17. The Hammer that Heals [Matthew] - Tim Mackie (The Bible Project)

all right I invite you to grab a Bible and turn with me to the Gospel according to Matthew chapter 11 chapter 11 the Gospel of Matthew anybody right we're like we're solid like six or seven months in and we're almost halfway through and that's right on target you know it's like what's the rush it's Jesus so let's just reflect on Jesus as long as we can Matthew chapter 11 I'm just going to read the first few verses here and we'll dive in after Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples he went on from there to teach and to preach in the towns of Galilee now when John who was in prison heard about the deeds of the Messiah he sent his disciples to ask Jesus are you the one who is to come or should we be expecting somebody else okay let's pause so John who's John so John the Baptist right doesn't say that but that you're just supposed to know from the story okay here's where we are we've for months been following Jesus's Kingdom mission he's cruising around the northern villages and towns of Israel and Galilee and he's announcing he's teaching and announcing the the kingdom of God is here but then he's also bringing it in to reality through his deeds so we followed weeks of Jesus healing people and his signs and wonders and so on and everybody's minds are boggled and then just last week Josh brought us into chapter 10 where Jesus it's going to spread and extend the scope of the Jesus Movement and so he equips and calls the circle of 12 as a symbol of the restoration of the twelve tribes of Israel and he teaches them and then send them out to keep to extend the mission they're supposed to go be doing what Jesus has been doing and so that's where we come back around here we have Jesus's mission and then his mission extended through his circle of disciples and goes out and we're told that Jesus didn't stop it's not like he's like you know now they can go do the work so he's still out there doing what he has been doing it constructing after instructing his disciples he's going around teaching preaching so gaining lots of press right there's lots of there's even more public attention to the Jesus movement through his disciples and so John John the Baptist hears about the deeds of the Messiah what Jesus has been up to now where is John the Baptist right now he's sitting in prison now you this was passing passing note back in chapter 4 so remember who John the Baptist this this whole text is about John the Baptist so John the Baptist was a crucially important figure for Jesus jesus's parents and John's parents they they knew each other and they grew up in and around each other we don't have much information about that but we know at least that their families are connected and their childhoods were connected and then at some point John the Baptist he becomes a crazy man but in the best pot in in the sense of that all of the the great Hebrew prophets of Israel were eccentric people with a unique calling and so John finds himself called to become a voice to all the people of Israel and so he goes out into the wilderness and he eats insects and beehives and he wears uncomfortable clothes and he lives and sleeps in the desert and he starts calling all of Israel to come out to him and he begins this renewal movement of Israelites who will confess their sins and and wait for the coming of the Messiah and so on so Jesus went out to John he would remember he was baptized by John and so on and then John gained so much public attention he gained the wrong kind of attention that is of the puppet king of the Romans there in the land Herod Herod didn't like John for a number of reasons put him in prison and so John we don't know how long here John has been rotting and in you know a Roman prison cell which was no picnic by the way the reason why it's especially in the early church they you here visiting prisoners as one of the key ministries is because there was no like they didn't give you food in prison it didn't do anything for you if you don't have friends bringing you stuff in prison you're going to starve and rot there and so it's no picnic John sitting there in prison and what do we we hear that he look at this he's sitting in prison and then he starts hearing these reports about like what Jesus he's out doing this and this and this and then he sends his followers Mara doing this and this and this and so he he sends some of his John sent some of his followers to go ask Jesus a question not just stop right there given what John knows about Jesus and what he's experienced with Jesus and the baptism and so on what would you think the question would be what would you think John would want to ask you know like what's happening like this is this is how can I pray for you it was really exciting you know but what does he ask we ask this all right I use it you're the Messiah you're the Messiah are you sure are you is it you or should we be expecting somebody else by who saw that question coming from this guy you know what I'm saying this is one of what we would think would be one of the closest people to Jesus and in this chapter in the next chapter Matthew is collected a whole bunch of very different types of responses to Jesus some from people that we know are opposed to Jesus like the Pharisees but we're going to get stories about Jesus some of the people closest to Jesus like John the Baptist or even his own family members and what we're going to see if they're like weirded out by Jesus and they don't know what to make of him I mean really look at this are you the one he