Introductory remarks:
Chapter eleven begins where chapter ten left off with Jesus sending the twelve out into the world to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom. Actually, verse one of this chapter is part of chapter ten; remember the chapters and verses were not part of the inspired text, they were added by the translators to make the text more clear. The original was written in upper case letters with absolutely no divisions such as we have in English. Jesus had instructed His disciples with the message of the Gospel of the Kingdom, and He had authenticated His authority with His miracles, and now He continues His ministry only to be rejected by His own people led by their religious leaders.
Verse 1, "And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities."
LGT "And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished commanding His twelve disciples, He went away from there to teach and preach in their cities."
He sends His disciples alone for the first time; He sends them out two by two, and then He continues on alone. It was expedient for the Lord to cut the disciples loose from Him for this brief period in order to prepare them for His long future departure.
Robertson writes:
"Where did Jesus go? Did he follow behind the twelve as He did with the seventy 'whither He himself was about to come' (Luke 10:1)? Bruce holds with Chrysostom that Jesus avoided the places where they were, giving them room and time to do their work. But, if Jesus Himself went to the chief cities of Galilee on this tour, He would be compelled to touch many of the same points. Jesus would naturally follow behind at some distance. At the end of the tour the apostles come together in Capernaum and tell all that they had done and that they had taught (Mark 6:30)."
The Messengers from John the Baptist
(Luke 7:18-35)
Verse 2, "Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent his disciples."
LGT "Now John, having heard in the prison the works of the Christ, He sent by His disciples."
In chapter four we have the record of the imprisonment of John the Baptist, and it is obvious that he is kept up to date on the activities of His Lord. "John was imprisoned in Machaerus east of the Dead Sea which at the time belonged to the rule of Herod Antipas" (Robertson). John's followers (disciples) had access to him so he sends two of them (as recorded in Luke 7:19) to Jesus to get more information. John seems to become somewhat impatient as he waited in prison; he thought possibly that Jesus would come and have him released, and that Christ would then set up His Kingdom.
Pentecost writes:
"Since Messiah was to put down oppression and deliver Israel from the Gentiles, John was becoming impatient as he waited for the One whom he believed to be the Messiah to do what He had come to do. All the evidence that Jesus sent back to John previously had been given to the nation. The miracles that Christ had performed were supernatural, not natural. These miracles conformed to the Old Testament concept of Messiah's care and concern for the needy. Jesus had no authentication to give John but what He had been giving to the nation" (The Words and Works of Christ - Dwight D. Pentecost).
Verse 3, "And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?"
LGT "Saying, are You the coming [One], or another are we to look for."
The Greek word for 'another' is heteron meaning another of a different kind. "Was there to be another after Jesus? John had been in prison 'Long enough to develop a prison mood' (Bruce). It was once clear enough to him, but his environment was depressing and Jesus had done nothing to get him out of Macharaeus. John longed for reassurance" (Robertson).
Note: I believe I can identify with John's anxious feeling over Christ's coming; I often have some anxious moments over thinking about when Christ will return; we can always find comfort and relief in studying His Word. Here we get not only reassurance, but we find sweet relief in being able to relax in His Word with the full knowledge that He is coming again; probably not in my lifetime, but He is coming! I know the context is not on His second coming, but His first; it's just that the principle is the same.
Verse 4, "Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:"
LGT "And answering, Jesus said to them, Go and report to John what you hear and see."
Jesus sends John's disciples back to him with the message that Jesus was doing miraculous miracles; the difference being that Jesus was performing these miracles in His own name, while in the Old Testament all prophecies and working of miracles was done in God's name.
Verse 5, "The 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."
LGT "Blind receive sight, and lame walk around, lepers are cleansed, and deaf hear, and dead are raised up, and poor receive the Gospel."
Jesus is quoting a familiar text of the Old Testament to John for reassurance: Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing (Isa. 35:6). John knew this was a Kingdom promise to re-gathered Israel, so John could take comfort in the Word. Jesus uses His Scriptures to comfort John; He also used Scripture in combating the trials of Satan in the wilderness; how much more do we need to rely on Scripture in every situation.
"And the poor have the Gospel preached to them."
In Isaiah 61:1 it is prophesied that Christ would come and preach to the meek (poor). The poor have always been neglected in every religion before Christ and since; the poor have always been the ones to exploit. There are systems today that thrive on exploiting the poor, and we know that the rich get richer by this.
Verse 6, "And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me."
LGT "And blessed is the one, whosoever shall not find occasion of stumbling in Me."
"This beatitude is a rebuke to John for his doubt even though in prison. Doubt is not a proof of superior intellect, or piety. John was in the fog and that is the time not to make a serious decision. 'In some way even the Baptist had found some occasion of stumbling in Jesus' (Plummer)" (Robertson).
Verse 7, "And 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?"
LGT "But as these were going, Jesus began to say to the crowds concerning John, What went you into the desert to look at? A reed by the wind shaken?"
"And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John,"
Jesus waits until John's disciples leave before He addresses the crowd concerning John. It is obvious that Jesus did not want John to hear what He was saying about him. Jesus knew what John needed was physical comfort and not words concerning his own personal character. These words ended up a eulogy, for Herod soon had John put to death.
Barnes notes:
"Jesus took occasion, from the inquiries made by John's disciples, to instruct the people respecting the true character of John. Multitudes had gone out to hear him when he preached in the desert (Matthew 3), and it is probable that many had been attracted by the novelty of his appearance or doctrines, or had gone simply to see and hear a man of singular habits and opinions. Probably many who followed Christ had been of that number. He took occasion, therefore, by some striking questions, to examine the motives by which they had been drawn to his ministry."
"What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?"
These are striking questions to the crowd; did they go out to see a novelty? Did they go out to see some crackpot hippie? Did they go out to see a man preach some new word? Did they go out to see a wishy-washy kook? Jesus will fill them in on who John was, and what he was about. He certainly was not someone to be tossed about by the wind; as a matter of fact, John would cause the reed to be shaken, not visa-versa. So-called preachers of our day seek a novelty in order to be different in order to draw the crowds. John was not interested in the crowds, only his message, that is, to prepare the way for our Lord.
Verse 8, "But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in king's houses."
LGT "But what went you out to see? A man dressed in delicate [garments]? Behold, those who wear delicate [garments] are in the houses of kings."
There was nothing about the way John dressed that suggested that he was prosperous. John was dressed in a coat of camel's hair and a leather girdle, and lived on locust and wild honey.
Barnes notes:
"The kind of raiment here denoted was the light, thin clothing worn by effeminate persons. It was made commonly of fine linen, and was worn chiefly for ornament. Christ asks them whether they were attracted by anything like that. He says that the desert was not the place to expect it. In the palaces of kings, in the court of Herod, it might be expected, but not in the place where John was. This kind of clothing was an emblem of riches, splendor, effeminacy, feebleness of character. He meant to say that John was a man of a different stamp - coarse in his exterior, hardy in his character, firm in his virtue, fitted to endure trials and privations, and thus to be the forerunner of the toiling and suffering Messiah."
Verse 9, "But went out ye to see" A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet."
LGT "But what went you out to see? A prophet? Yea, I say to you, and [one] more excellent than a prophet."
John was more than a prophet, he was the forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ: Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me; (Malachi 3:1-a). John the Baptist lived in the same day as the Lord, and he was distinguished above all the prophets for the honor of introducing the Messiah to Israel.
Verse 10, "For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee."
LGT "This is concerning whom it has been written
Behold, I send My messenger before your face,
Who shall prepare the way before Me."
This verse is part of the last verse, for it is a direct quote from Malachi 3:1. John was not to be revered for his distinction as the forerunner of Christ, but what follows will mark this very distinction.
