Matthew 11
11
In Praise of John the Baptist
1When Jesus had finished giving orders to His 12 disciples, He moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns. # Mt 7:28; 9:35; Lk 23:5 2When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent a message by his disciples # Lk 7:18-35 3and asked Him, “Are You the One who is to come, or should we expect someone else? ” # Ps 118:26; Jn 6:14; 11:27; Heb 10:37
4Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5the blind see, the lame walk, those with skin diseases are healed, # Lit cleansed the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news. # Is 35:5; 61:1; Lk 4:18; Jms 2:5 6And if anyone is not offended because of Me, he is blessed.” # Is 8:14-15; Mt 13:21; Jn 6:61; 16:1
7As these men went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind? # Mt 3:1; Eph 4:14 8What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Look, those who wear soft clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet. # Mt 14:5; 21:26; Lk 1:76 10This is the one it is written about:
Look, I am sending My messenger ahead of You; # Lit messenger before Your face
he will prepare Your way before You. # Mal 3:1; Mk 1:2 # Mal 3:1
11“I assure you: Among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared, # Lit arisen but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, # Or has been forcefully advancing and the violent have been seizing it by force. 13For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John; 14if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come. # Mal 4:5; Mt 17:10-13; Mk 9:11-13; Lk 1:17; Jn 1:21 15Anyone who has ears # Other mss add to hear should listen! # Mt 13:9; Mk 4:23; Lk 8:8; 14:35; Rv 2:7
An Unresponsive Generation
16“To what should I compare this generation? It’s like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to each other:
17We played the flute for you,
but you didn’t dance;
we sang a lament,
but you didn’t mourn! # Or beat your breasts
18For John did not come eating or drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon! ’ # Mt 3:4; Lk 1:15 19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, # Mt 9:10; Lk 7:36; 14:1; Jn 2:1; 12:2 a friend of tax collectors and sinners! ’ # Mt 9:11; 18:17; Lk 15:2; 19:7 Yet wisdom is vindicated # Or declared right by her deeds.” # Other mss read children
20Then He proceeded to denounce the towns where most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent: 21“Woe to you, Chorazin! # Lk 10:12-15 Woe to you, Bethsaida! # Mk 6:45; Lk 9:10; Jn 12:21 For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, # Mt 15:21; Lk 6:17; Ac 12:20 they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes long ago! 22But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment # Ezk 28:2-4; Am 1:9-10; Mt 10:15; 15:21; Mk 3:8 than for you. 23And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to Hades. # Is 14:13,15; Mt 4:13 For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today. 24But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
The Son Gives Knowledge and Rest
25At that time Jesus said, # Lk 10:21-22 “I praise # Or thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to infants. # Ps 8:2; Lk 22:42; Jn 11:41; 1Co 1:26; 2Co 3:14 26Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure. # Lit was well-pleasing in Your sight 27All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows # Or knows exactly the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires # Or wills, or chooses to reveal Him. # Mt 28:18; Jn 1:18; 7:29; 8:19; 10:15; 17:25-26
28“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. # Jr 31:25; Jn 7:37 29All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, # Jn 13:15; Eph 4:20; Php 2:5; 1Pt 2:21; 1Jn 2:6 because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. # Jr 6:16; Zch 9:9; 2Co 10:1; Php 2:7-8 30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Currently Selected:
Matthew 11: HCSB
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
Matthew 11
11
John the Baptizer
1When Jesus finished placing this charge before his twelve disciples, he went on to teach and preach in their villages.
2-3John, meanwhile, had been locked up in prison. When he got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciples to ask, “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?”
4-6Jesus told them, “Go back and tell John what’s going on:
The blind see,
The lame walk,
Lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised,
The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.
“Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves most blessed!”
7-10When John’s disciples left to report, Jesus started talking to the crowd about John. “What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A prophet? That’s right, a prophet! Probably the best prophet you’ll ever hear. He is the prophet that Malachi announced when he wrote, ‘I’m sending my prophet ahead of you, to make the road smooth for you.’
11-14“Let me tell you what’s going on here: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer; but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. For a long time now people have tried to force themselves into God’s kingdom. But if you read the books of the Prophets and God’s Law closely, you will see them culminate in John, teaming up with him in preparing the way for the Messiah of the kingdom. Looked at in this way, John is the ‘Elijah’ you’ve all been expecting to arrive and introduce the Messiah.
15“Are you listening to me? Really listening?
16-19“How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, ‘We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.’ John came fasting and they called him crazy. I came feasting and they called me a boozer, a friend of the misfits. Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”
The Unforced Rhythms of Grace
20Next Jesus unleashed on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way.
21-24“Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you. And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you.”
25-26Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”
27Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.
28-30“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.