Instead, He came this time to die for sinners. The kingdom of God would be first established in the hearts of men and women, redeeming and preparing them, before it would be established on the earth. The religious leaders and most believers in that day looked for the physical kingdom to be established first.
10. When Jesus said the religious leaders of that generation were like children who called out to other children, saying, “We played a flute, but you did not dance, so we sang a sad song, but you did not mourn.” what do you think He meant?
He meant they would not respond no matter how the message was stated. They had determined not to believe and had an excuse no matter what. John gave the message in a very austere way, in self-denial. They said he was demonic. Jesus gave the same message in a more relaxed, gracious way; they said He was immoral.
Read Luke 7:36-8:3. One of the Pharisees, who heard Jesus speak and who probably did believe, invited Him to dinner. At this dinner, an unexpected and uninvited guest appeared, a woman described as a sinner. This was a term used to refer to a prostitute or a woman of known loose moral character. A Pharisee would not have dreamed of associating with such a person.
11. What did this woman do?
She washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. She anointed his feet with expensive perfume.
12. What was Simon’s response to this?
He thought to himself, ‘If this man were indeed a prophet, He would know what kind of woman this is and not let her do this.’
13. What parable and question did Jesus give in response to Simon’s way of thinking?
Two men owed a lender money, one a little, the other a lot. Since neither could pay, the lender forgave both debts. Which creditor loved the lender the most?
14. What was the point of this parable and question?
The woman was forgiven much; therefore, she loved Jesus much. She was demonstrating her love in this way. Simon, because of his self-righteousness, had little forgiven and consequently did not love Jesus as much.
15. What two statements did Jesus make to this woman?
a. Your sins are forgiven.
b. Go in peace; your faith has saved you.
The Applications:
What are the applications of these passages to our lives today? Identify as many as you are able.
1. We are so very like John the Baptizer. He had it all figured out how Jesus was going to drive out the Romans and establish the kingdom promised to Israel. He believed that Jesus was the Messiah. He had spent his ministry trying to convince people to prepare for His coming. Now Messiah had declared Himself. He was demonstrating God’s divine power by the great and wonderful miracles which He was performing.
But there was a problem. He was not doing anything that even closely resembled raising an army. He did not appear to be preparing to drive out the Romans invaders to set up the kingdom. He did not seem to be answering the prayers of all the saints, who longed to be free of Roman oppression. It simply wasn’t happening. And this raised some questions. Maybe Jesus wasn’t the one; maybe there was another coming, who was the real Messiah? Our Lord’s answer was simple. You see God at work, don’t you? Just trust Him!
So we often also do not see God working the way we expect Him to work. He does not seem to be answering our prayers and our hopes, at least not the way that we think He should be doing. And this raises questions in our minds. It can cause us to lose hope because it seems that God is not even beginning to answer our prayers. Like John, we need to realize that God is at work, and we need to trust Him. God never told us that we must understand all He is doing and how it all works together. He never told us we even had to like or enjoy the process; all we must do is trust Him. We need to realize that He is far greater than our comprehension, that His ways are not ours. His purposes are determined by Him and by Him alone. He did not consult with us. His plans and purposes are far beyond what we can comprehend. He will accomplish them with far greater results than we can imagine.
So what if we do not see Him at work in the way we expect? That should not at all surprise us. All we can do is trust Him, knowing that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are the called according to His purpose. He will answer, but in His way and in His time. The answer will be far greater than what we could think.
2. There are many styles of teaching and preaching. Some are loud and animated, others soft and quiet. Some preaching is directed to the emotions, other preaching, to the intellect. Some preachers and teachers are flashy; some are traditional and conservative. Some are topical, some expository. Some use the written media, some the airwaves; others just use their own pulpit.
But which are the best? Which ones really do the work of God in the way He wants it done? All other things being equal, style and appearance are not the issues. God uses them all. John and our Lord were very different in style and presentation, but both declared the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. They were designedly different.
We must be careful not to dismiss a person’s ministry simply because the style and appearance do not appeal to us. It may well be effective in reaching others to whom it does relate.