Blessed is the One Who is Not Offended

Matthew 11:1-19

Immanuel – 5/26/24

Jesus has just finished a compelling and challenging discourse on mission; on what it means to go out and gather people into the kingdom of heaven. It is a muscular mission, not for the faint of heart. I take that back, it is for the faint of heart, and the lowly, the powerless and the weak. It is for even the least in the kingdom of heaven, just as it was for the Apostles.

For the faint of heart who follow Jesus, we proclaim the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). Jesus has given us His own Spirit, the Holy Spirit, to dwell within our hearts and flow from us as a torrent of living waters (John 7:38-39). We weak and weary, we have been made new creations in Christ, ambassadors of reconciliation, sons and daughters of God.

So regardless of the persecutions, or the crosses that we must carry, we will go – as sheep among the wolves – proclaiming, “The kingdom of God has come near!” So near that anyone who would take a child-like step of faith can enter directly into the kingdom of God, into life abundant, into the very presence of Jesus Christ, our King and our God.

Purpose

1. Reveal the eschatological significance of today’s passage.

2. To fill our hearts with worship as we behold Jesus.

Read vs 1

Right after a whole discourse on mission, you might expect to hear about the disciples on mission. But you don’t. Jesus teaches the disciples how to work the harvest, then there is nothing about them working the harvest. Instead, what we get is Jesus going out on mission; teaching and preaching throughout Galilee.

Read vs 2-3

By way of reminder, John the Baptist is Jesus’ slightly older cousin. He ministered along the Jordan River in the Wilderness of Judea and had a massive impact upon the Jewish community. And John wasn’t afraid to confront the ruling class. It was for one such confrontation – with the puppet of Rome, Herod Antipas – that John was thrown in prison. We’ll learn more about all of that in chapter 14.

Dungeon Doubts

From the dungeon of Herod, John hears news about the ministry of his cousin. Notice how verse 2 classifies this: “the deeds of the Christ.” And after hearing these things, something just isn’t sitting right with John. So he sends his disciples to Jesus with the message, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

This seems like a strange thing for John to say. But consider what John said back in chapter 3, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”

-Matthew 3:11-12

John was referencing various prophesies here, but I want you to notice two crystal clear elements in John’s words. John prophesies that the Messiah will do two things:

1. Bring salvation – baptize with the Holy Spirit.

2. Bring judgment – Baptize with fire, the winnowing fork is in His hand, He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.

I can’t say for sure, but based on John’s prophetic proclamation here, it certainly seems like his message has a heavy focus on the judgment side of the Messiah’s ministry.

And this seems to fit with John’s personality. John lived an austere life, renouncing the comforts of the day, fasting often. He was a hard man, and confrontational; and his ministry was primarily focused on exposing the evils of that generation and calling them to repentance, to prepare for what – or who – was coming next.

Now we can begin to understand John’s question a little better, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Through this question you get the sense that John is feeling doubt, or disappointment, or disapproval, or some complicated mixture of these.

The great John the Baptist is having a very human moment. And you can understand, right?

If Jesus is truly Israel’s Messiah, why is He only moving between the small towns of backwater Galilee and hanging out with very ordinary men? Where is His sweeping salvation? Where is the casting off of Israel’s oppressors? Where is the judgment? If Jesus is the Messiah, and the hope of Israel has broken upon earth, why does John still languish – unjustly – in Herod’s dungeon?

John had boldly and publicly declared that Jesus was the Messiah, but he did not expect the Messiah to look like this.

Read vs 4-5

In response to John’s question, and all the confusion and emotion behind it, Jesus summarizes the works He has been doing. Like verse 2 indicates, these are the “works of the Christ” that John has already been hearing about. But in stating it this way, Jesus pulls on a prophetic thread. It is one we see most clearly in Isaiah.

Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert…And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. -Isaiah 35:4-6,10

Here the prophet Isaiah prophesies not about the coming of the Messiah, but about the coming of Yahweh. After a powerful note of bristling judgment, there is this expansive and exuberant language of salvation. Again we see the theme: judgment and salvation when God comes to Israel.

Listen to the divine miracles of salvation in this passage: the deaf hear, the lame walk, the mute speak, and most profoundly, the blind receive sight. Of all the miracles recorded in the entire Old Testament, there is not a single record of a blind person receiving sight. But it is promised, again and again, that when God comes to Israel, the blind will see. Astonishingly, giving sight to the blind is Jesus’ most frequent healing miracle.

Again, this is a prophesy about when God comes to Israel. But there is another prophesy in Isaiah that is decisively Messianic:

Behold, a king will reign in righteousness… Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will give attention. The heart of the hasty will understand and know, and the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak distinctly.

Isaiah 32:1,3-4

Isaiah prophesies that when the Messiah comes the blind will see, the deaf will hear, and the mute will speak. All these miracles are linked to the great salvation and judgment when God comes to Israel, when the Messiah comes to Israel. All the prophesies are pointing towards a stunning reality, that the Messiah and Yahweh are one, that Jesus is both the Christ and He is God.

I labor over these prophesies and their implications because there are eschatological themes booming through them. It is a theme that dominates today’s passage.

Define themes:

The Eschaton = The culmination of the divine plan and the initiation of the final age.

Eschatology = The study of the last things, or the study of the eschaton.

Read vs 6

All these powerful prophesies of judgment and salvation, and again, Jesus is moving among the towns of Galilee and hanging around with ordinary men? How Jesus’ presence and ministry confound the expectations of the age: the religious leaders, the crowds, the disciples, even John the Baptist!

Yet still Jesus proclaims and performs the prophesied works of the Messiah. Blessed is the one who is not offended by Him. Blessed is the one who sees what Jesus has done, sees who He is, is not offended, and believes. Blessed indeed!

Looking at Jesus’ works, through those prophetic strands, was what strengthened John’s faith, and eased his doubts. These prophetic threads, and the exhortation to not be offended, Jesus knows this is enough for John. This will be enough to alleviate his dungeon doubts.

Read vs 7-9

The Turning of Ages

John’s disciples have left, and Jesus now turns His attention toward the crowds. Again, John’s reputation is so enormous that Jesus doesn’t need to introduce him. Everyone knows who he is; and apparently, many of those in the crowd have gone down to Judea to see John.

What was it that they went to see? Jesus gets a little sarcastic with them.

A reed shaken in the wind: Did they go into the wilderness to admire nature?

A man dressed in fine clothing from a king’s house: Did they go to hear from someone in the elite class? (A bit ironically, that’s exactly where John presently is: living in a king’s house – the dungeon of a king’s house).

Of course, the crowds were interested in none of these things! Rather, they went into the wilderness looking for a prophet! There has been no prophet in Israel for 400 years. 400 years of silence from God. And now a rumor of a bona fide prophet emerges from the wilderness of Judea. A prophet in Israel, after all this time; of course, the crowds went looking!

But he wasn’t just a prophet. Jesus declares John to be something more.

Read vs 10

To help the crowds, and us, understand that John was more than a prophet, Jesus quotes from the prophet who came before John, 400 years before, before the silence. Jesus quotes from Malachi.

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, He is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of His coming, and who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap…Then I will draw near to you for judgment.”

-Malachi 3:1-2,5

The themes return again and continue to build: eschatological salvation and judgment. God was sending a messenger to prepare the way, prepare the way for whom? God says in Malachi 3:1, “He will prepare the way before me!” This messenger will precede the Lord, Yahweh, before He comes to His temple. And when He comes, He brings judgment!

Jesus says that prophesy, spoken 400 years earlier by Malachi, is about John the Baptist. And if John is the messenger preparing the way, then Jesus is Yahweh who has come. Jesus is Yahweh, come to break the silence. He has come to His temple (are we not the living temple of God). The God of the universe – the Word become flesh – He has come to be with us, and we with Him.

