thing on prince

As offensive as this article may be for some to read, it's particularly difficult for me to write. Let me be clear, I love Prince. I LOVE Prince! He was for me the quintessential rock star. Growing up I remember my older sister being allowed; as a young tween, to buy the album "Purple Rain." It was my sister's love for Prince that turned me on to him. I remember when we got home sitting around the dinner table, mom and dad actually allowed that album to play as we ate, and I remember the near spit-take my mother did when Darling Nikki came up as the final track on side one. Ah, the good ol' days! I remember staying up late watching "Friday Night Videos" before cable television pumped MTV into our house, hoping to catch a glimpse of a Prince video, and I remember renting the VHS player and tape and watching Purple Rain after my parents went to bed.  I remember seeing him perform live in downtown St. Paul in 2004 for the Musicology Tour, and attending the after party at his studio Paisley Park in Chanhassen MN. It was magical! He commanded the stage and the audience. Every person in that stadium; yours truly included, was putty in his hand. I've admired Prince as one of the greatest musicians who ever walked the planet, the most underrated guitarist of all times, a savvy businessman who outsmarted the giants of the music business, a star who caused stars to become star struck! I LOVE Prince, and though I never knew the eccentric genius personally I will miss him like millions of his fans around the globe.

So why do I think Prince is not likely in heaven today? I could go on and on about the apparent sin in his life. I could make the case that Prince created some of the most sexually supercharged music of all time and most of you probably wouldn't even argue. I could point to his many love interests over the years, his raunchy performance of "Get Off" at the MTV Music Awards in 1991, but that would feel just a bit hypocritical for me (in case you haven't figured it out by now, I didn't grow up in a Christian home). To say that Prince was the sound track of my sinful life would be an understatement.  Of all the sin in my life before Christ I can identify a Prince song that would go along with that memory because he was always in my CD player, my tape deck or my turn table.

I want to talk about Prince's theology, because I believe that it isn't just his sin that likely condemns him (though it certainly is), but also his theology. Most likely it is only his most hardcore fans that are aware that though he was raised a Seventh Day Adventist, and in 2001 Prince became a Jehovah's Witness. He was apparently even a door knocker on Saturday mornings. Imagine having Prince knock on your door on a Saturday morning, you might actually answer the door for once!

Jehovah's Witnesses have very problematic, heretical teachings that contradicts the Scriptures. There are 6 main heresies of JW theology I want to emphasize, because if Prince or anyone else believes any of these heretical teachings when they die, though they may feel some sense of security in salvation they will surely hear Jesus tell them at their judgment "Depart from me, I never knew you."

There may be no religious group that is more faithful in getting out their message than the Jehovah's Witnesses (also known as the Watchtower Bible Tract Society).  The message of the JW's is a false message, a false gospel with no saving power. In this blog I want to share with you 6 heresies of the Jehovah's witnesses and refute them using the Word of God.

1. JW's believe that Jesus Christ is Michael the Archangel, the highest created being. This is not a claim they hide from, you can read about it on their website by clicking here.

When we examine the bible the clear teaching of Scripture is that Jesus is the Eternal Son of God. Matthew 14:33 reads "Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped him saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." And John 17:5 reads "And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." For more on the eternal sonship of Christ, click here.

2. JW's deny the deity of Jesus Christ. Again, this isn't a secret, click here to read about it on their website. 

What does the bible teach about the person of Jesus Christ? John 1:1 states "In the beginning was the Word (Jesus) the Word was with God and the word was God."  John 8:24 also reads "unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins."  Christ here is clearly saying that he is YHWH, the very I AM who spoke to Moses in the burning bush passage of Exodus 3.  Pharisees knew exactly what He was saying, for they took up rocks to stone him for the blasphemy.  (For more information on the deity of Christ, click here).

3. JW's deny the Trinity.  They even say so here. 

Scripture reveals God as one being with three distinct and separate persons; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Click here for an exceptionally good explanation of the doctrine of the Trinity. 

4. Jehovah’s Witnesses deny that Jesus died as the penalty for our committed sin, but that he instead died for our ‘sin nature.’ Here is a quote from jw.org: “The wages sin pays is death,” says the Bible at Romans 6:23. This means that death is the consequence of sin. Adam sinned, so he died. Likewise, we sin and are therefore subject to sin’s wages, death. But we were born in this sinful condition through no fault of our own.  Since one man, the perfect man Adam, brought sin and death on us through disobedience, a perfect man obedient even till death was needed to release us from that burden."

Scripture teaches very clearly Jesus died to forgive ALL Sins “And you, being dead in your trespasses (sins)and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He (Jesus) has made alive together with Him, having forgiven all your trespasses” Colossians 2:13. Scripture never places the blame for our committed sins on Adam, and we are not forgiven for the sins of our Federal Head, rather we need to be forgiven for our committed, individual sins, not just for the sin nature inherited from Adam.

