Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19960602.htm

MATTHEW: JESUS AS ISRAEL'S MESSIAH AND HIS MESSIANIC KINGDOM
Part IX: Christ's Messianic Kingdom Certified
B. Defending The Greatness Of The Disillusioned Messianic Forerunner
(Matthew 11:7-15)
  1. Introduction
    1. We know that God uses people who are not only godly, but who develop themselves as did Nehemiah so that they can be used by God in positions of effective influence for His glory.
    2. However, what areas of development make one great as God views greatness?
    3. When Jesus stepped forward to defend the credibility of John the Baptizer, He revealed that John's doubts were not John's fault so much as it was the persecution John faced, Mtt. 11:12.
    4. In the process of defending John, Jesus revealed the greatness of John as a man of God, and we do well to view those qualities mentioned by Jesus as an exemplary path for our own development:
  2. Defending The Greatness Of The Disillusioned Messianic Forerunner, Matthew 11:7-15.
    1. Jesus knew the crowds might wonder if John was spiritually weak since he had sent two disciples to Jesus to settle his own doubts about Jesus being Messiah as he was in prison, Mtt. 11:2-3, 6-7a.
    2. Accordingly, Jesus explained that the problem was not weakness in John so much as the sin in Israel's leaders who were rejecting John and Jesus' presentation of the Messianic Kingdom, Mtt. 11:12-15:
      1. The reason John was doubting Jesus' identity as Messiah though he himself had announced Jesus to be the Messiah was due to his being imprisoned by enemies when John thought Messiah would judge and end such unjust persecution, cf. Mtt. 11:12 with 3:11-12.
        1. John had predicted that Messiah would baptize Israel with the Holy Spirit and with the fires of judgment that would rid Israel of her sinners, Mtt. 3:11-12.
        2. Thus, when he ended up in prison for speaking the truth (cf. Mk. 6:17-18), John wondered if another would do this judgment work as Jesus seemed to be doing only peaceful miracles, Mtt. 11:2-3.
      2. Jesus explained the cause for John's doubts as the forceful, bitter rejection of John and Jesus by Israel's leaders which led to John's imprisonment and later death, cf. Mtt. 11:12 with Mark 6:19-29.
    3. Rather than being suspect in character, John was the greatest Old Testament prophet in God's eyes as the Messiah's Forerunner, Mtt. 11:9-11a., and Jesus enumerated his personal greatness in Matthew 11:7b-11a :
      1. Quality One - John was a man who faced his personal weaknesses to overcome them, Mtt. 11:2-3, cf. MacArthur, Matthew 8-15, p. 250.
        1. When imprisoned, John developed understandable doubts about his identity and mission as he did not expect to suffer such injustices based upon his own prophe cy of Matt. 3:11-12.
        2. Instead of being a hypocrite and silently sitting on his doubts, John bared his soul to his disciples and then to Jesus to get those doubts addressed, even if it was a bit embarrassing, Mtt. 11:2-3.
        3. Thus, Jesus could address those doubts constructively for John's victory over doubt, Mtt. 11:4-6.
      2. Quality Two - John was a man of conviction who did not tolerate vacillating viewpoints, Mtt. 11:7b.
        1. By way of rhetorical questioning that expects a negative answer, Jesus taught the crowds that John was definitely not a vacillating reed, shaken by the winds of ideologies that flitted about, Mtt. 11:7b.
        2. The fact that John faced his doubts showed that he could not tolerate theological vacillation, 11:2-3.
        3. Accordingly, Jesus noted this quality about John with implied favor, Mtt. 11:7b.
      3. Quality Three - John was a man of selfless sacrifice, Ibid., p. 253.
        1. Historians report that theologians of Jesus' era often dressed in court robes to gain the king's favor and support, a practice which king's promoted as it worked to silence court critics, Ibid.
        2. However, John did not dress in court clothing, showing that he was not about to be self-serving and water down his message just to please influential people. At great cost to his own earthly welfare, he told it as it was and let the c hips fall where they may and dressed in poor man's clothes, Mtt. 11:8.
Lesson: (1) God defines spiritual greatness as (a) facing one's own weaknesses to overcome them, (b) sticking to one's convictions regardless of prevailing opinions and (c) selfless sacrifice in promoting the right. (2) Conversely, God sees the lack of greatness as (a) hypocritically glossing over personal faults, (b) vascillating in convictions to fit prevailing opinions or (c) fudging in principles for gain!