I'd like to have you turn to two passages of Scripture tonight. The first is Isaiah 61, and then Matthew chapter 11. Isaiah 61, if you're using the Pew Bible, is on page 789, and Matthew 11 is on page 1037. Let's ask God's blessing before we begin the reading of this Word. Heavenly Father, what we are about to open is your very own word. It has been providentially protected throughout the centuries, originally given by the Spirit himself. And as we open it, may we have reverence for it, and may we be blessed by it. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Isaiah chapter 1, just two verses there. These are two verses that Jesus quoted in Matthew chapter 11 when he responds to the question of John the Baptist. The Spirit of the Lord of God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. And that's where Jesus stops. He does not add that next line, and the day of vengeance of our God. Not that Jesus did not believe in eternal punishment, but he did not quote that part to John the Baptist. Now, I'd like to have you turn to Matthew 11, where Jesus quotes that in regard to a question that John the Baptist asks him whether he is the one. And let me just mention that John's question, I believe, arises from John's doubt. I was a little uneasy with that position because Calvin and Luther did not hold that. They thought that John was doing this for his disciples' benefit. And so I was very hesitant to think differently than John Calvin or Martin Luther. Then I read James Boyce. And James Boyce at least encouraged me to continue with how I understood this passage. You know, that's one of the blessings of having a creed. It's one of the blessings of having a historic church. because the pastors are not permitted, first of all, to leave the creeds in terms of their teaching. And secondly, we can look back upon the church fathers and find wisdom there so that we won't go off on deep ends. But in this case, I am happy to follow James' voice, and I hope you will be too. Chapter 11 of the Gospel of Matthew, this is God's Word. When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities. Now when John, that's John the Baptist's children, when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another? And Jesus answered them, Go and tell John what you hear and see. The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk. The lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me. And as they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John. What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in king's houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet, this is of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you. Truly I say to you, among those born of women, there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence. And the violence, take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates. We played the flute for you, and you did not dance. We sang a dirge, and you did not mourn. For John came neither eating or drinking, and you say he is a demon. And the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, Look at him, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds. When he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done because they did not repent. Woe to you, Chorazin. That's a city in Israel, children. Woe to you, Bethsaida. That's in Israel too. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, They would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable in the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you. At that time, Jesus declared, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. I'm not going to be dealing with that section tonight, although it certainly reminds us that salvation is God's sovereign choice of grace. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. So far the reading of God's word this evening. Children, I have an outline in the back of the bulletin tonight. There is a blank there. I really wanted that on the second line, but that's okay. It's big enough. I'm not going to tell you what to put in that blank. And I might mention it sometime in the sermon. But if you don't figure out what answer you should put there, you can ask your mom or dad or Reverend Donovan who knows everything. Or you can ask me. I might even have a good idea. This evening we're going to be looking at the theme of this passage that I want to look at in terms of Jesus isn't the problem. So let me just begin by asking you a question tonight. How is your faith? How is your fervor? How is your devotion? Perhaps there is somebody here tonight who said, well, if you really wanted me to be honest, I wouldn't tell anybody this. I certainly wouldn't tell our pastors this. but if it wasn't for my parents, if it wasn't for my children, if it wasn't for my spouse, I wouldn't be here. Preaching leaves me cold, the Bible reads me cold, singing leaves me cold, I'm just here because I have to be here. And maybe someone else says, well, I'm not that radical, but I struggle with certain things. I have certain struggles that I go through, and someone else says, I don't understand that. Sunday is the best, it is super Sunday for me, every Sunday. I love worship, I love singing, I love the