5.  Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that the bible has been distorted, and that they have the only accurate translation.  {source}

Once again contrast JW doctrine with what Scripture promises.  In Matthew 5:18, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” In this verse Jesus declared that not even the smallest stroke of a letter in the Hebrew alphabet would pass away until all is accomplished. He couldn’t make that promise unless He was sure that God would preserve His Word. Jesus also said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:31;Luke 21:33). Jesus again affirms that God’s Word will not pass away. God’s Word will remain and accomplish that which God has planned.

Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that the church has corrupted the Bible over the centuries; thus, they have re-translated the Bible into what they call the New World Translation. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society altered the text of the Bible to make it fit their false doctrine, rather than basing their doctrine on what the Bible actually teaches. The New World Translation has gone through numerous editions (most recent revision was 2013), as the Jehovah’s Witnesses discover more and more Scriptures that contradict their doctrines.

God sternly warns that the Bible is complete, unchangeable, and His inspired, revealed word:

You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take anything from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.  Deuteronomy. 4:2

 “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book: and if anyone takes away from the words of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” Revelation 22:18

6.  Jehovah’s Witnesses believe salvation is conditional and comes through ‘an accurate knowledge of the truth’ which involves intensive daily study, evangelism, and other works of righteousness. {source}

Yet another heresy which contradicts the clear teaching of scripture. Salvation comes by faith alone in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Jesus & the apostles warned about the dangers of false gospels & false teachers. Scripture is clear; a proper understanding of Jesus Christ is necessary for salvation:

“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8

“Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him “2 John 9-10

Did Prince die believing the above heresies? I don't know. I know he lived believing them, but I also know God is gracious, and in His grace He may have saved Prince, just as he saved the thief on the cross (Luke 23:39-43). I trust that the Just Judge of all the world will do that which is right.

What about you? Are you in right standing with God? If today was your last day what would God do with you? To learn about how to receive forgiveness for your sins and be saved from God's righteous and eternal wrath, click here.

come to Jesus

adequately present the gospel, the kerygma.

The Messianic Herald of Salvation

²⁵ At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. ²⁶ Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. ²⁷ All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. ²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

—Matthew 11:25–30

This is one of the rare occasions in the Gospels that gives us one of Jesus’ prayers. Tasker says, “Here recorded is one of the most precious pieces of spiritual autobiography to be found in the synoptic Gospels. It shows that the dominant characteristic of His Incarnate life was obedience to His Father’s will.” In contrast to the unbelief which He judged in the preceding section, Jesus now affirms the nature of His messiahship and of His relationship to the Father. In verse 25 the word translated “thank” is the same word which is translated “confess,” as is used of people confessing their sins. It means to “speak the same thing out of,” a word which means that Jesus was in “full agreement with the Father” (see Luke 10:21–22).

There are basically three sayings in this passage dealing with (1) Jesus’ reverence for God, vv. 25–26; (2) Jesus’ relationship to God, v. 27; and (3) Jesus’ rest in the will of God, vv. 28–30. Jesus interpreted His messianic role by His unique relation to the Father as God’s Son. This is Jesus’ first public mention of God as His Father, the reference in 10:32 having been made privately to His disciples. It is also one of the most striking claims to His Sonship found in this Gospel. On an occasion when I spoke in a high school assembly, I was asked by a young man, “Why all of this emphasis on confessing Christ? Aren’t there other ways to get to God?” In response I asked of him, “And when you get to God whom do you expect to see?” And to his limited response I answered, “You will be meeting Jesus Himself!”

Also, in Matthew’s account there is a significant identification of Jesus with Wisdom, as found in passages like Proverbs 8 where Wisdom speaks in the first person, or as the Logos, the Truth of God personified in Jesus, John 1:1–3. The heart of the passage is the unique gem of verse 27, asserting the disclosure of God in the Son and the Son’s relationship with the Father. This should be compared with the great Christological passage of Philippians 2:5–11, Paul’s expression of the remarkable nature of the Incarnation.

Three aspects of the passage may be further developed thematically. First, Jesus’ prayer is a word of praise to God that He has shared the mysteries of knowledge about Himself and His grace in a manner which opens them to the unlearned. This is literally to the “immature,” a contrast between His disciples and the learned people who were stumbling at His ministry. Second, God’s pleasure is to reveal Himself in His Son, and what is promised to “the poor in spirit” in the Sermon on the Mount is here fulfilled as fact. Knowledge is not primarily an intellectual process (Amos 3:2; Gal. 4:9; 1 Cor. 8:2–3), for we only know God as He knows us. The Old Testament looks forward to the knowledge of God in the eschaton (Is. 11:9; 52:6) as God reveals His own righteousness (Is. 52:10; 56:1; Rom. 1:16–17). Jesus believed that, when the Baptist questioned and the people of His hometown doubted, only the Father truly knew His identity. And third, Jesus’ rest is a yoke of wisdom that unites persons with Himself. He offers rest, for He is not only the bearer of the wisdom of God, He is that Wisdom. Such rest, as interpreted in Hebrews 4:1–11, is the singleness of relationship with Christ, the rest of knowing His provision as a completed salvation. Discipleship is thereby kept from being a legalistic striving and is instead a joyous fellowship.

