Matthew 11 -- First Of Four Areas Of Rebellion

My commentary alerted the readers that chapters 11 and 12 present four areas of rebellion by the leaders of the nation of Israel to Jesus.  Chapter 11 deals with "Rebellion Against His Prophet" -- John the Baptist.

Those leaders had watched as John had drawn crowds in the desert to hear his messages.  Lives were being changed.  He'd come in the spirit of Elijah, not resembling at all what they'd been doing.  And now the outdoorsman was in prison because he called Herod Antipas out for his adulterous marriage to Herodias.  Rather than seeking to have him freed, those same Jewish leaders did nothing.  "Their attitude toward John reflected their feeling toward Jesus, for John had pointed to Jesus and honored Him."

Since that day that Mary visited Elizabeth all those years ago, John had known Jesus, his cousin, was the Messiah.  But now, in prison, he seems to express doubts because he's no longer able to do what God had prepared him to do.  Jesus gently replied through John's disciples that His ministry exactly fulfilled prophesies in Isaiah 29 and 35.  Jesus then praised John, marking him as "a man of conviction and courage, the greatest of the prophets."

"The common people held John in high regard, and many of them had repented and been baptized by John.  But the leaders refused to honor John, and this proved their unbelief and hardness of heart.  Instead of being childlike and humbling themselves, the leaders were childish and stubborn, like children pouting because they could not have their way," my commentary said.

Jesus, speaking about Jewish cities that took him lightly, used the word "woe", meaning judgment and pit and sorrow, my commentary added.  They'd had the opportunity to see and hear the Messiah but their reaction was ho-hum.  He'd issued an invitation to come (meaning to trust Him), to take (become His disciple), and learn (a process -- "as we learn more about Him, we find a deeper peace because we trust Him more").

Father, thank You for inviting me and for helping me to learn to trust!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford