Previously……….,
The word of God does not condemn us but rather it hits hard on our sins. Jesus can only be a friend of the sinner only if the sinner is willing and ready to surrender and forsake his or her sins. On the other hand, the wise guy is proven wise by his sensible deeds. The wisdom to embrace both Jesus and John for who they were and what they were called to be was something Jesus had in mind.
Although some may criticize John, but let us consider what he accomplished: he brought thousands of people to repentance, paving the path for the Messiah. People may criticize Jesus, but let us consider what He accomplished: He taught, worked, loved, and died like no one else.
Continued from previously…..,
Because most of His powerful deeds took place in major cities, they were bathed in light, necessitating a higher accountability level. Greater light entails greater responsibility. Unresponsiveness to God’s voice is a defining feature of this generation, and this is the major reason why there is chaos everywhere.
“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” Matthew 11:27 . There is a significant distinction between how the Son knows the Father and how we might come to know Him. We know God the Father because He comes down to our level to reveal Himself. Because they are equal and entirely compatible; God the Son understands God the Father. When Jesus says, “Come unto Me,” He demonstrates His authority. This invitation would be unimaginable if it came from anybody other than God and woe to the men who call people to themselves rather than to Jesus.
Those who were burdened were the ones to whom Jesus addressed His call. Instead of living in self-sufficiency, He called anyone who needs help to come to Him for help. Jesus extended a tremendous invitation, urging us to take up His yoke and learn from Him. We must come as disciples of old. Our coming to Him must not be all about receiving alone but we must be eager to learn and willing to be led by His words.
The Bible teaches in Matthew 11:28–30 “”Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
The greatest gift that God promised anyone that yield to his word is true rest “……….and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”. This unrivalled gift, powerful and profound, should be considered a birthright for those who come to Jesus and for all that walks according to his commandment. This is one of the major benefits for those that suffereth violence for the sake of the kingdom of God.
Behind the scenes, a battle is raging. It’s a battle of the souls. Only those who “push” forward have a chance of winning. Every conflict is violent, and this War of Wars is no exception. We will never win unless we are “aggressive” if we have holy fire and determination. In this spiritual warfare, we must strive and press forward every step of the way. The Bible teaches in 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
What does it mean for the Kingdom to be suffering violence? The Greek verb can be interpreted one of two ways: “to suffer violence” or “to advance forcibly.” Both of these translations are possible. The first option assumes that the Kingdom is being attacked by dark forces (Herod Antipas, Jewish leaders, and so on). Option two depicts God as pushing the Kingdom forward despite the opposition. While highlighting a true aspect of the Kingdom of heaven, Option one is more compelling. Because if “the violent take [the kingdom] through force,” it makes more sense to think of the Kingdom as “suffering violence” from “the violent.” God’s Kingdom is the direct target of unbelieving hatred in both phrases of Matthew 11:12.
To better grasp Matthew 11:12, we’ll break it down.
And from the days of John the Baptist until now,
This refers to John the Baptist’s life and times, from his first appearance to the desert period, the baptizing of the repentant and Jesus, and finally, Jesus’ appearance. John the Baptist had been Jesus’ forerunner, and now Jesus’ mission had begun on earth, and it was a continuation and greater ministry than John’s. In verses 7-8, Jesus speaks about this. The “days of John the Baptist” referred to John’s tenure on earth.
The Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence,
Though this translation claims that the Kingdom of heaven has been forcefully progressing since John the Baptist, we must still comprehend the issue of violent men attacking it, which appears to be negative on the surface. These parts start to puzzle us in terms of interpretation, most likely due to a mistranslation of the words or a text that appears ambiguous in interpretation.
But, to assist us to comprehend, we’ll look at the original Greek text: The Greek verb here could mean “force a way violently,” which raises the question of whether the kingdom of God is under “violent force” physically and spiritually, or whether the sinner is giving it what it takes to enter the kingdom of heaven. When we compare this to Luke 16:16 (The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it). This indicates that the kingdom of heaven can be attained by spiritually strong men who have come to appreciate the kingdom’s value and benefits; attacking it means attacking it with full strength (the scriptures) and excitement.
and the violent take it by force,
It argues that “the violent take it by force” because “. The violent are those who has passion for the things of Christ; those that have impetuous zeal, those who grasp the kingdom of heaven, its peace, and forgiveness of sin.
To be continued……..