I spoke to a friend a few years back who was a Jehovah’s Witness, and he challenged me on the deity of Christ. Well, I knew where to turn in the Scripture and so I pointed him immediately to John 1:1, where John writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (emphasis added). However, he had some statement about how he thought it meant “a god” rather than “God.” Now, of course it doesn’t, but the sad thing is that at that point in my life I could think of nothing else that directly confirmed the deity of Christ.
This showed that I had one of two problems: either I hadn’t read the Scriptures or I didn’t properly understand the Scriptures though reading them, for the Scripture is filled with the affirmation that Jesus is indeed God; he is God the Son. I wished at the time that I had been familiar with the content of Matthew’s gospel, for one, because he clearly shows this is the case. However, within that, I wished I had been able to turn to Matthew 11-12 and teach my friend its content and truth. For as I have studied these chapters, it has stood bright and clear in my mind that Jesus is indeed one with the Father.
I don’t want you to be put in the position I described earlier; therefore, tonight I want us to see how clearly Matthew portrays Jesus as the Messiah. They are clearly Jesus’ own claims from these chapters.
Jesus’ claims as the Messiah
1. Jesus claims he is the fulfillment of prophecy about the coming Messiah (11:1-6)
In the beginning of this chapter, John is in prison because he had challenged Herod on his immoral lifestyle. But the Messiah had been prophesied to bring judgment with hope. Had John been wrong in thinking Jesus’ was the Messiah? Was he wrong in thinking there was to be judgment? These are the questions that John’s disciples bring to Jesus. They ask him in verse 3, “Are you the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?”
Jesus responds to this question saying, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over me” (11:4-6). Now I used to think that Jesus was simply saying, “Tell John how powerful and kind I am. How can I not be the Messiah?” However, now I believe Jesus was saying much more. I think Jesus was saying, “Tell John that I am fulfilling the prophecies of the coming Messiah prophesied in Isaiah 35 and 61.” For if you read these chapters, you will read of the Messiah doing the things that Jesus’ tells John he is doing. Interestingly enough, however, Jesus leaves out the portion of these passages about judgment that the Messiah will bring. Therefore, Jesus is probably saying to John, “I know what I’m to be about and that you don’t see judgment right now, but wait, if it is prophesied, then it will come.” And it indeed will come at the return of Christ when He judges those dead and alive. And, finally, Jesus is asking John not to stumble because he does not see the judgment yet. Therefore, this is the first claim on Jesus’ part that he is the Messiah, God the Son.
2. Jesus makes Messianic claim through his tribute to John (11:7-15)
As soon as John’s disciples have their question answered, Jesus turns to the multitude and begins talking about how great John is. He asks what they thought they were going to see “A prophet?” “Yes, and much more than a prophet,” Jesus says of John. Ultimately Jesus tells them that John was the forerunner of the Messiah that was prophesied in Malachi 3:1 and that he is the Elijah prophesied in Malachi 4:5. But in as much as this is a tribute to who John is, it is much more of a tribute to who Jesus is. For if finally Jesus can say that John is the forerunner of the Messiah, then he is saying, “And I am the Messiah.”
And Jesus goes on from there to say that John is the greatest born of women. Greater than Moses? Isaiah? Jeremiah? Abraham? David? Yes, that’s what Jesus says. “Well why?” we might ask. The answer is that John is the greatest born of woman because, even though these men had the privilege of foretelling that fact that the Messiah would come, John had the distinct privilege of being able to point out exactly who he was. John’s pointing finger came closest to Jesus’ face. Therefore, Jesus says of John, “He is the greatest because he had the privilege of introducing me as the Messiah.” Again, this is no little tribute to who John is, but it is much more of a tribute to who Jesus is.
3. Jesus says he’s greater than the temple (12:1-6)
In chapter 12, Jesus does not slow from making his Messianic claims. Rather, he continues. In these first six verses he lays out the fact that the priests could override the Sabbath because they were keeping the temple laws. Therefore, he exalts the temple far above most things. And he should have done this, for the temple was the dwelling place of God. However, Jesus then says in verse 6, “But I say to you, that something greater than the temple is here.” Therefore, for him to exalt the temple in one breath (understanding that it was the place that the presence of God dwelt) and to say in the next that something greater than the temple is here is absolutely to declare that he is in fact equal with God.
4. Jesus declares that he’s Lord of the Sabbath (12:7-14)
As the Pharisees questioned Jesus’ disciples on the Sabbath, Jesus declares that they are innocent (12:7), because (“for” in 12:8) “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (12:8). That is to say, he is the one who is able to give authoritative teaching on the Sabbath. This again is a clear declaration of his equality with God. And then he exhibits his words in healing a man on the Sabbath, which, though proving the correctness of his statement, only hardened the Pharisees more.
5. Matthew shows that Jesus is the suffering servant (12:15-21)
As Jesus leaves the discussion with the Pharisees, he goes about healing many people and doing good, but still we have just read in verse 14 that the Pharisees wanted to kill him. Again, Matthew picks up on this showing that this was no coincidence but that it was a fulfillment of one of the “Suffering Servant” passages. These passages speak ultimately of the one who would be the Messiah, Jesus fulfills them, we see the conclusion.
