Mateus 11
Bob Utley · Citado em PreceptAustin
Mateus 11
Utley comments that "This chapter has often been described as unrelated stories, but the unifying factor seems to be the answer to the question, “Why was Jesus’ ministry not more outwardly successful? John the Baptist is a central character in this chapter (cf. Jn. 1:6–8, 19–36). He was the last of the Old Testament prophets. Isaiah lists several actions by which the Jews could recognize the Messiah. These are the very actions of Jesus recorded in chapters 8 and 9.” In Matthew 11 we find that Jesus begins to experience opposition, that those to whom He came did not receive Him (Jn 1:9-11), that the Pharisees and religious leaders began accusations against Him, that His own family members begin to turn against Him as His teaching became more controversial leading to increasing challenges to His authority. Jesus was not beginning to be seen as a threat to the established religious culture of the day. He was not the type of Messiah Israel was expecting, One Who would defeat the Romans and establish His kingdom on the throne of David and restore Israel to its former glory as the head of the nations. And so many in Israel were disappointed and downcast as a result of the crucifixion. This national attitude was summed up by Cleopas on the road to Emmaus when he said to the resurrected Jesus ("their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him" Lk 24:16+) "But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened." (Lk 24:21+) Think of the disappointment they were now experiencing as were many in Israel. 🙏 THOUGHT - Have you ever been disappointed with Jesus? Did you ever approach Him with a set of expectations, and find that He did not fulfill them? Have you ever felt as if Jesus had let you down? The two disciples on the road to Emmaus felt that way and Jesus rebuked them "And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures." (Lk 24:25-27) After their eyes were opened they said "They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” (Lk 24:32) Like most of the Jews they had not believed the Old Testament Scriptures that had clearly predicted a Suffering Messiah, but their disappointment had been turned to joy by the truth about Jesus and the glorious hope that was yet to be fulfilled in the future. In this next section we will see the great man John the Baptist languishing in prison probably wondering why Messiah had not come to his rescue. So for whatever reason, John began to experience some doubts, something I'm sure we can all identify with. We should not be surprised that most of Israel missed who Jesus really was, for this had been clearly prophesied by Isaiah (740-680 B.C) Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. (Isaiah 53:1-3+) Comment - No one should have expected the Messiah to be well-received by His own people at His first coming (Jn 1:9-11+). The Scriptures did not promise He would be well-received the first time and to the contrary promised the very opposite! Interestingly, He will not be "well-received" the Second Coming as He returns as the Stone that crushes all Gentile opposition (Da 2:34. 35+, Da 2:45+, Rev 19:11-15, 16+). He will then establish His Millennial Kingdom and will finally be "well-received!" At that time He will finally fulfill all of the expectations that the Jews had in the first century, but not until then! (NAS omits Greek included in KJV = "And it came to pass" - kai egeneto) When (hote) Jesus (2424) Iesous) had finished (teleo) giving instructions (diatasso - present tense) to His twelve disciples (mathetes) - Some see this as another turning point in the Gospel as seen in Mt 7:28; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1 (NB: Each of preceding verses has verb "finish" = teleo). Giving instructions means Jesus had just given detailed instruction about what was to be done. This is probably not the best chapter division as verse 1 really concludes chapter 10. In Matthew 10:1 we read that "Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness." And then after the 12 are named (Mt 10:2-4 - note apparently Judas Iscariot was able to heal as were the other 11 cf Mt 7:22+), Jesus gives them the real "Jesus Seminar for Disciples" (contrast the heretical "Jesus Seminar") in Matthew 10:5-41 and now again mentions the twelve disciples. So apparently the twelve went out to minister as instructed. Neither Jesus’ sending the disciples nor their return are mentioned.