hears what Jesus is doing and it doesn't lead him to the conclusion oh yes he's totally the Messiah he starts questioning whether Jesus is Messiah because of what he hears Jesus do you James kept that there don't read over that what Jesus is doing somehow doesn't convince him that Jesus is the Messiah it makes him wonder why is that okay so we'll we'll put some of John's words up on the screen here do you remember what John said when he announced that the great day of God's visitation was coming and that the Messiah was coming - remember what John said let's just refresh ourselves right so lots of people are coming out to John in the desert here's what he says to them he says hey hey y'all that's my Texan for you there hey y'all don't think that you can say to yourself now we have Abraham as our Father right we're Israelites so we're good we're good we're on great terms with God's just because of the fact of our birth no no no I tell you God can raise up children for Abraham from rocks the ax is at the root of the tree every tree that doesn't produce good fruit it's going to be cut down thrown into the fire I'm just baptizing you in water for repentance but after me comes one there we go are you the one John asked he's announcing he said back there in the desert he said after me is coming someone who's more powerful than I whose sandals I'm not even worthy to carry he's going to baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire his winnowing Fork is in his hand he's going to clear the threshing floor gathering weed into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire what's his pause right there so intense guy right it was the very intense message so and and what John is doing here John grew up immersed in the Hebrew prophets and he sent a calling that he was to come as one in the long chain of Hebrew prophets - to announce the day that there was a day when the God of Israel would act in history to reclaim his world to bring the kingdom to send the Messiah who would the kingdom of Shalom and justice and goodness and so on and it will be a day that will bring God's rescue but also God's purifying judgment right God suggested and so what was John saying listen the Messiah is coming right after me and it's going to get intense he's going to bring the hammer right I mean there you go why and then so he baptizes Jesus right and the whole thing God speaks and the spirit and you know God says you were my son I love you right there's that whole thing happens right before John's eyes as he witnesses this and he says to Jesus behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and then Jesus goes and actually starts doing his thing and it leads John to question wait wait really you're the you're the one deep do you see why see what did Jesus been doing he's been healing people and teaching what did John say Jesus would do hammer time so I mean it's really intense he would bring the hammer of God's justice on God's people that's what John thought would happen and then John is rotting in prison now and he hears about what Jesus is doing and he's like wait this doesn't this doesn't fit that's what's going on with John's question here and look at Jesus's response verse four jesus replied go back and report to John what you hear and what you see the blind receive sight the lame walk those who have leprosy are cleansed the Deaf hear the dead are raised and the good news is proclaimed to the poor blessed is the one who doesn't stumble on account of me that's Jesus's answer clear as always so click there's always right so so how is that an answer Jesus is just given a summary of what he's been up to if you go through he says six things and almost all of those six things each one has a story attached that you just read a few chapters ago about people who are crippled or lame and they walk blind people seeing the Deaf hearing and good news being proclaimed to the poor think of the blessings that Jesus pronounced at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount that the spiritual zeros and the nobodies and those on the outside from the religious leaders point of view they are the blessed ones who are part of God's kingdom so Jesus just summarizes what he's been up to and more than that Jesus is a Bible geek and so actually every single one of those six lines is drawn from a prophecy from the scroll of Isaiah it's really fascinating Jesus is quoting here some four passages in Isaiah what a Bible geek I love this kind of thing but he's taken phrases out of Isaiah chapter 29 as they a chapter 35 and 42 and 61 put them in a blender group and what you get is this little paragraph right here and and all of these passages are talking about the great day the great day when the God of Israel would visit his people with salvation and judgment would purify his people would send the Messianic Kingdom and so on and and so what is Jesus saying to John he's responding to John and he's saying listen like the the kingdom of God is actually you're not you weren't wrong John the kingdom of God is here I am the one who's bringing all of this into reality but it doesn't look like what you thought it would look like John look at Jesus's last words he says blessed is anyone who doesn't stumble on account of me so John told everybody that the Messiah would bring the hammer Jesus comes and he brings healing and he brings this open generous dinner table where tax collectors can turn and follow Jesus and then bring all their friends to be around Jesus and experiences teaching and his wisdom and so on and so from John's point of view like John's like