reading of the word, I love the preaching, I like the fellowship of the saints. Sunday is a day that I look forward to. I remember when I was on a trip or in the military, it was that that I missed the most, and I don't know what's wrong with people today. I don't know what's happening in the church, I don't know why there's a decline in the church, I don't know why people are falling away. I don't know why children don't accept their parents' faith. I don't know what's with former members. The problem isn't Jesus. He isn't the problem. Whatever the problem might be, he is not the problem. You see that in this passage that we read tonight. That's why there is such terrible condemnation for the unbelief of those who had witnessed Jesus and who had not turned to him in faith. You see that in verses 21 and 22. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! The miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon. They would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. I tell you, it will be more bearable for the day of Sodom, on the day of judgment, than for you. Imagine that. We think of Sodom, we think of perversity. We think of cruelty to the poor and violence and all kinds of wickedness. I mean, they are synonymous with sin. And now Jesus is saying to Jerusalem and to those who are in Israel, who attended the synagogue every Sabbath, who honored the Ten Commandments, who recognized that there is but one God, he said to them that the judgment for Sodom and Gomorrah would be easier than for them. And the answer, the reason for that is in verse 20, and that is because they did not turn to him in repentance and faith. Tyre and Sidon and Sodom and Gomorrah did not know about Jesus. They did not hear Jesus' preaching. They did not hear his teaching. They did not see his miracles. But Israel did. And in the day of judgment, they would not be able to cop a plea because the very Son of God was in their midst, the Savior, the world, the promise of Isaiah. And they did not turn to him in repentance and faith. And the problem wasn't Jesus. It was their problem. It was a problem of unbelief, a willful, wicked unbelief. You see two groups of people in this passage that are struggling with Jesus. You have John and his disciples, and of course you have the leaders of Israel and the ones that Jesus is talking to and pronouncing woes upon. What was John the Baptist's problem? John the Baptist had false expectations. It's amazing when you think about it because here is the prophet who pointed out Jesus to the crowd, who said, Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world. He must increase and I must decrease. He was the prophet's prophet according to Jesus. He was the greatest prophet ever born according to Jesus. Listen to what Jesus says about him in verse 7 and following. He wasn't a reed in the wind. He didn't put his finger in his mouth to wet his finger and then put it up in the air to see which way the wind was blowing, to see how he should direct his sermons to please the people. That isn't the kind of prophet, that isn't the kind of preacher he was. He said, what did you go out in the desert to see? Someone with silk shirts? Oh, John the Baptist wasn't a silk shirt preacher. He wasn't a prophet for hire. He didn't do it because there was good money in it. He served a holy God, And he preached judgment against sin. That's the kind of prophet John was. And now this man of God, who pointed out Jesus, who proclaimed judgment, sent his disciples to Jesus and said, are you the one? What did he mean by that, boys and girls? Are you the one? He meant, are you the one that the Bible has promised? Are you the one that all the Old Testament people look forward to? Are you the great son of David that would come? Are you the one that all of the sacrifices and all of the ceremonies pointed to in the Old Testament? Are you that one? Are you the Lamb of God? You ask yourself, how in the world can that be? That this mighty prophet would ask that question and be struggling with that answer. And perhaps the immediate answer would be a psychological answer. You say, well, John was in prison at this time, and here is a man who lived outdoors like Daniel Boone. The sky was his roof, and he carried the backpack, the bedroll on his back, and the ground was his bed, and he ate off the land, and now he finds himself in a dungeon. and he is probably depressed, at least most of us would be. And with depression, with that kind of life, sometimes comes struggles with faith. You will find that many times with parishioners, with friends who maybe get terribly sick and terribly weak, that their faith also seems to wither at the same time. It's tragic when that happens, but that does happen. But there's another reason why John asked this question. Because you see, John has been preaching judgment. He has been preaching the kingdom of God being at hand, that the judge was around the corner, that the judge was coming and he was going to burn the chap and he was going to bring the wheat into the barn and he was talking about repenting and be baptized because the time is near. As a matter of fact, if you go to John 3, verse 10, You get some idea of just how John preached. He says, The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not bear fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come one who is more powerful than I. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather the wheat into his barn, burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire. But it wasn't happening. There was no groundswell of support for Jesus. He wasn't getting an army together. He wasn't challenging the Roman government. There were no political moves on Jesus' part. Instead of sweeping up the chaff from the floor, he was eating with sinners. He wasn't doing what John expected. And that's why Jesus tells the disciples who come and ask him John's question to go back and to remind them, according to verse 4, tell John what's happening. The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, The good news is preached to the poor. John, these are quotations from Isaiah. These are things that Isaiah said. Surely God is going to come in judgment. You're forgetting the first part. You're forgetting about the good news that's going to be preached to the poor. About the lame that will walk. About the deaf that will hear. About the blind that will see. About the lepers that will be cleansed. John had to go back to his Bible. John had to go back to his Bible because he had a false impression, false expectations, and John had to be straightened out on that. Did you think about John's questions? I think also about our questions because we often also have false expectations and that affects our faith and challenges us in ways that we should not be challenged. By the way, let me just say that having questions, having struggles is not an indication that you are not born again, that you are not a child of God. Hopefully, by this time in your life, you will know that all God's saints and all the scriptures struggled. They all were flawed. God's power was made known in their imperfection, not in their power. We are reminded in this passage of Elijah. We are reminded that he is John's predecessor. You think about mighty Elijah. You cannot help but remember him on Mount Carmel. He is facing 850 prophets and priests of Baal. Children, that's more prophets and priests of Baal than this church holds. And Elijah is all alone there. And he is challenging Israel. If Baal is God, serve him. But if Jehovah is God, serve him. But quit waffling between those two opinions. so elijah put up the challenge you remember how he said whatever god sends fire down to consume the altar that god is the true god and the bill of prophets and priests got the first choice first chance first opportunity and all morning long they pray and they dance and they cry and elijah finally begins to mock them and say hey maybe you got to do it louder maybe your god is on a journey. Maybe he's sleeping. Maybe he's in the bathroom. Who knows? I mean, you've got to just holler louder. He's not hearing you. He just spoke fun of them. And then finally, it was his turn. And before his prayer was even finished, Jehovah sent fire from heaven that consumed that water-drenched altar. What a man of faith and courage. And a week later, he is running away from a woman Jezebel, he's in the mountain, he's afraid, he's depressed. Because God wasn't acting the way he was expected to act. He had false expectations. The problem wasn't God. In my preparation for this sermon I read about George Whitefield, He's the great Billy Graham of the 18th century, a Calvinist. And George Whitefield apparently had received word that his son was deathly sick. And so this man of God got on his knees and prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed. And finally he got off his knees and was convinced that God had heard that prayer, that God had answered that prayer. And he was so joyful. And he got word a few days later that his son had died. And George Whitefield became depressed several months. You see, he had false expectations. Like John, we often have reasons to ask, why is that happening to the church? Why is that happening to me? Why aren't my prayers being answered? Why is it that some are flying with eagles and I'm with slugs? Why is it that some speak about being slain with the Spirit and having their prayers for healing answered and having visions from God and having God speak to them in dreams and just flying with the eagles? Why is that? And why am I not doing that? The problem isn't Jesus, my friends. The problem is our false expectations. We have to get back to the scriptures. We are not always promised to fly with eagles. Sometimes we have to run. Sometimes we walk. Sometimes we stand as Habakkuk did, waiting to see what God would do. What seemed to be a terrible mistake. We have to wait sometimes like Habakkuk did and see what God would do, waiting in faith. We have to get our thinking straight. We have to go back to the Bible. One of the joyful things I have as I read this passage is that Jesus did not reject John the Baptist. He did not push him aside. He said, oh, you know, if you've got that kind of fickle faith, what use can I have of you? Instead, he praises him. In verse 11, he speaks about, among those born of women there has been none greater. So Jesus does not disown John. He