Mateus 11
Utley - Repentance is a turning from sin and self, the negative aspect of salvation, while faith is a turning to God in Christ, the positive aspect of salvation (cf. Mark 1:15; Acts 3:16, 19; 20:21). By combining the meanings of the Greek and Hebrew words, the meaning of repentance is a change of mind followed by a change of action. Repentance is more than feelings (cf. 2 Cor. 7:8–11). It must result in a lifestyle change. See complete note at 4:17. Repentance is aptly depicted by the military command "About, face!" The repentant person in effect turns around 180 degrees and goes the other direction. And keep in mind that the spiritual dynamics of true repentance are enabled by the Holy Spirit (cf Acts 5:31+, Acts 11:18+, 2 Ti 2:25+). In other words repentance is a work of grace and not merely a human effort, although it does require the repentant individual to make a volitional choice. Repentance then involves the mysterious interaction of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. Further, this change of mind may, especially in the case of Christians who have fallen into sin, be preceded by sorrow (2 Cor 7:8, 9, 10, 11); but sorrow for sin, though it may cause repentance, is not repentance. Darrell Bock writes "the point is that repentance involves a reorientation of perspective, a fresh point of view. When dealing with God's plan, it means to see that plan in a new way and to orient oneself to it. Luke demonstrates the fruit of repentance expresses itself concretely (Lk 3:10-14+). Repentance expresses itself in life, especially in how one treats others." (Gulp!) There can be no genuine conversion without genuine repentance. Wayne Detzler - Borrow NT Words in Today's Language page 382 - The three words “turn,” “repentance,” and “conversion” all share a basic meaning in Greek. They all speak of a complete change in life or thought. Several Greek words relate to these concepts, and we shall consider two of them. The first word is epistrepho, which means to turn oneself around. This may be a turning of the body, or it may refer to changing one’s thoughts or attitudes. Very early in the history of Greek literature, this word came to mean turning one’s thoughts to God or to piety. It is found 1,050 times in the Septuagint Greek Old Testament, and many times it spoke of Israel returning to Jehovah. The second word is metanoia, which literally means “a change in mind.” This term is almost absent from ancient classical Greek. It really gained its content from the New Testament. Contained in this concept are the ideas of remorse and regret for wrongdoing. When the Septuagint Greek Old Testament was translated, this word was used to depict the prophets’ preaching about repentance. In illustrating this concept, we shall first look at the meaning of repentance. Samuel Davies said: “The question is not, “Shall I repent?’ for that is beyond doubt. But the question is, ‘Shall I repent now, when it may save me? Or shall I put it off to the eternal world, when my repentance will be my punishment?’ ” A ministerial colleague in Britain is Leith Samuel. He commented on repentance: “Our Lord has laid down emphatically that a man must repent of his sins, and particularly of his critical and independent attitude toward God, or he cannot begin to live the Christian life.” Neoorthodox theologian Emil Brunner (1889–1966) described repentance: “Repentance is despair of self, despairing of self-help in removing the guilt that we have brought upon us. Repentance means a radical turning away from self-reliance to trust in God alone. To repent means to recognize self-trust to be the heart of sin.” George Whitefield (1714–70) was famous for revival preaching on both sides of the Atlantic. On the subject of repentance he said: “Let a man go to the grammar school of faith and repentance before he goes to the university of election and predestination.” Arising clearly out of repentance is conversion, about which Ralph Turnbull said: “Since the will to war is latent in human nature, only a conversion based on spiritual renewal can lead men to a new concept of living.” An anonymous writer put the essence of conversion in this sentence: “When I recognized the Master as my Guide, He steered me across a threshold into unventured expanses, all charted, as I discovered, in His Word.” One of the lesser lights in Puritanism was William Secker, but his statement on conversion is excellent: “When the wheels of a clock move within, the hands on the dial will move without. When the heart of a man is sound in conversion, then the life will be fair in profession.” Another Puritan, George Swinnock, warned against delay in being converted: “All the while thou delayest, God is more provoked, the wicked one more encouraged, thy heart more hardened, thy debts more increased, thy soul more endangered, and all the difficulties of conversion daily more and more multiplied upon thee, having a day more to repent of, and a day less to repent in.” Yet another injunction to conversion was issued by the Puritan William Guthrie, who said: “The Bible, which ranges over a period of 4,000 years, records but one instance of a deathbed conversion—one that none may despair, and but one that none may presume.