I'm in prison I thought I was the voice crying out in the wilderness and you and I were like on the same team and so and then like I'm in prison and what is the Messiah doing about it he's having dinner with tax collectors and he's having these dinner parties we sell any ceiling people and that's great for them but where's the kingdom Jesus where's the hammer and Jesus says listen listen John it's here but it looks different than what you've expected it would look like blessed are those who can who can see underneath what they thought would happen and who actually see what I'm actually doing let's pause right there and you know Jesus he's not rebuking John I don't think he's mad at John but I do think he sees the John there's something happening in John's head there's a disconnect and let's be sympathetic with John all right let's not Bagon in let's let's let's think about if you've ever rotted in prison before which I'm guessing none of us right where the first few of us have any experience in something like that so the kind of place that you would be when you're when you're trapped in a prison cell odds are you're not going to get out of here and you were once cohorts with Jesus and in fact you like set the public stage for him to rise and you said all of this about what Jesus was going to do and then Jesus goes around not doing that and and I'm still here in prison anybody okay so it's very clear we're at wherever John's question comes from it comes from a place where he he he clearly had a little story in his head about how things were going to go and about what Jesus would do in the world and in his life and that's that story is not coming true it's just not at all and he's clearly rocked by and us that he will gather his disciples to go ask Jesus and see don't think of it are you sure are you sure about this like am i backing the wrong horse here you know is that what's that what's happening he's real even some sort of crisis moment and it might be easy you know for us to sit back and be like Oh John just trust Jesus or would ever have faith the realist sympathize with this man so so John's John's going through an experience that I think all of us have gone through at at some point and and it opens up a question and just think from John's perspective for a minute is John's hope in Jesus is John's hope and trust in Jesus what do you think we wouldn't be asking the question right if he wasn't hoping in Jesus in some way that's why he's puzzled right it's Jesus I was hoping in you and we I thought you were the one for all that's why I told everybody you don't have to go back on my words now what he doesn't right so in what sense clearly he's hoping in Jesus but yet in another sense what is he discovering as he sits in prison and is the whole little movie that he had in his head is you know in pieces hoping for a new cycle residence is not what I thought was supposed to happen in one sense yes this hope isn't in Jesus but in another sense no but he didn't know that what he's discovering is that he was actually placing his hope and his trust in a little movie reel that hadn't been playing in his head about what he expected Jesus to do and to be and then all of a sudden Jesus doesn't do that and he's not those kinds of things crisis anybody anybody he sympathized with John so what what John is experiencing is something it's just it's a life lesson that just humans have to learn in general but is that like as you grow you learn that there are times in life when you know you have high expectations and then they're not met and you're like oh well you know I knew and it's crushing disappointing but then there are other times when things happen in your life and and something goes down and it's just crisis devastation there's some kind of strong emotional reaction and maybe it seems some small incident or whatever like just something didn't turn out at work or something or somebody when your friend just says an offhand comment and it just sets you up or whatever and there's all this now negative energy and emotion you're like whoa what what's going on and it's always good to pay attention like what's stirring up all this energy inside of me and odds are odds are what you what you're coming across is the fact that you actually really have a clear strong set of expectations about what you hoped would happen and they're not happening but you didn't know you had those expectations until they weren't met anybody so it's kind of like Star Wars right let me just ring it all the way back around because sorry so but the new trailer anybody did you see the new trailer two weeks ago could be could be the one you know yeah yeah so so my experience in the summer of 1999 that fateful summer right when the first movie of the new trilogy I I was just going I was just like yeah you know I grew up on these movies and play the audio tapes you know as I played with my toys growing up about all the scenes and so on and so I was excited to go see it I mean I just I was so bummed so disappointed I were walking out of the theater just going man I don't want it if I ever have kids I don't want to show that today I'm holding hitting the big red so so what what was happening there some I had such a magical encounter with the universe of Star Wars growing up I didn't know that I had such high expectations walking into that movie theater and it wasn't like a life crisis or anything like that but it was it was actually really really disappointing to me and so here we go you guys end of 2015 right they're telling us by the end of the year and I'm just really I mean