General Articles

Transition and Testimony (Matthew 11:1-30) :: By Donald Whitchard

Published on: by RR10

Scripture: Matthew 11:1-30, Luke 10:13-22, Genesis 19:12-14, Luke 7:18-35

Summary: Our commentary on Matthew continues with Jesus’ testimony about the ministry of John the Baptist and the promise of judgment upon the unbelieving cities that witnessed His work yet did not repent.

Matthew 11 begins with what is referred to as a “transitional” passage (v.1). While the disciples were going around the countryside doing the work that Jesus had commissioned, He continued to preach in the cities in Galilee. Verses 2-3 describe how John the Baptist had been thrown into prison by Herod Antipas because the Baptist had rightfully condemned Herod’s incestuous marriage to his brother’s wife, who happened to be his niece.

Alone in his cell, John began to harbor doubts about the person and work of Jesus. He sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the Coming One or to look for someone else. John had been waiting for the “baptism of fire” and coming judgment upon the unrighteous, and it was not happening. Certainly, there were blessings, but John expected a twofold ministry of the Promised Messiah. He and his followers wanted an answer.

In verses 4-6, Jesus answered John by telling his disciples to go back and tell him to recall what they had seen and heard: the blind see and the lame walk, the lepers were cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead had been raised to life, the poor had the gospel preached to them, and blessings were to be upon those who were not offended by the words and works of Jesus.

These miracles, along with the preaching of the gospel, are bound by the bond of restoration: sight, hearing, healing of the body, and a personal relationship with God. Jesus’ work was proof that He was the Chosen One sent by God to bring mercy first, reserving His judgment on the day set for that event (Matthew 25:41; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:11-15). John’s disciples went back to give the news to him, bringing him both comfort and assurance.

In verses 7-15, Jesus spoke to the crowd about the person and work of John the Baptist. He had been both firm and uncompromising in his beliefs and message. His roots were in the word of God, and not as a reed that can be bent or torn by the winds. He had been attired in the garb that befitted a prophet sent from God. His clothing had consisted of camel hair and a leather belt that reminded the people about the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17-22: 2 Kings 1-2).

John was one of the people, not a king living in luxury. John was one of the last remnants of the Old Testament prophets. His messages placed an emphasis upon the promises of God, with their fulfillment being accomplished by the Lord Jesus. John had the privilege of seeing the Promised Messiah and to hear of His work. John had been the fulfillment of prophecy as foretold by Malachi. John was the visible symbol of God’s message of repentance and preparation for the arrival of the Messiah (Isaiah 53:1-12; Malachi 4:5-6).

Jesus honored John as the greatest of all prophets, preparing the people for the arrival of the Messiah and to see the prophesied judgment of the world come to pass. Jesus’ love and compassion, His death on the cross, and His resurrection give “the least of these” the opportunity to receive eternal life. Jesus then spoke of how “the violent take the kingdom by force.”

This is a difficult passage to interpret and requires some thought. The better interpretation is that from John’s time up to that point, many people had repented of their sins, had witnessed the work of Jesus, and sought to grow spiritually. This verse describes perseverance and the determination to live in accordance with the standards of God. Souls had been awakened, creating a hunger that had not been seen in Israel for a long time. This zeal for the things of God was personified in Jesus Christ and His followers and would soon spread throughout the world.

The task of the prophet was to proclaim God’s messages to the people with an emphasis on the need to repent, return to the LORD, and prepare for the arrival of God’s Chosen One, who would make all things new. The people had received the messages, and John had witnessed those messages come to pass in the person and mission of the Lord Jesus. The LORD had declared that John was the fulfillment of the prophecy about the return of Elijah. He told His audience to listen to what He had said and discern the message that had been given.

Verses 16-19 are an example of what happens when a teacher prepares and presents a lesson that ends up falling on both deaf and indifferent ears. Jesus rebuked this same crowd, who had just heard Him speak about John. They were divided about the work of Jesus. Some believed Him to be the Promised Messiah, while others were opposed, but for the most part did not care or were uncertain. They would not be satisfied no matter what was done or said. Jesus compared them to children who were not satisfied whether they had heard the joyful sound of a flute for a dance, or the activity and music for a funeral.

The same group was swift to criticize by accusing John of being demon-possessed and Jesus of being a glutton or a drunk simply because He associated with them. These critics were not satisfied no matter what was done. They personified what Jesus had taught about casting the pearls of the Gospel before the swine of the world who instead trampled it into the dung and mud of their evil character.

Verses 20-26 describe those skeptics who declare that they would believe in the person and power of God if they would witness a great miracle. Throughout His ministry, Jesus performed numerous healings, delivered people from demons, and taught with a message of authority that could only come from God Himself. Despite these demonstrations of power by God Incarnate (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-4; Romans 1:18-22; Colossians 1:16-17), there were still many who did not believe in Him or were apathetic.

Jesus then turned HIs attention on those cities that had witnessed what He had done yet had not repented. They had done nothing save to remain in the same spiritual condition as before.

The first two cities that received Jesus’ stern rebuke were Chorazin and Bethsaida, located north of Capernaum. While Matthew did not record what had happened there, the end result should have been a change in heart and a return to God. None of this had happened.

Jesus compared them to the Old Testament cities of Tyre and Sidon. They had been located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and each had been renowned for their great wickedness. If they had witnessed the ministry of Jesus, they would have turned to Him in sackcloth and ashes, the symbols of godly sorrow and repentance. He declared that Chorazin and Bethsaida would receive a greater punishment than these two cities. They had seen the work of the Messiah, yet did not care.

