Matthew Chapter 11

1 And when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.

1. Why did Jesus send the twelve on without him?                         

 While the 12 apostles were carrying out their first mission, Jesus continued his ministry in Galilee. The movement continues in this chapter. The Lord Jesus has enunciated the ethic, He has performed the miracles, and He has sent His disciples out to present His claims — they have gone down the highways and byways until they have covered all the cities of Israel. Now what is the reception? What is the reaction to His messianic claim? Let me give it to you in one word: rejection!

2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

2. Why would John the Baptist ask this question?

Back in Matthew 4:12 it is recorded that John the Baptist was put in prison. So he has been imprisoned for a while now, but he has been kept informed about the movements of the Lord Jesus. John’s disciples have been watching Jesus and reporting to John. John is expecting any day for the door of his prison to be opened, because he believes that Jesus is coming immediately to the throne to establish His Kingdom. John the Baptist had introduced Christ as One who would bring a fierce judgment and “burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (3:12). He was understandably confused by the turn of events: he was imprisoned, and Christ was carrying on a ministry of healing, not judgment, in Galilee, far from Jerusalem, the city of the King—and not finding a completely warm reception there (cf. 8:34). John wondered if he had misunderstood Jesus’ agenda. Looking, as John did, in common with all the Jews, for an earthly king in the coming Messiah, and seeing in Jesus no aspirations for such a position, he was so far confused as to think that while Jesus fulfilled a part of the promises, there might be another Coming One who would fulfill the remainder. To satisfy his own mind, then, was the object of his inquiry, and he shows unabated confidence in Jesus by submitting the decision of the question to him.

4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.

3. What kind of answer is this? 

The answer of Jesus is remarkable and can be understood only in light of the credentials which the Old Testament said the Messiah would have. This is a direct reference to

Isaiah 35:4-6; “Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.”

Now waters did not break out in the wilderness nor were there streams in the desert when Jesus came. Why? Because He did not establish the Kingdom when He came the first time. But He was the King, and He had the credentials of the Messiah — that is all He is saying. John would recognize the credentials. J. Vernon McGee’s

Go and show John.—Jesus did not choose to send a categorical answer, although John’s question called for no more than this He preferred to let his works testify for him, and therefore he merely reiterated their testimony by saying, “Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see.” He was engaged in a variety of cures when the messengers arrived. (Luke 7:21.) The answer required John to revert once more to all that the prophets had written about the Coming One, and to thereby determine whether another after Jesus should be expected. It directed his mind especially to Isa. 61:1-3, a passage to which Jesus had before appealed when preaching in the synagogue at Nazareth. (Luke 4:18-21.)—Commentary on Matthew and Mark

 6 And blessed is he who takes no offense at me.”

4. Why were the religious leaders offended by Jesus?

 not be offended in me.—The chief reason why the scribes were offended at the claims of Jesus, was because he did not come up to their expectations concerning the Messiah; and now John seemed in danger of falling into the same fatal error: hence the warning to John, “Blessed is he who shall not be offended in me.”—Commentary on Matthew and Mark

7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 Why then did you go out? To see a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who wear soft raiment are in kings’ houses.9 Why then did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

5. How was John not “a reed shaken by the wind”?

 John was a rugged unbendable witness for Jesus, who was not some pampered finely dressed aristocrat, but a man who lived entirely off the land with the one purpose of announcing the kingdom of God was near.

10 This is he of whom it is written, `Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.’ 11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

6. Jesus identifies John as the greatest man who had lived until that point but then says he is the least in the kingdom?

John had been anointed with the Holy Spirit as had many of the great people in the Old Testament, but the New Testament believers would have the Holy Spirit, The Spirit of Christ, living within them. They also got to see Christianity spread across the world.

12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and men of violence take it by force.

 7.  Suffer violence? What does this mean?

The kingdom of heaven suffers violence. From the time he began his preaching ministry, John the Baptist evoked a strong reaction. Having been imprisoned already, John ultimately fell victim to Herod’s savagery. But the kingdom can never be subdued or opposed by human violence. Notice that where Matthew says, “the violent take it by force,” Luke has, “everyone forcing his way into it” (Lk 16:16). So the sense of this verse may be rendered this way: “The kingdom presses ahead relentlessly, and only the relentless press their way into it.” Thus again Christ is magnifying the difficulty of entering the kingdom

13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John; 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Eli’jah who is to come.

This is Elias.—The Jews expected the prophet Elijah to reappear, according to the prediction of Malachi, and they believed his coming would immediately precede the Messiah’s kingdom. (Mal. 4:5, 6; comp. Matt. 17:10.) They had at first thought it probable that John was the literal Elijah (John 1:21), but John denied it. Jesus now informs them that John, though not literally Elijah, was the person so called by Malachi; and he does this to show that Malachi’s prediction had been fulfilled, and that consequently, according to their own doctrine, the kingdom of God must be at hand, and what he had just said about the kingdom, should be believed. John was called Elijah, because, as predicted by the angel who announced his birth, he was to go before the Lord “in the spirit and power of Elijah.” (Luke 1:17.) He had the spirit of Elijah, in that he exercised similar self-denial in his mode of life, and maintained the same stern opposition against prevalent iniquity; and thepower of Elijah, in that he swayed the people by his word, and gained a popular triumph analogous to that which Elijah gained at Mt. Carmel. (1 Ks. 18:20-40.)—Commentary on Matthew and Mark

15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear. 16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places and calling to their playmates, 17 `We piped to you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon’; 19 the Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”


8. What is Jesus saying about the people of his time?

played the flute. As at a wedding. sang a dirge. As at a 

funeral. The latter symbolized the ministry of John, the former that of Jesus. The people of Jesus’ “generation” (v. 16) were like children who refused to respond on either occasion.