Verse 11, "Verily 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."
LGT "Verily I say to you: There has not risen among [those] born of women greater [than] John the Baptist: But he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is."
In the first part of this verse Christ is saying that until now there has not been a single prophet that excels John the Baptist in ministry; however in the last part Christ is saying that the least in the kingdom will be greater than John in privileges. Here we have a transition from the Old Economy of the Law to the new Economy of Grace. The believers in Christ now are greater than John in that we are all imputed with His righteousness; we are all indwelt with the Holy Spirit; we are all recipients of all the divine riches of His grace.
Verse 12, "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."
LGT "But from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of the heavens is taken by violence, and the violent seize it."
This is a very difficult verse to interpret; it seems to me that in the Old Testament, until the now, of Jesus' time, men sought to capture the kingdom by the force of their own works; this is evident as they follow Jesus and try and force Him to set up His Kingdom and overthrow the Roman government; The Jews were never obedient to God's Law; they may have been obedient to the Rabbis' interpretations of the Law, but they always sought ways to earn their salvation; look back in the Book of John how the Jews continually tried to get Jesus to compromise His message; they were continually trying to accuse the creator of this universe to cater to their understanding of the kingdom of heaven. As we studied His Sermon on the Mount we saw how Jesus turned the righteousness of the Jews back at them, because it was mere self-righteousness. Even the inscription above the Cross was a mocking sort of violence.
Verse 13, "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John."
LGT "For all the prophets and the law until John prophesied."
This verse would help make sense out of verse 12 if it were read before. This verse means that John the Baptist brought to a close all the types and symbols of the Old Dispensation, in that his message was, the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Christ will bring to a close to the Old system of the Law, and introduce the new system of Grace; this will all come to make sense as we proceed with our exposition of Matthew and the other Gospels and then into the Acts and the writings of Peter and Paul.
Verse 14, "And if ye will receive it, this is Elias which was for to come."
LGT "And if you are willing to receive [it], this is Elias who is about to come."
Jesus is offering them the Kingdom if they would be willing to accept it.
Barnes notes:
"The prophet Malachi (Mal. 4:5, 6) predicted that Elijah would be sent before the coming of the Messiah to prepare the way for him. By this was evidently meant, not that he should appear in person, but that one should appear with a striking resemblance to him; or as Luke (chp. 1:17) expresses it, in the spirit and power of Elijah. But the Jews understood it differently. They supposed that Elijah would appear in person. They also supposed that Jeremiah and some other prophets would appear also to usher in the promised Messiah and to grace His advent. See Matt. 16:14; 17:10; Jn. 1:21. This prevalent belief was the reason why He used the words if ye will receive it, implying that the affirmation that John was the promised Elijah was a doctrine contrary to expectation."
I enjoy what McGee has to say about the ones who try and make difficulties out of this passage:
"There are those who argue 'Well, if Christ intended to go to the cross and die, His offer of Himself as King was not a sincere offer.' But it was sincere. 'But', they insist, 'What if Israel had accepted Jesus as their King?' Well, the point is that they didn't! These are 'if' questions we are asking, and the fact is that the Jews rejected the Lord. 'Iffy' questions pose problems that don't exist. And there are enough problems that don't exist. And there are enough problems that do exist without making up some!"
Verse 15, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."
LGT "The one having ears, let him hear."
This takes in just about everyone. It is one thing to hear with the physical ear, and entirely another to hear with the ear of the heart. This expression used by Christ is that anyone that hears what has been spoken must pay close attention and take it to heart.
Verses 16, 17, "But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented."
LGT "But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like little children sitting in the markets who are calling to the other little children, saying:We piped to you and you did not dance,
We mourned to you, and you did not wail."
These verses represent little children (padiois) playing in the market place; one group of little children is disgruntled at the other group of little children for not joining in and playing fair.