JJ Abrams's he's really talented you know the writer and director and I'm but I'm just trying to tell myself just expect that it's going to be lame I just expect it and then if it's not lame you can only go up from the trilogy from ten years ago you know what I mean and so just think that it'll be like that you with me here so I have a friend who is one of his life saying is this he says expect gravel just expects gravel in your life anything else is a happy surprise okay and that's kind of a morose mindset to live your life with but you get the point here there are all kinds of expectations that we know we have there are other expectations that we only realize we have until they're not met and so you have a good friend or family member or spouse and what's something they say or do is such a huge letdown to you and you're like why what's going on here or probably really it's the other person who's like whoa I just forgot to get the ice cream at the store or something I just you know forgot to bring flowers or whatever and then so what's happening there it's an expectation that's being exposed in hardship and and unexpected suffering in our lives has a way of revealing these hidden expectations and it's the same in following Jesus as we don't realize that that actually we were banking on Jesus to solve most of our problems and we are following Jesus because we expect that he is going to make our wildest dreams come true and we don't know that that's actually what we think until her wildest dreams don't come true until our nightmares come true right or the opposite comes true and then we find ourselves in the space where were scandalized by Jesus and what Jesus is actually doing in the world we like yeah that's cool but like I'm sitting here in prison and like what about me and what about solving my problem Jesus why isn't that higher on your agenda list and what you realize all of a sudden what you really were expecting Jesus to do all along that's the space where John is at and so it really raises a question it's an honest question the question you have to ask what why should you follow Jesus you know like what this is clearly where John's at so why here's about what Jesus is doing it's not good are you the one am I going to keep banking on you because I'm here in prison and nothing's happening with that Jesus so why follow him if you don't have any guarantee the Jesus is going to solve all your problems or make your wildest dreams to come true likewise follow him so let that hang and let's turn back to what Jesus says about John and he's going to address this this whole issue let's go back verse 7 John's disciples they leave Jesus begins to speak to the crowd about John and he has not one negative thing to say about him John's doubting Jesus Jesus never doubts John or speaks poorly of John he says to the crowd he says everybody what what did you go out in the wilderness to see he's referring to John being out in the wilderness what what did you think you were going to when you went to go see John in the wilderness were you going to see a reed swayed by the wind Jesus always teaches through images and parables and so on so did you go to see a pushover somebody who just kind of like caves to the pressure and expectations of other people any person who lives in the desert and eats insects and beehives is not living by anyone elses expectations so no there's no pushover you didn't go in the desert see a pushover well if not would you go out to sea did you see go to see a man dressed and like fine soft clothing did you go out to see somebody raised on creature comforts you know who's who and all of a sudden now that he's just in prison he's a or something dude John is no exactly he wasn't raised with the silver spoon in his mouth so so to speak not it know those who are fantasies like that they live in King's palaces look at Jesus dig on Kings here right and how they lived then what did you go out to see them a prophet oh yeah yeah more than a prophet I tell you this is the one about whom it is written and then he quotes ever ever the Bible gate Jesus quoting Malachi 3 here I send my messenger ahead of you who will prepare the way before you John was not only a prophet he was a prophet that all of the prophets looked forward to that there would be a great Herald who would announce the coming of the Messiah and the Messianic Kingdom and he sang John's that guy truly I tell you Jesus says among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he this is kind of a puzzling saying anybody when ever gotcha yeah so for a lot but Jesus he says things differently than we would say them but of course he lived 2,000 years ago on the other side of the planet and spoke a different language of course he's going to talk in ways it sounds funny to us yeah which is what he's saying so John the Baptist he he's he's one of the unique most unique and privileged human beings for all who came before him why because he got to play this this pivot role in history where he was not only a prophet but he was the prophet foretold by the process he was the prophet who announced the great day of visitation where the kingdom would come and the Messiah would come what a unique privileged role John had but here is the reality is that John is going to die in prison and he's never actually going to see and witness the the birth of the things that he announced and so Jesus's disciples who were right there around him those who are way like there's all kinds of disciples of Jesus who you who are around Jesus that you'll never know their names their names are lost to