Son of Man. See note on Mk 8:31. friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”See note on Lk 7:34. wisdom is proved right by her actions. Apparently means that God (wisdom) had sent both John and Jesus in specific roles, and that this would be vindicated by the lasting works of both Jesus and John.

20 Then he began to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chora’zin! woe to you, Beth-sa’ida! for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes 22 But I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Caper’na-um, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.” 25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; 26 yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will. 27 All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

9. Why was Jesus so upset with these cities?

We have now come to a tremendous change. Remember that Jesus is the King. He has enunciated the ethic, He has presented His credentials by performing miracles, He has preached the gospel that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, He has presented Himself, but His people have rejected Him. Their rejection has caused Him to make a decision, and He rejects them. He is the King, and the King always has the last word. Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Chorazin and Bethsaida were cities in the north near Capernaum where the Lord had His headquarters. He had performed many miracles in this area. They rejected Him, and now He pronounces a judgment upon them.

Light creates responsibility. The Lord never had a ministry in Tyre or Sidon, nor did He have His headquarters there. But He spent a lot of time in the area of Chorazin and Bethsaida, and He holds them responsible for the light which He gave them. It is my understanding that there will be degrees of punishment as well as degrees of reward at the time of God’s judgment. Even in our own day, there are many folk who have had a glorious opportunity to receive Christ, but they have turned their backs on Him.

Now the Lord speaks of Capernaum, His headquarters.

What a privilege was theirs in having the headquarters of the Lord Jesus in their city! But they rejected Him. The Lord Jesus is saying that if the wicked city of Sodom had witnessed the miracles that He had performed in Capernaum, they would have turned from their wickedness and would not have merited the judgment that came upon them.

This is the harshest language of all. Remember it fell from the lips of the gentle Jesus. He speaks here as the Judge and King. This strong language ought to make us sit up and listen. I would much rather be a Hottentot in the darkness of a jungle without having heard the gospel than to be an officer in one of our modern churches, having a Bible but never truly having accepted Christ as Savior.

Although Sodom and Gomorrah were terrible places, it will be more tolerable for them in the day of judgment than for cities that heard the message of Jesus and rejected Him.

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.

The phrase “Lord of heaven” takes you back to Genesis 14:19, where God is called by this name. He is the Lord of heaven and earth. Many wise people never learn this truth, but many babes understand it. Dr. Harry Ironside said many years ago, “Always put the cookies on the bottom shelf so the kiddos can get them.” If you preach so children understand what you are saying, you can almost be sure the older folks will understand — but sometimes the children get it and the adults miss it.

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

10. How does Jesus change gears in these next verses?

These verses bring us to a definite break and change in the Lord’s message. Up to this point the Lord taught, “Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He had presented His credentials and had been rejected as the Messiah. These cities which have been mentioned turned their backs upon Him, and so had Jerusalem. The Lord now turns His back upon the nation Israel, no longer presenting to them the Kingdom. He is on His way to the cross, and His invitation is to the individual. Listen to Him

This language is in contrast to what has preceded it in this chapter. It is like coming out of a blizzard into the warmth of a spring day, like passing from a storm into a calm, like going from darkness into light. This is a new message from Jesus. He turns from the corporate nation to the individual. It is no longer the national announcement about a kingdom but a personal invitation to find the “rest” of salvation.

“I will give you rest” is literally “I will rest you.” When He speaks of being “heavy laden,” He is referring to being burdened with sin. This same figure is used by Isaiah and the psalmist: “Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward” (Isa. 1:4). “For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me” (Ps. 38:4).

My friend, sin is too heavy for you to carry — you’ll really get a hernia if you try to carry your load of sin! The only place in the world to put that burden is at the Cross of Christ. He bore it for you, and He invites you to come and bring your burden of sin to Him. He can forgive you because on the cross He bore the burden of your sin.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” refers to the salvation of the sinner through Jesus Christ. “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” refers to the practical sanctification of the believer. There is a rest which Jesus gives, and it is the rest of redemption. There is also a rest which the believer experiences, and it comes through commitment and consecration to Christ. You don’t have to worry about being recognized; you don’t have to jockey for position if you are committed to Christ. Frankly, I quit joining organizations because I got so tired of watching ambitious men trying to be chairman of something or trying to be president of something. If you are committed to Christ, you don’t have to worry about that. He will put you exactly where He wants you when you are yoked up to Him.

• MSN…….MacArthur NASB StudyNotes
• NIVSN…..NIV Study Notes.
• JVM ….J Vernon McGee,
• ACC …. Adam Clarke’s Commentary
• BN …..Barnes Notes
• WBC……   Wycliffe Bible Commentary
• CN ……Constables Notes

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