Matthew 11 verses 1 to 6
In verse 2 the John referred to is John the Baptist. What was going on in the hearts and minds of John the Baptist? At this particular time Jesus asked his disciples once “whom do men say that I am?” They replied “some say you are a prophet, a great teacher, a prophet of old.” So many different ideas were brought back from the market place and streets, from the common man in the city. Then Jesus said “whom do you say that I am?” That narrows it down. That is the most important question. It doesn’t matter what someone else thinks of the Lord Jesus Christ. I want us to think of what John the Baptist thought. He sent 2 of his disciples to ask Jesus that very question. John is in prison not for any wrong he has committed. John here is in prison because he is guilty of disturbing the peace of Herod. Herod was living in a wrong relationship with his sister-in-law. John was like a thorn in the flesh. Herod wouldn’t let him off with it. John kept saying to him “this relationship is not right” so much so that Herod had him arrested and thrown into prison because he disturbed the peace.
First thing to note is the interest John had. John is lying in a prison cell not sitting in a comfortable pew. He has been arrested, cut off from family and friends and community at large. Cast into prison for one reason only – preaching the word of God. Herod didn’t like it at the time, had him arrested and put in prison. As a result there was something stirring in John’s heart. “when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ”. Was he thinking of the day when the prison door would be opened and he would be released? How many visitors did he have on that particular day? What conversation did people bring to him? There is only one thing on his mind. It was this – he heard about the works of Jesus. That is picture of the type of person that is on their way to God’s salvation. They begin to hear about Jesus and his mighty work. Their heart begins to be stirred. Did that ever happen to you? Did God ever stir your heart? When you began to hear about Christ and his mighty works, how one day he looked on sin cursed world, took the best ever had to offer in the form of a little baby, watched over him growing up going on the way to the cross of Calvary. Watched him beaten, tortured until his skin was peeled of his back and face. Watched him as took him to Calvary, nailed to a wooden cross, lifted up onto the cross and put down into the ground, darkness flooded the world for 3 hours as God turned his back on him. What a time that was when he cried out “my God my God why hast thou forsaken me?” He was forsaken of his father. Is your heart ever stirred that he would do that for you? That he loved us with an everlasting love and he would do that for us? Have you ever felt that stirring in your heart? Remember Rahab the harlot. She had a tavern in the city of Jericho. A place where people frequented. She heard of a nation of people. Heard they had been delivered from the land of Egypt. Preserved and fed of God through wilderness. God would bring them across the river to her city. She followed these accounts. Rahab said “as soon as we heard of those things our hearts did melt within us.” God was beginning to work in the hearts of these people. Acts 16 Lydia was selling her goods in the city of Philippi. There was a little prayer meeting going on in Philippi. Not a flourishing church but rather it met by the river side. Lydia makes her way there. She is sitting amongst the woman folk. Apostle Paul stands up and brings the word of God to them. Something begins to happen in Lydia. She knew what it was to have the scriptures read and expounded. There she was listening intently. As she listened the God of heaven reached down and opened up her heart. She was gloriously saved that day. Have you ever had that experience? There is also a counterfeit experience that the devil can give you. John wanted to know with assurance. The interest John had. Have you any interest in the Saviour? In the one called Saviour? He came to seek and to save you.
The inquiry he made. The interest deepens into an inquiry. Verse 2 “art thou he that should come or do we look for another?” Interest deepened into enquiry. Confusion maybe has set into his life. God had gave him the prophecy that he would be the one to go before the Messiah. Sometimes God does that. The interest goes into inquiry. Have you an interest tonight? That is the query. Have you got that interest in the things of God? The Philippian jailer cried out to Paul and Silas “what must I do to be saved?” He was interested in getting saved. He could hear them singing praise to God of heaven. He realised they had something he hadn’t got. He rushes in after the earthquake trembling. “What must I do to be saved?” From the depths of his soul that came. Was there a time when you had an inquiry? Sometimes we make the mistake because we have attended church that is it, that we belong to that people. That is it. I am ready for heaven. I believe in God, in the Lord Jesus Christ, that he died on the cross. Can believe but not receive it. John the Baptist asked “are you the one or do we look for another?” Have you ever made this inquiry in the stillness of your heart? “I have always believed in the Saviour a deacon said to his minster one day. The minster asked him “are you saved, do you believe in the cross of Calvary and Christ’s atoning blood?” “Yes” the deacon said “I believe all that. The minister said “so did I 10 years before I was saved, before I put my trust in him I believed all that.” It is possible to believe all that and yet not be saved. We need to be careful, looking to him and not another, not putting a substitute in their hearts. The inquiry. Hebrews 2 verse 3 “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” When you set aside God’s salvation, don’t have to spurn it, condemn it, criticise it, all you have to do is neglect it, forget about it. Remember how the angels came on one particular evening to the shepherds on the mountainside. The chorus was all about the Saviour born in Bethlehem. Remember what the shepherds did when the heavenly host was gone back into heaven – began to consider the message heard. What will we do? Let’s go down into Bethlehem, find out if these things are so as the angels spoke of. Maybe that is where you are. Is God softening your heart? Are you longing to know the way to get saved?
The instruction that was given. Jesus answered the inquiry in verse 4 “tell John all of that, go back and show him.” It would be easy to show supernatural miracles, something that would have proved beyond shadow of doubt that he was Messiah. You tell John what you see happening. “I have come that the blind have received their sight, the lame are walking, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” Isaiah 61 verse 1. Luke 4 verse 18. “The Holy Spirit is come upon me he has sent me to do all things that are recorded.” Here John was sent message and that would have taken him back into word of God. We cannot look any where else, not to the communion table, good deeds we do, just the word of God. There we find Gods salvation. Pharisees asked for a sign. Jesus told them the only sign he would give them was of Jonah. He was swallowed by a whale for 3 days and 3 nights – a sign of the Lord. He was crucified, buried in tomb for 3 days and 3 nights, raised to life again. You and I have sinned and come short of the glory of God. On the cross he dealt with my sin. If I want to be saved I have to turn away from my sin, come to Christ by faith. This is able to make us wise onto salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This book will take me to the foot of the rugged cross and there I will place my trust in him. Don’t settle for anything less. Wouldn’t it be awful to go through life with anything less thinking you are on way to heaven and home only to be turned away at the last fleeting breath.
The implication that was intended. When you take this to John weigh it up. There is enough here to bring him to that conclusion – this is the Messiah. John’s question answered “this is the Son of God.” Apostle Paul reasoned in the synagogue on the Sabbath day – Acts 17 verse 13. Paul is opening up and alleging Christ is the son of God. He is going back in the Old Testament scripture picking it one on another so there is no doubt that they know who Jesus is. Think of the poor man in Luke 16 who made an awful fatal final mistake. He was sitting at the gate of a rich man who fared well every day. He had food on his table but one day the rich man was taken out. He lifted up his eyes in hell. He had discussion about beggar man that laid at his gates in life. He asked for Lazarus to come and dip his finger on his tongue. It couldn’t be done. The rich man began to pray for his brothers “send Lazarus to home of my brothers lest come into this particular place.” An hour before he never thought anything of this place yet now he sees the reality. He is told they have Moses and the prophets if didn’t believe them how will they believe if someone came back from the dead? They had the word of God. If you are lost cannot blame anyone but yourself. All you need is the word of God – you don’t have to believe one word said tonight. Read this word of God, read and ponder it. Show you were you need to come. Jeremiah 31 verse 33 “I have loved thee with an everlasting love.“
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