history right but they're greater than John because they are going to be privileged to see Jesus actually bring the kingdom fully into reality to see that she's saying John's awesome but he's not going to be able to see the birth of the things that he announced you all are going to see them he says do some cycles from the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven has been subjected to violent and the violent people have been raiding it or plundering it here's what I think Jesus is saying this is one of the really highly debated phrases sayings of Jesus what exactly he's getting at here's what I think I think he means though it could be wrong is that ever since John came on the scene and ever since Jesus came on the scene bringing the kingdom in a way that nobody expected there's been this growing violent opposition that opposition is coming from the Bible teachers of this Rijo by the Pharisees it's going to start coming from those who run the Temple in Jerusalem which is also their form of government you've got the opposition of King Herod who is violently placing John in prison and so on and of course Jesus is going to meet violent opposition as well but don't mistake that violent opposition that somehow things are going wrong or the plan has gone off track he says for all of the prophets and the law the Scriptures prophesied pointed forward to John if you're willing to accept it he is the Elijah who was to come do you have ears be listening so he's Bible geek he's quoting from Malachi 4 now verse 3 no 4 which said that a prophet like Elijah would come before the great day and he's life so Jesus is saying like make no mistake the kingdom is here it does but it doesn't look like what even John expected it would look like and that's his point let's close with this last section here he says - what can I compare this generation they're like children sitting in a marketplace calling out to other people saying hey we played the pipes for you why aren't you dancing we sang a dirge for you why why aren't you mourning so he's coming back to this ex patience aim here he's saying here's what here's what's happening and here's what as Jesus does what he does and it's what nobody expected here's how people are responding to Jesus they're like little demanding kid who come into the marketplace you know the day after the Sabbath right and everybody's back and they're getting their food and stuff for the work week and so on and so they're like little kids maybe beggar children and they come and they come and play a little flute you know and the thing is is hey cheer up the day after the Sabbath it's the weeks beginning now you know let's celebrate and dance and put some coins in my hat you know this kind of thing and and he's saying it's like these kids who are playing their little flutes in the marketplace and nobody's dancing and they get angry likewise well I'm playing the music dance people it's like a flash mob where nobody dances or something like that you know it's like the music is playing and nobody's in to it or it's like little kids playing a funeral song and nobody responds so what years what he's saying saying this generation has a whole set of expectations about what John was supposed to be like about what Jesus would be like as he brings the Messianic Kingdom Jesus and John are not dancing to their tune and now they're getting ticked off about it because look at what he says he says listen John came he didn't have dinner parties eating or drinking he went out to the desert and they insects and you all said he's a freak cousin but then Here I am the Messiah the Son of Man and I'm having these dinner parties celebrating God's grace with Matthew and you called me a dremmel okay right friend of tax collectors and sinners like which which way do you want it right so you get the point Jesus is great he could have just said listen I know I'm not meeting your expectations but instead he says this which is way more awesome way of saying it look at his closing line he says wisdom but wisdom is proved right by her deeds leave it to Jesus to end with a little riddle a little cryptic riddle and once again Bible geek he's pulling from proverbs chapter 1 in proverbs chapter 8 this this figure of wisdom that the that wisdom and discernment is proved not by how much you know but by how things actually play out in reality and he's saying listen you just like you you if you think I'm not the one because I'm not doing what you expect me to do then find whatever you just watch what happens and you will see for those of you who have discernment that the kingdom of God is actually here this is actually the God of Israel I work in the war hold and it's for those who have eyes to see it you'll see you'll see what's going to happen wisdom is proved right by her for deep so just stop and ask yourself what what is going to happen in the story John's going to have his head chopped off in about three chapters and Jesus is going to face growing opposition until he gets arrested put up on false charges and gets hung on a roam and execution rack where he suffers and dies wisdom is proved right by her deed John dies Jesus dies and and just like us many people in Jesus days will see clearly that's a sign of failure clearly that's a sign a dead Messiah is a failed Messiah from their point of view like how can that be where it was supposed to be going all along Jesus says pay attention so how this story is going to go and you will see the kingdom of God brought into reality some people would see what happened with John and Jesus as a failure Jesus saw it as