And He has come to bring judgment (more on this later).

In other words, John the Baptist is the prophesied messenger who will immediately precede the advent of the eschaton! Indeed, John the Baptist is more than a prophet.

Read vs 11

These are amazing statements. Jesus says that John the Baptist is the greatest human being who has ever been born: greater than Abraham, greater than Moses, greater than David. John is greater. And it isn’t because John is better or more capable or more righteous then them. It is because John has gotten to see that which he prophesied about. John has seen the Messiah, Yahweh who has come! Therefore, of all the prophets of old, John has received the greatest blessing.

But as great as John was, even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. John was certainly a great prophet, but he would die too early to see the kingdom come in power.

He did not see Jesus go to the cross. He did not see Yahweh sacrifice Himself for the sake of sinners, taking the punishment for sin that we deserve. John did not see that while Jesus hangs in agony, He forgives His enemies. He did not see that three days later the tomb was empty. He did not see the risen Messiah, with nail pierced hands and a torn side. He did not see death defeated. He did not see Christ ascended into the heavens where He now sits at the right hand of the Father as King of kings and Lord of lords. John did not see.

But we see. Through this book, we see. We behold in a bloody cross, the wisdom of God and the power of God.

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block (an offense) to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

-1 Corinthians 1:22-24

Everyone who sees these things as true, who sees in the cross the wisdom of God and the power of God, all of you presently belong to the kingdom of God. You belong!

400 years of silence and then a single prophetic voice emerged in John. Now, because of Christ, because He has given us the Holy Spirit, we live in a prophethood, priesthood, and nobility of all believers. In other words, in this new covenant age, if you are in Christ, you are more blessed than John ever was. It’s why we are sent to proclaim!

And because John did not live to see such times, you are more blessed than he. You are more blessed than Abraham and Moses and David. Blessed are you, you poor in spirit, you persecuted, for yours is the kingdom of heaven!

Read vs 12

There is a similar passage in Luke’s gospel that has quite a different meaning. Here, Jesus is simply saying that the kingdom suffers violence, attacks, persecutions, injustices. Violent people seek to take it by force, or they seek to plunder the kingdom of God. I believe Jesus means violent people try to violently tear people from God’s kingdom. It’s very much like we saw in chapter 10: Christ’s disciples are sheep among wolves, hated and persecuted, finding even enemies in their own home.

Though John was not in the kingdom of heaven, he is an example. He was taken by violent men and thrown in prison. And it won’t be too long before one particularly violent man cuts off John’s head.

(Parenthesis)

When I say John was not a part of the kingdom of heaven, I only mean that he did not get to live with the blessings of the kingdom of heaven as we do. John lived in a different age: the old covenant age. We live in the new covenant age. Even still, the blood of the cross flows forward in time to us, and it flows backward in time to John, to David, to Moses, to Abraham. The cross saves even them. The difference is that we can see clearly how our salvation was wrought, they saw from afar and dimly.

(Close Parenthesis)

Read vs 13-15

Jesus just dropped an eschatological bomb. John was the Elijah to come. Jesus points our attention back to the prophesies of Malachi. Again, Malachi was the last prophet before the 400-year silence. Let’s turn in our Bibles to the closing words of the Old Testament.

Read Malachi 4

Every year when Jews celebrate Passover with a Seder meal, over a period of many hours they drink four glasses of wine. Towards the end they pour a fifth cup of wine, but they do not drink it. This is the Elijah cup. Then the children of the family open the door and look to see if Elijah is coming. The children are expressing to the yearning of Jews: the Messianic redemption that will be announced by Elijah. It’s now been thousands of years of this; thousands of years of waiting.

But Jesus says this Elijah has already come. Take note, Elijah did not literally come. But John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah. And just as Elijah’s ministry was to call the people back to God, so was John’s. Jesus is telling us that Malachi’s prophesy has been fulfilled.

