Matthew 11, Rejected

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Matthew 11 I. What Rejecters Want A. John the Baptist’s question

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Matthew 11 hear the word of the Lord When Jesus had finished instructing his 12 disciples
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He went on from there to teach and to preach in their cities Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the
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Christ He sent word by his disciples and said to to him Are you the one who was to come or should we look for another?
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and Jesus answered him go and tell John 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 good news preached to them and blessed is the one who is not offended by me as They went away
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Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John What did you go out into the wilderness to see a reed shaken by the wind?
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What then did you go out to see a man dressed in soft clothing? Behold those who wear soft clothing are in Kings houses.
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What then did you go out to see a prophet? Yes, I tell you and more than a prophet this is he of whom it is written
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Behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way before you truly
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I say to you among those born of women there has risen No one greater than John the Baptist Yet the one who was least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he from the days of John the
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Baptist until now The kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and the violent take it by force For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John and if you are willing to accept it
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He is Elijah who was to come he who has ears to hear Let him hear But what shall
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I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates We played the flute for you and you did not dance
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We sang a dirge and you did not mourn For John came neither eating nor drinking and they say he is a demon the son of man came eating and drinking and they say
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Look at him a glutton and a drunkard a friend of tax collectors and sinners yet wisdom is justified by her deeds
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Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done because they did not repent Woe to you
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Corazon woe 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 but I tell you it would be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you and You Capernaum will you be exalted to heaven?
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You will be brought down to Hades For if the mighty works had been done in you that have been done in Sodom It would have remained until this day
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But I tell you that it would be more tolerable in the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you at that time
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Jesus declared I Thank you father Lord of heaven and earth that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children
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Yes father for such was your gracious will All things have been handed over to me by my father and no one knows the son except the father and no one knows the father
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Except the son and anyone to whom the son chooses to reveal him Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest
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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
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For my yoke is easy and my burden is light May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his
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Holy Word Have you ever suffered rejection anyone here ever been rejected in any way been excluded?
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Maybe not picked for a team Dumped Abandoned any confessions you want to make any stories you want to recount stood up fired
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Not accepted at Duke anybody like that in here, how does it make you feel?
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How do you respond to it? Psychologists and other experts say that rejection is one of the most painful
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Experiences that we can go through we are intensely social Creatures and need not only to be in contact with other people but to be accepted and to be in caring
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Relationships when we are rejected that need therefore is frustrated people are telling us when rejected that we aren't worthwhile
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That our needs aren't worth meeting and that we aren't able to meet their needs
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That's why we all Want to fit in to be in a place where we are all accepted
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Now different people handle rejection differently. Some are it's so extremely sensitive to rejection
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Psychologists even have a category what I learned this week called of ejection sensitivity To describe them and they classify that as a type of psychological problem
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You're just so extremely sensitive some are so sensitive to rejection that even being made to wait like a doctor's office or something
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Please wait will be responded to with anger and hostility. Who do they think I am making me wait?
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Dare they treat me like this They say there's a difference between men and women in the way they tend to handle rejection
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Women are more likely to respond to rejection by looking for acceptance somewhere else
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Like in another relationship or in another church So they would be more likely to get in another dating relationship as they say on the rebound
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A man would be more likely to respond in a sort of face -saving way By trying to convince himself and others that he doesn't really care about the rejection, you know
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Like saying things like you know women who needs them anyway Or who cares if that teen cut me, you know,
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I didn't want to play this season anyway Or on the other hand, they will respond with anger and hostility
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Most stalkers of former partners are men But all of that is to say that we each have developed ways to defend ourselves against the trauma of Rejection we hate to our core
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Rejection and we look for any ways we can to defend ourselves against it Now many churches consciously recognize this and you know advertise themselves as people who will always accept you
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That they're a place that will never reject you open hearts open minds open doors is the slogan of one denomination
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And what they're saying is you go there that you will never experience any rejection we hate
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Rejection, but the reality is that we will have to experience it one way or the other
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You will be rejected. The question is by who If you follow
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Jesus you are following someone who drank down rejection to the last drop and who will ask you to share a taste of it if you don't want that if you want to side with the majority with the many
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That Jesus said just four chapters prior to this who go on the broad road to destruction
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If you want to go with them and be accepted then eventually you'll suffer a worse rejection than you can ever imagine
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The question is not whether you will be rejected But by who you have to decide whether you will be with the rejected or with the rejecters
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Well, this chapter is full of questions Did you notice when we read it John begins sort of asking
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Jesus a question through his disciples Are you the one and Jesus asked the people a question?
