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Well, this is a pretty straightforward chapter compared to the chapter we have coming, chapter 12, which has some more, I guess you'd call them difficult things to figure out. Here in chapter 11, we have some straightforward teaching about Jesus and some narrative here.
Jesus just got done sending out the 12 disciples on what we'll call their first mission trip. We'll call it that. They preached and ministered mostly in their own areas in and around Galilee for the most part in their own cities and Jesus kind of preaching and teaching behind them.
But we don't know how long they're gone, Mark and Luke talk about when they come back. So best guess, maybe a couple of weeks, but we don't really know. But let's jump right in. When Jesus finished instructing his 12 disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.
Teach and preach, remember, Keruso, Dadesko, so Dadeskan and Kerusin. Teach, Dadesko, to explain, to take out the plain meaning of a text, preaches to herald, to proclaim. Now John heard in prison about the deeds of Christ, so he sent his disciples to ask about him and said to him, are you the one who is to come or shall we look for another?
So I don't think it's fair to say that John the Baptist is completely lacking faith here, but I think it is fair to say he's having some form of doubt. Are you the one who is to come or should we look for another?
Because he's hearing the deeds of Jesus about all these healings, but he's not hearing much about conquering. And Jesus answered him, go and tell John what you see and hear. The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.
Blessed is the one who is not offended by me. In other words, John, the proof you need, the works being done are signs that I am from God and I am doing what God called me to do. As them went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John.
What did you go out in the wilderness to see, a reed shaken by the wind? What did you go out to see, a man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in king's houses. What did you go see, a prophet?
Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare the way before you. John the Baptist, Jesus has already shown, was prophesied in the Old Testament in the book of Isaiah chapter 40, verse 1 through 3, to prepare the way of Yahweh.
Here we have another citation. I believe this is Isaiah, let's see, verse 10, Malachi 3, Malachi 3, 1. And Jesus says this in verse 11, Amen, or truly, lego humim, truly, I say to you, not arisen among those born among women, there is no one greater than John the Baptist.
Baptismo means to immerse, by the way, just a quick side note, let's see if we can figure that out here, yeah, to baptize, oh, I'm sorry, that's kingdom, let's see, baptismo, here it is, the washer, the baptist, baptismo means to immerse, no one greater than he, yet the one who is least, the one who is least, see the word micro here, the one who is least, microteus, the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven, uranum, is greater, uranum, I'm sorry, is greater than he.
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and the violent take it by force, fitting since John's imprisoned by Herod, for all the law, I'm sorry, for all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
Why until John? Because after John comes Jesus, and all these prophets and the law, the whole Old Testament was prophesying about Jesus. If you're willing to accept that he is the Elijah to come, the scriptures say that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes in Malachi, well, Jesus is saying that John came in the spirit of Elijah, so that he is the Elijah to come.
Now, of course, some of us believe Elijah will be returning again before Christ's second advent, which would make sense. One of the two witnesses in Revelation 11, I believe it is. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
But to what should I compare this generation? It's like a child sitting in the marketplaces and calling to the playmates, we played the flute for you and you didn't dance. We sang a dirge and you didn't mourn.
Jesus is comparing his listeners to children who are asking him to do this for them and do this for them. And why are they not playing? Why is he not playing their tune? For John came neither eating or drinking.
He fasted a lot. He came neither eating or drinking. And y 'all said he had a demon because he wouldn't eat or drink. For as a son of man, Jesus, I came. Eating and drinking, and they say, look at him, a glutton and a drunkard.
In other words, you can't win for losing. John didn't eat or drink, he had a demon. I eat and drink. And y 'all say I'm a glutton and a drunkard. Friend of tax collectors and sinners. Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.
In other words, in other words, y 'all weren't trying to be pleased. You're trying to find an excuse not to obey. But wisdom is justified by our deeds. I mean, meaning words are backed up by their actions.
All right, after the teaching on John the Baptist, then Jesus has a judgment passage on a couple of the cities on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. He began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works have been done because they did not repent.
Methanazin. They did not repent to turn the other way. Woe to you, Chorazin. I don't know how to pronounce this, but I'll be honest with you. What do I seem? Woe to you, Chorazin. Woe to you, Bethsaida.
For the mighty works done in you have been done in Tyre and Sidon, those towns way up north. They would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. If they had seen me heal, the people you've seen me heal and the blind receive the same dead rays, they would have repented a long time ago.
I'll tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And what does that teach you? It will be more bearable. So Tyre and Sidon, you're still going to be judged because you didn't repent to the revelation I gave you.
But Chorazin and Bethsaida will be judged harsher. Now, we don't need to think of this as levels of hell like in Dante's Inferno, but we do need to recognize that there's somehow, the Bible says this several times, harsher judgments, harsher punishments in hell.
Now, what could be harsher than the baseline punishment of eternal separation from God? I don't know. But there are baseline punishments in hell and they get increasingly more harsh. And you, Capernaum, you will be, will you be exalted to heaven?
You'll be brought down to Hades, for if the mighty works had done you in Sodom, they would have remained to this day. But I'll tell you, it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.
Think about that. At that time, Jesus declared, I thank you, Father, Pater, Lord, Coriae, of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, the one wise in their own eyes, Sophon, like Sophia, the one wise in their own eyes, the one who leaned on their own understanding and said you revealed them to little children, to people with faith.
Yes, Father, for such was your gracious will, your good pleasure. All things, Panta, have been handed over to me by, excuse me, by my father, and no one knows the son except the father, and no one knows the father except, see this, except the son and Cai, anyone to whom the son chooses to reveal him.
The only way to know the father is through the son, the Huyas, Huyas, the only way to know the Pater is through the Huyas, the only way to know the father is through the son. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Amen. Take my yoke upon you, the wooden shackle on the necks of the oxen or the cattle or whoever was, whoever was driving the plow. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in cardia, cardia, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
So what's Jesus saying here? Come and learn from me. Not, not just come and I'll give you rest, come and learn from me, and in that process of learning, you will find rest for your souls, that process of learning and obeying.
Christian, you want peace in your life? Obey God. Lost, you want peace in your life? Submit to God and obey God. The way to peace is through obeying God. What's the scripture say? Isaiah 26, 3. He keeps him in perfect peace, whose mind is fixed on you for distrusting in you.
Isaiah 26, 3. Come and learn from me from gentle and lowly heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Don't kick against the goads. Don't fight against God's correction.
Submit to it, obey, and you'll find rest for your souls. All right, quick lesson on Matthew 11. We have Matthew 12 next time. That will be a longer one. He's Lord of the Sabbath. He shows that several times.
And then we have to talk about the dreaded blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. We talked about that a few months ago. All right, guys. Appreciate you guys. You can find all our videos on YouTube, Witton Media Ministry, or on our app, the Witton Baptist Church app.
Love you guys very much. Until next time.