The Life of Christ

SECTION 76

Mt. 11:20 Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent.

There was a price for the miracles Jesus performed; He expected people to repent in large numbers and began to rebuke people for not responding.

• When Jesus heals somebody, He expects repentance to follow.

• We remember the paralyzed man of 38 years healed at the Pool of Bethesda; Jesus told him in Jn. 5:14: “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”

• When Jesus casts out a devil, He expects a changed life to follow or else seven other spirits more wicked than himself will enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first (Lk. 11:26). Mt. 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.”

Chorazin and Bethsaida were cities that experienced an usually strong presence of Jesus’ teaching and miracles.

• Jesus spent much of His time there teaching and performing miracles, especially when compared to other cities He visited.

• The people living in these towns were therefore expected to repent; to whom much is given much is required.

Jesus demonstrates an amazing facet of divine omniscience by what He says about Tyre and Sidon.

• Tyre and Sidon were two cities that didn’t experience the same measure of exposure to Jesus as did Chorazin and Bethsaida.

• However, Jesus is able to say that if those living in Tyre and Sidon had received the same exposure given to those in Chorazin and Bethsaida, they (Tyre & Sidon) would have repented long ago.

• This dimension of knowledge shows that Jesus is able to know what one would do, even if he or she were never given that actual opportunity.

• Might this be a significant factor when determining the eternal destiny of one who never heard the name of Jesus throughout their lifetime?

• Using the same logic, Jesus would actually know how one would respond to the Gospel, even if they never had a chance to hear it.

• Gen. 18:25 says, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

Mt. 11:24 Nevertheless, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you. 23 “And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you?

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