Mat 11 | TNotes

Summary for Matt 11:2: 11:2–20:34 ^a This section highlights the two primary responses to Jesus: acceptance and rejection. The first section (11:2–12:50 ^b) features the rejection of Jesus by Jewish leaders while his disciples were learning to understand and accept him.
Summary for Matt 11:2-19: 11:2-19 ^c This section begins with John the Baptist’s doubt, but it ends by exalting his faith and ministry (11:7-19 ^d). The people’s rejection of John (11:16-19 ^e) foreshadows their later rejection of Jesus. 11:2 ^f John was arrested (4:12 ^g) by Herod Antipas because he had denounced Herod’s immoral relationship with Herodias, his half-brother’s wife (14:1-12 ^h).

• the things the Messiah was doing: These actions demonstrated that he is the Messiah (8:1–9:34 ⁱ).
11:5 ^j Jesus’ miracles of compassion inaugurated the Kingdom of God (12:28 ^k; see Isa 29:18-19 ^l; 35:5-6 ^m; 61:1 ⁿ). Jesus expected John to understand that he was fulfilling Old Testament expectations.
11:6 ^o who do not fall away because of me: The works listed in 11:5 ^p were intended to drive John and his disciples to a decision regarding Jesus. Jesus was aware, however, that certain unexpected elements of his ministry would cause some to reject him.
11:7 ^q a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind: An unstable person. The implied answer to Jesus’ rhetorical question is no.
11:11 ^r John the Baptist was the greatest person ever to have lived. Yet the least of Jesus’ followers are greater than John because they live in the new covenant of salvation through Christ (see 4:17 ^s).
11:12 ^t the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing: Or the Kingdom of Heaven has suffered from violence. These alternatives reflect either a positive or negative nuance of the Greek verb. In Luke 16:16 ^u, a different verb (“preached”) makes it a clearly positive statement.

• violent people are attacking it: This phrase may also have a positive or negative sense. If negative, it might refer to those who imprisoned John (see Matt 11:2 ^v; 14:1-12 ^w), and attacking might mean either that they were trying to attack the Kingdom but were unable to thwart God’s sovereign plans, or that they were attacking it by persecuting its members. In Luke 16:16 ^x this statement has the positive sense that they were “eager to get in” and were forcefully laying claim to the Kingdom through radical trust and obedience.
Summary for Matt 11:14-15: 11:14-15 ^y Elijah, the one the prophets said would come: John is the fulfillment of Old Testament expectations of Elijah’s return (17:10-13 ^z; see Mal 4:5 ^aa).
Summary for Matt 11:16-19: 11:16-19 ^ab John’s prophetic message is represented by funeral songs—he didn’t drink wine and he often fasted (11:18 ^ac; see 3:4 ^ad). Jesus’ message is seen in wedding songs and in feasts and drinks (see 9:9-17 ^ae). In both cases, this generation responds to God’s messenger with indifference and rejection.
Summary for Matt 11:18-19: 11:18-19 ^af Here Jesus describes the specific ways in which John and Jesus offended the present generation. John, who stayed in the wilderness and ate locusts and honey (3:1 ^ag, 4 ^ah), was accused of being possessed by a demon; while Jesus, who ate and drank freely, was accused of being a rebellious son (see Deut 21:18-21 ^ai).
Summary for Matt 11:20-24: 11:20-24 ^aj The miracles Jesus performed confirmed him as Messiah (11:5-6 ^ak) and demanded repentance (11:20 ^al). Rejecting the Messiah would result in terrible judgment because the evidence of Jesus’ identity was clear.
Summary for Matt 11:21-24: 11:21-24 ^am As Jesus moved through the villages of Galilee—from Korazin to Bethsaida to Capernaum—he gave the people a greater revelation of himself, with a correspondingly more severe judgment when they refused to listen. The severity is indicated by comparison with the pagan cities of Tyre (Isa 23 ^an; Ezek 26:1–28:19 ^ao), Sidon (Ezek 28:20-23 ^ap), and Sodom (Gen 18:22–19:29 ^aq).
11:23 ^ar the place of the dead: Greek Hades, which corresponds to the Hebrew term Sheol (see study note on Ps 6:5).
Summary for Matt 11:25-30: 11:25-30 ^as This passage focuses on the remnant who, despite the present generation’s overall rejection of the Messiah, willingly embrace him and follow his teachings. 11:25 ^at those who think themselves wise and clever: The Pharisees and teachers of religious law thought their access to God was guaranteed through their knowledge and practice of the law. Jesus’ disciples were more childlike (see 21:15-16 ^au).
11:27 ^av Jesus was revealing his intimate relationship to the Father. Everything he said and did was rooted in this Father–Son unity (see John 10:14-15 ^aw; 14:6-7 ^ax; 15:23-24 ^ay; 16:15 ^az; 17:25-26 ^ba).
11:28 ^bb The heavy burdens were likely caused by the legal requirements of the teachers of religious law and Pharisees (see 23:4 ^bc).

• rest: Spiritual refreshment in either a present or a future sense (cp. 1:21 ^bd; Heb 4:8-11 ^be).
Summary for Matt 11:29-30: 11:29-30 ^bf A yoke, which forms a harness between two animals, is a metaphor for the demands of discipleship. In contrast to the “yoke” of the religious leaders, Jesus’ yoke is easy and light, not because it is less demanding (see 7:13-14 ^bg), but because the power of the Messiah (by the Holy Spirit) makes it possible (see Acts 15:10 ^bh; 1 Jn 5:3 ^bi). The religious demands of Israel’s spiritual leaders (Matt 23:4 ^bj; Acts 15:10 ^bk) included 613 Old Testament commands and their expansion through tradition. Jesus urged those who were suffering from the burdens of the Pharisees’ stipulations to come to him (Matt 11:28 ^bl) in order to find the salvation their hearts desired. It is a call to salvation involving a life of obedience to Jesus’ new teachings. People are invited to enter a relationship with a humble and gentle teacher.