1. Why would John start to doubt Jesus?

2. Why doesn't Jesus just give John's disciples a simple answer?

3. In vv. 7-9, what is Jesus highlighting about John's character, especially despite the doubts he has now voiced?

4. What makes John the greatest of the Prophets? Why is he least among the kingdom?

5. How does Jesus respond to the criticisms that have been levied against John and Himself?

Hey, we have made it to session 18! For this session there is a bit of a preamble you might want to give you groups:

This is the beginning of a new section of Matthew. Much like what we saw with the end of the Sermon on the mount, it was immediately followed up with a collection of healings and fulfillments of what Jesus had taught about. Similarly we now see a collection of stories that are applications of what Jesus had just taught his disciples, specifically dealings with doubts and faith. 

1. Why would John start to doubt Jesus?

   • John was expecting Jesus to bring judgment, but instead Jesus has been going around healing, casting out demons, and raising people from the dead

2. Why doesn't Jesus just give John's disciples a simple answer?

   • Jesus decides to instead make reference to Isaiah, not just suggestiong that He is indeed the coming one, but extending that understanding by pointing to specifically messianic prophecies. John's words were always "one greater than I" and not specifically "the messiah" but it is here that Jesus makes that explicitly clear to John

3. In vv. 7-9, what is Jesus highlighting about John's character, especially despite the doubts he has now voiced?

   • Jesus highlights that John is a man strong in his faith and convictions and that he is the greatest of the prophets. His doubts are a bit understandable because Jesus' ministry isn't exactly what John had expected. God rarely works in a way we humans expect, and that surprise is always for our good.

4. What makes John the greatest of the Prophets? Why is he least among the kingdom?

   • He is essentially the culimation of the prophets, especially by being the last of them. Notice that there are no specific prophets after Christ, rather there are Apostles, and the gift of prophecy is seen across the spectrum, being given to numerous christians in numerous cities. This is because the prophets, like John, had temporary empowerments by the Holy Spirit, but after the Spirit is poured out at Pentecost that same Spirit that temporarily empowered the prophets now dwells permanently inside of every Christian.

5. How does Jesus respond to the criticisms that have been levied against John and Himself?

   • Jesus essentially tells us to not judge by appearance nor hearsay. Instead we are to evaluate their words and deeds. When we look at the words and deeds of John and Jesus, we see men of God, but on the contrary when we look at the words and deeds of people like the Pharisees we see vain and selfish men.

Welcome everyone to session 18. We now have embarked on a new section of Matthew. Just like before where we had the Sermon on the mount followed by a spattering of miracles, now we have finished another section of intense teaching, and now with 11-16 we encounter numerous responses to Christ as his ministry becomes more missional, ultimately culminating with Peter's declaration of Jesus as The Christ, The Son of The Living God.

Now for the immediate two chapters we are going to go through a certain pattern. There are going to be two examples of unbelief, followed by one example of unbelief, Through the end of 12 there will be three cycles of this. Now the first to show unbelief is an unexpected one, John the Baptist. 

JOhn's Questions for Jesus

John the baptist is still imprisoned, he has been since Jesus started His ministry in Galilee. John has undoubtedly heard all about what Jesus has been up to, but it doesn't exactly fit what John had foretold. Remember back in 3:11-12 John proclaimed that the one coming after him (Jesus) would bring his winnowing fork, emphasizing that Jesus would bring about judgement. Yet all he has heard about is Jesus going around, healing sicknesses, casting out demons, and raising people from the dead. John was expecting a Day of the Lord (like the Babylonian Exile, or the destruction of Sodom and Gommorah, or what will occur when Christ returns), yet he instead hears about restoration and compassion. 

Thus John sends out some of his disciples to go prod Jesus, asking if that coming one is still coming or if it really is Jesus. In this John is actually showing a lack of faith, he is starting to doubt, and perhaps a bit understandably so. The man is confused, let's not forget he's been rotting away in a prison this whole time after preaching that someone was coming and He would bring forth justice and judgement against the wicked, the very people who have imprisoned John. 