… There be few at all saved.… and fewest saved this way.” Miracles (1411) dunamis from dunamai = to be able, to have power) power especially achieving power. It refers to intrinsic power or inherent ability, the power or ability to carry out some function, the potential for functioning in some way (power, might, strength, ability, capability), the power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature. Dunamis is the implied ability or capacity to perform. It conveys the idea of effective, productive energy, rather than that which is raw and unbridled. Dunamis (Click here for all the NT verses that use dunamis) is a key word in the NT being found in 115 verses in the NAS most often in the Gospels and especially by Dr. Luke and in the Revelation translated variously as: ability, 4; meaning, 1; mightily, 1; mighty, 1; miracle, 2; miracles, 17; miraculous powers, 3; power, 83; powers, 6; strength, 2; wealth, 1. A U-Turn Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. MATTHEW 11:20 The forecast in the newspaper said the high for the day was supposed to be fifty-three degrees. I left for the two-mile walk to work at 10 a.m. About a block from home, I realized it was colder than I thought it would be, and I probably needed a hat to compliment my jacket and gloves. But I was moving at a fast pace, headed toward a goal, and I didn’t want to stop and turn around. As I walked further, covering my cold ears with my gloved hands, I thought about how often I get the idea that something needs to be done a certain way. I will feel the Spirit nudge me to let it go, look at it from a different perspective and lighten up, but I am at a fast-moving pace toward my goal. Therefore, I often end up plowing into the situation like a bull into a china closet. By the time I am finished apologizing and cleaning up the mess, I realize that it would have been better to turn around and go back to a different way of thinking or acting. To say “I’m sorry; I was wrong” is hard. It is also freeing because if I can admit to choosing wrongly, then I can choose to do it right the next time. In today’s verse, the Greek word for repent means “to change one’s mind.” Some people feel it is a sign of weakness to say they were wrong. In reality, the ability to stop, admit a mistake and go a different direction is a sign of strength. QUESTION - What is the definition of a miracle? | GotQuestions.org ANSWER - The biblical definition of a miracle would be something like this: “an event that involves the direct and powerful action of God, transcending the ordinary laws of nature and defying common expectations of behavior.” Miracles are extraordinary occurrences that can only be attributed to the supernatural work of God and demonstrate His involvement in human history. God employs miracles in the Bible to reveal Himself, His character, and His purposes to humans through phenomena that are not otherwise explainable (Exodus 3:1–6). Miracles provide evidence of God’s presence and power in the world and demonstrate His authority on behalf of His servants. A miracle may be performed directly by God or through a human agent. Other words used to describe miracles in the Bible are signs and wonders (typically used together), powers, and mighty works. One of the greatest miracles is God’s creation of the world and everything in it (Genesis 1:1—3:24). Equally astounding is the miracle of the Incarnation—that the eternal Son of God took on human flesh (John 1:14; Philippians 2:7) and then, through the stunning miracle of the resurrection, overcame death and the powers of hell so that believers in Him might gain eternal life (Romans 4:24–25; 10:9; Hebrews 2:14; Revelation 1:18). The Bible reveals several different forms of miracles. The Old Testament records unusual celestial events, as in the time the Lord caused the sun and moon to stand still to aid Joshua’s army at Gibeon in their victory over the Amorite kings (Joshua 10:9–15). Several instances of God’s divine control over nature—as in the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21–22) and the crossing of the Jordan River (Joshua 3:14–17)—are displayed in the Old Testament. God can miraculously cause animals and inanimate objects to act in astonishing ways (Numbers 22:22–35; 