Lk. 7:18 The talmidim of Yochanan reported to him concerning all these things.
Mt. 11:2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
Lk. 7:19 And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?
As the ancient Jewish scholars and Rabbis studied the Scriptures concerning the Messiah, they encountered a serious problem: many of the passages seemed to contradict one another. The Messiah is seen as a Conquering King coming in judgment to establish a reign of peace on earth from Jerusalem, as seen in Zechariah 14, Psalms 2, Isaiah 63-65, and Jeremiah 23, for example. Other passages speak of a Suffering Servant who would come in humility, would be despised and rejected by the people, and would died for the sins of man, and then be resurrected by God (Isaiah 40-53; Psalms 22; and Daniel 9). From this paradoxical description of the Messiah came a first century C.E. Rabbinical teaching of two Messiahs.
Sources: Zech.14; Psalm 2; 22; Isaiah 40-53; 63-65; Jere. 23; Daniel 9
Most of the Messianic passages of the Bible, as well as a majority of the Rabbinic commentaries on the Messiah, are centered on the Conquering King. These passages present Him as a dynamic personality who is anointed by God, not only to crush His enemies, but also to regather the dispersed of Israel and usher in her golden age. Diametrically opposed to this, another personality was also identified as the Messiah: lowly, despised, and persecuted. This One, labeled the Suffering Servant by the modern commentators , was anciently known as Messiah ben Yoseph. His life ends, unlike His counterpart, the Messiah ben David (the ancient name for the Conquering King), who was immortal. The Coming One (haBah in Hebrew) that John’s disciples ask about is a reference from Zechariah 9:9. In short, they are asking Yeshua if He is the Messiah.
Source: Zech. 9:9
Mt. 11:3 And said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
Lk. 7:20 When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?’”
Yochanan’s skepticism concerning the ministry of Yeshua was rooted in Jewish Messianic Expectation. The issue really involved definition and understanding of the Messianic Task. Yochanan haMatbil, as others during the period, anticipated the coming of a Deliverer — but not a gentle one like Yeshua. It was thought that the Anointed One would be more like King David than a Suffering Servant. Hew would break the cruel yoke of foreign oppression that Rome and its puppet rulers had placed on the Jewish people. Yochanan haMatbil probably anticipated a Messianic figure who would bring freedom from the political oppression of Rome. The world had been so corrupted by its political and economic systems that a reform of the people was not enough. A supernatural intervention by God was needed.
This anticipation of two Messiahs by the Jewish people of the first century is the background for the question posed by Yochanan haMatbil to Yeshua as to whether He was the Messiah, or if they were to expect another. The truth is that Yochanan knew that Yeshua was the Messiah, for God had told him so, and he himself had already been used by God to identify Yeshua as the Messiah. The question was specifically whether Yeshua would fulfill all the prophecies concerning the Messiah, or whether the Rabbis who said there would be two Messiahs were correct. Yeshua’s answer is a paraphrase of various passages that the Rabbis identified as referring partially to Messiah ben Joseph and partially to Messiah ben David. In other words, Yeshua was telling Yochanan that He was both Messianic figures rolled into one.
Lk. 7:21 And that very hour He cured many people of their infirmities, afflictions, evil spirits; and to many who were blind He gave sight.
Mt. 11:4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see.”
Lk. 7:22a Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard:
Mt. 11:5 “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.”
Lk. 7:22b That the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the Gospel preached to them.”
There were four major miracles that the Rabbis could not perform that Yeshua used to show His Messiahship. Even today in Israel, both the Jews and the Muslims use the phrase “when Messiah comes He will do that” to answer what no man can. It was this attitude that the first century Jews had toward the four Messianic Miracles that no one else could perform. Note that when Yochanan’s disciples came asking Yeshua, “Are You the Coming One, or should we look for another?” Yeshua responded by performing miracles right before their eyes to demonstrate who He was. Yeshua never came right out and verbally claimed to be the Messiah to the Jewish people. He only did that one time to the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well. His actions spoke louder than words ever could.
The cleansing of lepers and raising the dead were not general happenings of that day. The Rabbis taught that the spirit hovered over the body for three day before departing, and during this time there was a possibility of raising the dead, although this did not happen very often. After a person had been dead for more than three days, only Messiah could then raise that person from the dead. Yeshua would demonstrate this later on.
From the time of the completion of the Mosaic Law there is no record of any Jewish person who had been cleansed of leprosy. Miriam, Moses’ sister, was cleansed before the completion of the Law, and Naaman was a Gentile. The Jews called leprosy “the finger of God,” or “the stroke.” The person had to be cleansed, not healed. It was thought that leprosy was caused by sin, therefore a leper was unclean. This was such an issue that the Book of Leviticus, chapters 13 and 14, gave detailed instructions as to what was to be done in a case after cleansing occurred. Because no Jew had been cleansed of leprosy in such a long time, they held the belief that the normal Rabbis could not do this and when Messiah came, He alone would be able to do it. This is the first challenge that Yeshua made to the leadership of Israel to recognize His Messiahship, by sending a leper to them that He had cleansed.