how it had to go why from from the children in the marketplace if God's kingdom is going to come it's going to beat out those people the bad guys which for them was the Romans and any Jews to compromise and go with them once we just get rid of them then we'll set up the New Kingdom here and everything will be rosy that is not the story Jesus hasn't Jesus has a different enemy that he has a target on it's it's this it's that mysterious deeply mysterious enemy of evil and spiritual evil and the way that spiritual evil has hijacked human history and hijacked the human heart corporately and individually and Jesus is here not to solve everybody's problems Jesus is here to actually be the embodiment of God's love joining itself to the tragic human story and and suffering our pain and suffering are shattered expectations and the consequences of our sin and he's going to he's going to conquer his enemy evil by letting evil conquer him and exhausting its power completely and allowing evil to kill him in and through human beings and that's not a failure according to it was according everybody else around him it was not that was the plan because jesus knows that god's commitment to his broken suffering dying world is so great that he will not allow sin and death to get the final word and so jesus' resurrection creates and opens up this whole new possibility for hope for true hope for hope that God's love and his commitment gets the final word in our world and in our lives amen so the question is why why did Jesus do that and let's just listen to his words John chapter 15 this is why he did it he says this is my commandment that you all love one another as I have loved you no one has greater love than this than to lay down his life for his friend let's just stay stay right there why did Jesus do what he did and why did Jesus come and live among us and not solve everybody's problems He healed people but eventually they - and Jesus instead of solving everyone's problems forever and ever he actually joins himself to our tragic fate as human beings and he dies along with us why did he do that because because this is a story about a God who absolutely loved and is committed to his world in his creation and he loves human beings who were compromised by evil so what does this tell us about our question why why should I follow Jesus if I have no guarantee that he's going to solve all because the the man that we follow was crucified and executed by the Romans whatever is going to mean to follow Jesus it is not the key to success in your life or the key to all of our problems being answered it's just it's just clearly not there will be moments in following Jesus where we're surprised by moments of surprise and joy and things happening in our lives that are so wonderful that we're just grateful and it's amazing and those are also matched by moments of following Jesus that are going to be tragic that are going to be so painful and so difficult because that's just how life is in our broken world and we have no guarantee that Jesus is going to prevent any of that from happening he didn't prevent it from happening to him you didn't prevent it from happening to John so why follow this man why what's the point and it seems to me the point is this is you you show me you show me any religion or any religious worldview where at its heart is a God who is so utterly in love with and committed to every different type of person you could possibly imagine that he would do this for them I just show up just tell me tell me and just show me anybody more amazing than Jesus show me anyone more beautiful such wisdom and grace and compassion and mercy for people how can we not follow him well why would it was Jesus the Jesus somehow abandoned those 21 Christians who got their heads chopped off on the coast of Libya in February did Jesus of did he not love and care about them did Jesus not love and care about 147 Christians you know who were murdered in college in Kenya last month I mean we don't have any guarantee that one of us things are going to why follow the man show me anybody who loves you and is as committed to you that he would do this for you lay down his life and so I don't know why your wildest dreams aren't coming true and I don't know why Jesus doesn't solve your problems for you but I can at least just as one of your pastors say this we can rule out one option with certainty your wildest dreams are not coming true bad things are happening to you for any number of reasons but one of them is not that Jesus doesn't love you and that he doesn't care about two because somebody who doesn't love you and doesn't care about you wouldn't do this for you and so whatever Jesus is calling us into he's calling us to the cross and he's calling us to see his death as for us but also his life as for us and his resurrection as for us and what it forces us to do is to put our hope in Jesus not in the story that we think our life will turn into if we follow Jesus but actually Jesus and it forces us to be open to Jesus doing things in our lives that we just that are not in the script and that you wouldn't have imagined and that's an exciting and a terrifying place to be but if I if I know that I'm in the hands of someone like this someone who loves me and lay down their life for me it allows me to live in a space of peace and if truck in Jesus's commitment to me no matter what happens in my life amen let me close in a word of Prayer you

Channel: Tim Mackie Archives

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Length: 39min 55sec (2395 seconds)

Published: Sat Aug 19 2017