The Strand Study Bible

MATTHEW MATTHEW Me by faith or you do not get to know Me at all.” John, the question is not, “Why is this happening to me?” or “Why doesn’t God answer me?” or “Why doesn’t God come to my rescue?” The question is, “Will you follow a God whose ways you do not understand? Will you follow a God who fails to live up to your expectations at times?” ( Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. ” - Lk 7:21 ). 11:7 John was unwavering in his faith, hence one must not describe faithlessness to John’s previous inquiry (vs 3). 11:11a Jesus could make this statement ( there hath not risen a greater ) concerning John because Jesus was of heavenly origin, that is, He was born of a virgin (from above), and not from the union of a man and a woman. If Jesus would have been a product of mere humanity, He could not have made this statement, for He would have been elevating His earthly cousin John even above His position amongst mankind, which would have been unscriptural. Paul said of Jesus in Philippians 2:9-10: 1508 11:11b This word ( least ) is the Greek word PLNUοτHUο9 ( mikroteros ) and means, “ the least in rank or influence .” Meaning, that the worst Christian in Heaven ( least influential ) will be greater than the best Christian on earth. Why? Because the greatness of this life cannot be compared with the glory that is to come. 11:12 This verse refers to the “violent” opposition against Christ’s Kingdom by those He commanded to repent. 11:14 John the Baptist was not Elijah (Jn 1:19-21). Jesus meant here was that John simply came to the Jewish nation in the “ spirit and power ” (Lk 1:17) of Elijah . Jesus was not advocating reincarnation here. 11:19 According to Proverbs 3:13-18, wisdom has children , and the children of wisdom are “pleasant results.” What our Lord was teaching here was that although the style of ministry between John the Baptist and Himself was as different as night and day (whereas John’s ministry was serious and likened to that of a funeral – vs 17, Jesus’ ministry was jovial and likened to that of a wedding – vs 19) the end result of both ministries (despite their styles) were justified by the “pleasant results” of souls being saved. 11:20 The greatest sin is always determined by a rejection of truth that was given under the greatest light. It’s called religiosity. Because Satan and the angels that followed him in his rebellion sinned in the very presence of truth (God), they can never be salvaged. The same is true of people who lived under great light in Jesus’ day. Because they repented not under the greatest LIGHT that ever walked the earth, they will suffer the most throughout eternity (vs 22-24). Religious people who have been given great light and refuse it are always held to a greater accountability ( Mt 12:31-32 ). 11:22 Just as there are degrees of reward in Heaven ( Mt 5:19 a , II Cor 5:10-11 and I Cor 3:13,14,15 ), there are degrees of suffering in Hell ( Rev 20:14 a ). Interestingly enough, it will be the false religious crowd that will suffer the most in Hell, not the prideful heathens (vs 22) or the homosexuals (vs 24). Every person converted to a false religious teaching will add “fuel to the fire” ( than for you ) to the founder of that false religious movement (Mt 23:15). NOTE – Why is it that religiosity is at the top of the “crimes against God” list (Moral Laws)? Of all the violations of the Moral Laws of God (worshipping false gods, falsely sacrificing, falsely prophesying, profaning the blood sacrifices, willful disobedience toward God’s Laws, sex with animals, alternative lifestyles, lewd behavior, prostitution and sorcery – Gen 26:5 ), why is religiosity blaspheming God ( Exo 20:7 ) going to be punished more severely than other sins (vs 22,24)? Romans 2:21 says: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God Religiosity is the sin which is committed under “great light” ( when they knew God, they glorified him not as God ). Whether it was the Israelites whom God had miraculously delivered from Egypt or the Jews during Jesus’ day who personally witnessed GOD IN FLESH perform thousands of miracles, those who are given the most light are the most responsible for their reaction toward God (Lk 20:46-47). To whom much is given, much is required (Lk 12:48). To blaspheme God and go about your religious way afterbeing given much light (Lev 24:10-16,23 and Mt 12:31-32 ) is the ultimate insult to God. 11:23 a This word ( hell ) is the Greek word ‘ DGH9 ( hades ). Hades is a temporary place where the unsaved dead all suffer the same. Hades is mentioned 11 times in the NT (Mt 11:23 & 16:18, Lk 10:15 & 16:23, Acts 2:27,31, I Cor 15:55 and Rev 1:18 & 6:8 & 20:13-14). Soon, those in Hades will be cast into Gehenna (the lake of fire - Rev 20:14-15). 11:23 b According to Jesus, Sodom and Gomorrah could have been salvaged ( it would have remained until this day ) had Lot’s family been serious about their faith ( Isa 1:9 ). Nevertheless, because God could not find a remnant of serious believers amongst Lot’s family, both Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed (Gen 19:24-25). NOTE – Sadly, Sodom and Gomorrah could have been spared had Lot (who “vexed” his own soul while living among them – II Pet 2:4-8) been honest with these people and called to their attention the folly of their actions. Had Lot and his wife been the kind of Messianic believers that stood their ground when it came to this subject, they would have influenced enough of the alternative lifestyle crowd to turn from the error of their ways and to trust the coming MESSIAH for their salvation, thus salvaging their cities from God’s wrath. But alas, Lot and his wife, like so many believers today, were more interested in “getting along” and “getting theirs” (Lot was a city official in Sodom – Gen 19:1) than taking a stand for good and for God. According to Genesis 18:32-33, all Lot and his wife and kids had to do was win “ten” of the alternative lifestyle people to the MESSIAH and Sodom and Gomorrah would have been spared (Gen 18:32-33). Why? Because those “ten” would have gone back into the cities and reached even more of their own for good and for God. Lot’s motto, however, was “Don’t disturb my world and I won’t disturb yours.” In the end, however, Lot’s philosophy lost for both him and his homosexual friends, their worlds (Gen 19:24-25). 11:24 Sin will be punished, if it has not been pardoned by the sacrifice of Jesus, whether it’s for religious ritualism, as in the case of Capernaum, or whoremongering, as in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah ( Gen 13:13 and Rev 21:8 ). And although the alternative lifestyle crowd ( the land of Sodom ) will not suffer in Hell the way the false religions will, they will still suffer, and for all eternity. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.”