MT 11:2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

MT 11:3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

Earlier John boldly declared  Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Now John is in prison.  John is going thru a trial and he is having doubts.  John sends two men to ask Jesus if He really is the Christ or do we look for another.

MT 11:4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:

MT 11:5 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.

Jesus gives John an answer in verse 5.  And in each example that Jesus mentions their needs are being met.  The blind see.  The lame walk.  The lepers are healed.  The deaf hear.  The dead are raised.  The poor have the gospel preached to them.  These things were also foretold in the Old Testament.  Jesus was not only fulfilling needs, but He was fulfilling prophecy. 

Like so many of his day, John thought that Jesus would bring in the kingdom right then.  They foresaw the kingdom but they did not foresee the cross.  Jesus then tells John to not be offended.  

MT 11:6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

John did not understand what Jesus was doing and Jesus told him to not be offended. 

The doubt that John experienced is not unique to John.  I believe that sooner or later in your life, you will not understand something that God is doing in your life.  If you never doubted anything yet, you most likely will.  We need to heed the what Jesus told John and not be offended.  We need to trust in His judgment.  We need to have faith that Jesus has a reason for everything that He does and everything that He allows. 

Now many people heard what Jesus told the disciples to go and tell John.  And I am sure you know how wicked people can be and how they get the wrong idea and then spread gossip.  So Jesus then addresses the crowd. 

MT 11:9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.

MT 11:10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

MT 11:11 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.

Jesus tells the crowd that John is the greatest born among women. 

Take heart.  If the greatest can have doubt, then it can happen to us from time to time.  So what do we do when doubt comes?  The answer is found by looking at the answer that Jesus gave John.  His answer shows Jesus' power, His compassion, His mercy, His love, and how He fulfilled prophecy.  The answer John was given was all about Jesus.  His answer was to get John to think about Him. 

When doubt comes we need to focus on Jesus.  Read more of His Word (The gospels are a good place to start).  Think about Him more.  Who He is and what He has done.  Pray to Him more.  Separate more from the world and do more for Him. 

Keep your eyes upon Jesus.  That is what we need to do when doubt comes. 

MT 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Jesus called these men and sent them out to preach.  Jesus is still in the calling and sending business today.  These men were told to go and preach.  They were not told to go and counsel people.  They were not told to go and give aid.  They were not told to go and make people feel good.  They were not told to go entertain people.  They were not told to go and act out dramas or play rock music.  They were not even told to go and teach.

They were told by Jesus to go and preach.  Why?

1Co 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 

It does not matter if you like it or not.  And you don't have to understand it.  But preaching is the vehicle that God has chosen.  Christians need to stick to God's plan.  Preaching needs to be held in high regard and in a prominent place in our churches.  Churches need to drop the entertainment and return to good old fashioned Spirit filled preaching. 

MT 9:9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

Matthew met Jesus and was called to follow Him right then.  And Matthew arose and followed Jesus right away.  Many would say it is ok to believe in Jesus but don't quit your good stable job to follow Him.  Matthew put Jesus above his job as a tax collector.  He promptly quit his job and followed Jesus.  Jesus was more important than his paycheck.

Some will say it is ok to believe in Jesus but don't leave your home and go to the mission field.  But Matthew put Jesus above his home, friends, and family.  Matthew put what Jesus wanted of him above what anyone would think.  Matthew did not let what people might say stop him. 

From the start what Jesus wanted of him was a priority.  It should be the same with us.

Jesus does ask different things from different people.  He does not call everyone to be a pastor.  Jesus does not ask everyone to go to a mission field.  If He does ask you, would you be willing to drop everything and go? 

Jesus might not ask you to go to a mission field, but He does ask all believers to  follow Him.  He asks us to be separate from the world. He asks us to give to His work.  He asks us to pray without ceasing.  He asks us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.  He asks us to witness for Him. 

Jesus said, in John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Jesus is asking some things of you.  Will you be like Matthew and promptly follow Him?

MT 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

The leper came and worshipped Jesus, and Jesus accepted the worship.  He did not rebuke the leper for worshiping Him. 

Many will say that Jesus was not God in the flesh.  They say that Jesus was only a good man.  That is impossible.  If Jesus was not God, then it was heresy for Jesus to accept worship.  If Jesus was not God, then He accepted something that is for God alone.  If Jesus was not God, then He did something very wicked and evil by accepting worship.  So Jesus could not have been just a good man.  Jesus has to be either God or a very wicked man.

Well Jesus was not a wicked man.  Jesus was God manifested in the flesh.  He left the glories of heaven and became man.

Phi 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Phi 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

Phi 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Phi 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Jesus came to this earth to go to the cross to pay for our sin so that we could be saved. 

What a wonderful loving God we have. 

MT 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

Many people who are in sin love to quote this verse.   They use it to try to stop people from calling their wickedness sin.  The problem is that they ignore the context.  They stop reading at verse one.

MT 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

In verse 2 we have the universal spiritual principal of sowing and reaping applied to judgment.  It is basically, expect to be judged as you judge.  If you want to receive righteous judgment from others then you need to judge that way.  If you judge wrong, expect to be judged wrong.  This is not a warning to not judge.  It is a warning to judge right.

MT 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

MT 7:4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

In verses 3 and 4 we are instructed to judge ourselves first.  Make sure that you are not guilty first.

MT 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Now after you have judged yourself then Jesus says that you can see clearly to help your brother.  Get the beam out of your eye, then help your brother with his.  This section of scripture is actually teaching us to judge.  But we are to judge ourselves first.  We are to get ourselves right first.  It can be a action, or an issue, or an attitude, or you fill in the blank.  Once we are right, then we are to help our brother get right.