2 Kings 6:5–7). Miracles of instantaneous healing, such as when Naaman is cured of leprosy (2 Kings 5:14) or when Jesus heals two blind men (Matthew 9:27–31), appear in both the Old and New Testament. Miracles in the New Testament are performed through human intermediaries such as the apostles, but most significantly through Jesus Christ. In all four Gospels, miracles play a critical role in Jesus’ ministry (Mark 1:32–34; 3:7–10). Jesus performs miracles of healing (John 4:46–53), provision of food (Mark 6:30–44), and control over nature (Matthew 14:32–33). New Testament miracles consistently display God’s power and either confirm or demonstrate the message of salvation in Jesus Christ (John 11:38–46). The Gospels record about 37 miracles of Jesus, although the apostle John stresses that these only scratch the surface of all that our Savior did (John 21:25). The miracles recorded in the Bible served several functions. Some miracles validated God’s superiority over false gods (1 Kings 18:20–40), while others validated God’s message (Isaiah 38:7–8); others brought punishment, in addition to fulfilling some of the other functions, as in the wonders performed before Pharaoh (Exodus 7:1—11:10). God’s miracles of provision met human needs, supplying manna to eat in the wilderness (Exodus 16:11–21) and feeding the hungry crowds (Matthew 15:32–39). Miracles of communication conveyed important messages from God (Daniel 5:1–12). Miracles of judgment brought punishment and correction (Exodus 32:35; 1 Samuel 5:6–12). Miracles of exorcism set people free from demonic control and spread the good news of Jesus (Luke 4:31–37). Miracles of resurrection demonstrated God’s sovereignty and almighty power (1 Kings 17:17–24; Luke 7:11–17). In summary, a miracle is a divine work of God that transcends human understanding and inspires wonder, displays the greatness of God, and causes people to recognize that God is active in the world. Related Resources: What were the miracles of Jesus? J R Miller - Warning and Invitation Matthew 11:20-30 "Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent." Matthew 11:20 It seems strange to hear Jesus upbraiding. His words usually were most gracious and loving. Here, however, we hear Him speaking in tones of sharpness and severity. Yet the phase of His character which is now revealed is not inconsistent with other representations of Him in the Gospels. We must not think of Jesus as having no capacity for anger. He was all love—but love can be severe, even dreadful. While He was a friend of sinners and went to His cross to redeem the ungodly—yet He hated sin. He was just and holy. We should notice carefully, however, the reason for this upbraiding. It fell upon the cities in which Jesus had done most of His mighty works. These were not His first words to the people of these cities. There had been long months of loving ministry, with miracles of mercy, with words of grace, revealings of the Father-heart of God, and offers of eternal life—before He spoke the words of chiding we now hear Him speak. But the people of these favored cities had been unaffected by all this love. They had gone on in their sins, unrepentant. They had accepted Christ's gifts of love—but had not accepted Him as their Lord. They had taken His help, His kindness, the things He had done for them so lavishly—but they had rejected Him. The upbraiding of these cities was because after all that he had done for them, after all their spiritual opportunities and privileges, they had rejected Jesus. It was not impatience on His part that made Him severe. He had not grown weary loving, even without return. But the fact that the cities had received so much Divine favor, made their sin in rejecting Christ far greater. Tyre and Sidon, great commercial cities which had been denounced by the prophets for their sins, would have repented, Jesus said—if such Divine blessings as had been shown to Chorazin and Bethsaida had been given to them. Sodom was the great historical example of wickedness in the history of the world, and its destruction was a notable instance of judgment. But even Sodom would have repented, if it had received such calls and had enjoyed such privileges as had Capernaum. And Sodom's judgment would be more tolerable than that of Capernaum. There is something startling in what Jesus says here about the doom of these Galilean cities, and the reason for it. They had had high privileges, and had disregarded them. What then about the places in our own day which have had exceptional privileges and have not improved them? What about those who have been brought up in Christian homes, amid the most gracious influences, who have seen Christ continually and have known the beautiful things of His love from