Jesus sends John's disciples back with a very referential answer that John no doubt understood, as well as Matthew's Jewish audience. Jesus mentions the miracles he has performed, and in doing so is directly referencing the messianic prophecies in Isaiah. Don't believe me? Here's a list: Isaiah 26:19; 29:18; 35:5–6; 42:7, 18; 61:1. Jesus is perhaps understanding that John's likely in a pretty dark place at the moment, and so offers him hope and encouragement that Jesus is indeed the messiah that has been promised, even if He isn't exactly what they expected. 

Jesus Addresses the crowds

As John's disciples go to return to thier teacher, Jesus turns to the crowd that is apparently around them and begins speaking of John himself. He starts by asking some rhetorical questions. First He asks them if they went to see a "reed shaken by the wind" (Mt. 11:7 NASB), or in other words a weak man easily blown about (France, 197). The answer is obvious, no they did not go to see a weak man, and John's imprisonment stands as proof that he was a man strong in his beliefs, to the point that he is now imprisoned for them. 

Jesus then asks them if they had gone to see a man clothed in "soft clothing" (Mt. 11:8). Again it's an obvious no, they didn't go to see a king nor some kind of royal leader like that of Herod or Rome, but rather they went to see man who wore the rugged clothes of a prophet, further emphasized by Jesus as He continues by saying "But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet" (Mt. 11:9). 

Now Jesus expands on this idea that John is more than a prophet. Jesus quotes Malachi 3:1 

"'Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,' says the LORD of hosts." (Mal. 3:1)

But there are also two other allusions here too. This messenger is later refered to as an "Elijah" in Malachi 4:5-6

"Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. “He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” (Mal. 4:5-6)

He is also referencing Exodus here as well, alluding to the angel sent before Israel in the conquest of Canaan.

"Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared." (Ex. 23:20)

This is all to say that Jesus is highlighting John as a prophet of prophets, as the one to finally prepare the way for the true and proper Day of the Lord. Now first we must understand just what that means. The Day of the Lord is what we in the modern day would refer to as "the apocalypse" or "Revelation." Simply put it is when the wrath of the Lord will finally come and justice will be served to all of the wicked, it is the rightful judgement of mankind. Many of the prophets spoke of this, referencing the "big D" Day of the Lord (that term I am absolutely stealing from the Bible Project) and the "little d" day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is the final judgement that we read of in Revelation, but also there were many days of the Lord like Sodom and Gamorrah, or the Babylonian Exile, or the fall of Israel at Assyria's hand, or the many famines that had befallen Israel and Judah because of the wickedness, etc. 

John was the one that would come before the "big D" Day of the Lord to prepare the way for the Lord to come and bring justice and judgement. Jesus is, in a very particular way, affirming why John would be a little confused about Jesus' ministry. He was right when he said that the one coming after him would be coming to bring down judgement, and yet Jesus' ministry had been nothing but preaching, healings, casting out demons, and raising people from the dead. There had been no fire and brimstone, no destruction and judgement. In truth Jesus will bring this, but He has not done so as of even today, that is what will happen when Jesus returns. 

Jesus follows this up by suggesting that John is the greatest of the prophets, and yet still is the least compared the those who follow. John is the last of the prophets of the Old Testament. He is, in all reality, the last of the Old Testament figures. Jesus is now instituting, in His ministry, the true kingdom of God. The age of the prophets and priests has gone away, now is the time of the church with it's apostles and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, where every member of the Kingdom recieves a permanent empowerment of the same Spirit that had only temporarily touched the Prophets before. 

Jesus wraps this all up by directly making a statment against what the religious leaders have been saying about Him and John. He mentions that they have called John a demon and Jesus a glutton, drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and sinners. We also have seen that they also declare that Jesus' power comes from Satan as well (see Mt. 9:34). Jesus responds by giving the people a simple test to see who both He and John truly are and who it is that has sent them. Look at their deeds, as the popular phrase goes: "the proof of the pudding is in the eating." We know that both John and Jesus are sent by God (and are a person of the Trinity in Jesus' case) because we can look at their words and deeds and see that they are the words and deeds of holy men. This would, and will more and more as we go through Matthew, contrast with the words and deeds of the religious leaders: the Sadducees and Pharisees, who believe in strict adherence to levitical law, and yet refuse to be truly holy men and follow God's overarching precepts like justice and mercy.