This section of scripture is teaching that we need to judge righteous judgment. 

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MT 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

MT 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

MT 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

This is just one of the many places that clearly show that if you believe the Bible, then you cannot be a Catholic. 

You are not to pray with vain repetitions.  But that is exactly what Catholics do with the rosary.  They say the same thing over and over.  They think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.  God instructs us not to pray that way.

The Bible also tells us very clearly that we are to pray to the Father.  We are NOT to pray to Mary.  Any prayer to Mary is against the clear instructions of the Word of God. 

Prayer is talking to God.  It is telling Him your burdens, needs, and desires.  Prayer is to be communication to God from the heart.  It is NOT to come from textbooks or memorized repetitions. 

Prayer must come from the heart.

MT 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

MT 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Contrary to what TV preachers say God does not promise His children a life of health, wealth, and popularity.  In fact He promises persecution. 

2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Jesus uses the prophets that went before them as an example.  They were great men of God.  God was well pleased with them, but they were reviled by men and greatly persecuted and many of them were killed. 

Jesus said not if, He said when men shall revile you and persecute you.  It is going to come.  And Jesus said when it does that you are to rejoice.  Jesus said, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven.

God is faithful and just.  If you are persecuted for His names sake, then He will reward you for it.  But notice where the reward is given.  "for great is your reward in heaven". 

After setting down this principle Jesus then says,

MT 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

MT 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

MT 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

MT 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

You should see a basic truth here.  Reviling will come, but witness anyway.  Persecution will come, but witness anyway.  When they say all matter of evil against you, witness anyway.  When they tell lies about you, witness anyway.  Let your light shine before men regardless of what they say or do to you.  And Jesus promises that you will receive reward for it in heaven.

MT 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

The temptation of Jesus was not happenstance.  Jesus was led by the Spirit to the wilderness for the reason of being tempted.  God had a purpose for it.

MT 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights before the temptation.  His human body was about as weak as is possible.  This also had a purpose.

The purpose of the Temptation was not to see if Jesus would fall.  Jesus is the Son of God.  Jesus is God manifested in the flesh.  It was impossible for Jesus to fall.  His divine nature would not allow it.  With God there is no  variableness, neither shadow of turning.  Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.  There never was any danger of Jesus falling into sin!

The purpose of the Temptation was to show to us that Jesus was the sinless Son of God.  The temptation showed us that even after not eating for 40 days that He could not be tempted with bread.  Jesus' public ministry started with His baptism.  And then He went straight to the temptation to show us that sin and temptation has zero hold upon Him. 

The temptation shows that there is a great difference between the first Adam and Jesus.  By Adam sin entered into the world.  Jesus came to take away sin.  By Adam the world fell.  Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. 

Adam fell to the temptation of Satan.  How better to show the difference between Adam and Jesus than to have a direct confrontation with the same wicked Satan.  Adam had a garden full of food and fell.  Jesus went 40 days without food and won.  Adam fell with no hunger.  Jesus resisted with incredible hunger.  Adam was only offered the knowledge of sin and he fell.  Jesus was offered all the kingdoms of the world and did not fall.  Adam ignored the Word of God and fell.  Jesus used the Word of God and won.  Adam disobeyed God and lost.  Jesus was obedient by following the Spirit's leading to the temptation and won.

What a vivid picture to start His public ministry of who Jesus is.  The sinless Son of God.

MT 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

MT 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

John the Baptist was a real preacher.  He had a strong message and preached it uncompromisingly.  He told people that they were sinners and needed to repent.  They needed to turn from their sin and turn to God.  He was not afraid to tell people the truth. 

MT 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

He told people that there was a wrath to come.  He told the Pharisees and Sadducees that they were a generation of vipers. 

MT 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

John did not accept empty professions of faith.  John knew that real faith will produce fruit.  Real faith works.  Real faith changes lives.   

John preached against sin, that men are sinners, that men are on their way to hell, that men need to repent, and if you have a saving faith there will be changes in your life. 

Jesus validated John's preaching by coming to him to get baptized.  Jesus later preached the same message that John did.

This is the kind of preaching that we need to return to today.  This is the kind of preaching that God uses to save souls. 

MT 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

MT 2:13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

MT 2:14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

Here we see the foreknowledge and providential care of God.  God knew that Herod was going to try to kill Jesus.  He also knew that Jesus would be born to a poor family.  Joseph could not afford to be out of work.  He did not have the means to pay for a trip to Egypt and to tide them over while they were hiding from Herod until he died.  So God sent wise men from the east bearing very valuable gifts.  These gifts would provide for their needs while they were in Egypt.  And these wise men started their trip to see Jesus long before Jesus was born.  Herod asked the wise men when they first seen the star.  Herod used this information to determine the age of children to kill.  Herod killed all the children 2 years old and under.  This indicates that God started the wise men on their trip a long time before they got to see Jesus.  God had it all timed perfectly. 

Often God will start the answer coming before we even pray for our need.   

Thought on This Chapter

This is one of two genealogies of Jesus in the Bible.  The other one is in the book of Luke.  This line starts with Abraham who was the head of the Jewish race.  This line continues thru King David and ends with Jesus' step father Joseph.  The purpose of this genealogy is to show that Jesus fulfilled prophecy and came from the seed of both Abraham and of David.  Both were a requirement for the coming messiah.   This also shows that Jesus has legal right to the throne of David.  How fitting that this genealogy starts off the gospel that shows Jesus as King.