Vincent writes:
"Donald Fraser gives the picture simply and vividly. He pictured a group of little children playing make-believe marriages and funerals. First they acted a marriage procession; some of them piping as on instruments of music, while the rest were expected to leap and dance. In a perverse mood, however, these last did not respond, but stood still and looked discontented. So the little pipers changed their game and proposed a funeral. They began to imitate the loud wailing of eastern mourners. But again they were thwarted [let down], for their companions refused to chime in with the mournful cry and to beat their breasts. . . . So the disappointed children complained: 'We piped unto you and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did not mourn. Nothing pleases you. If you don't want to dance, why don't you mourn? . . . It is plain that you are in bad humor, and determined not to be pleased' (Metaphors in the Gospels). The issue is between [this generation] and the children of wisdom, vs. 9."
Verse 18, "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil."
LGT "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a demon."
John the Baptist practiced abstinence and they said that he had a demon; our Lord didn't fast and they laid against Him the charge of gluttony.
Verse 19, "The 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."
LGT "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man a glutton and a wino, a friend of tax gatherers and of sinners. But wisdom was justified by her works."
"The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a wine bibber."
This verse is difficult but not impossible; John did not have a demon (vs. 18) and Jesus was not a glutton or a wino. The Greek word for 'winebibber' is oinopotes meaning, wine drinking in a bad sense; that is the reason I used the term 'wino' in my translation; we all have known winos in our time, and most of them are a disgusting sight. The Greek word for glutton is phagos, meaning a glutton or one eats excessively. Jesus was neither of these, for He ate the common food, and drank the common drink, which wine was one of the common drinks. Drinking wine is not wrong, neither eating food; however, both are wrong in excess.
"A friend of publicans and sinners."
The Pharisees were using the term 'friend' with an angry tone, inferring that Jesus mixed with the worst types of humanity, and that made Him one of them. Robertson says, "The plan of God is justified by the results."
"But wisdom is justified of her children."
This phrase is literally, But wisdom was justified by her works. Wisdom is as wisdom does. If anyone would have observed Christ intently they could not have come up with anything other than seeing the Perfect God-Man in action.
Woes to Unrepentant Cities
(Luke 10:13-15)
Verse 20, "Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not."
LGT "Then He began to rebuke the cities in which had taken place most of His great powerful works, because they repented not."
"Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done,"
His own people rejected Him, whereas if He had done His miracles among the Gentiles they would have accepted Him. The Jews expected some special favors, and they could not accept the fact that they needed to repent for anything.
The people reject the King, and now the King rejects the people. The Greek words for 'mighty works' is pleistai dunameis, meaning, most of His mighty works. We get our English word 'dynamite' from this word. The miracles of Jesus were almost always used as a sign gr. semeion, either of His power, or of His eternal relationship with God, proving His divine essence.
"Because they repented not:"
They rejected the message of John the Baptist Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and now they are rejecting the King.
Verse 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."
LGT "Ooooieee to you, Chorazin! ooooieee to you, Bethsaida: For if in Tyre and Sidon had taken place the mighty power taking place in you, long ago in sackcloth and ashes they had repented."
Jesus' headquarters was in Capernaum in the north near Bethsaida and Chorizin. Jesus had performed many wonderful miracles in these towns only to be rejected.
"For if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long age in sackcloth and ashes."
Like Nineveh of Old, after Jonah had preached to them, they repented with sackcloth and ashes and were spared being destroyed.
Barnes notes:
"Sackcloth was a coarse cloth, like canvas, used for the dress of the poor, and for the more common articles of domestic economy. It was worn also as a sign of mourning. The Jews also frequently threw ashes on their heads as expressive of grief, Job 1:21; 2:12; Jer. 6:26. The meaning is, that they would have repented with expressions of deep sorrow. Like Nineveh, they would have seen their guilt and danger, and would have turned from their iniquities. Heathen cities would have received him better than the cities of the Jews, his native land."