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You know, what do you go out to see and Jesus didn't ask a rhetorical question.
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What are these rejecters? What's this generation of rejecters like and finally
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Jesus answers? the big question Why do some?
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Why do many reject in this chapter? We are given answers to these questions.
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What do rejecters want? What are rejecters like what rejecters get and why rejecters reject
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It it begins with disciples of John coming to Jesus after he's instructed his twelve disciples what we saw last week
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John who was in prison who was suffering for daring to tell God's truth to the king.
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He John is wondering why? Jesus in his mission.
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Is it looking like like what he had been expecting John knew that That he
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John was the forerunner Come to prepare the way for the Messiah, but he assumed that the
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Messiah would be like another King David another great king to organize the troops to overthrow the
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Romans and This wicked King Herod and hopefully overthrow them before I get my head cut off and spring me out of jail
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That's probably something in his head too and impose the rule of God on this nation
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Now Jesus has sent his men out to preach and to heal Instead of organizing them, you know in platoons and regiments and doing target practice.
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That's not what he was expecting And so he's wondering If he got it wrong Should he reject
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Jesus as the Messiah as the Christ? That's his question Matthew in verse 2 reminds us overtly
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And that you don't even tolerate the idea that Jesus is not the Messiah So he reminds us overtly in verse 2 where he says when
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John heard in prison about the deeds of he doesn't say Jesus He says of the Christ, but still
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John wasn't yet. So sure so we ask and Jesus answers in verse 4
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Even though John had already heard about these deeds He answers with you know Go tell him about the deeds tell him what you hear and see says the blind receive their sight the lame walk lepers are cleansed
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And the dead are raised up and the poor have good news preached to them He was expecting
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John was expecting power in terms of force over their enemies
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But Jesus says that he has come with power over spiritual enemies over sin and over the results of sin
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Afflictions and diseases and even death itself and even over the rejection of the poor
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These are all signs of the advance of the kingdom of God as it invades this present evil age it it
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Pushes back the works of darkness It wasn't the Romans that he was so interested in pushing back but sin and his fruit blindness paralysis leprosy deafness and even death all the things afflicting the harassed and helpless sheep who are weighed down and oppressed
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Now with John like many others reject That kind of Messiah may be preferring a political
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Messiah Like even many Christians today seem more interested if you look at what the things they talk about More interested in politics what the government can do for them how it should be doing this and it should be stopping
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That and or you know Only elect the right people and solve our problems the real problems they are interested in like the national debt
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Healthcare not all this talk about sin and salvation and the kingdom of God that they reject
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They don't recognize that their problems are Are that deep they think their problem is gonna be solved with the right
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Congress passing the right laws They think it's just a matter of these other people the
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Romans, you know that other party They don't like those people in Congress or the coach that cut them or the girl or the guy that dumped them if the problem
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Is is that deep? Jesus is suggesting that they need someone to deal with sin and and its fruit if that's the problem then the problem
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Is with me Then I really deserve To be rejected that my need is not
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Just someone like other people's have been telling me just someone who recognizes my true worth I can only just find someone who accepts me as I am
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All these people they they just reject me whatever cliche, you know people throw around today.
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My true problem is much deeper I Deserve rejection and so my need is for someone to accept me even though I should be
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Rejected now, that's a very hard idea to accept for people who deep down hate rejection so Jesus says
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Blessed is the one who is not offended by me there in verse 6 You know,
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I'm not what you expected His words and his works Showed that there is a far deeper problem with Israel and with all people and us than just politics
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And just rearranging the social order passing the right laws. The problem is that we deserve
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Rejection and Christ comes to people who recognize That that's their problem
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Who aren't too proud to admit that they should be rejected that if they've been accepted. It's purely because of his grace and if you don't like that if you're going to stick to your
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Superficial diagnosis and the problem is those other people who rejected me Refusing to admit that you deserve rejection coping with that message by denying you even need it
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You know gonna say well Who needs the kingdom of God anyway? Who needs it?