There is a legend that Jesus, in the carpenter shop in Galilee, made the best yokes in all of Galilee. The yoke was tailor-made to fit each ox. Above the door may have been a sign which read, “My yokes fit well.” And now, according to this legend, Jesus could have been illustrating from the carpenter’s shop at Nazareth to say, “My yoke fits well.” In this passage Jesus is saying, “Yoke yourself with me, for my task for you is shared and made easy and the burden is light.” Handel incorporated this in the immortalized Messiah in a great chorus of praise, “His yoke is easy, His burden is light.” This is the joyous word of salvation in contrast to a legalism that obscured the mercy of God.

¹

It is interesting that, precisely at the point where Jesus is reflecting on those who have rebelled against his ministry, he says, ‘Thank you, Father.’ We are (rightly) thankful when people do believe; Jesus is thankful even when they remain stubborn and rebellious. The source of his thankfulness is the fact that God is sovereignly in control of all these matters.

This passage is profoundly important for our understanding of the effectiveness of the gospel, as well as for our approach to gospel evangelism. On the one hand, Jesus emphasizes the absolute sovereignty of God in the matter of salvation. No one can be saved apart from God revealing himself to sinners. And God reveals himself only to those sinners whom he chooses. It may be a difficult doctrine but it is unmistakeably part of the gospel of Jesus: ‘no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him’ (v. 27). Jesus’ choice of us precedes our choice of him.

Yet no one is saved without choosing Christ. That is why, on the other hand, the doctrine of God’s sovereignty in salvation is to be taken hand in hand with the full and free offer of the gospel, written so majestically in these words: ‘Come to me’ (v. 28). Jesus offers himself and promises rest. He promises freedom from sin’s burden under his own yoke. His call is not to the strong and self-sufficient, but to the weak and the weary. These are the twin themes of all our gospel work: the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. These are not equally final: we must always give the priority in the work of the gospel to God’s absolute sovereignty. But we must do so in a way that also does justice to the responsibility of each one of us to respond to the voice of the King.

This language is in contrast to what has preceded it in this chapter. It is like coming out of a blizzard into the warmth of a spring day, like passing from a storm into a calm, like going from darkness into light. This is a new message from Jesus. He turns from the corporate nation to the individual. It is no longer the national announcement about a kingdom but a personal invitation to find the “rest” of salvation.

“I will give you rest” is literally “I will rest you.” When He speaks of being “heavy laden,” He is referring to being burdened with sin. This same figure is used by Isaiah and the psalmist: “Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward” (Isa. 1:4). “For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me” (Ps. 38:4).

My friend, sin is too heavy for you to carry—you’ll really get a hernia if you try to carry your load of sin! The only place in the world to put that burden is at the Cross of Christ. He bore it for you, and He invites you to come and bring your burden of sin to Him. He can forgive you because on the cross He bore the burden of your sin.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” refers to the salvation of the sinner through Jesus Christ. “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” refers to the practical sanctification of the believer. There is a rest which Jesus gives, and it is the rest of redemption. There is also a rest which the believer experiences, and it comes through commitment and consecration to Christ. You don’t have to worry about being recognized; you don’t have to jockey for position if you are committed to Christ. Frankly, I quit joining organizations because I got so tired of watching ambitious men trying to be chairman of something or trying to be president of something. If you are committed to Christ, you don’t have to worry about that. He will put you exactly where He wants you when you are yoked up to Him.²

J mcgee is becoming my favorite writer more in this series

Invitation (vv. 25–30). Why did the religious leaders rebel against John and Jesus? Because they (the leaders) were intellectually and spiritually proud and would not become little babes in humility and honesty. There is a vast difference between the spoiled children of the parable (Matt. 11:16–19) and the submissive children of this statement of praise. The Father reveals Himself to the Son, and the Son reveals Himself and the Father to those who are willing to come to the Son in faith. These verses indicate both the sovereignty of the Father and the responsibility of the sinner. Three commands summarize this invitation.

“Come.” The Pharisees all said “Do!” and tried to make the people follow Moses and the traditions. But true salvation is found only in a Person, Jesus Christ. To come to Him means to trust Him. This invitation is open to those who are exhausted and burdened down. That is exactly how the people felt under the yoke of pharisaical legalism (Matt. 23:4; Acts 15:10).

“Take.” This is a deeper experience. When we come to Christ by faith, He gives us rest. When we take His yoke and learn, we find rest, that deeper rest of surrender and obedience. The first is “peace with God” (Rom. 5:1); the second is “the peace of God” (Phil. 4:6–8). To “take a yoke” in that day meant to become a disciple. When we submit to Christ, we are yoked to Him. The word “easy” means “well-fitting”; He has just the yoke that is tailor-made for our lives and needs. The burden of doing His will is not a heavy one (1 John 5:3).