Verse 22, "But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the Day of Judgment, than for you."
LGT "Nevertheless I say to you, for Tyre and Sidon it will be more endurable in judgment day, than you."
Tyre and Sidon did not repent, and they were not excused, but it will be more endurable for them because they did not have the Light as Chorizan and Bethsaida, the cities of Christ's ministry. There will be degrees of punishment as well as degrees of reward at God's judgments.
Verses 23, 24, "And 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."
But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee."
LGT "And as for you Capernaum, are you not highly exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades: for if in Sodom they had the works of power, which have taken place in you, it had remained until to day.
But I say to you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you."
"And thou Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven,"
Capernaum was Christ's headquarters during His earthly ministry. They had the advantage of not only being very prosperous, they were favored with hearing Christ's message and seeing His great and many miracles. Capernaum was highly favored in that they had the advantage of being exposed to Christ, while the Gentile nations didn't even meet Christ. Even with all their advantages Capernaum rejected Christ and His message. The idea that they were exalted unto heaven did not mean that they were all heading for heaven; it does speak, however, of the highly exalted advantage they had to receive this Life Jesus was offering.
"Shalt be brought down to hell:"
The term 'hell' is literally Hades, the place of death or the grave. Christ did not mean that they were all heading for hell, but that it is the place of death, whereas heaven is the place of eternal life.
"For if the mighty works which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day."
Christ says that Sodom was destroyed for its wickedness, but it would have repented if it had heard the same message Capernaum heard. The fact that these things did not happen in Sodom does not mean that God is not just; it simply means that by contrast Sodom will not be as accountable in that day. Those who have the greatest privilege will be the greatest debtors to God's grace; those who refuse God's grace will be the greatest debtors in Hell of God's justice.
"That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee."
Here we have the contrast. Sodom was destroyed completely, because of the gross wickedness in the city. They had turned completely away from any form of righteousness. Christ says that it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for Capernaum, because Sodom did not have the same advantage of doctrine. The more light the more accountability. It is easy for us to see how that if a young man or a young woman has been brought up with care and love and the right teaching of doctrine, they will be more accountable at the Bema Seat than someone who has been brought up in a squalor not having any of the advantages of a Capernaum. When a young man or woman has all the right nurturing, and they refuse to listen, they will experience that they could possibly destroy their own lives by the works of the flesh; to ignore accountability is to ignore grace logic.
Important note:
We must keep in mind that Christ is not dealing with the eternal salvation of the soul; He is using Sodom, Tyre, and Sidon as examples of Gentile nations that were eventually destroyed because of ungodliness; Sodom would have been spared as a nation had it repented; just like Nineveh, they would have been delivered from destruction; however, their personal salvation was not in view; this entire context is stating that there will be degrees of punishment, just as there will be degrees of rewards; remember, when we work for rewards, we are not working for our salvation; Nineveh rejected God's Law, but repented, and they were spared in their national existence; Capernaum eventually was destroyed, as was Tyre and Sidon; The submitting to God's Laws will be conducive to the perpetuation of the human race, but it will never save a person from the 'Lake of Fire.' All nations of the earth will be turned into hell because they have forgotten God.
Come to Me and Rest
(Luke 10:21-22)
Verse 25, "At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes."
LGT "At that time Jesus answering said, I praise You, Father, Lord of the heaven and the earth, because You have kept these things from the wise and intelligent, and revealed them to babes:"
"At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth,"
The Greek word for 'thank' is egzhomologoumai, a middle indicative, meaning to agree with; this phrase is literally I praise you. You see, praise is agreeing with the Father fully over His works. The so-called church today have what they call 'praise and worship' services, that are no more than making a lot of racket, I think they call it 'Gospel Music', singing little 7-11 songs, that's what my son-in-law calls these insipid choruses, because they sing seven words eleven times. Christ is addressing the Father with full agreement; I have taught over and over that prayer has two sides; the first side is God's side, and His side is revealed in His Word. As we study the Word of God we are in full agreement with Him, and that is praise, when we agree 100 % with what the Father has revealed in His Word; this is the second side of prayer, His children's side, that is, praising Him by agreeing 100 % with His doctrine.