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If you're gonna Just you know forget about it and look for another
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Messiah On the rebound who will give you what you want to hear if you're gonna do that Then you stumble
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You don't get this blessing for those who aren't offended Well, Jesus says blessed are those who are not offended by me
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Blessed simply means happy Happiness that comes from God you'll be happy if instead of insisting that Jesus be what you
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Want him to be do what you assume he must do for you that you accept him doing what he wants to do
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That's Jesus's answer to John the Baptist. And then in case we're wondering if John was actually a rejecter.
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Did he reject? Well, Jesus tells us what John is like starting in verse 7
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You know, what did you go out to see he asked them These same crowds now flocking to see
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Jesus had gone to see John what was the draw What drew them out to see this man?
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You know, it wasn't as though he you know, it's been a convenient place at the pavilion downtown and you could park easily and No, it's they had to make a trek to go out to see him.
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What was what drew? them By you know by and large these people as we see in this chapter were rejecters
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They were people who in the end did not accept his message. So what is it that they like? How do you get them to come to hear you?
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Do they like a reed shaken by the wind? Did they go see someone who was like the tall cane grass that grows up around, you know
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Most bodies of water like even the Jordan River weak and vacillating with every gust Is he a guy dressed in a thousand dollar
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Armani suit? You know No, of course not. He's John the
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Baptist He's telling the people the axe is laid at the root of the trees Judgment is coming. He's telling the
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Pharisees who warned you to flee from the wrath to come He was telling
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King Herod that he was immoral for divorcing his wife and marrying his brother's wife He wasn't just making the faithful few feel good about themselves you know while preaching to the choir
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Where he doesn't have any real threat Of any harm coming to him while pretending to be this bold man denouncing sins when actually they're the sins of people very far away with no power to actually hurt him and That's not what he was like He told the truth and in a way that it eventually cost him his life
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Now while he was still alive the people flooded to see him Many get many got baptized by him and for the third time
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Jesus asked the question three times in verse 9 What did you go out to see?
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What were you expecting a prophet? Yes, Jesus says they went out to see a prophet and indeed they saw one and not just any prophet
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This was the prophet foretold by Malachi the one who would prepare the way for the Lord There's no one greater and that whole era in verse 11 among those born of women
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Jesus says there's no one born before Jesus brought in the kingdom of God Telling people that the way to enter the kingdom was by being born again
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The Holy Spirit making you new and able to submit to the king. There's no one greater during that whole era then
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John He was the last of that era of the law and the prophets of those who
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God raised up and who looked forward To what Jesus would do but that era but but that era is over and a new era is dawning and John announced that coming kingdom, but he didn't quite fully understand it himself.
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He didn't that this new era Coming from Jesus is far more glorious and powerful transforming hearts not just politics
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But even though John was a sensation Attracting people into the desert to go go hear him and get baptized in the end.
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He was rejected He was popular, but in a way his message wasn't really accepted
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He was rejected by the king or imprisoned him and eventually executed him He was rejected by the religious leaders who mostly didn't believe him and wouldn't
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Confess that he was sent from God and even the populace here. There's thrilled something new something bold They didn't really believe him enough
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To actually do what he said to bear fruit worthy of repentance They didn't do that so instead they all rejected the message and Rejected it.
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Jesus says with violence in verse 12 the kingdom of God suffers violence the rejecters rejecters the violent
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They plunder it They tried to do anything they can to stop the kingdom of God the rule of God on earth
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That they won't tolerate a little entertainment They might like some religion they might like but the kingdom of God that they are violently opposed to Well, this is the reality.
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We still struggle with today many people people by nature most are religious They want an explanation for the universe when for their meaning give meaning to their lives
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They may even like a religious show Like John put on John Wesley the beginning of the Methodist said quote get on fire and people will come and watch you burn
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That's probably true John the Baptist was on fire People went out to watch him burn
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Some were even baptized by him since some sure were changed But in the end most did not want to live under the rule of God and we have the same today people will love a religious show
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Maybe some guy that's on fire. Let's go watch him burn Maybe they like a big concert.