“Learn.” The first two commands represent a crisis as we come and yield to Christ; but this step is into a process. As we learn more about Him, we find a deeper peace, because we trust Him more. Life is simplified and unified around the person of Christ. This invitation is for “all”—not just the people of Israel (Matt. 10:5–6).³

11:28–30 Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden. There is an echo of the first beatitude (5:3) in this passage. Note that this is an open invitation to all who hear—but phrased in such a way that the only ones who will respond to the invitation are those who are burdened by their own spiritual bankruptcy and the weight of trying to save themselves by keeping the law. The stubbornness of humanity’s sinful rebellion is such that without a sovereignly-bestowed spiritual awakening, all sinners refuse to acknowledge the depth of their spiritual poverty. That is why, as Jesus says in v. 27, our salvation is the sovereign work of God. But the truth of divine election in v. 27 is not incompatible with the free offer to all in vv. 28–30.

11:29 you will find rest. I.e., from the endless, fruitless effort to save oneself by the works of the law (cf. Heb 4:1–3, 6, 9–11). This speaks of a permanent respite in the grace of God which is apart from works (v. 30).⁴

1:27 handed over to me. Jesus makes extraordinary claims. He claims that God’s sovereign disposition of all things has been committed to Him. As in Dan. 7, the Son of Man has received all power and dominion (anticipating Matt. 28:18). He alone knows the Father and can reveal the Father to others (John 14:6). The Father alone knows Him, so Peter’s later confession that Jesus is the Christ can only be through the Father’s revelation of the Son (Matt. 16:16, 17). Jesus’ knowledge is equal to the Father’s, and His sonship is unique.

11:28 Come to me. Echoing personified wisdom in Prov. 9:1–5 and intertestamental wisdom literature, Jesus invites the weary to find rest and refreshment in Him. He does not extend His invitation to those who are naturally intelligent but to little children (v. 25), not to the strong but to the weary and heavy-laden. Both Jesus and John convey God’s wisdom (v. 19 note), but Jesus transcends His forerunner, for He Himself is the incarnate wisdom of God.

11:29, 30 Take my yoke … my yoke is easy. The yoke, placed on the shoulders of beasts and humans who pull plows and wagons, symbolizes submission and slavery (Gen. 27:40; Is. 10:27; Hos. 11:4). Jewish sources spoke of the yoke of the law and of wisdom. Though the law was God’s good gift to His people, the scribes’ oral traditions and the spiritual disability of sinful humanity turned the law into an unbearable burden (12:2 note; 15:2; 23:2–4; Acts 15:10). When the law was understood as a way of meriting salvation, it became a “yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). By contrast, the yoke of Jesus, while demanding, is “easy” because it is from one who is “gentle and lowly in heart” (Matt. 12:19, 20). He has fulfilled the law’s righteous demand perfectly for His people (Matt. 3:15; Gal. 4:4, 5; 2 Cor. 5:21), and His Spirit empowers their grateful obedience (Rom. 8:2–4). Therefore, He alone can provide true rest for the soul.⁵

1 Augsburger, M. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Matthew (Vol. 24, p. 18). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

2 McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Gospels (Matthew 1-13) (electronic ed., Vol. 34, pp. 160–161). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

3 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 41). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

4 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Mt 11:28–29). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

5 Sproul, R. C. (Ed.). (2015). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (p. 1691). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust.

rights

Where do rigths come from? I think everyone rights come from God and not from government. Clinton said that a fetus does not have rights for the USA and okay that is fine. However the right to life did not come from the government it comes for the nature and God. Now if a government said you can only have 1 kid then the government is in the wrong, The Bible said God is above the government so in this you have the right to pray whenever you want. I have followed the school prayer movement and to me God is the one who the christian prays to and Jesus is always in us so we pray to him whenever we wish

A right is given by a maker. So a right to free speech is one that one has. But the question I am thinking on is gthe right of the unborn. I think of the passage where David was seen in his mothers womb. Psalms 139 said we are made. We are made in MOM.

Job 31:15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?
Psalms 22:10 I was cast on you from the womb: you are my God from my mother's belly.
Psalms 139:13 For you have possessed my reins: you have covered me in my mother's womb.
Psalms 139:14 I will praise you; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are your works; and that my soul knows right well.
Proverbs 31:8 Open your mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
Isaiah 49:15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yes, they may forget, yet will I not forget you.
Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet to the nations.

God calls out of the womb, fashioned in the womb. God knew you before you were even made. Friend to say a fetus is not human and has no rights is to be not a christian but a pure godless person.

Before the body was formed David says he was a person. He was a person as he was being formed in the womb. Even before the members of his body were formed, he was a person. The personhood is declared to take place at the very moment of conception.

This is very important in our day because of the question of abortion. I heard a minister of the liberal persuasion say that the Bible has nothing to say about abortion, and therefore we can make our own decision or do as we please. However, the Bible does have something to say about it, and here is a clear–cut reference. While the body was being formed, David said he was a person, a human being. God had the blueprint of his members before they came into existence. The person was there.

Now hear it straight: abortion is murder unless it is performed to save the mother’s life or even the child’s life. Abortion to get rid of the little unformed fellow before he has an opportunity to utter a cry in order to cover up sin or escape responsibility merely enhances the awful and cruel crime. Do not blame me for this charge. Blame David—he wrote it. Blame the Holy Spirit—He declared it.

