Introduction
We're presently looking into the Gospel of Mathew, focusing on the LORD's teachings on the Kingdom. God has been painting pictures of the Kingdom and the King from Genesis up to this Gospel. The pictures continue from here on through the book of Revelation. You'll find the King cleaning house and establishing His kingdom when you get to that last book. But this book is about the King coming to a people He promised to visit. He's bringing the Kingdom to them, but as a nation, they reject Him.
The King was heralded by messengers for centuries. He was promised to a disobedient, adulterous, and backsliding nation (Hos 3). He came to them in the fullness of time, knowing that they would reject Him. If you read this Gospel rightly, friends, you'll find out that He has very harsh and condemning things to say about a people who reject Him. But He won't forget the promises He made to Israel. He's going to give them eternal possessions. He offers eternal possessions to everyone who will receive Him. (The Church's possessions are spiritual in 2007.) He's going to save them by grace through faith also (Zec 12:9-14), but they're going to reject Him first. He's going to be pierced, but He's not going to cast the faithful overboard.
So, we saw the King teaching about the Kingdom in Matthew chapter 5-7. He had already met His greatest enemy in chapter 4. He proved there that Satan could not defeat Him. Jesus moves down from the mount in chapter 8 and begins to demonstrate His power to rule over all things. We find Him there healing diseases, challenging pretenders, commanding the forces of nature, casting out demons, and being rejected for the love of swine. He meets opposition from the religious rulers in chapter 9, as he continues to heal, call disciples, restore young and old, and proclaim a time of harvest.
He chooses disciples to be apostles in chapter 10. They are sent to reap a harvest in Israel. He endues them with power to do the works of the King, telling them to travel as beggars and go to the lost sheep of Israel. He tells them to freely give the gifts He just gave them. He pronounces judgment on those who reject the King's gifts and message. He warns them that they will be rejected and persecuted. He spells out the terms of a new relationship to God. It's one that will divide families. He spells out a different basis on which to have power with God. He is sending Jews out to minister to Jews. This is not to the Gentile church! Man can no longer say the he is saved by lineage and law. An age is coming to an end!
He offers the Kingdom to them
Chapter 11 opens with Jesus traveling alone. He goes into cities to teach and preach. Disciples of John the Baptist come to him confused, asking if He is the Messiah. They were expecting the Kingdom to be established at this time. Christ answers by referring to Isaiah35 and Isaiah 42. Jesus was doing the works of the Messiah, but they expected the judgments to come with the works. He had come to provide salvation to them first, so that they might be spared from the judgments.
John's disciples leave, and Jesus turns to the the multitudes that had come to hear Him. He tells them that the Kingdom has come to them if they will receive it.
And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elijah, which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. (Mat 11:7-19)
The LORD refers to Elijah, saying that John the Baptist stands in the place of Elijah if they will believe that the Kingdom is at hand. God promised, in Malachi 4, to send Elijah before He came in judgment. John the Baptist preached repentance in the face of impending judgement. The King says that men cannot produce the Kingdom, though they try to do it by force. All we can do is simply receive the Kingdom by receiving Christ, the King.
This chapter parallels Exodus 19 where Jehovah offers to make the children of Israel a kingdom of priests. We don't have the response of the people in Matthew 11 like we have in Exodus 19, but in both places something seems to go wrong. In both places, God seems to suddenly become angry. We need to know what God says about the human heart and hypocrisy to understand what is at work here. The LORD searches the heart, friends. The King knew that He would be rejected. They didn't need to say it. He knew it.
Witness His response to rejection. He begins to pronounce judgement on the cities that witnessed most of His mighty works.
Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, in the day of judgment, than for thee. (Mat 11:20-24)
Repentance means turning. God wants everybody to turn away from sin and turn to Jesus Christ. The cross represents an impending judgment for all who will not receive The Lamb who died there, and salvation for all that will. Judgement will precede the establishment of the Kingdom.
Our concern, in the face of impending judgment, for those who are confused about these things should cause us to teach this Gospel rightly! This Jesus is not just a hippie love child. He is both Savior and Judge.
This is where the Gospel comes into conflict with the heresy of the Emergent church movement. The teaching of sin, righteousness, and judgment is offensive to people. Seeker sensitive movements like the Emergent church want people to forget about the judgments of Christ and focus only on the works of Christ. Emergers propose to be kingdom builders, as if God has been waiting for them to arrive and start building. Study the leaders of the Emergent movement; Rob Bell, Doug Pagitt, and Brian McLaren. You'll find that they are too worried about offending anyone to talk about the judgments of Christ truthfully, if at all.