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Maybe a Christian concert that thrills them emotionally But when that message begins to demand obedience to the king
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Then they will reject it and not just mildly Don't get violent
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You know, there's a popular image of the church People have today it's a haven of serenity a sweet -looking
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Chapel in the woods By a babbling brook nestled in the trees the nice path footbridge to it over over the brook
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Also peaceful and sweet. I wouldn't want to go there and just rest in the peace
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But at the king but the church is an outpost a fortress of the kingdom of God It will suffer
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Violence it will be besieged and attacked People will try to plunder it now maybe in our time and country something to be grateful for The only thing they can do is attack it with words with gossip
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But they will do whatever they can to stop the rule of God from advancing the kingdom of God suffers violence
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And Malachi the Prophet says that Elijah is coming to prepare the way before the messenger of the Covenant before a new era comes and That's why
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Jesus says in verse 15. He has ears to hear Let him hear Can you hear it if John is the
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Elijah the forerunner? What does that make Jesus think about that if he's the forerunner? What does that make
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Jesus that makes him the Lord that makes him the messenger of the Covenant bringing in a new era?
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The rejecters just wanted a Messiah who would take them back To the good old days of King David when they were on top
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They were the preeminent kingdom, but Jesus says if you stop and think about it John is the best and the last of an old era which means a new era is dawning.
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The question is Will the rejecters accept that? of course rejecters don't accept and We see why in the next section for verses 16 to 19
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Answering the question what are rejecters like Well, what are rejecters like Jesus says they're like children
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Just taunting their playmates now. We played the flute for you a nice cheery song. You didn't dance
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We sang a funeral song But you didn't mourn anything we do you won't play along Here God had brought the people
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John a prophet Plus he was austere. He was strict
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He was tough as nails wearing leather and eating bugs Not caring if he stepped on the toes of the powers -that -be preaching repentance and coming judgment hellfire and brimstone
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Demanding immediate radical change, but they said he is a demon
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Today they'd say he's crazy He's taking things too far
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He needs to mellow out get a prescription for some Prozac Psychiatrists mellow him down relax
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Well, then God brought them Jesus who we go to parties with sinners Recline lay back.
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You enjoy the company. You enjoy the food and the drink it touched the lepers He had called women who stopped him in the marketplace out on the street.
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My daughter. He's just a cool guy and They'd say look at him
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He's ridiculous Everyone knows a holy man doesn't act like that.
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He's a glutton. He eats too much He's a drunkard at verse 19 and literally the word there is based on the word for wine.
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He's an indulger of wine We'd say he's a wino Look at him. Are you telling me the
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Son of Man the one who brings in the kingdom of God on earth? Enforces the rule of God here is a party animal a wino at the buffet
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That's Jesus They'd say if he really cared about God, he'd be debating about whether it's okay to eat cheeseburgers with the
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Pharisees You know, can you mix meat and dairy products? He wouldn't be partying with the riffraff look at him
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What our rejectors like Often they will come up with some reason for rejecting the sound plausible enough there are apologists for the faith that try to answer every objection and That takes seriously the reasons people say why they are not interested in following Jesus And one
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Christian website got questions org List at least three reasons why people reject the gospel number one
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They say they they don't think they need a Savior that is they should be accepted as they are
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Number two, they feared social rejection if they become a Christian You know, your friends won't like them anymore or three they find the things of this world more appealing than spiritual things
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Now all that is probably true. Those are Prominent reasons people say they don't want to be a
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Christian Really those don't answer why people reject Christ in order to you know, why do they believe in their own morality?
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Why do they believe they're acceptable as they are? Why do they fear rejection by people more than they do rejection by God?
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Why do they think the things of this world are more important than the kingdom of God? All those reasons are really just another way of saying they are rejecters real reasons
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They're rejecters of the gospel, but what are they like deep down? That's my question What are they like what is it about them that makes them rejecters at first their reasons will seem plausible
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You know, they're feeling depressed. So they don't want to dance to your flute music Don't you see
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I don't like that music. I don't want to dance to it Well, maybe they'd say they don't like hymns. They went out of style over a century ago
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They don't like Bible translations that are over 400 years old or Or they don't like the formal dress
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But when you change those things as we have many of them that you know they will say
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I Don't like your funeral dirges. I don't like your shorts.
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I don't like your drums. I don't like your whatever They're like children and release.
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There's no principle that's guiding them There's no real reason that you could reasonably offer to them and answer them and finally win them over Accept the principle that they don't want the kingdom of God They'll probably never like the odd psalm singing.