encourages him and he strengthens him. And he praises him to his hearers. And you know, Jesus does the same for me and for you. He doesn't disown us when we have false expectations and when he needs to straighten us out. but he encourages us, he encourages us, he encourages you in the very end words of this passage. Come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden. Jesus, after all, did not come for the righteous, he came for sinners. He did not come for the strong, he came for the weak. What a joy that is to know that we aren't on our behavior, good behavior, in order to please Jesus. He has done all of our good behavior for us. But what a difference when you look at the rest of this passage. Jesus is not nearly so kind to those who were listening to him that day, who were holding him aloof, who were arguing with him, who were refusing to repent and to follow him, always needing more proof. Theirs was not doubt. Theirs was not struggle. Theirs was willful, willful, willful, wicked, unbelief. Let me get at it this way. You remember how Jesus told John's disciples, tell him what you have seen and what you have heard. These weren't just rumors. We have a historical faith, remember. These weren't just rumors. The blind were receiving sight. The lame were being healed. The lepers were being cleansed. These things were happening. Why does Jesus tell the disciples of John to go back with that report? Well, children, one reason would be because, after all, only someone who is blessed by God could do that, huh? Only someone that God honored could do that. Remember that blind man in John chapter 9, and the Pharisees always, man born blind, that Jesus healed. The Pharisees were trying to undercut his testimony. Make him deny Jesus. And finally they said, well, we don't even know where this Jesus comes from. And the man who was born blind and was made to see said, well, that's remarkable, isn't it? That you think that he's wicked. That's remarkable. God doesn't listen to wicked people. Even that simple man knew more than the Pharisees did. Because the Pharisees did not want to believe. It was willful, willful unbelief. But there was another reason why Jesus gave the apostles this, the disciples this report about, tell John about the healing of the lame and the blind and the leper. Because this is how the Bible described the coming one. boys and girls if you are never saw a sheep you all saw sheep but let's just pretend you have never seen a sheep and then you're reading in a book not a picture book now but a chapter book and in that book you're reading about sheep and you're reading oh they're about three feet high and they're about that wide and they got lots of fur lots of wool because that's what makes them look so wide and they got four legs and they have a little short tail and they got a snout a little bit like a dog and they say bah well then if you're on the farm someday and you see an animal that's about that tall and about that wide and it's got four feet it's got a little tail it's not like a dog and it's just bah you say hey that must be a sheep and of course that's what it is it's a sheep Now, the Bible describes the coming one, the Messiah, the one that would fulfill all the sacrifices, as one who would heal the sick, with the blind to see, with the lame to walk, preach good news of the forgiveness of sin. That description fit Jesus to a T. The Pharisees ought to know that I'm kind of amazed. Jesus doesn't give John 10 verses. He gives them one. Well, maybe two, because there's kind of two combined in that one answer of his. But, you know, sometimes we are witnessing to people or trying to confront them with the gospel, and we just wish we had more text, you know. I should have the minister here. He has more text. That's what I need, more text, better arguments. I've got to invite him to church, but if our church was a little more friendly, a little more user-friendly, if the preaching was a little more vibrant, if this or if that, listen up. Jesus isn't the problem. Jesus isn't the problem. It is willful, willful, wicked unbelief. That's the point of verse 16. when Jesus said, I liken this generation to the children who are spoiled and stubborn. One of them says, I've got a flute, let's play wedding. I'll be the minister, you be the bride, you be the groom, and then I'll be the disc jockey, we'll dance with my flute, you see. And the other kid says, oh, you always want to do what you want to do. I have a drum, let's play funeral. you'll be the funeral guy. You'll be the coffin guy. You'll be the mourners. We'll march down the street. No, we don't want to play that either. And so they sit, one on one side of the street, one on the other, and there they sit. Nobody's happy. That's the way you grown-ups are, says Jesus. God comes to you with a drummer, with John the Baptist. And he preaches death and judgment. sin and wrath you say the guy's a nut he's a nutcase there's something wrong with him all he thinks about is death and judgment and sin, nothing ever positive how can you follow a guy like that and then God sends Jesus and Jesus plays the flute heals the sick, raises the dead good news is preached he gathers sinners, he even eats with them he