infancy—and after all have kept their hearts closed upon Him, refusing His love! The question with which we are really personally concerned is not with Chorazin or Capernaum, but ourselves, our privileges and what we are doing with them. "More tolerable." So we would better have been born and brought up in some heathen land, never hearing of Christ—than to have had the highest Christian privileges, and then to have turned our back on the Savior of men. We may perish with Christ at our door. Christian privileges will not save us. The question after all is, "What are you doing with Christ?" The other part of our passage is in a different tone. Here we find mercy again in its most gracious mood. The invitation in the closing verses is better understood when we have studied the great words that precede it. "All things have been committed to me by my Father," said Jesus. All things had been put into His hands, all power, all mercy, all gifts, all life. This ought to be a great comfort to us, amid this world's mysteries and perplexities, when there are things which threaten to destroy us. It is Jesus Christ, the Christ of the gospel, in whose nail-marked hands are all our affairs. There can be no revealing of the Father, except as Jesus Christ wills to reveal Him. It is very important then to learn how He dispenses the revelation which is in His hand exclusively. Will He impart it only to a few great saints, to a little company of wise men, to certain rare spirits? The answer is in the gracious invitation which follows, "Come unto Me, all who that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Yet there is a distinct class of people to whom the gracious invitation is especially given, "all who that labor and are heavy laden." This does not mean the rich, the noble of birth, the high of rank, the wise the great among men. It includes the lowly, the oppressed, the over burdened, the weary, those who are in distress. Need is the only condition. There is no one anywhere who desires the blessings of love, of mercy, of grace, to whom this wonderful invitation is not given and who may not claim it and accept it with all confidence. Perhaps no other of Christ's words has given comfort to more people, than this promise ofrest. It meets every heart's deepest longing. What is this rest? It is not cessation from work.Work is part of the constitution of human life. It is necessary to health, to happiness, even to existence. God works. "My Father works," said Jesus, "and I work" (see John 5:17). There is a curse on idleness. It is rest of soul that Jesus promises. The life is at unrest. It is all jangled and can have no rest until it is brought into harmony. Sin is the cause of this universal human unrest, and restcan come only when forgiveness has come. And this is the first rest that is promised. Everyone who comes to Christ is forgiven. There are two rests promised. "I will give you rest." This rest comes at once. Every weary one who comes to Christ in penitence and with repentance—is forgiven, reconciled and restored to Divine favor. Then there is a rest which comes later and only through self-discipline and patient learning. "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me… and you shall find rest." To take Christ's yoke on us is to take Him as our Master, to let Him rule our life. The thought of a yoke is suggestive of bondage and humiliation. But the yoke of Christ is nothing galling or dishonoring in it. "My yoke is easy," He says. He is a gentle taskmaster. He requires entire submission to His will. He will not share our subjection with any other master. We must take His yoke upon us willingly, cheerfully, without reserve. But His commandments are not grievous, His burden is light. Then we will find honor and blessing in it. A yoke implies two united, serving together, walking side by side under the same load. It is Christ's yoke we are to bear, which means that He shares it with us. His shoulder is under every load of ours. If we have a sorrow—it is His, too. In all our afflictions—He is afflicted. Thus it becomes a joy to take Christ's yoke. When He is our Master, we are free from all other masters. In bearing His yoke, we will find rest unto our souls. Our lives under His sway will be at peace. Another step in finding rest is to enter Christ's school. "Learn of Me," said the Master. We are only beginners when we first become Christians. A good man said, 'It takes a long time to learn to be kind—it takes a whole lifetime." He was right—it does take as many years as one lives, to learn the one little lesson of kindness. Paul said, and said it when he was well on in life, "I have learned in whatever state I am, therewith to be content" (Phil. 4:11). We would suppose that such a