The Bible has the answer to all the problems of life if we consider all of it, and it does not always give the popular interpretation. It is well to get God’s viewpoint.¹

God Made Us Wonderfully—We Cannot Ignore Him (vv. 13–18)

This is one of the greatest passages in literature about the miracle of human conception and birth. “In the presence of birth,” said Eugene Petersen, “we don’t calculate—we marvel.” David declared that God is present at conception and birth, because we are made in the image of God and God has a special purpose for each person who is born. We live in and with our bodies all our lives, and we know how amazing they are. God formed us as He wants us to be, and we must accept His will no matter how we feel about our genetic structure, our looks, or our abilities. The verb “covered” (v. 13, kjv).means “woven together” (see Isa. 32:12), and “intricately wrought” in verse 15 is translated “embroidered” in Exodus. In the mother’s womb, the Lord weaves and embroiders a human being, and abortion interrupts this miracle. What a tragedy!

But the Lord did more than design and form our bodies; He also planned and determined our days (v. 16). This probably includes the length of life (Job 14:5) and the tasks He wants us to perform (Eph. 2:10; Phil. 2:12–13). This is not some form of fatalism or heartless predestination, for what we are and what He plans for us come from God’s loving heart (33:11) and are the very best He has for us (Rom. 12:2). If we live foolishly, we might die before the time God has ordained, but God’s faithful children are immortal until their work is done. How can we ignore God when He has given us such a marvelous body and planned for us a wonderful life? Life is not a prison, it is an exciting pilgrimage, and the Lord has prepared us for what He prepared for us. Our responsibility is to yield ourselves to Him daily, ponder His thoughts found in His Word (92:5; Isa. 55:8–9), and walk in the Spirit. God thinks of us! (Jer. 29:11). Should we not think about Him?²

1 McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: Poetry (Psalms 90-150) (electronic ed., Vol. 19, pp. 162–163). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

2 Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be exultant (1st ed., p. 197). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.

John the baptist doubts

11:1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.

² And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples ³ and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

⁴ Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: ⁵ The blind see 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 who is not offended because of Me.”

⁷ As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸ But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. ⁹ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
¹⁰ For this is he of whom it is written:

‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You.’

¹¹ “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
¹² And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. ¹³ For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. ¹⁴ And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.
¹⁵ He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

¹⁶ “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, ¹⁷ and saying:

‘We played the flute for you,

And you did not dance;

We mourned to you,

And you did not lament.’

¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”

—Matthew 11:1–19

The transition in the opening statement of this section which moves from Jesus’ commissioning of the Twelve to His own tour of ministry through Galilee is a continuation of the thrust of the entire section (10:1–12:50). The passage presents the messianic claims of Jesus. According to Luke, John’s disciples came with his question in the context of the miracle at Nain where Jesus raised the widow’s son. Consequently, Jesus’ fame went throughout all Judea and the surrounding region (Luke 7:18–35).

John, imprisoned in the fortress of Machaerus by the Dead Sea, having been arrested by Herod the tetrarch of Galilee, was forced to draw his conclusions from fragments of information. He sent several of his disciples to Jesus to ask, “Is it thy coming that was foretold, or are we to wait for someone else?” (Knox). Matthew has this happening to set the stage for Christ’s interactions with the Pharisees which follow in this section.

While John was asking for “proof” of Jesus’ messiahship, Jesus, instead of offering proof, gave him evidence. The walk of faith most often means to accept evidence in the place of proof. God is His own proof and faith will not stop short of coming to God Himself. The evidence which Jesus gave was that the prophet’s words were being fulfilled (Is. 35:5; 61:1), that the messianic age had dawned with the Messiah’s activities. Jesus’ statement focused His authority to reinterpret the messianic expectation, saying, “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” We can develop from this section some basic observations on the grace of God in Christ: (1) grace is at work in miraculous changes; (2) grace is being announced; and (3) grace is its own evidence, vv. 4–6.

The end of the old age has arrived, the new age is dawning. The eschaton, announced by the prophets, is not about to dawn; it has dawned (Is. 34; 61:5–7). The new age is being manifested by word and deed. Yet miracles evoke both faith and doubt, for faith is personal response to evidence. In these verses (2–6) we see (1) Johndesire for certainty about the Messiah. The doubt may not have been about our Lord’s mission but about His way of manifesting the mission. What kind of Messiah is He since He has not toppled the powers of the political and religious orders? The idea of the Suffering Servant was not primary in John’s perception. But it may be that John’s intent in his question was to press Jesus to be more open about His messiahship. We see (2) Jesus’ description of what is happening, for the Spirit’s work in community incorporates Isaiah 35:6–7. Jesus is emphasizing a different aspect of messiahship than that which was the popular concept. And we see (3) Jesus’ declaration of confidence in His self-understanding, for ultimately miracles are not the important point but rather the Person of the Christ.

