If there’s a universal thing that we should agree on, is how Matthew 11 is pure gold. The treasure that we’ve been left with deserves way more attention than it has received.
If you’re not familiar with it, then you’ll be happy to read this article and find out all the wonderful, amazing things Jesus said. After reading some of them, please make sure you comment on what’s your favorite and why it speaks to you so much!
Now, without further ado, let’s review some of the things Jesus said to help and guide us while on His amazing mission on earth!
“Never man spake like this man.” (John 7:46)
I think hundreds of millions of people would definitely agree over the fact that no one ever spoke like Jesus. Our Lord spoke such intense and solid words, that we can safely say no one ever heard something like this on planet Earth, that’s how surprising, wonderful, and memorable they are.
Where Jesus preached, no one was ever bored. Now, let’s direct our attention to Matthew 11:21-30, and read seven things He said that are truly amazing.
“It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgement than for you” (Matthew 11:21-24)
The Lord’s audience might have been a bit outraged by this. I mean, the simple idea that the wicked Sodom would be far better at the throne of judgment than other people is quite hard to process.
But the truth is, some people will have it tougher at judgement than others in the very same way others will receive a greater Heavenly reward than others. But we didn’t make this up.
Jesus said it. In 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, Paul even spoke of Christians whose works are “wood, hay, and stubble”, rather than the “gold, silver, and precious stones.” Maybe they never grew beyond carnality or were even caught up in a cult and started spreading falsehood from door to door.
Whatever the reason might have been for their unworthy works, “if any man’s work is burned up”, he might suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved. There are certain degrees of reward in Heaven as some people enter glory.
“At that time, Jesus answered and said, ‘I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and dist reveal them to babes” (Matthew 11:25)
The people in the audience who considered themselves to be highly intelligent felt extremely offended by this. As the Lord spoke, I can only imagine that some people were shaking their heads, simply refusing to believe Him before the words left His mouth.
Every pastor knows that feeling. You preach as hard as you can to get across some wonderful insight from scripture and some close-minded hearers simply reject the teaching without even trying to consider it.
I can only imagine a Mensa member wondering why the Scripture seems so foolish. Given his unparalleled intellect, he should’ve been able to figure out God, if such an ethereal Being even exists, and all the mysteries of the universe should automatically unfold before his scrutiny.
To his everlasting consternation, the living God made them off-limits to him and has given them to the children! On many different occasions, Jesus said “Except you humble yourself and become just like a little child, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 18:16 and Luke 18:16). People who are unwilling to do this might miss out on the greatest wonders of the universe.
“Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight” (Matthew 11:26)
Why did God set things up so that the Nobel Prize winner needs to struggle to get to faith and the childlike walk right in? Jesus gave us the only answer that would make sense. “He wanted to.” That’s not very theological, right?
Well, God does some things just because doing them pleases Him. “It truly pleased God that through the foolishness of preaching people who believe would be saved” (1 Corinthians 1:21). Many people might have wanted to change this.
They’re not fond of sermons and have little use for a system that centers around preaching. But we don’t have any choice in this. We self-important earthlings who set ourselves up as Divine Advisors might have to deal with this. It’s just how things are. “Without faith, it’s quite impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).
Psalm 115:3 states it quite clearly: “Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.” God has His plans and He knows very well what needs to be done. So you can either trust Him or be forever frustrated.
“All things have been handed over to Me by My Father…” (Matthew 11:27)
Right before delivering the Great Commission commanding disciples to take the gospel out in the world and make additional disciples, Jesus declared: “All authority in heaven and earth has been handed over to me” (Matthew 28:18). He is in charge.
He has the right to issue commands to the people of God. Imagine how enraged the religious authorities were! The Lord Jesus is definitely acting in the place of the Almighty. He forgives all sins, gives new and fresh interpretations of scripture, and points to Himself as the Savior and the coming Judge.
The epistles enlarge the truth in various different ways. This one, for example, is simply mind-boggling: “Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him, all things were made…all things have been created by Him and for Him.
He comes before everything and in Him, all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church, and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. He Himself might come to have first place in everything. There are genuinely no areas of life on earth in which this doesn’t apply. Jesus is Lord of all.
“No one knows the Son except the Father…” (Matthew 11:27)
This could’ve drove His hearers up the wall. They might have thought…who does he think He is? We know Him. He’s the carpenter of Galilee. The entire identity of Jesus – his being all God and all man in His earthly body- completely eludes us. It did then and it still does it to this day.
However, scholars of every generation try to figure Him out. “Who is this man?” the crowds might think as they listen to Jesus teach and saw Him work. Jesus Christ was the Son of Joseph, carpenter of Nazareth, and the Son of God. He was Son of Man and Son of David. He was Mary’s Son and Mary’s Lord and Savior.
“Nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matthew 11:27)
This could be the most enraging thing the scribes and Pharisees heard from the rabbi of Galilee. What’s truly delightful and humorous is the sheer gall of this. Just imagine saying, “No one knows God except me and the people I introduce to Him.” Then you turn around and say “I am very humble.”
But this is exactly what Jesus said. What are the exact implications of Jesus being the only One who really knows the Father and has sole access to Him? If you want to reach God, you have to come to Jesus. He is the door.