The next city to receive Jesus’ wrath was His own headquarters. If any place had seen and heard Jesus and testified that His work was of God, then Capernaum would have fit the bill. Yet, Capernaum suffered from a lack of repentance, and there was no sign of any change for the better. He said that Capernaum would be cast into hell, receiving a worse judgment for their indifference and godlessness than would Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19). Both cities had rejected God’s graces and were set for destruction.

Jesus then told the crowd that He was the true source of comfort and rest. He thanked the Father that He had seen fit to reveal His words to the common man who would appreciate it more, returning the love for God due to the message that Jesus had presented.

In verses 27-30, Jesus turned His attention back to the crowd, explaining the unique bond that He had with the Father and likewise. The Son revealed the Father to whomever He wills, demonstrating His unique authority and person (John 3:35, 8:19, 10:15; 14:9). Jesus invited everyone to come to Him and receive rest from their burdens. His rest is eternal, free from fear, and a promise of His eternal presence. The burden He places upon those of us who place their faith and trust in Him (John 14:6; Acts 4:12, 16:31; Romans 5:6-11, 6:23,10:9-10) is light and easy, unlike the world and its futile, empty, and limited rewards (1 John 2 15-17).

Do not hold on to the things of the world. They will soon be destroyed, and you cannot take them with you anyway. Do not stay in a state of apathy when it comes to the condition of your soul. Come to Jesus today and receive the promise of peace, eternal life, and the certainty of salvation.

donaldwhitchard@outlook.com

https://ocosbe.org/donald-whitchard/

P.S. If you would like to read more about the role and consequences of being a true prophet of God, then I invite you to purchase a copy of my book, The Scope of Biblical Prophecy: A General Introduction from Parsons Porch Books (www.parsonsporch.com), or from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, or Books-A- Million (prices vary). It is designed for personal study and reading or for a group.

Big Picture of Mounting Prophecy Pressures :: By Terry James

Published on: by RR10

Periodically taking a look at the developing big picture, in snapshot fashion, is efficacious to best serving as watchmen of the prophetic clock. With this in mind, let’s–in general terms–examine several current matters of interest so far as might concern Bible prophecy.

Pressures are mounting that indicate increasingly swift movement toward accomplishment of the globalist agenda, in my view. This isn’t shocking, considering all of the other end-of-the-age signals we consistently observe in these columns. The unusual thing I find that activates the sirens of alert is that, other than Israel at the epicenter of global wars and rumors of war, there is no one attention-grabbing issue or event that stands out while looking upon the march of eschatological possibilities. All are profound when viewed in prophetic light, yet they meet in confluence and flow through our daily news without raising much of an alarm, even among those of us who make observing these matters our primary area of work.

We are witnessing a flood of such issues and events. It is, at the moment, a controlled flood, but a flood nonetheless. I’m convinced it is the beginnings of a torrent that will gush ungoverned once Christ says “come up here” to the Church.

Daniel framed the warning of that flood for the generation that would be living witness to the end of the age: “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined” (Dan 9:26).

Daniel was told further: “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (Dan. 12:4a).

The flood that the prophet was told would come at the end will be a war that will reach its terminus only after desolation is accomplished–i.e., it will end only with Christ’s catastrophic intervention into the murderous affairs of mankind at the end of Armageddon (Rev. 19:11).

We hear these days, even from secular pundits, that we are already in World War Three but just don’t realize it yet. For my part, I can’t shake the impression that the attacks on America on September 11, 2001 might have been the first of the major salvos from satanic forces opening up the spigots of the end-times flood given Daniel to prophesy to this present generation.

With that as framework, let’s look briefly at the pressures building for bringing in that flood about which Daniel the prophet was given forewarning.

The Babylonian system is with this generation; it has been present within every generation. The system of moving back toward Babel, that is, toward one-world government, socio-economics, and religion has never been as evident as today.

The system of humanistic government, represented in prophetic Scripture by the metallic image of Daniel, chapter 2, the weird beast of Daniel, chapter 7, the strange creature upon which the harlot rides in Revelation, chapter 12, and the beast that comes out of the sea in Revelation, chapter 13, is on the rise while the pressures of ancient Luciferian ambitions force end-times prophetic manifestations to the surface of our headlines.

All of it is wrapped in globalist thinking. We are marching back toward the one-world attempts in Genesis, chapter 11, that brought God’s direct intervention those many millennia ago.

Attempts at establishing one-world government proceed full steam ahead. One-world economy is the driving force behind the attempts to recapture the spirit of Babel. Both global government and economy are intertwined with a religious fervor for saving the planet from ecological disaster. The world’s most powerful governmental collective –the global economic powers that be– are doing their utmost to force their will on the main actors in the Middle East. They strive to construct a peace that will never eventuate, in the true sense. Their purpose is to govern the flow of oil and to prevent Armageddon from igniting.

Global economic control is the power that can bring all into compliance –the ability to bring the burgeoning world population into subjugation through the stranglehold of buying and selling. Environmentalism is the religion that continues to look to be the catalyst for attempting to win the hearts and minds of the peoples of the world. Earth Day seems to be the holiday the globalists have chosen as the sacrosanct day of worship at the altar of the developing Mother Earth goddess.

Regardless of the political, cultural, and societal differences, most all religious systems seem to embrace the call to come together for the unified purpose of making life on this sphere equally livable through sustainable development. Even some so-called Christian evangelicals have their own social order plans to achieve heaven on earth.

But all the pressures being brought upon this world to comply with the globalists’ movement toward one world will produce not peace but fulfilled prophecy. God will again intervene to put an end to the neo-Babel builders.

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure” (Psalms 2:1-5).

While we Watch the humanistic/satanic pressures mount in an attempt to bring about the Antichrist regime, we listen again to Jesus’ Words of great comfort.

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).