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That's a weird overly long prayer They're ridiculously long Bible reading and then that sermon.
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Oh It's 12 we should be winding down What are rejecters like?
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Well, they're like children petulant inconsistent Self -willed they aren't reasonable people with serious objections that you can answer
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Expecting them to see that you have in good faith met their objections. And so now they were no longer reject
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No, they are deep down rejecters and rejecting anything other than their will their own little kingdom is what they do
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Then well, what do rejecters get? Well that Jesus answers in verses 20 to 24
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Jesus begins to describe what will happen to the towns that he's gone and he's shown
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The kick what the kingdom of God is like in his words and in his works most of his miracles were done in towns around Galilee and he attracted large crowds with them and Here though he admits that most of the people who came in those crowds heard him speak saw his miracles did not
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Repent and they will get judged for it Notice there in verse 20. They are condemned because they did not repent
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You know, they did not turn from their self -centered life and submit to the rule of God now We have people today who would teach that people don't really have to repent
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All they have to do is say they believe and a few facts about Jesus Believe that he died for your sins and he rose from the dead and you're saved no matter how you live after that Whether your life turns to God or not, but that is a false gospel.
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It's not the gospel Jesus proclaimed It is the one that makes people feel comfortable in their sins and so insulates them
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From feeling that they need to truly repent and surrender to God's kingdom
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It is a quote gospel that tells rejecters. They are accepted while still staying
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Rejectors Well, what do rejecters get according to Jesus well that depends on how much they have rejected
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The more people have rejected the more they will be condemned and punished
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We see that here. Jesus says to woe to you Chorazin little we call it a town he calls it a city here
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Woe 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
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The people of those Israelite towns had heard Jesus's words and seen his works they were entertained by him, but they didn't repent
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They didn't change their life They rejected him Okay, they hadn't crucified him yet, but they haven't followed him either really which means basically they rejected him
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Now these cities were not known for any particularly striking scandalous wickedness
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Understand these are fairly run -of -the -mill probably conservative Israelite Jewish Towns they were they weren't
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Sin cities by reputation. Okay, they weren't the kind of place that wild guys go on a
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Saturday night for quote a good time They were not the Las Vegas's of the area. Jesus pronounces woe on them
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Whoa, they will get suffering and judgment and devastation like Tyre and Sidon Like they got those two cities now
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Tyre and Sidon were a center for Baal worship in the Old Testament the whole
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Tyre was the hometown of Jezebel. The name sound familiar She's the queen who came to Israel as a missionary for Baal worship.
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They were materialistic. They were wealthy They were arrogant cities that thought they could withstand anything
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But as foretold by the prophet Ezekiel and Ezekiel chapter 26 to 28 They were besieged and destroyed by Alexander the
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Great and so God used Alexander the Great to crush those pagan cities But here
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Jesus says that if only they That is the hometown think of that if only the hometown of Jezebel That wicked woman would have heard his words and seen his works
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If only they would have they would have repented they would have really repented to Afflicted themselves put on coarse cloth.
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They want to put ashes on their head saying by that that they deserve Judgment that they deserve to be rejected and thrown on the garbage heap and burned with nothing left but ashes they would have turned from their sins and They would have been spared if they had as much light as the people of Chorazin and Besada They had just a little light
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That is Tyre and Sidon, but they didn't repent and so they were judged Chorazin and Besada had the brightest light in history
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Jesus himself fully revealing the kingdom in his words and works
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And what did they do? Maybe they were entertained. Maybe a little amused.
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Maybe perhaps a little interested. Let's go see the show But they wouldn't repent the greater the revelation the greater the responsibility
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Whoa and Whoa a Capernaum Jesus a parent. It's his headquarters for his ministry
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He's raised in Nazareth, but he seems to have spent most of his ministry time coming back to Capernaum. It's Peter's hometown
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It thinks it's going to be a great city. Perhaps it could see itself We're the hometown of you know, have one of those billboards hometown of Jesus Headquarters of Jesus's ministries and international it's gonna be on the map
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It's gonna be a great city But Jesus says it would be brought down to death to dust and ashes into the garbage heap
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That city had seen so many of Jesus's miracles, but the people still wouldn't change
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Now Jesus says if Sodom We all know what Sodom is about doing with Sodom had seen what?