Source: Leviticus 13, 14
Mt. 11:6 “And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
Lk. 7:23 “And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
The verb “to stumble” in the response of Yeshua is a strong word for Yochanan. It means to sin or fail in a serious manner. Yochanan had missed the significance of Yeshua’s work, who in reality was both defining the Messianic Task and giving a stern warning. He was earnestly inviting Yochanan to accept His mission as it was being fulfilled in the midst of the people.
Mt. 11:7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
Lk. 7:24 When the m essengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken in the wind?
The third reference is seen here in Yeshua’s reply to the crowds concerning Yochanan haMatbil. There was a common parable during the first century Judaism known as “The Reed and the Oak Tree.” Without an understanding of this parable it is difficult for us to grasp the imagery behind this passage. According to this parable, there was a giant oak tree and a reed both planted by the river. When a storm came, the oak tree with its deep roots was firmly established and would not budge or compromise. The oak would withstand great gusts of wind, until finally the wind became so strong that its roots gave way and the oak crashed to the ground. The reed, on the other hand, would bend to the right or left with each gust. The concluding principle of the story is that the oak was rigid, and refusing to compromise, gave its life in the storm. Yeshua pointed out to this familiar story. The Jews that heard Him immediately understood what He was saying and asked no questions. Yochanan was not a reed that bent before every gust, but like the giant oak, was rigid and uncompromising. The sad part of it was that Yochanan, like the oak, would be required to give his life for his beliefs.
Parables made up approximately one-third of Yeshua’s teaching, and according to Mark’s Gospel (4:34), He did not teach without them. This was a major form of Jewish teaching used by all the Rabbis known as Haggigah, and literally thousands of these stories have been preserved. Ancient Jews believed that legal references (Halakhah) were for details, but Haggigah was for inspiration. Yeshua’s use of parables as a major part of His teaching also showed that He very much believed in the Oral Law (Mishnah).
Source: Mark 4:34
Mt. 11:8 “But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
Lk. 7:25 “But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in king’s courts.”
Mt. 11:9 “But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.”
Lk. 7:26 “But what did you go out to see? A Prophet? Yes? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.”
Mt. 11:10 “For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before your face, who will prepare Your way before You.’”
Lk. 7:27 “This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.’”
Source: Malachi 3:1
In summary, Yeshua gave this evaluation of Yochanan haMatbil. First, he was not characterized by wishy-washiness. He was not a reed shaken in the wind. Second, he was not characterized by luxurious living. He wore clothes made of camel’s hair; he ate locusts and wild honey for his main diet. Third, Yochanan was a prophet in the true sense of the word. He both predicted events and proclaimed the Good News. Fourth, he was more than a prophet. He was the forerunner of the Messiah, the fulfillment of Malachi 3:1. And fifth, Yochanan was the greatest of the Old Testament saints.
Mt. 11:11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.”
Lk. 7:28 “For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.”
Yeshua also notes that the least in the Kingdom of God (or Heaven) is greater than Yochanan. Yochanan haMatbil has been left behind. He is excluded from the Kingdom Movement. Yeshua gives Yochanan a stern warning. Although he represents the last of the Old Testament prophets who yearned for the appearance of the Anointed One, Yochanan had not understood the Messianic Task as defined by Yeshua. His misunderstanding had its origin in the plurality of the Messianic Expectation of first century Judaism. This is not to say that Yochanan stopped believing that Yeshua was the Messiah, but he embraced an incorrect eschatological scenario which hindered him from joining Yeshua’s Kingdom Movement. We can only hope that when Yochanan’s disciples returned to him with Yeshua’s response, that he finally understood Yeshua’s purpose and mission, and changed his way of thinking.
Mt. 11:12 “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force.”
The key to understanding this verse turns out to be an old Rabbinic interpretation (Midrash) of Micah 2:12,13. (12) “I will assemble Jacob, all of you; I will bring together the remnant of Israel; I will make them all like sheep of Bozrah, they will be noisy with people. (13) One who makes a breach goes before them; they enlarge it to a gate and leave by it. Their king marches before them, the Lord at their head.” In verse thirteen the breach maker and the king are the same person, but in Rabbinic interpretation they are actually two different people. The “breach maker” is interpreted as being Elijah and “their King” is the Messiah, the Branch (Zech. 3:8) and the Son of David. “Suffering violence” is a mistranslation and should read “breaking forth.” “The violent take it by force” should read “those who are breaking out in it,” or “by means of it.”
