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JESUS TAKES OVER JOHN THE BAPTIST'S MINISTRY

 

Matthew 11:1-19

Key Verses: 11:4-6

 

    "Jesus replied,  Go back and report to John what you hear and

     see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have

     leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the

     good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who

     does not fall away on account of me."

 

STUDY QUESTIONS

 

1. Read verses 1-3. Where was John the Baptist? Why? (14:3) What was

   Jesus doing? Why did John send his disciples to Jesus?

 

2. Read verses 4-6. How did Jesus answer John's question?  What did

   Jesus  answer mean? What did it mean to John?  Why did he answer

   like this?

 

3. Read verses 7-10. What did Jesus remind the crowd about John? What

   was John's mission? Why was it so important?

 

4. Read verses 11-15. What did Jesus teach about John's greatness? Who

   is truly great? What does this mean? How was the kingdom advancing

   forcefully? In what way was John a forceful man?

 

5. Read verses 15-19. How did Jesus see the people of his time? How did

   the people criticize both Jesus and John?  How does this children s

   game reveal the crowds indifference and lack of interest in truth?

 

 

 

JESUS TAKES OVER JOHN THE BAPTIST'S MINISTRY

 

Matthew 11:1-19

Key Verses: 11:4-6

 

    "Jesus replied,  Go back and report to John what you hear and

     see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have

     leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the

     good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who

     does not fall away on account of me."

 

   In chapter 10 Jesus called his twelve disciples and gave them

essential, indispensable instructions for future gospel work, as well

as for their immediate fieldwork training. When we review Jesus

instructions, the disciples were to go out and preach the kingdom of

God and heal the sick, depending on God whatever situation they were

in. We were amazed that Jesus  disciples were mostly uneducated people,

but Jesus treated them like four-star generals and gave them seemingly

impossible instructions. Jesus taught them that he came to bring peace

and at the same time a sword to extinguish those who are out of God s

law and engaging in the activities of the devil (10:34). Jesus also

taught that disciples must love Jesus more than their own parents;

otherwise, they are not worthy of being his disciples.  When they love

Jesus more than their parents, Jesus the King blesses their parents,

too. But if disciples do not have absolute loyalty to God, they cannot

be disciples of Jesus (10:37-39). Jesus also wanted his disciples to

receive a prophet's reward, which is the highest in the kingdom of

God.  Today's passage tells us of the transitional period from the

ministry of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, to the ministry

of Jesus, who would complete world salvation work.

 

First, the work of God is going on. After Jesus had finished

instructing his twelve disciples, he sent them from there to everywhere

to preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick in the towns of Galilee.

At this important historical moment, something unusual happened.

 

   John the Baptist was imprisoned. John's disciples might have thought

the work of John the Baptist would go on. John the Baptist knew that

his disciples were still spiritually immature and he sent them to Jesus

to ask him,  Are the you the one who was to come, or should we expect

someone else?  John the Baptist was a straight-forward prophet. So he

had rebuked Herod the tetrarch to repent that he had taken his brother

s wife as his own (14:3). Herod wanted to kill John but he was afraid

of the people. One day, his unlawful wife Herodias threw a party for

Herod and had her daughter dance. When they were very joyful by

drinking much wine, and Herodias daughter danced, Herod spoke nonsense

to Herodias  daughter,  I will give you whatever you want.  Then she

asked Herod for the head of John the Baptist. Herod, though stunned at

her request, yielded to Herodias manipulation. Thus Herod, who

respected John the Baptist, sent his soldiers to the prison and cut off

John the Baptist's head and offered it on a platter.  These things

would happen in the near future. But at this time the disciples of John

the Baptist did not understand what was going on. So John the Baptist,

who was in prison, not yet beheaded, sent his disciples to Jesus to ask

him,  Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone

else?

 

   Jesus did not explain why John the Baptist would die in such a way.

Jesus did not explain who he was, even though they were asking who

Jesus was. But Jesus showed them the work of God which was going on,

that is, what Jesus and his disciples had been doing. Let's read verses

4-6 together.  Jesus replied,  Go back and report to John what you hear

and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy

are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is

preached to the poor.  Blessed is the man who does not fall away on

account of me.

 

   These verses show that the messianic ministry was going on. Of

course, the imprisonment of John the Baptist and his upcoming martyrdom

was unavoidable. But Jesus did not say anything to John the Baptist s

disciples about their teacher's future. Jesus also didn't identify

himself as the long awaited Messiah and King. He simply showed them

that the work of God was going on through Jesus and his disciples, just

as the work of God had been going on through John and his disciples.

Humanly speaking, it was the moment of a sorrowful tragedy for John the

Baptist and his disciples. Jesus was mindful of John the Baptist, who

was in prison, and of his disciples, who had lost their master.

 

   But to Jesus, the most important thing was whether the messianic

ministry was going on or not. So he powerfully told them. Let's read

verses 4-6 again.  Jesus replied,  Go back and report to John what you

hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have

leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good

news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away

on account of me.  Here Jesus told them that John the Baptist had

completed his mission as the forerunner of Jesus. In order to prepare

the way for the Lord, he preached the baptism of repentance and now he

was waiting for his martyrdom. People thought that without John the

Baptist the work of God could not go on. But Jesus here clearly told

them that God's work was going on mightily and steadily. This is Jesus

explanation in view of God's salvation work. But John the Baptist s

disciples might not have understood.  They must have said,  Your work

is going on. But what about ours?  John the Baptist's disciples had to

learn how to see the work of God from God's point of view. We also

learn that as long as the work of God is going on, everything is going

on well. There was nothing to worry about, even though injustice was

prevailing and they were apprehensive of becoming like their teacher,

John the Baptist.