Jesus pays a remarkable tribute to John, saying that He was “more than a prophet” (vv. 7–11). While God’s prophets in history were great, John was the greatest. While they predicted the messianic age, John stood at the threshold of the new age! He was more than a prophet in that he lived at the dawn of the crisis period of history. Of this, C. G. Montefiore, himself a Jew and not a Christian, said, “Christianity does mark a new era in religious history and in human civilization. What the world owes to Jesus and to Paul is immense; things can never be, and men can never think, the same as things were, and as men thought, before these two great men lived.” The inbreak of the kingdom of Christ, which John only saw at its dawning, but which went beyond John, caused Jesus to say that the “least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” This is because John did not experience the full work of Christ, the meaning of His death on the Cross, His Resurrection and His Ascension (see Luke 7:34–35; 16:16; Mark 9:11–13). We should note especially (1) the tradition of the prophet, vv.7–9; (2) the testimony of John’s prophetic role, v. 10; and (3) the transition to new kingdom realities, v. 11.

The last part of this section (vv. 12–19) gives us the new interpretation of the messianic age. First, the focus of tension is over the kingdom of heaven (v. 12). Jesus may have meant violent men oppose it; exposing the negativism of the scribes and Pharisees toward the kingdom. However, this is not an easy verse to interpret and some commentators see this as a declaration that the kingdom had to be introduced by radical acts of exorcism and healing as a part of its inbreaking rather than as a loving message of peace and mercy. But Luke’s expression that “everyone storms his way into the kingdom,” may clarify what Jesus actually meant, that the kingdom was being entered by desperate persons. Persons with intense interest and deep need pressed their way into the kingdom. Second, the fulfillment of prophecy is not readily understood (vv. 13–15). The common expectation that the messianic age would be announced by a return of Elijah was interpreted by Jesus to mean “in the spirit of Elijah,” and the fulfillment of Malachi 4:5 was introduced in John. Third, the formula of Jesus’ ministry was disregarded by his people (vv. 16–19). He said the people were acting like domineering children who blame their companions for being spoilsports.

The statement by Jesus, made in irony, says of the people who were so “wise” in their criticism, “Wisdom is justified by her chil-dren.” The scene is of children playing in the street, crying “spoilsports, spoilsports.” “We wanted to play at weddings,” shouted the boys, for the round dance at weddings is done by men; “We wanted to play at funerals,” shouted the girls, for the mourner’s dirge is done by women. The use of the word kathamenois places the children in roles of passive spectators; those playing the flute left to their playmates the more strenuous exercise, and they did not comply. Jesus said that God sent His messengers, but all the people did was to criticize. They said that the Baptist was a madman because he fasted when they wanted to make merry. They said that Jesus should be separate when He ate with sinners. All that these people wanted to do was to play childish games while missing the kingdom!

A biographical message on John should include the following: (1) John had a proper understanding of himself, John 1:19–23. (2) John had a clear sense of mission; in John 3:30 he said of Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (3) John had a spiritual certainty that radiated, John 5:31–33; as William James said, “Lives based on having are less free than lives based on doing or on being.” (4) John had a reputation for righteousness, Mark 6:20, for he was heard and feared by Herod. (5) John was an effective witness to the truth, John 10:41, for the people said, “All the things that John spoke about this Man were true.” It was said by John Wesley, “Get on fire and they’ll come and watch you burn.”

¹

Matthew carefully turns our attention from the apostles, on the brink of their service, to John the Baptist, who is coming to the end of his. He has been imprisoned and sends his disciples to Jesus to ask if he is the one who was to come (v. 3). At one level, it is a surprising question from someone whose whole ministry was designed to demonstrate that Jesus was indeed the one who would do remarkable things among men (see 3:11–12). For this reason, some have suggested that John’s purpose was to encourage the disciples whom he personally sent to Jesus.

However, Jesus’ answer is directed to John; and this is the clue to help us realize that John is facing serious doubt and uncertainty. He has seen the miracles, but something does not fit his understanding of the messianic prophecies. After all, John has preached that Jesus would baptize with fire, would thresh with a winnowing fork and would burn the chaff (3:12). To date, there has been no obvious act of judgement.

Jesus sends the disciples back with an answer that draws heavily on Isaiah 61:1. There the Messiah was predicted as one anointed to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and to open the prisons to the bound. Jesus is telling John that the messianic purpose has begun to be realized among men. While John is looking for more evidence of this, Jesus asks him to be content with the evidence there is and not count it for too little.

The gospel is being preached and is authenticated by the miracles of healing and of resurrection. Isaiah went further and spoke of Messiah judging the nations; Jesus does not refer to this. This will take place in God’s time. John has to be content with the inauguration of Christ’s kingdom, and not be offended.

The whole episode gives Jesus opportunity to explain the significance of the ministry of John. The reason for this may be in part to restore John’s reputation following the message from prison; however, Jesus’ main function is to show how the very messianic purpose intimated in the Old Testament included the ministry of John. The citation of Malachi 3:1 in 11:10 demonstrates that John is the ‘messenger’ who was to herald the coming of Jesus, and the ‘Elijah’ who was predicted in Malachi 4:5.