But look at what also lurks in Malachi 4, things that come with this prophesied Elijah: The Day of the Lord, burning like an oven and consuming the evildoers, the rising of the Son of Righteousness with healing to spread. It shall be a time of salvation and judgment.

We’ve been seeing this over and over again: judgment and salvation. The Messiah had come. This was the Day of the Lord. John knew it, but he didn’t see the judgment like he thought he would, so he questioned. But Jesus couldn’t make it any more clear: the Day of the Lord, spoken of by Malachi and Isaiah, and all the rest of the Prophets and Law that prophesied until John, all of them were pointing to this day. The Day of the Lord, the dawning of a new age, the coming of the Messiah, the coming of Yahweh to His people, the Eschaton had come.

Blessed is the one who is not offended by Jesus.

He who has ears, let him hear.

Then Jesus directs His attention away from John, and his eschatological significance, and He turns His attention towards that generation.

Read vs 16-19

This is the first time in Matthew we see the phrase, “this generation.” We’ll see it repeated again, and with increasing frequency. Usually we will hear the phrase “this generation” paired with language of wickedness or judgment. It means the people living in that time, to whom He was speaking, that did not believe and rejected their Messiah.

It is to that generation that Jesus says they are like children in the marketplace. A dirge is a sad song, a song of mourning. Of course, dancing signifies joy, celebration. This generation heard joyful sounds, and did not rejoice. They heard sorrowful things, and did not mourn.

John confronted the Jews with their hardness of heart, their sinfulness, their complacency. And the Jews did not repent. Where there should have been mourning, there was indifference and indignance. The religious leaders accused John of having a demon.

Jesus proclaimed the year of the Lord’s favor, He gave sight to the blind and healed the sick, He proclaimed the nearness of the kingdom of God, and the Jews did not rejoice. Where there should have been dancing, there was doubt and disdain. They called Jesus a sinner who keeps company with sinners.

The prophesied judgment, the one John was expecting, it was coming. As we saw last week, the truth of Jesus is a sword that divides, rendering judgment. Receive Him and receive the kingdom, reject Him and be judged.

The generation that rejected their Messiah, they would indeed be judged. In 70 AD Rome invaded in force and killed hundreds of thousands of Jews, destroyed Jerusalem, and burned the temple. Even here, in Matthew 11, the fires are kindled. They will grow hotter throughout this book. You will see this judgment with greater clarity as we progress through Matthew.

Pulling then on a theme from Proverbs, and speaking with a wisdom surpassing Solomon’s; Jesus says, “Wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

What are the deeds of wisdom that Jesus speaks of? Might it be that He has already told us? “Go and tell what you hear and see: 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 the good news preached to them.”

Only wisdom can see that millennia of prophecy are woven together in this one man. Only wisdom can see that Yahweh had come to His people in Jesus of Nazareth. Only wisdom can see that the Eschaton has been inaugurated in Christ. Only wisdom can see that, behold, He makes all things new!

Blessed is the one who is not offended by Him.

Here at the end, let me take a moment to explain the doctrine of inaugurated eschatology. It is the doctrine that the Eschaton has been inaugurated. All the eschatological prophesies of the Old Testament have dawned upon us; yet these glorious promises have not yet been completed. The kingdom of God is indeed among us, in our midst, and yet it is not yet here in its fullness. For we still await the consummation and the final return of our King and our God.

But how blessed we are! God is no longer silent! He speaks to us through His word. His voice pours forth from the pages of Scripture. If our speech is informed by God’s word, then we hear God in each other’s voices. Day and night, creation pours forth speech of God’s magnificence. And all the while, the Holy Spirit gives us ears to hear.

Truly, we live in a glorious age. May your heart be filled with worship! Blessed is the one who is not offended by Jesus. He who has ears, let him hear.