wonderful man as Paul was, did not have to learn the lesson of contentment. We can scarcely think of him as ever fretting about his condition and circumstances. But evidently he did, and it was a long, difficult lesson for him to learn to be content anywhere, in any and every experience. Even Jesus Himself had to learn life's lessons. In the Epistle to the Hebrews it is said that He learned obedience by the things that He suffered (see Hebrews 5:7, 8). All of Christian life is a school. We enter it when we first come to Christ. We begin at the lowest grade. We do not have to wait until we know a great deal before we begin to attend school. School is not for finished scholars—but for the most ignorant. We may come to Christ when we know almost nothing. He is a teacher and He wants us to become learners. Gentleness is a lesson which we are to learn. One young girl said, "I never can get over being jealous. I cannot bear to have my friends love anybody else. I want them to love only me." But she must learn the lesson of generosity in friendship. She must learn to want her friends to love others. It probably will take her a good while, the lesson will be a long one—but she must learn it because it is in Christ's curriculum for all His students, and no one can get His certificate of graduation without learning it. Patience is a lesson that has to be learned. An impatient person is not a complete Christian.Thoughtfulness is another necessary lesson. There are a great many thoughtless Christians. The poet tells us that evil is wrought by lack of thought—as well as lack of heart. Many people are always blundering in their relationship and fellowship with others. They say the wrong word, they do the wrong thing. They leave undone the things they ought to have done. They are always hurting other people's feelings, giving pain to gentle hearts. Yet it is all from thoughtlessness. "I didn't mean to offend him. I didn't mean to be unkind. I just never thought." There are few lessons in Christian life that more people need to learn than this of thoughtfulness. We have to learn to trust. Worry is a sin. It is probably as great a sin as dishonesty or profanity or bad temper. Yet a good many Christian people worry at first, and one of the most important lessons in Christ's school, is to learn not to worry. Joy is a lesson to be learned. Peace is another. Humility is another. Praise is a great lesson. All of life is a school, and it is in learning these lessons—that Jesus says we shall find rest for your souls. Christ Himself is our teacher, and with Him we should never fail to learn, though it be only slowly. Then as we learn, our lives will grow continually more and more into quietness, peace and Christlikeness. All our questions will be in the faith that accepts God's will as holy and good—even when it is hardest. Matthew 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. BGT Matthew 11:21 οὐαί σοι, Χοραζίν, οὐαί σοι, Βηθσαϊδά· ὅτι εἰ ἐν Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι ἐγένοντο αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν ὑμῖν, πάλαι ἂν ἐν σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ μετενόησαν. KJV Matthew 11:21 Woe 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. NET Matthew 11:21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. CSB Matthew 11:21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes long ago! ESV Matthew 11:21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. NIV Matthew 11:21 "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. NLT Matthew 11:21 "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. NRS Matthew 11:21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. NJB Matthew 11:21 'Alas for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. NAB Matthew 11:21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. YLT Matthew 11:21 'Woe to thee, Chorazin! woe to thee, Bethsaida! because, if in Tyre and Sidon had been done the mighty works that were done in you, long ago in sackcloth and ashes they had reformed; GWN Matthew 11:21 "How horrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How horrible it will be for you, Bethsaida! If the miracles worked in you had been worked in Tyre and Sidon, they would have changed the way they thought and acted long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Woe - Mt 18:7 23:13-29 26:24 Jer 13:27 Lu 11:42-52 Jude 1:11 Bethsaida - Mk 6:45 8:22 Lu 9:10 Joh 1:44 12:21 for - Mt 12:41-42 Eze 3:6,7 Ac 13:44-48 28:25-28 repented - Job 42:6 Joh 3:5-10 Classic Sermon by Vance Havner A Judgement is Coming Matthew 11 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 12:41-42+ “The men of Nineveh shall stand up with this generation at the judgment (Rev 20:11-15+), and