Verse 1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.
The Greek word translated as “teach” is “didasko” and it means to hold discourse with others in order to instruct them, to be a teacher, to impart instruction, to instill doctrine into one, or to explain or expound a thing. The Greek word translated as “preach” is “kerusso” and it means to publish, to proclaim, or to herald with gravity and an authority which must be listened to and obeyed. So although teaching and preaching impart information/knowledge to the listener, there is a difference in that teaching does not have to be listened to or obeyed. Notice that Jesus stayed in the cities of the Jews. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16
Verses 2-3 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
Remember that John the Baptist had baptized Jesus and knew Him both as his relative and as, “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”. John 1:29 So why was John questioning “the works of Christ”?
Verses 4-6 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
Notice that Jesus just told John’s disciples to again report all the miracles that He had done to confirm that He was/is the Christ, the promised Messiah.
Application: Jesus was not upset at John questioning His credentials. He provided the proof and John the Baptist got the answer he was looking for. Likewise, Jesus does not get upset at Christian believers that have doubts or questions regarding the faith they have come to believe in. All the believer has to do is pray to Jesus and ask that the doubts or questions be answered, and He will reveal to the believer the answers that are needed to resolve the doubts or questions. This revelation may be through the Word/Bible, through the believer’s own thoughts, through others, or through preaching. Don’t be afraid to ask when unsure about anything. Jesus knows what is worrying each person and will provide what is needed to bring peace and confidence in the Christian walk.
Verses 7-8 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? 8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
Human beings like spectacle. Something new had come along with the preaching and teaching of John the Baptist and the people rushed out into the countryside to see this person that did not dress like them and who did not follow the religious manner and doctrine of the Pharisees. Jesus was asking the multitudes to analyze their own motives.
Application: It is a good practice for each Christian believer to take some time periodically to analyze their Christian walk and attitude. Are their actions, words, and thoughts in line with the Word of God or have they strayed from the purity of the Gospel into the bondage of religion, or worse yet, unbelief?
Verses 9-10 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
Jesus identifies who John the Baptist really was. He is quoting Malachi 3:1 which states, “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.” A prophet brings forth the words of God for people to understand. John the Baptist was bringing forth God, very God. The Messiah was promised way back in the book of Genesis during Abraham’s life and Moses spoke about the coming Messiah and Daniel wrote about the Messiah in Daniel chapter 9. The Jewish people were well aware of the promise of a coming Messiah and should have recognized who John the Baptist was.
Verse 11 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.
The Kingdom of God is backward to earthly kingdoms. In most cultures, the strong override the weak, but in the spiritual kingdom, God “. . .hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;” 1 Corinthians 1:27 Likewise, in most cultures it is valued for a person to be first: first in a competition, first in line, etc. Matthew 19:30 states, “But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first”. “And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, if any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.” Mark 9:35 God looks at the heart. If a believer is righteous and faithful to the LORD, that is more important than strength or position in this world.
Verses 12-15 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
The Greek word translated as “suffereth violence” is “biazo” and it means to force, to apply force, or to inflict violence on. This writer admits that the verses above are not fully understood. However, what is apparent and true is that the Kingdom of Heaven is at war with the kingdom of Satan. When Jesus was about to be revealed and walked the Earth, Satan tried to stop the coming of Jesus through people and events such as the wise men from the East and King Herod’s massacre of the children two years old and younger. He attempted to corrupt Jesus through his temptation of Him in the wilderness, and when these attempts failed, he used the religious leaders to conspire to destroy Jesus, both His reputation and His life.
Application: Since the fall of Adam and Eve from a state of perfection to one of sin, there has always been a battle between good/God and evil/the devil. What did Cain do to his brother Abel? Killing each other is a way for life for sinful man. Lying, cheating and stealing is also a way of life for sinful man. Crime is rampant all over the world. Just as this battle is seen in the physical world, so is the battle raging in the spiritual world. As a result, the Christian believer is going to experience persecution in some form, guaranteed. “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” John 15:20
Elias is the Greek version of the name, Elijah. Elijah was a prophet of God during the reigns of the wicked Israelite kings Ahab and Ahaziah. He was taken up into Heaven in a chariot of fire without dying. The Jews believed that he would return just before the Messiah came and that he would prepare the people mentally to receive their real King. Jesus stated that Elijah had come in the form of John the Baptist. Prophecy was being fulfilled right before their eyes, but the religious Jews refused to see it and to show it to the people.