 

Second, what did you see? As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began

to speak to the crowd about John:  What did you go out into the desert

to see?  Jesus was sorry that people had no point when they went to

John the Baptist to be baptized, even though they had repented. They

did not see who John the Baptist was. Twenty years ago, one student was

doing God's work. But he was always pointless. So his shepherd gave him

the nickname, Point Kwon,  so that he might have a point. The people

went out to John the Baptist to see the work of God through John the

Baptist and the mighty work of repentance and baptism. But they did not

understand and they became pointless people. So Jesus, in his deep

sorrow, said,  What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed

swayed by the wind?  If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed

in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in king's palaces.

Then what did you go out to see? A prophet?  Yes, I tell you, and more

than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written:  I will send

my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you

(7-10). Jesus was sorry that the crowd who came to him also did not

have the point to see the work of God. So he sorrowfully lamented over

them saying,  What did you go out into the desert to see?  Then in

verse 10b, Jesus clearly told them that John the Baptist was the

forerunner of the Messiah King Jesus. It says,  I will send my

messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.  It was

prophesied and fulfilled concerning John the Baptist that he would come

as the forerunner of Jesus and fulfill his mission. His situation

seemed to be gloomy. But he was a man who had fulfilled his mission.

God made man to receive a mission from God and to fulfill it. So John

is known as one of the greatest men in Bible history, not because he

ate locusts and honey and lived in the desert, but because he received

a mission from God and fulfilled his mission with life-giving spirit.

 

   So Jesus praised John the Baptist. Look at verse 11.  I tell you the

truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater

than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is

greater than he.  This means that John the Baptist was indeed a great

man in the sight of God. At that time people were gripped with fear and

were paralyzed until they could not open their mouths. But John the

Baptist fulfilled his mission, proclaiming the coming of the Messiah

through the baptism of repentance. Let's read verse 11.  I tell you the

truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater

than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is

greater than he.  This does not mean that John the Baptist is the last

person in the kingdom of heaven. It means that in the kingdom of heaven

everybody is equal. True equality, true peace and true victory are in

the kingdom of heaven.

 

   It was a time of despair. It was a time of sorrow and tragedy when

everybody saw the imprisonment of John the Baptist and his wandering

disciples. But Jesus did not think so. He said that everybody must see

the kingdom of God and everybody must enter the kingdom of God. In

order to enter the kingdom of God, each person must do everything with

all his heart and with all his strength and with all his soul. Jesus

rarely used an overly emphasized expression. But here Jesus says,

...the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful

men lay hold of it  (12).  Here we learn two things. First, the work of

God seemed to have been extinguished by the imprisonment of John the

Baptist; but it was not so.  The work of God is always marching on

mightily and powerfully, shaking the world. Second, we may do many

things, but most importantly we must strive forcefully with all our

strength to enter the kingdom of God. Why must we do this? As we know

well, man is like grass, and all his glory is like the flowers of the

field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord

stands forever (1 Pe 1:24,25). Man's glory is that though he came from

the dust of the ground, he has a soul. When he believes in Jesus, he

will not perish but have eternal life. It is our glory that because of

God's immortality in us we will not go back to the dust of the ground

but we will go to heaven and see our Lord Jesus Christ face to face,

and David and Paul, and even Bartholomew, with everlasting joy.

 

Third, the childishness of mankind (16-19). To Jesus, to enlighten the

hearts of sinful man was life-giving, but it seemed absolutely

impossible because of man's childishness. To Jesus, man's childishness

was selfishness and indifference and ignorance of the work of God. Look

at verse 16.  To what can I compare this generation? They are like

children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others....  At

that time, there were many kinds of people and many nations. But they

were all like children sitting in the marketplace and enjoying looking

at the goods of this and that. They were very indifferent. So Jesus

said in verse 17,  We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;

we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.  Throughout history, God wanted

to save his people from their sins and so he sent many prophets and

servants of God to them. But they never responded to their voices. They

were like ignorant children, sleeping during an orchestra concert.

Indifference is a great sin before God. One man who has some money does

many things for his family. But he is very indifferent to his wife. He

is going around saying,  I don't love my wife.  He does not love his

wife because he does not love himself. He does not love himself because

he is like a cut flower with no root in God. One who does not know God

cannot love himself or his wife. So this man goes around doing many

wild things. He has several kids, but he doesn't pray for their true

happiness in this world. He wants to make them indifferent to what he

has been doing to their mom. So the family is indifferent to each

other. They are not a blessing to each other, but very harmful to each

other.

 

   Childish people are always critical, as a school child complains

about his teacher who gives him homework every day. He would say,  Our

teacher is surely a machine, not a human being. He gives us homework

every day without missing a day.  In America, a decent petition to the

government doesn't work. To our impression, even one decent petition

has not been properly accepted. But if one complains bitterly, then the

government workers immediately respond. So without knowing how to

complain in the USA, nobody can survive. It is the social consensus

that complaining is good and criticism is beneficial. But criticism is

criticizing oneself. Criticism comes from one's heart and soul. It is a

kind of poison. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they

criticized him, saying,  He is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of

tax collectors and sinners.  Jesus  life on earth was a very lonely

one. But he was happy that an absolute minority understood what he was

doing. Let's read verse 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.

Here, wisdom means those who know the Son of God.

 

   Today we thought about God's men from above, John the Baptist and

Jesus. Jesus was sorrowful because John the Baptist was imprisoned.

Jesus was sorrowful because people were indifferent and ignorant and

critical. But he was happy when he saw that God's work was going on

mightily and steadily. Let's also learn to rejoice to see God's work

going on mightily, and be happy.