Jesus describes John as the greatest man ever born (v. 11); yet, comparatively speaking, the ‘least’ of those now in the kingdom of Christ is greater than John. Jesus’ words are an indication of the superiority of the new administration of God’s plan of salvation which has been inaugurated in his coming and in his teaching.

The reception that John received is also mirrored in the reception that Jesus himself has received. People are fickle; disappointed expectations lead to simplistic explanations. John’s lifestyle led to his being called a devil (v. 18); Jesus’ friendship with sinners became an occasion of accusation and mockery (v. 19). Yet the service of John has been highly valued by God.²

find this passage somewhat interesting and at the same time somewhat difficult. In it, Matthew tells us of an inquiry that came to Jesus from John the Baptist, an inquiry that raises all kinds of questions.

Matthew writes: Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities. And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (vv. 1–3). In the previous five chapters, we have examined Jesus’ selection of the Twelve Apostles and His words of instruction and warning prior to sending them on a trial mission. Matthew tells us the He then departed to teach and preach, and presumably the Twelve went in other directions doing the same (see Mark 6:12; Luke 9:6). It was during this time, when Jesus was without His closest followers, that John the Baptist sent two of his own disciples to ask Jesus a question. We are told that John “had heard in prison about the works of Christ.” Matthew does not explain whether these were the works Jesus did in this specific time or those He had been performing throughout His ministry. Notice, however, that Matthew did not say “the works of Jesus.” Rather, he spoke of “the works of Christ,” that is, the Messiah. Matthew had no doubt as to who Jesus was. However, John did. He wanted to know, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

Do you feel the pathos in that question? John was languishing in prison, and he seems to have developed some doubts that Jesus actually was the Messiah. It was not always so. When Jesus came to the Jordan River to be baptized, John saw Him coming and cried out confidently: “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29b). John understood that he was God’s appointed herald of the Messiah, and he did not hesitate to single out Jesus as that Messiah. This suggests to us that John had a God-given understanding of the identity of Jesus and of the significance of His mission.

However, we see throughout biblical history that when God gave His message to the prophets, the prophets did not always have a complete comprehension of the message that they had been commissioned to deliver. This lack of understanding seems to have been at work in John’s case. He identified Jesus as the Redeemer, but his understanding of the work of Jesus obviously was not complete, because he balked when Jesus presented Himself for baptism. If John had had a complete understanding of Jesus and what He was about, he would have been instantly willing to baptize Jesus, for He would have known that even though Jesus was sinless, He needed to obey the whole law of God. But John did not know this. He could not immediately see how it was appropriate for the sinless Lamb of God to undergo a ritual that involved cleansing.

This lack of understanding surfaced again when John was put in prison. He heard reports that Jesus was preaching, teaching, and healing people, but these activities somehow did not meet his expectations for what the Messiah was to do. Perhaps he thought along the same lines as most of the people of the nation—that the Messiah would be a mighty King who would get rid of the Romans and bring to pass a spiritual kingdom where God would reign, not Caesar. But Jesus was doing nothing of the sort. So, John wondered: “What’s going on out there? I thought the Lamb of God was going to bring the kingdom of God that I announced. If this is the kingdom of God, what am I doing here?”

Have you ever felt like that? I think we are all prone to ask, “If God is sovereign, why did he allow this to happen to me?” Once we grasp the truth that God is sovereign, we immediately begin to come up with all kinds of expectations as to what God will do. When He does not behave the way we expect Him to, we become a bit disillusioned. I wonder what Joseph was thinking when he was languishing in prison in Egypt. I have to think that Joseph wondered whether his prayers ever got beyond the ceiling. He had no idea what God would bring to pass in his future—that he would become the prime minister of the land. Likewise, Paul languished in house arrest in Rome. I would not be surprised to learn that he, too, wondered, “Where’s God?” This is a typical human weakness.

Because of that, I am not all that distressed about John the Baptist. He was bewildered. He had incorrect expectations. He could not figure out what was happening. But to his great credit, he did the right thing. He went to Jesus with His question. He went straight to the source, sending two of his disciples who had visited him in prison. He sent them to Jesus to ask whether He really was the long-expected Savior.

One of the great tragedies of human history is that the vast majority of the Jewish people at that time thought they had this question answered. They were quite sure Jesus was not the One who was to come, and so they were determined to wait for another. John writes, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11). Today, two thousand years later, Jews are still waiting for the Messiah. No one has yet met their expectations. They missed the One who did come.³

John the Baptist

John the Baptist, sometimes called John the Baptizer (e.g., Matt 3:6; Mark 1:5), was born around 4 bc, six months prior to the birth of his cousin, Jesus. His parents were the elderly Zechariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1:13, 36). Prior to his son’s birth, Zechariah was told by an angel the child was to be named John (Luke 1:13). The angel also declared the boy would be spirit-empowered and was to be raised in the Nazirite tradition (Num 6:3; Judg 13:2–5)—all of which were indications of the special role this child would serve in the plans of God (Luke 1:14–15). Further, the angel related that John would minister in the spirit of Elijah, serving as a prophet and a preacher, and preparing the people for God’s intervention in history (Luke 1:16–17; Mal 4:5).