6. Jesus shows his authority over Satan (12:22-37)
Then in next few verses we read of Jesus casting out a demon and being accused of doing it by the power of the head of demons. Jesus shows the unintelligence of this argument by pointing out that if that were the case Satan would be working against himself (vv. 25-26). Finally, however, he says that he does this by the Spirit of God and gives them a picture into what’s going on. By using the analogy of a thief, stealing someone’s possessions when he is home by first binding the individual, Jesus points out that he binds Satan’s power as he casts out demons. Therefore, Jesus is saying that he has authority over Satan, which again, shows us the deity of Christ. Ultimately it is so clear who he is, that to speak against him is to speak judgment upon oneself (vv.30-37).
7. The resurrection authenticates who Jesus is (12:38-40)
Eventually, in Jesus’ interaction with the Pharisees, they demand that Jesus perform a miracle on the spot prove that he is the Messiah. Now this is odd because Jesus has been doing miracles all the time. They simply want it done at their command, and Jesus refuses. Instead, he says, “No sign shall be given to [this generation] but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Now think about this for a second. The people of Nineveh had sinned and God sent Jonah to preach repentance to them, else they would face the destruction of God. Jonah didn’t want to go, but as he ran, he ended up getting swallowed by a great fish and spit ashore alive.
Therefore, when someone comes with a message to you and you know that they have tried to run, have been stopped, have been swallowed by a fish, and spit up alive to come and speak the message to you, you hear it. I mean, it is certain that the fact that this man is alive validates the fact that he is saying something that you need to hear. Well, compare it to Christ, for Jonah didn’t actually die – Christ did. And yet he was raised from the dead. This is much bigger than Jonah. Therefore, the resurrection demands that people listen and obey Jesus’ teaching; it is a clear proclamation from God, “This is indeed the Christ.” Yet Jonah was heeded and Christ wasn’t. However, one thing is clear, this one who would overcome death is definitely one with the Father.
8. Finally, Jesus says he’s greater than Jonah and Solomon (12:41-42)
Jesus goes on to tell the Pharisees that he is greater than Jonah and Solomon in these two verses. Now, when one understands that Jesus claims to be equal with God over and over, then he sees that Jesus is either right or crazy. There is no middle ground here. He can’t simply be a good man, for if he’s not God he’s a blasphemer. But to say he’s greater than Jonah and Solomon says that he’s either a great man or God. And he can’t be a great man and wrongly claim to be God, thus it’s clear what this declaration tells us.
Therefore, with all this pointing to the truth we know (that Jesus is God the Son, the Messiah) …
People have a great need to recognize Jesus as the Christ (11:16-30)
The Pharisees weren’t content with anything God was doing. They didn’t like John and they didn’t like Jesus – even though they were on different ends of the scope (11:16-19). They were simply hard and unbelieving.
Therefore, in 11:20-24 when Jesus begins to pronounce curses, it is a big deal. He tells them that the miracles done here would have brought repentance elsewhere and so they will be judged more harshly. Of course, I’ve summarized his proclamation, but it’s implications I want to make clear. Because if what Jesus said in these five verses is true, the following are also true.
1. God does not owe salvation to anyone
If Tyre and Sidon would have repented with these miracles done there, then why didn’t God work miracles there? The only answer is that God does not owe salvation to us. It is strictly his grace and mercy that we are saved and the more we realize that, the more we will find our hearts genuinely consumed with praise toward God.
2. God knows what men would do if placed in situations
Jesus can say surely that Tyre and Sidon would have repented. This strikes home to me because my brother-in-law, who has heard the gospel countless times is lost. And I wonder how many people would have repented if they had been in his place for the past seven years.
3. There are degrees of punishment in hell
It hits me that it can mean nothing else when Jesus says, “It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you” (11:22). Therefore, when I see these truths side by side, it makes me long to plead with men to repent. There is a great need for men to recognize Jesus as the Christ.
God must save men if they are to be saved (11:25-27)
However, as much as I long to be able to change men’s hearts in my own power, I can’t. However, God can and does. Jesus is the only revealer of God to man (11:27). He is the only revealer according to this passage. Therefore, we must proclaim the uniqueness of Christ in a day when it is unpopular to do so. And only Christ can enable hearts to recognize who the Father is and who he is.
Therefore, we must preach Christ and pray for God’s mercy
When you put all this together, it clearly bids us to preach the gospel and pray for God’s mercy on men’s souls, for:
1. Our greatness is bound up in doing that (11:11)
In Jesus’ tribute to John he also says that those on this side of the cross are even greater than John. Why? We are greater because we can point men to God’s work of redemption in Christ even more clearly than John could. Thus, our greatness is wrapped up in being able to preach Christ.
2. Preaching the gospel is God’s ordained means for salvation
God has said that faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17), therefore we need to speak the gospel to men if we ever hope they will recognize Jesus as the Christ.
3. We must pray for God’s mercy, for the results aren’t in our hands.
Jesus is the Christ, he must open men’s hearts, and he has ordained that this comes through the preaching of the gospel. Therefore, realize the need for men to see Christ, speak the gospel to men, and pray that God would open their eyes that they might see him and have eternal life.
Grace be with you. Amen.