"Because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes."
Here we have what Christ is praising the Father for. The Jews have rejected everything God has revealed to them. No man is able to accept or reject God until the Holy Spirit reveals God to them; The natural [unbeliever] man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, for they are Spiritually discerned (I Cor. 2:14). The preaching of the Word of God is foolishness to the wise [worldly wise], and a stumbling block to the prudent [intellectual]; God has revealed Himself to the base things of this world, in order to confound the wise.
Barnes notes:
"From the wise and prudent, that is, from those who thought themselves wise - wise according to the world's estimation of wisdom, I Cor. 1:26, 27. Hast revealed them unto babes. To the poor, the ignorant, and the obscure; the teachable, the simple, the humble. By the wise and prudent here he had reference probably to the proud and haughty scribes and Pharisees in Capernaum. They rejected his gospel, but it was the pleasure of God to reveal it to obscure and more humble men. The reason given, the only satisfactory reason, is, that it so seemed good in the sight of God. In this the Savior acquiesced [fully agreed]."
Verse 26, "Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight."
LGT "Yes, Father, because it was well pleasing before You."
This verse exemplifies the full submission of the Son to the will of the Father; Jesus is saying that His praise is for the design of the Father, that is, if it pleases the Father it pleases the Son. We must have the mind of Christ in everything; we must look at life from the divine viewpoint and say with Christ, even so Father: for it seemed good in Thy sight. We may not understand all that happens, but we can rest assured that it is designed for our benefit, if we are walking in the light.
Verse 27, "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him."
LGT "All things were delivered to Me by My Father, and no one is knowing the Son except the Father, neither knoweth anyone the Father except the Son, and to whomsoever the Son may will to reveal [Him]."
"All things are delivered unto me of my Father:"
The all things that Christ is here referring are all things necessary for the establishment of His Kingdom.
"And no man knoweth the Son, but the Father;"
The Greek word for 'knoweth' is epiginoskei, meaning to know fully; this points back to timeless eternity, and the relationship of the Father with the Son. We now see Christ through the written Word, and our hope is built on the promise of meeting Him and seeing Him face to face, and to know, even as we are known.
"Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son,"
No one, not even angels, fully comprehend the unique relationship between the Father and the Son; think about it; we will have an eternity to learn of this magnificent mystery of God's grace. As we have it in His Word, the Son reveals the Father.
"And he to whomsoever the son will reveal him."
This includes all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, No man cometh unto the Father but by Me (John 1:6). No man can comprehend the Father except as the Son has revealed Him.
Verse 28, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
LGT "Come to Me, all you laboring and are being burdened, and I will refresh you."
The first verb in this phrase 'labor' is an active participle, while the second verb 'heavy laden' is a passive participle "Showing both sides of human misery" (Vincent). This verse has been a comfort to many believers in times of stress and anxiety. It is the comfort we need to know that God never grows weary of hearing our troubles. I like what Lewis Sperry Chafer said in teaching his seminary students on the subject of 'spirituality' (Brenda made a CD for me of Chafer's lectures on the spiritual life): "Jesus came to make a way for the bad people to get to heaven, not the good people, any fool can devise a religion that will get all good people to heaven."
Barnes notes:
"The Savior here, perhaps, refers primarily to the Jews, who groaned under the weight of their ceremonial laws and the traditions of the elders, Acts 15:10. He tells them that by coming to him, and embracing the new system of religion [Barnes uses the term 'religion' in a good sense], they would be freed from these burdensome rites and ceremonies. There can be no doubt, however, that he meant here chiefly to address the poor, lost, ruined sinners: the man burdened with a consciousness of his transgressions, trembling at the danger, and seeking deliverance. For such there is relief. Christ tells them to come to him, to believe in him, and to trust him, and him only, for salvation. Doing this, he will give them rest - rest from their sins, from the alarms of conscience, from the terrors of the law, and from the fears of eternal death."