The Gospels recount little of John’s childhood years (Luke 1:80), focusing primarily on his later ministries of preaching and baptism; his work made an enormous impression on people, attracting huge crowds (Matt 3:5–6; Mark 1:5; John 3:23). John preached a message of the judgment of God and the good news (Luke 3:18).

The Gospel of Matthew indicates that John wore unique clothing, consisting of a camel hair wrap secured by a leather belt around his waist. This is a significant detail. When clothing is mentioned in the Bible, it indicates an aspect of the person’s character or role. John’s attire speaks of his function as prophet and suggests his poor economic status (see Matt 3:4; 2 Kgs 1:8; Zech 13:4). He also lived on grasshoppers and wild honey, nourishment garnered from the wilderness environment in which he lived and preached (Matt 3:1–4).

While he grew up in the wilderness of Judaea, lived as an ascetic, and practiced immersion like the Essenes from Qumran, John likely had no association with the Dead Sea community. Unlike the Essenes’ baptism, John’s baptism was performed once as an initiation to prepare people for the coming Messiah.

According to Luke 3:1, John the Baptist began preaching in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar. Tiberius’ rule started in ad 14, suggesting John began in ad 28 or ad 29. John’s preaching focused on the expected near end of history accompanied by divine judgment. The imminent judgment was described as happening in the present (Matt 3:10; Luke 3:9), and the vivid imagery was intended to summon the Jewish people to a national movement of repentance. In light of the approaching judgment, John demanded that all people repent and receive baptism for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3). John did not consider racial privilege (being an Israelite) an exclusion from repentance and baptism (Matt 3:7–10). John’s baptism, “for the forgiveness of sins,” is slightly misleading (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; niv; tniv; nasb). It is unlikely John believed that his baptism produced forgiveness. If a person’s lifestyle was not repentant, the baptism would have no significance (Luke 3:8).

Many thought John to be the Messiah (Luke 3:15), but John predicted the coming of Jesus, whose status would make John pale in comparison (Matt 3:11–12; Mark 1:7–8; Luke 3:15–18; John 3:30). John prophesied about God’s imminent coming, preached about the need for repentance, and baptized—but the remedy for human sin required the coming of Jesus.

At one point in John’s ministry, Jesus comes to John to be baptized. John initially refuses (Matt 3:14) because Jesus clearly does not have any personal sin to be confessed. In His baptism, Jesus humbles Himself and identifies with sinners. Further, this one-time baptism marked the arrival of the era of God’s salvation.

While John closely associated himself with Jesus while in prison (Luke 7:18–23), he questions if Jesus is the expected “coming one.” This doubt is understandable since his imprisonment was likely not a part of his expectation of the fulfillment of God’s plan of salvation.

Jesus said John was greater than a prophet (Matt 11:7b–9; Luke 7:26). He also said that of all those born of women, there was none greater than John (Matt 11:11; Luke 7:28). In these statements, Jesus elevated John above the ot prophets without giving him messianic status.

John was ultimately beheaded for rebuking Herod Antipas for divorcing his wife and marrying Herodias, the wife of his brother, Philip (Matt 14:3–12; Mark 6:17–29; Luke 3:19–20). John’s conflict with the authorities and his death foreshadowed some of the elements Jesus would experience in His ministry.

In John’s role as prophet, the details of God’s plan of salvation can be seen. Jesus did not just appear; God sent a messenger to proclaim His arrival and preach about the role He would play in the divine plan of redemption (Luke 1:15–17).⁴

11:3–5 Are you the one who is to come? John is probably concerned because his present imprisonment does not match his understanding of the Coming One’s arrival, which was to bring blessing on those who repented and judgment on those who did not (see note on 3:11). Jesus’ ministry, however, is in line with prophetic promises about the time of salvation, as seen especially in these descriptions that recall the words of Isaiah: the blind receive sight (cf. 9:27–31; Isa. 29:18; 35:5), the lame walk (Isa. 35:6; cf. Matt. 15:30–31), lepers are cured (Isa. 53:4; cf. Matt. 8:1–4), the deaf hear (Isa. 29:18–19; 35:5; cf. Mark 7:32–37), the dead are raised (Isa. 26:18–19; cf. Matt. 10:8; Luke 7:11–17; John 11:1–44), and the good news is preached to the poor (Isa. 61:1; cf. Matt. 5:3; Luke 14:13, 21). Jesus’ deeds gave sufficient proof of who he was and that the prophesied time of salvation had come (“the year of the Lord’s favor”; Isa. 61:1; cf. Isa. 62:1).⁵

Note the truth Jesus

Healed the blind

lame people walked

deaf hear

dead are alive

Good news is preached

Salvation is here

Matthew 11:2 (NKJV)

Rejection of John the Baptist

Luke 7:19–30

² And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples

1 Augsburger, M. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Matthew (Vol. 24, p. 18). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

2 Campbell, I. D. (2008). Opening up Matthew (pp. 67–69). Leominster: Day One Publications.

3 Sproul, R. C. (2013). Matthew (pp. 334–335). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

4 Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

5 Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 1842). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

his disciples