May 26, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Matthew? Here’s today’s reading:
Matthew 11 (NIV)
Jesus and John the Baptist
1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.
2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”……Continue Reading
Jesus praises the efforts of John the Baptist and reflects on those who still have had the opportunity to hear and see the works of God and still choose not to believe. We know that will always be the way, the flesh wants what the flesh wants and peope’s desire to follow their flesh will always be strong. Following God comes with service and sacrifice, like John the Baptist, and while in the moment our sinful ways make us happy ultimately we are headed toward destruction when we choose that way. We are anxious, unsettled, and always searching for more. But God says…
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Verse 5: “The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”
I have wondered why miracles were even necessary in Christ’s ministry. We have read an abundance of all kinds, different people, situations. I did not need a physical, fleshly miracle of such kind to heal me of my spiritual blindness, yet it was a greater miracle to me. Having “the chains fall” is the only healing we will ever need.
I will suppose the Hebrews were needy of seeing miracles, to reveal the power of the Son of God, and nothing else would penetrate their heart. Just thinking out loud, -reb
After Jesus instructed His disciples on what to do, He Himself went to teach and preach in their cities. John the Baptist heard of Jesus’ deeds and sent a message by his disciples saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”(Matthew 11:3). Jesus answers by telling them of all of the things that He has done on earth. Jesus then tells the crowd that among those born of women, there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.(Matthew 11:11).
Jesus reprimands that cities that he had done mighty works in because they did not repent. He said, “‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Wow to you, Bethsaida! 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.'”(Matthew 11:21). He also castigates Capernaum saying that it will be brought down to Hades.
Jesus explains that even little children can accept and understand the gospel of Christ and thanks His Father that He has hidden these things from those who are called wise and understanding in the world. The Father has delegated all things over to the Son, meaning all of the things needed to carry out Christ’s ministry of redemption, including the revelation of salvation to those to whom he chooses to reveal the Father.
“‘Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.'”(Matthew 11:28) – John 7:37
Jesus gives rest to those who are oppressed and burdened. He provides, as the later verse explains, “rest for your souls”, meaning eternal life in heaven for those who are seeking forgiveness from their sins and freedom from bondage. Those who “labor and are heavy laden” may refer to those who are trying to earn their salvation legalistically by executing good works. Jesus says that His yoke is easy, not like the pharisee’s laborious, arduous, and crushing yoke of many proscriptions. Jesus’ yoke is of discipleship and brings rest through non-complex commitment to Him.
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”(1 Peter 2:21)
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”( 1 John 5:3)
Matthew 9-11
People will always make excuses for not coming to Christ. Here, He is comparing John the Baptist and His approaches of calling people to repentance. They said that John came neither eating or drinking, and they say he has a devil; while they say that He{ Jesus} came eating and drinking and they also said that He was a glutton and a winebibber. John probably looked wild to them also. In both cases the people said that both these men were of the devil. It was probably mostly the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders that brought these accusations against John and Jesus. For many of the people kept going to them both to hear their words. And with Jesus it was also the many miracles. When person doesn`t want to hear the truth they will try to discredit the message and lead others astray with themselves. They were to comfortably in their way of living and in their sin. That`s why the Pharisees and other leaders sought to kill Jesus and therefore get rid of the problem. They were so blind. Jesus made the message of salvation so easy to understand that even a little child could understand it and yet these so called leaders couldn`t grasp it. Sometimes when the gospel is shared people think that it is to simple and that it has to be complicated. But it is that simple. It is one`s pride that is the problem. When we are burdened with things in life; Jesus is always the answer whether we are lost without Him or already know Him. He is always the answer. He wants all to come to Him. Cast your cares on Him for He cares for you. God bless.
28 “Come to Me, all you 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.”
”The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.“
Matthew 11:5 NKJV
”Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! 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 shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert.“
Isaiah 35:4-6 NKJV
Matthew 11
““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.””
Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.11.28-30.NIV
The last verses in this chapter are encouraging and so very peace giving. Thank you Jesus.
We are all subject to doubt and John the Baptist is not above that. And yet Jesus assures him that the proof is in the pudding..Jesus actions have shown full well who He is and thereby removes all doubt for John and future generations of believers. And yet Jesus then turns and gives John the greatest compliment and assures the people of the value of his ministry. He is even the Elijah who was to come…validating both who John and Jesus is. And all those exposed to Jesus miracles will be held accountable to what they have seen and their lack of response to it. Those who are prideful and think they are all set without Jesus have no place with Him, and yet the lowly, the ones who recognize their need and come to Him, those are the ones that Jesus accepts and they are the ones who will see Jesus true nature, One of humility and sacrifice. He has done the work and so we do not need to do the work for our salvation, just be willing to be transformed by it
Matthew 11
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” We can find rest in Jesus. He wants us to know that “he’s got this” when we are weighed down with burdens beyond our control. It helps to reflect upon all the times he pulled us out of difficult situations so that we can know that he will continue to do so time and time again.