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    Matthew 11:2-24  Lesson 21​

    Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

    In this lesson:
     
    In Matthew 3:13-15, we saw John the Baptist give witness to the true identity of Jesus. 
    Now languishing in prison, John has a crisis of faith.
     
    In moments of doubt, remember Jesus' reply to John in 11:4-6.
     
    Also, God will judge us (11:24). ​

    Study Tip:
     
    Find the truth in each Bible passage.
    Ponder what that truth means to you.
    Determine how you can apply that truth into your life.
    Where was -
        
    Chorazin -
     A city located three miles north of Capernaum near the Sea of Galilee.  Jesus performed many miracles here yet few from Chorazin followed Him.  In Matthew 11:21 and Luke 10:13 we see Jesus scold the people of Chorazin for their lack of faith.  The ruins of an ancient synagogue were excavated here over a century ago.
     
    Bethsaida -
    A small town in Galilee located on the north-east shore of the Sea of Galilee six miles east of Capernaum and the hometown of three disciples, Peter, Philip, and Andrew (John 1:44).  Jesus visited Bethsaida often and performed many miracles there (Mark 8:22-25).  It was while teaching near Bethsaida that Jesus miraculously fed five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish (Matthew 14:15-21; Mark 6:35-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:5-13).  Lost for almost two thousand years, archaeologists located Bethsaida's ruins in 1987.  
     
    Tyre -
    A seaport city located on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea thirty-five miles north-west of The Sea of Galilee (forty-seven miles north of Caesarea and twenty miles south of Sidon) and populated mostly by Gentiles.  Tyre dates back to the twenty-eighth century B.C. and was called Tyrus in the Old Testament (Ezekiel 26:2).  Described as a beautiful city (Ezekiel 27:4), Tyre was well known for its cedar trees (1 Chronicles 22:4), dye works, glassware, weaving, and other manufactured
    goods.  Isaiah 23:8 tells us that Tyre was a "crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth."  Tyre supplied cedar wood, carpenters and masons to build the Temple in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:11; 1 Kings 5:2-10; 2 Chronicles 2:3).  The city also had a reputation for wickedness, it turned against Israel and sold Hebrews into slavery (Joel 3:6-8).  Tyre was destroyed by God in the Old Testament (Isaiah 23:1; Amos 1:9-10; Zechariah 9:3-4) but by Jesus' time the city had been rebuilt and boasted one of the busiest harbors in the eastern Mediterranean.  Ezekiel 27:3 describes Tyre as being "situate at the entry of the sea, a merchant of the people for many isles."  Shipping goods throughout the Roman empire made the city wealthy.  Today, Tyre is called Sur and inhabited by just a few thousand residents.  Tyre is mentioned extensively in Isaiah 23 and Ezekiel 26-28. 
     
    Sidon -
    Sometimes called Zidon.  Sidon was a seaport city (Ezekiel 27:8) located on the Mediterranean Sea twenty-five miles north of Tyre (south of modern-day Beirut, Lebanon) and a one day sail from Caesarea.  Mentioned in Joshua 11:8 and 19:28 as a great city, Sidon was inhabited by Gentiles who had a history of oppressing Jews (Judges 10:12).  In the Old Testament Sidon was destroyed by God due to its wickedness and pagan worship but by Jesus' day Sidon had recovered and was a thriving fishing town with prosperous glass and weaving shops and was famous for its art, commerce, and cedar trees (1 Kings 5:6 and 1 Chronicles 22:4).  Today, Sidon is home to about 10,000 people and boasts many ancient ruins.

    The Gospel According to St. Matthew

    The King James Bible    ​

    Matthew 11:2-24
    Jesus assures John the Baptist

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

    3And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
     
    4Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
     
    5The 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.
     
    6And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
     
    7And 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?
     
    8But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
     
    9But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
     
    10For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
     
    11Verily 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.
     
    12And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
     
    13For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
     
    14And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
     
    15He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
     
    16But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,
     
    17And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
     
    18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
     
    19The 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.
     
    20Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
     
    21Woe 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.
     
    22But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
     
    23And 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.
     
    24But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.     ​                        ​
    ​Margin notes: 
     
    "Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see." (11:4) - Jesus' miracles are proof that He is the Messiah (see verse 11:5).
     
    "A man clothed in soft raiment?" (11:8) - "A man dressed in nice clothes?"
     
    "Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee." (11:10) - This is a paraphrase from Malachi 3:1 which predicted the coming of John the Baptist 500 years earlier.
     
    "The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence." (11:12) - Bible scholars disagree over the meaning of this verse.  Many 
    believe it refers to the persecution John the Baptist, Jesus, and their followers suffered.  Others are convinced Jesus is talking about the damage done to the "Kingdom of Heaven" by the corrupt religious leaders of His day.  Some scholars feel Jesus is referring to a large number of believers pressing into heaven after hearing John the Baptist preach (    Luke 16:16).  Still others say the verse refers to the mistaken belief that the kingdom of heaven would arrive immediately after the violent collapse of the Roman empire and the chaos that followed. 
     
    "If ye will receive it, this is Elias." (11:14) - "If you can believe it, this is Elias."  John the Baptist was not literally Elias (Matthew 17:12-13).  Instead, John played the same role as Elias.  John prepared people for Jesus (Isaiah 40:3) just as Elias had prepared them for God (Luke 1:17).  
     
    "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." (11:15) - Jesus repeatedly asks us to listen to God's message and promises eternal life to those who do (Revelation 2:7; 2:11; 2:17; 2:29).
     
    "Calling unto their fellows." (11:16) - "Calling to their friends."
     
    "We have piped unto you." (11:17) - "We played music for you."
     
    "A winebibber." (11:19) - "A drunk."
     
    "Wisdom is justified of her children." (11:19) - "Wisdom is verified by the results."
     
    "Began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done." (11:20) - "He began to denounce the cities where most of His miracles were performed."
     
    "It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment." (11:22) - Jesus is confirming that there will be a judgment day.
    ​​

                                                  New Living Translation 
     

    Matthew 11:2-24         
     
    2 John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus,

    3 "Are you the Messiah we've been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?"
     
    4 Jesus told them, "Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen:

    5 the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.

    6 And tell him, 'God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.'"
     
    7 As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. "What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind?

    8 Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people with expensive clothes live in palaces.

    9 Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet.

    10 John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say,
     
    'Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you.'
     
    11 "I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!

    12 And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it.

    13 For before John came, all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time.

    14 And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophets said would come.

    15 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!
     
    16 "To what can I compare this generation? It is like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,
     
    17 'We played wedding songs,
          and you didn't dance,
       so we played funeral songs,
          and you didn't mourn.' 
     
    18 For John didn't spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, 'He's possessed by a demon.'

    19 The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, 'He's a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!' But wisdom is shown to be right by its results."
     
    Judgment for the Unbelievers
     
    20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn't repented of their sins and turned to God.

    21 "What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse.

    22 I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you.
     
    23 "And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today.

    ​24 I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you."     

    This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible.  However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
    Today's question:
     
     1. Are there varying degrees of punishment after death? (11:22)                                                                            

    As we study together, let me know your thoughts and opinions.  ​

    Answer:  (Do you agree?) ​
    ​
    1. Verse 11:22 does seem to indicate that there will be different degrees of punishment meted out on Judgment day.  Some sins may well lead to harsher penalties and sinners who know the Bible but ignore it may incur more of God's wrath than people who are ignorant of His word (Luke 12:47-48). 
    Application thought for the day:
     
    Greatness is achieved by believing in God, not by worldly accomplishments.     ​
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    Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; "The Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies"; "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible."  All were critical in putting these lesson together.
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