Verses 16-19 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, 17 And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. 19 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.
The modern English statement of “You can’t win! You are d….. if you do and d…… if you don’t” summarizes what Jesus was saying in the above verses. There was no pleasing many of the people whom He had come to save. They all had their ideas as to how things should be, and if Jesus didn’t fit their preconceived religious ideas, they rejected Him.
Application: Unfortunately, in today’s organized “Christian” establishment churches, preconceived religious ideas still rule the day. Not reading the Bible for what it actually says but instead reading it and interpreting it to support denominational doctrine or the pastor’s personal belief system still goes on today just as it did in Jesus’ day by the Pharisees and their interpretation of Mosaic law. Most churches follow a Nicolaitan style of structure in which there is a division between the pastor and church leadership and the laity. The advent of multiple “Bible” versions has contributed to this discrepancy in power and position as the leadership can just adopt a corrupted version that supports what they want to present to the people they are supposed to be shepherding. Any person in the congregation who wishes to present a different view point based on their understanding of Scripture rather than that being taught is most likely going to be asked to leave the fellowship of that church, especially if the person’s thinking is contrary to the pastor’s. No longer are the leaders and the congregation equal as was the case in the Apostolic Church. No longer is there a “rightly dividing the word” in these churches. If you, the reader, are attending a church that ridicules you or refuses to allow your voice to be heard, leave it and find one that will. All Christian believers are equal and all are able to understand God’s Word by themselves if they just take the time to study it and let the Holy Ghost/Spirit reveal it to them.
Verse 20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
The Greek word translated as “upbraid” is “oneidizo” and it only occurs ten times in Scripture. It means to reproach, to find fault with, or to scold.
Verses 21-22 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. 22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
It is being assumed by this writer that the cities listed above were cities that either John the Baptist or Jesus had been to and preached the Gospel. Chorazin was in Galilee and it means “a furnace of smoke”. Bethsaida was a fishing village on the west shore of Lake Gennesaret and the home of the apostles Andrew and Peter, and most likely the brothers James and John. The name means “house of fish”. Tyre was an ancient city on the Mediterranean and the name means “a rock”. Sidon was another ancient city just north of Tyre and the name means “hunting”.
Verses 23-24 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. 24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
Capernaum was a city in Galilee on the western shore of Lake Gennesaret and the place where the Jordan River flows into the lake. The name means “village of comfort”. The Greek word translated as “hell” is “hades”, a place of great torment. Sodom was a city recorded in the Old Testament to have been destroyed by God raining down fire and brimstone. This city’s name is where the term sodomite came from. It was full of homosexuals who tried to break down the door of Lot’s house to access angels manifesting as human men in order to rape them. See Genesis chapter 13. In Jesus using these Old Testament stories as learning examples for the multitudes, it proves that the Old Testament is indeed true and factual, and reliable for its historical accounts. Most written accounts of history only go back to the time of Alexander the Great. History occurring before this time has been understood by taking the Bible accounts and finding proof through archaeological digs.
Application: The idea to be understood in these verses is that to reject the LORD Jesus Christ and His Gospel is the worst sin of all and punishable by severe judgement.
Verses 25-26 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
Application: The LORD reveals His Word most easily to those who are not philosophers (wise) and not learned (prudent) because they will simply receive it and accept it without adding their own worldly perspective or doctrine to it. Scripture says what it says and means what it says. It does not need man’s interpretation. It is easier to witness to a person from a third world nation who knows nothing about Jesus than to a person from an industrialized nation who has received an education from a worldly institution of learning where God is relegated to fiction or mythology. It is a knowledge of God and His Word that makes a person wise and gives a person understanding.
Verse 27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Notice that it is Jesus who reveals the Father to mankind. Jesus and the Father are the same God manifesting in human form so that mankind can understand and relate to the God of creation who holds everyone’s breath in His hands and who sustains this Earth and everything in it. It was Jesus who walked and talked and revealed Himself to the Old Testament saints. God is Spirit and cannot be seen or touched, but by inhabiting a body, He could be seen and touched by His people and He could be killed via crucifixion and therefore atone for the sins of all mankind, the Lamb of God.
Verses 28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11)
The invitation for forgiveness of sin, for salvation from sin, death and hell, and for eternal life is here in this verse for anyone who wants a relationship with the LORD. All a person has to do is come to Jesus.