Verse 29, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
LGT "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for meek I am and lowly in heart, and you will find rest to your souls."
"Take my yoke upon you, learn of me;"
Oxen are yoked together to pull a plow or wagon; the idea is that in the yoke they work in unison; that is one of the reasons why Christ warns believers not to be yoked together with unbelievers, because the two desire to go in opposite directions. The Rabbis often used the term 'yoke' for school.
Vincent remarks on the term 'yoke':
"These words, as recorded by St. Matthew, the Evangelist of the Jews, must have sunk the deeper into the hearts of Christ's Jewish hearers, that they came in their own old, familiar form of speech, yet with such contrast of spirit. One of the most common figurative expressions of the time was that of the yoke for submission to an occupation or obligation. Very instructive for the understanding of the figure is a paraphrase of Cant. 1:10: 'How beautiful is the neck for bearing the yoke of thy statutes; and it shall be upon them like the yoke on the neck of the ox that plougheth in the field and provideth food for himself and his master.'"
The term 'learn of me' is literally, learn from Me. At that time the apostles were able to learn directly from the Lord; now we learn directly from the Lord through the written Word.
"For I am meek and lowly in heart:"
The word 'meek' means that Christ understands our being, hopeless, miserable sinners. The word 'lowly' speaks of Christ's humility. Christ is the greatest man who ever lived in this universe; if anyone could boast, and be correct, it would be the God-Man. Christ urged us to be meek and lowly; this entails a recognition of the utter worthless state we were in, and that because of Christ, we now have Him as our advocate, and the Holy Spirit, working through His Word, as our guide and stay. The person, who has wealth, power, or beauty, does not think they need Christ, and thus will end up without His rest.
"And ye shall find rest for your souls."
The only rest that the soul can receive is salvation from the stinging reproach of our sins. No one can deal with his or her sins; our sins must be left at the cross, for it is only the blood of Jesus that can wipe away every sin; as we now have redemption through the death burial and resurrection of Christ, we do have the 'peace that passes all understanding'. Once we are saved, we go to God confessing our sins for daily cleansing, and the blood of Jesus, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin. We have been cleansed eternally, positionally, but now experientially we need daily cleansing; if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Verse 30, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
LGT "For My yoke is wholesome, serviceable, and kindly." (Vincent).
Christ says that if we learn from Him we will find rest, eternally and experientially. We may study God's Word and become knowledgeable; we also may study God's Word, and then apply it to our lives, and then, and only then, will we become wise, and be able to rest secure in Him. To attempt to live the Christian life in the energy of the flesh, as those self-help books, like 'Purpose Driven Life' seek to teach, will only produce sanctimonious, self-righteous Christians; and believe me, for I have been there, you will not find rest in these operations of the flesh. A daily study of God's Word, is the only sure-fire method to 'grow in grace, and the knowledge of Truth.'
I like McGee's take on this verse:
"My friend, sin is too heavy for you to carry - you'll really get a hernia if you try to carry your load of sin! The only place in the world to put that burden is at the cross of Christ. He bore it for you, and He invites you to come and bring your burden of sin to Him. He can forgive you because on the cross He bore the burden of your sin."
Pentecost adds:
"In contrast to the burdensome yoke of the Pharisees, those who took Christ's yoke and learned of Him would find that submission to Him was easy and that the burden He imposed was light. This was true because of the nature of the One to whom they were joining themselves and of whom they were learning, for He was gentle and humble, or submissive. And He who experienced peace from trusting God imparted that peace to those who trusted Him."
In the next chapter we will study how Christ is received.
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