Sources: Zech. 3:8; Midrash of Micah 2:12, 13
These verses are full of rich imagery. It is a picture of a shepherd pinning up his sheep for the night. He quickly builds a fold by throwing up a makeshift rock fence against the side of a cliff. The next morning, to let the sheep out after spending the night in those cramped quarters, he makes a hole or a breach in the fence by tossing some of the stones aside. He steps through his “gate” with the sheep following close behind. They have been penned up all night and can hardly wait to get out of their cramped quarters. Of course, they push and shove, several trying to get through at the same time, further breaching the little gate in their eagerness to get out into the green pastures. Finally, they burst into the open places, rushing headlong after the shepherd.
In this verse, as in the Midrash, Elijah (or Yochanan haMatbil) is the “breach maker,” the “porezt.” He makes the breach in the rock fence and goes through first. He has opened the way. He is the Elijah of Malachi 3:1 and 4:5,6, who goes before the Lord to prepare His way. As in the Midrash, Yeshua the King follows Yochanan. Yeshua is the Lord Himself, who leads the sheep through the gate. It is a powerful image. Elijah had come and opened the way, and the Lord Himself was leading a noisy multitude out to freedom.
Source: Malachi 3:1; 4:5, 6
There are, according to Yeshua, individuals who are already in the Kingdom of Heaven. This is not exactly the same sense in which the Rabbis understood the Kingdom. For them the Kingdom had been always an unchanging reality, but for Yeshua there was a specific point in time when the Kingdom began breaking out on the earth. This then is the realized eschatology of Yeshua. He is the only Jew of ancient times known to us who preached not only that people were on the threshold of the end times, but that the new age of salvation had already begun. For Yeshua, the Kingdom of Heaven is not only the eschatological rule of God that had dawned already, but a divinely willed movement that spreads among people throughout the earth. The Kingdom of Heaven is not simply a matter of God’s kingship, but also the domain of His rule, an expanding realm embracing ever more and more people, a realm into which one may enter and find one’s inheritance, a realm where there are both great and small.
Mt. 11:13 “For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John.”
The main feature of the message of the prophets was identified by the Rabbis as the days of the Messiah. Concerning Yochanan haMatbil, Yeshua said, “All the prophets prophesied until Yochanan.” The ultimate reason for the work of the prophets was to point beyond their days. From the time of Yochanan haMatbil until now, the Kingdom of Heaven breaks forth, and if one can understand it properly, Yochanan fills the role of Elijah who was designated to prepare the way before the coming of the Anointed Redeemer.
Mt. 11:14 “And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.”
Mt. 11:15 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Lk. 7:29 And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.
Lk. 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.
Mt. 11:16a “But to what shall I liken this generation?
Lk. 7:31 And the Lord said, “To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like?”
These two verses here should make it very plain as to what generation Yeshua referred to throughout the gospel story. He was not talking about a generation some two thousand years in the future. He was talking about that present generation that was alive right then.
Mt. 11:16b “It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions,
Lk. 7:32a “They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,
Mt. 11:17 “And saying, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not lament.’”
Lk. 7:32b Saying, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we mourned to you, and you did not weep.’”
According to Josephus, people were hired as public mourners in case someone died.
Source: Jos. Wars. 3.9.5, note #1
Mt. 11:18 “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’”
Lk. 7:33 “For John came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’”
Mt. 11:19a “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a gluttonous man and a wine bibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’”
Lk. 7:34 “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a wine bibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’”
Mt. 11:19b “But wisdom is justified by her children.”
Lk. 7:35 “But wisdom is justified by all her children.”
A document known as the “Assumption of Moses” from the first century C.E., reproaches the Pharisees for being men who “at every hour of the day love to banquet and gorge themselves, who from morning till evening love to way: ‘we want feasting and plenty to eat and drink.’” This reminds us of the Tosefta and Talmudic description of the “sons of the synagogue” and the “communities of Jerusalem” which some say also referred to the Pharisees (BT:Betzia 14b). All this seems to be the same wording that was attributed to Yeshua as He was accused of being “a glutton and a wine bibber.”
Sources: BT;Betzia 14b; Assumption of Moses
The association of Yeshua with questionable segments of society also brought serious conflict. The attention He gave to women was unusual considering their comparatively low position during this time. In addition, He interacted with tax collectors, one of the most hated classes of people. He also dealt with lepers, who were shunned by all. Furthermore He had contact with the scorned, mixed race of the Samaritans and He broke through traditional thinking of His day by reaching out to the Gentiles, thus paving the way for the later Jewish Christian missions to the non-Jewish world.
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