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Capernaum had seen if Sodom with all its sexual perversion and its violence
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That city would have turned to the Lord That means think about that deep down the immoral
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Citizens the perverted citizens of Sodom had hearts that were more open more willing to accept the
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Lord Then did the superficially religious and conservative people of Capernaum If Jesus had been able to minister in Sodom He says he had been able to heal the sick and raise the dead and teach the gospel of the kingdom there
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They the Sodomites would have repented and Jesus says in verse 23 There would still be a thriving city of Sodom to his day
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But the people of Capernaum so proud of themselves what they were becoming of their religion and of their morality
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They didn't need a Messiah to solve any sin problems. They believe that they were worth accepting as they were and So they were rejecters
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That city will become a ruin Jesus says here, which is exactly what it is today.
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There's not even a settlement there. This is an archaeological dig It's a place where archaeologists discover ancient ruins and finally all these people that he's speaking to he says
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Jesus says they will face a judgment still to come and then certainly whoa on The superficially religious who had great light who heard the gospel who saw his power
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That because they were so impressed with themselves They wouldn't repent and whoa on us the greater the revelation
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The greater the responsibility if we've heard the word We've seen its life changing power
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Perhaps not a miracles like this perhaps in the miracle to change other people's lives But then we've decided you know,
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I don't need that kind of Savior. Really. I need someone to take care of these other problems I have
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The people who are giving me headaches take care of them. I don't need my heart dealt with that's us
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Then whoa We are rejecters and we better off if we had been citizens of Sodom in a perverted society destroyed by fire and sulfur
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What are rejecters get? They get rejected But why
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Why do rejecters? Reject Now sure, it's true in a superficial
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Level that that some don't believe they need a Savior some fear social rejection sub love the things of the world
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You know the materialism the money the sex the intoxication, but those are all really superficial reasons make
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Making us then ask why don't they think they need a Savior? Why do they fear social rejection more than rejection by God?
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Why do they love the things of the world more than they love Jesus? Why? Of course some others say they they can't see the real
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Jesus because of a bad representation of him that we Christians often give
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You know, they only see the hypocrisy. They see an old -time religion that they don't care for They can't see the real
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Jesus past the old -fashioned music the overly formal dress They can't hear Jesus in the 400 year old
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Bible translation, but why not? If that's true the singing new music as much as I like it or Stop wearing a tie, which
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I've done or using a modern translation Which I suggest is that really that unveil a
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Jesus that was hidden behind all those traditions That's it. Really? Are those things really why people can't see?
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Jesus And that last section for verses 25 to 30 he tells us why rejectors
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Reject the verse 25 begins literally in Greek at that time The time that he was saying what we were looking at before what rejectors get that is that paragraph that this paragraph
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This last paragraph of the chapter is closely connected with the rest of the chapter the previous
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Content at that time Jesus it says literally in Greek answered and here's an here's one of these rare occasions
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Which is very useful to know something of the Greek because it literally says answered my translation
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The ESV has declared the NIV, which is also normally a good translation says said but the word there is clearly
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Answered it's what it says It's the same exact word used in verse 4 of this chapter where Jesus answered the question of the disciples of John But here
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Jesus is Answering but if he's answering What's the question?
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The question is the same question throughout the chapter You know Jesus if you're the
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Christ Why are you being rejected? Well, Jesus answers that question
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Begins it in an odd way Yeah with first praise to the Father now not praise that people are rejecting him
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Praise you father people are rejecting me. I must be doing something right? Everyone hates me. Well, really rejection is taken for granted
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Okay, rejection is expected Rejection is what rejectors do they reject?
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We are since the fall When we all rejected the rule of God in order to get what look good to us looks good to me
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We'll take it even though God says don't have it. We are all since then by nature
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Rejectors, so the amazing thing is not that people are rejecting the gospel, but that anyone is accepting it at all
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In fact, my question really is all wrong It shouldn't be why are there rejectors?
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But why are there any acceptors? There are Jesus says in praise to the
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Father that's why he's praising God for it with joy there are Acceptors because the
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Lord of heaven and earth the master and control of everything has revealed the gospel to them
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It's what Jesus what Jesus says the Father has revealed it now He also says he's hidden the gospel from the wise and the self -satisfied
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You know who think they know so much they think they don't need a Messiah like that Who don't think they need a
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Messiah to deal with the their problem of sin who only think they need a Messiah to deal with?
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Other people he's had in the gospel from people like that now. Why are people rejecters?
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Because the father doesn't it say that there Why are they rejecters because the father has hidden the truth from them leaving to be leaving them to be
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What they are by nature rejecters But the amazing thing is that he chose he did something
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He absolutely did not have to do that's why Jesus praises him for it You don't praise people for something they have to do that.
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They're required to do Jesus praises the father for Accepting revealing to some people because he didn't have to do that Why are there acceptors because the father has revealed himself to them and to people?
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He calls here little children like the disciples not literally all little children
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But people who like children know they need help from outside Know they are dependent the kind of people who aren't shocked by the idea that they need a
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Messiah to deal with their Problems first not just you know deal with the other people
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To them the father has revealed the gospel and in case we missed the point in verse 26 It was done because it was the father's good pleasure for such father was your good pleasure
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It made him happy in other words, it made the father happy the father gains pleasure
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Everything what gives God pleasure? God gets pleasure by revealing the gospel of the kingdom to harass and helpless sheep way down and Who know that they are needy?
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Well to do that the father has given all things in verse 27 to the son
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So if you want some of those all things well you need to go to the son But you can't go to the son unless the father reveals
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Him to you. Okay, you need connections. You need an introduction Because no one knows the son except the father
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Now people are being rejecters do not naturally see or accept the son. They must be
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Supernaturally enabled to see him you see just wearing shorts. It's my question earlier
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Is it really these things that? Obscure Jesus just wearing shorts or just singing new songs is not enough to get people to see
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Jesus if the father won't reveal him and if we could wear ties and sing only old hymns and read the
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King James Version all the Only all the time and that is not enough to obscure Jesus if the father
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Decides to reveal him and then we're told in the verse second half of verse 28
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No one knows the father except the son and anyone To whom the son chooses to reveal him
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So there's no way No, no way at all to a full knowledge of God Except through Jesus and there's no way to Jesus unless the father introduces you here's the son
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So the answer to the question Why are people rejecters? Because God rejects them
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Why are some people acceptors? That's the amazing thing Because God accepts them
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Well, then having answered that question Jesus gives an invitation. All right, look at that verse 28 come to me
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Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden all of you are tired of working so hard of being told by false shepherds that you must
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Do this and do that and keep doing it and more and you know
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Don't eat your cheeseburger because it's dairy products with meat and that's not kosher that One thing after another
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All with the hope that you can do it if you just try a little harder you have the potential
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You just need to try harder. You just need to keep exerting you're tired of man -made rules to those he says come and I will give you rest
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So that you're resting and what he has done For you not constantly working to add
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To what you've done for him Hoping desperately that it will be enough on the day of judgment and that you won't be worse off than the sodomites lay that down and Accept a
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Savior who will do for you what you could never do for yourself earn enough righteousness
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To rest and Then take his yoke on You let him steer your life.
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You learn from him, which means you gotta let him teach you Let him change you that since you have
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Turned from your life of self -will no longer like a stubborn child rejecting every offer be teachable because he's gentle and Meek he's not going to domineer you and crush you with an overbearing approach so you can submit to him accept his leadership and rest
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Because his leading is gentle. He's kind and it's tender His yoke his leadership is made for you to wear for you to accept
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He says my burden is light. He doesn't ask us to carry much
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We don't have to be the conquerors or the judges of the earth we don't have to accept the load of daily disciplines and regimens and Regulations that will if we exert ourselves enough finally earn us enough credit that we can be accepted.
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We don't have to bear that only the yoke of his leadership
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Well, the big question is Not why people are rejecters We all in our sins have already rejected
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God we all like these people esteemed Jesus not we
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Rejected him. The big question then is how any of us are acceptors or accepted and the answer
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Because Jesus chose to bear our rejection on the cross taking our sins
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Having even the father Turn away from him crying out as in Psalm 22 my
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God my God Why have you forsaken me? He accepted the greatest rejection so that harassed and helpless sheep weighed down and Exhausted little children who knew they need a
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Savior Who knew they were incapable of carrying a load? They just can't carry so they could come to him.
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He accepted that so they could come to him Now if that's you he says come