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Matthew 11:7-15 (NASB)
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1When Jesus had finished
giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and
preach in their cities.
2Now while in prison, John
heard about the works of Christ, and he sent word by his disciples,
3and said to Him, “Are You
the Coming One, or are we to look for someone else?”
4Jesus answered and said to
them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see:
5those who are blind receive
sight and those who limp walk, those with leprosy are
cleansed and those who are deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have
the gospel preached to them.
6And blessed is any person
who does not take offense at Me.”
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7As these disciples of John
were going away, Jesus began speaking to the crowds about John: “What did you
go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
8But what did you go out to
see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’
palaces!
9But what did you go out to
see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more
than a prophet.
10This is the one about whom
it is written: ‘Behold, I am sending My messenger
ahead of You,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’
11Truly I say to you, among
those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist!
Yet the one who 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 has been treated violently, and
violent men take it by force.
13For all the Prophets and
the Law prophesied until John.
14And if you are willing to
accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.
15The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.
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1)
Are verses 1 to 6
included in VisionCasting-Matthew11.1-6?
o
Yes.
2)
Why are verses 1 to
6 included here?
o
They are included
here to provide continuity of context.
3)
According to what
Jesus said in verses 7 to 9 what was his assessment of John?
o
John was more
than a prophet.
4)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 10 who was the messenger that was prophesized to go ahead
of him and prepare his way before him?
o
John was.
5)
According to what
Jesus said in verses 10 and 11 what was John’s stature as a result of being the
messenger that went ahead of him and prepared his way before him?
o
Among those born
of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John.
6)
Can the one who
is least in the kingdom of heaven be greater than anyone else in the kingdom of
heaven?
o
No.
7)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 11 was his reference to John in the context of the kingdom
of heaven and why?
o
No, because
§
The one who is
least in the kingdom of heaven.
§
Cannot be greater
than
§
John who is also in
the kingdom of heaven.
8)
How then do we
interpret verse 11?
o
The one who is
least in the kingdom of heaven.
o
Is greater than
o
John who is the greatest
man in the world.
o
This shows the
superiority of the kingdom of heaven.
9)
But is John not
supposed to be in the kingdom of heaven and why?
o
John was having
doubt about Jesus being the Messiah or the Christ. regardless of having been the
messenger that had
§
Gone ahead of Jesus.
§
And prepared his way
before him.
o
John would be
outside of the kingdom of heaven.
o
Unless
o
He
§
Put aside his doubt.
§
And acknowledged
that Jesus is the Christ.
10)
What did John
preach in Matthew 3:1-2 about the kingdom of heaven and had any prophet before him
preach that message?
o
John preached, saying,
§
“Repent.
§
For
§
The kingdom of
heaven has come near.”
o
No prophet before
John had ever preached that message.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Matthew 3:1-2 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
1In those days John the
Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of
2and saying, “Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven has come near.”
+++++++++++++++++++++
11)
Did the kingdom
of heaven come near for the first time when John preaching that message?
o
Yes.
12)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 12 what did he mean?
o
Men are forcing
their way into the kingdom of heaven.
o
Since the days
o
John preached
that it had come near.
13)
How are men forcing
their way into the kingdom of heaven if we use Matthew the author of the current gospel account as an example?
o
Matthew
§
A hated tax
collector.
§
And considered a
traitor by the Jews of his time.
o
Forced his way
into the kingdom of heaven through
§
Repentance.
§
And confession
that Jesus is the Christ.
14)
What is the irony
between John and Matthew when it comes to entering the kingdom of heaven?
o
John, being
§
More than a
prophet.
§
And the greatest
of all men.
o
Could not enter the
kingdom of heaven.
o
If
o
He did not
§
Repent.
§
And confess that Jesus
is the Christ.
o
Matthew, a tax
collector, could enter the kingdom of heaven.
o
When
o
He
§
Repented.
§
And confessed
that Jesus is the Christ.
15)
How does the gospel
level the playing field for all sinners?
o
The gospel
equalizes every sinner before God.
o
Whether
o
It is
§
A prophet.
§
Or a tax
collector.
16)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 13 what did he mean that all the Prophets and the Law
prophesied until John?
o
All the Prophets
and the Law prophesied the coming of the kingdom of heaven.
o
The kingdom of
heaven had finally arrived as prophesied.
o
When
o
John preached that
it had come near.
17)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 14 what did he mean that John is Elijah who was to come,
given Malachi 4:5-6?
o
Malachi 4:5-6 prophesied
the coming of the prophet Elijah.
o
John is the prophet
Elijah who was to come.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Malachi 4:5-6 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
5See, I will send the prophet
Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.
6He will turn the hearts of
the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents;
or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.
+++++++++++++++++++++
18)
Why did Jesus put
a condition on saying that John was the Elijah who was to come if the disciples
were willing to accept it?
o
It is because it
is also legitimate to say that John was not
the Elijah.
o
As
o
We shall see.
19)
How would the prophecy of Malachi 4:5-6 have been different, had
God said that he would send ‘Elijah’ instead of ‘the prophet Elijah’?
o
In that case God
will send Elijah himself.
o
In the original
case God will send a prophet who is molded after the archetype of the prophet Elijah.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Malachi 4:5-6 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
5“See, I will send the
prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.
6He will turn the hearts of
the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents;
or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”
+++++++++++++++++++++
20)
Did John deny that
he was Elijah, given John 1:19-21?
o
Yes.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud John 1:19-21 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
19Now this was John’s
testimony when the Jewish leaders in
20He did not fail to confess,
but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”
21They asked him, “Then who
are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He
answered, “No.”
+++++++++++++++++++++
21)
Was it legitimate
for John to deny that he was Elijah and why, given Luke 1:13-17?
o
Yes, because John
§
Was not Elijah himself.
§
But only came in
the
Ø
Spirit.
Ø
And power of
Elijah.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Luke 1:13-17 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
13But the angel said to him:
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth
will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.
14He will be a joy and
delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,
15for he will be great in the
sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he
will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.
16He will bring back many of
the people of
17And he will go on before
the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents
to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make
ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
+++++++++++++++++++++
22)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 15 what was his appeal to his audience?
o
Whoever has ears.
o
Let them hear.
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Matthew 11:7-15
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