shall condemn it because (term of explanation) they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 “The Queen of the South shall rise up with this generation at the judgment and shall condemn it, because (term of explanation) she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. Hebrews 10:26-27+ For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. Luke 10:13-15+ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented (metanoeo) long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 “But it will be more tolerable (anektoteros) for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment, than for you. 15 “And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades! John 20:30-31+ (NO ACCOUNT OF MIRACLES IN CHORAZIN BUT THIS VERSE CLARIFIES) Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His Name. Chorazin (Korazin) and Bethsaida (Article) Ruins of Chorazin LIGHT REJECTED WAS SUFFICIENT TO SAVE Woe (ouai) to you, Chorazin! Woe (ouai) to you, Bethsaida! For (hoti - term of explanation) if the miracles (dunamis) had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented (metanoeo) long ago in sackcloth and ashes (see note). Woe is the antithesis of blessing offered to those in Mt 11:6 who do not stumble over Jesus! Woe is more like No miracles are mentioned in the Bible in Chorazin, but clearly miracles occurred because Jesus stated that they did. Regarding Bethsaida there is an account of the blind man who was healed (Mk 8:22–26) and Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Philip were from Bethsaida! God Who knows all things (See Wayne Grudem's note on this topic), knew Tyre and Sidon would have repented had they seen the miracles Jesus performed! Note that Jesus' comparison to Tyre and Sidon shows His willingness to forgive even the most sinful people if they truly repent. Like Chorazin, people today who hear the Gospel and witness God’s work in their lives are called to respond in faith. Chorazin today is fertile ground, has an excellent location, but has no people. The site is abandoned as are the other two towns, Bethsaida and Capernaum, where Matthew said Jesus performed most of His miracles. Indifference is a terrible form of unbelief. It so totally ignores God that He is not even considered worth arguing about. -- John MacArthur William
Mateus 11
Utley - The phrase found in verse 23 related this to Isa. 14:13–15 and Ezek. 28:12–16. In these verses the pride of the Kings of Babylon and Tyre were used as examples of the pride of Satan. “IF” is a SECOND CLASS CONDITIONAL SENTENCE which is called “contrary to fact.” This should then be translated, “If the miracles had occurred in Sodom, which occurred in you (but they did not), then it would have remained to this day, (which it did not).” NET Note - The allusion to Sodom, the most wicked of OT cities from Gen 19:1–29, shows that to reject the current message is even more serious than the worst sins of the old era and will result in more severe punishment. Adrian Rogers - Now the sin of sodomy is unspeakably immoral; but there is a greater sin than the sin of sodomy, and it is to sin against the light, to refuse the light, because the Holy Spirit is the One that brings light. And when you wound Him, when you misuse Him, when you abuse Him, when you blaspheme Him, then there’s no more light. And no more light means that you can’t be saved. You see, you need more than sight; you need light! Again, I want to tell you, men are not going to be judged primarily by the sin they’ve committed, but by the light that they have rejected. Those foul sinners of the accursed Sodom, had they beheld the miracles of Christ, would have so forsaken their sins that their city would have been spared. C H Spurgeon Commentary - The warning to Capernaum is, if possible, still more emphatic, for Sodom was actually destroyed by fire from heaven. Capernaum, his own city, the head-quarters of the army of salvation, had seen and heard the Son of God: he had done in it that which even Sodomites would have felt; and yet it remained unmoved. Those foul sinners of the accursed Sodom, had they beheld the miracles of Christ, would have so forsaken their sins that their city would have been spared. Jesus knew that it would have been so; and therefore he mourned to see Capernaum remain as hardened as ever. Because of this rejection of special privilege, the city which had been exalted unto heaven would be brought as low in punishment as it had been raised high in privilege. May none of our favored English race perish in the same condemnation! Alas, how much we fear that millions of them will do so! Hades (86) hades is the transliteration of the Greek word Hades (from a = negative + eido = to see) literally means "not seen" or "unseen". As noted the understanding of Hades is somewhat confusing, as it changes meaning somewhat from as one moves from the uses in the Old Testament into the uses in the New Testament. In the OT Hades is called she'ol. The Greeks named the god of the underworld, the realm of the dead, Hades. See 2+ page article on Hades in the New International Dictionary of NT Theology, volume 2 page 206. See Article on Hades in Zodhiates' Word Study NT Dictionary page 80 (borrow) That said, in the OT Hades was used most often to describe the region of ALL departed souls. Everyone who died, whether righteous or unrighteous, is described as departing to Hades. But as we move into the NT, we see the progressive revelation of the term, so that Hades gains a more restricted sense and refers not to the place of ALL who die (believers and unbelievers as in the OT) but only to the abode of unbelievers. In other words, in the NT Hades comes to be synonymous with what we refer to as Hell. But to confuse the picture a little, you must realize that even in this meaning Hades is only a "temporary holding tank" so to speak, because as shown in Rev 20:14+ Hades will cease to exist when it is thrown into the Lake of fire. Don't be confused. Hell is permanent and in Scripture is clearly described as such. The unrighteous dead will be resurrected in their bodies (The "Second Resurrection" - see Births, Deaths, and Resurrections) at the Great White Throne judgment in Revelation 20:11-15+ and after being judged for their deeds in the body (to determine the degree of punishment in Hell), they are thrown into the Lake of fire which is synonymous with Gehenna. And as discussed below, Hades is also thrown into the Lake of fire (thus the reason it is referred to as temporary) and is never again described in Scripture. Other thoughts on Hades - In Homer hades is spelled Haides and means obscure, dark, invisible (Homer Iliad 23.244 [“house of Hades”]). Hades is used in the Septuagint where it translates the Hebrew words for Sheol and for death, once for silence (Ps 94:17, 115:17). Hades was the name of Greek god of underworld and then the term for the underworld itself. Hades is pictured as a prison for which Jesus holds the keys (Rev 1:18+). Friberg's simple summary of Hades (literally unseen place) (1) the place of the dead underworld (Acts 2.27, 32); (2) usually in the NT as the temporary underworld prison where the souls of the ungodly await the judgment (Matt. 11:23; 16:18; Lk. 10:15; Lk. 16:23); (3) personified as following along after Death (Rev 6.8, 20:13,14) Related Resources: What is the difference between Sheol, Hades, Hell, the lake of fire, Paradise, and Abraham’s bosom? Where did Old Testament believers/saints go when they died? D L Moody - A MAN said to me some time ago: “Don’t you think David fell as low as Saul?” Yes, he fell lower, because God had lifted him up higher. The difference is that when Saul fell there was no sign of repentance, but when David fell, a wail went up from his broken bean, there was true repentance. John Butler - If you disregard your spiritual opportunities and privileges it will someday come back to haunt you. Wayne Grudem - God Knows All Things Possible. The definition of God’s knowledge given above also specifies that God knows “all things possible.” This is because there are some instances in Scripture where God gives information about events that might happen but that do not actually come to pass.....Jesus could state that Tyre and Sidon would have repented if Jesus’ own miracles had been done there in former days: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes” (Matt. 11:21). Similarly, he says, “And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day” (Matt. 11:23; cf. 2 Ki 13:19, where Elisha tells what would have happened if King Joash had struck the ground five or six times with the arrows). The fact that God knows all things possible can also be deduced from God’s full knowledge of himself. If God fully knows himself, he knows everything he is able to do, which includes all things that are possible. This fact is indeed amazing. God has made an incredibly complex and varied universe—as is evident, for example, when we observe the remarkable variety of animals in a zoo or fish in an aquarium. But there are thousands upon thousands of other variations or kinds of animals and fish and other things that God could have created but did not. God’s infinite knowledge includes detailed knowledge of what each of those other possible creations would have been like and what would have happened in each of them! “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it” (Ps. 139:6). “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:9). (Systematic Theology) John