even drinks, has a drink with them they say about Jesus what a liberal he is, what a liberal I think he's a wino, he's got a problem how can he be a man of God you see the problem isn't Jesus the problem is willful willful, unbelief God sends, however God comes. If he comes with mourning or rejoicing. If he comes with life or he comes with death. If he comes with hurricane or he comes with sunshine. If he comes with a message or if he comes with miracles. If he comes with law or whether he comes with the gospel. It doesn't make any difference. It remains unbelief. And it is so hardened toward God that Caiaphas, finally to get Jesus out of his face, hires false witnesses that he knows to be false so that he can get Jesus out of his life. The problem wasn't Jesus. The problem wasn't lack of proof. It was willful, willful unbelief. Alas, alas, says Jesus. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Unless they would repent the unbelieving Jews, the unrepentant Jews, judgment would be worse than that of wicked, debased Sodom because they rejected the Lord of glory to whom God had revealed him. You are an unbeliever today. You are like the Jews. You are here tonight. But like the Jews, Jesus is blazoned everywhere in this country. You hear him on the radio. You see him on billboards. Churches dot the corners. Crosses dot the hills. Wherever life is found in this United States, Jesus is somewhere around. you are called to believe and to repent, even on billboards. And the blessings for those who do is evident. That's what Jesus has referenced, too, I believe, in verse 19, when he says, wisdom is proved right by her children, by her actions. I believe that's what Jesus has in mind. Look at the results of faith and repentance and trust in Jesus. Look at the joy, look at the peace. As a matter of fact, you can even look at countries that have a Christian underpinning. Compare those countries to, let's say, atheistic communism in Russia or China. Look what atheism has done. Stalin said about a death, one death is a tragedy. 100,000 deaths is a statistic. Look what has happened under Islam. The persecution, the darkness, the ignorance, the violence. Look what has happened under Hinduism in India. The caste system. Darkness. Go into a Christian church. The first thing you hear is singing. We have a lot to sing about. God is our Father. Jesus is our Savior. I've never heard singing in a mosque. I've never heard singing in a Hindu temple. I've been to the great Buddha in Japan. I've seen worshipers there. I've never heard singing. But we sing because Christ is king. He has redeemed us. He does not ask us to become suicide bombers. He has died for us. We don't die for him. He has fought the battle for us. We don't fight it for him. We even sing at our funerals because we go from life to life, not from death to death. We've been justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. look at the fruit of the Christian faith. Look at the joy. Look at the tragedy of unbelief. Look at our country today. More and more knowledge and less and less wisdom. We're like sheep without a shepherd. We don't know right from wrong anymore. With all that education, we can't define marriage. We don't know the difference between a baby and a fetus. Criticize Victorian morals, but we've made ourselves slaves to immorality. It's a tragedy. Families are broken. People covet what you have. They don't want to find the Christ that you worship because of willful unbelief. Like K.F. is of old, they call together false witnesses. They blame the church. You know, I've been churched to death. When I was a kid, I was forced to memorize. I have Christian neighbors that are hypocrites. I mean, on and on it goes. Like they say in Texas, that dog don't hump. Because there is nothing wrong with the Savior. He is right. Everything is right about him. I'm reminded of that story in Luke 16. I think it is, yes, Luke 16, where the rich man goes to hell and Lazarus goes to heaven. And the rich man says to Abraham, send Lazarus to my brothers so he can tell them what a terrible hell awaits them. And Abraham says to the rich man, he says, hey, you know, that can't happen, but anyhow, but it wouldn't make any difference. They have Moses and the prophets. And the rich man said, no, but if someone comes from the dead, they won't believe. If someone comes from the dead, it is Jesus Christ. And they make up lies about it. They make up stories that someone stole his body. Even when someone rises from the dead. The problem isn't for Jesus. It is wicked unbelief. You are one tonight who comes with doubt, who struggles with certain problems. Perhaps your expectations are flawed, your understanding is flawed, and you should go back to your Bible. And if you can't come to a conclusion, then God has put you in the midst of mature Christians. There are mature women. There are mature men. There are elders and deacons, And there are pastors and professors here who can help you through that. And you can be as open as John with your problems, with your questions. Because they will not rebuke you either. Because they also are sinners and they also struggle. And they also have to go to Christ for help. The end of this passage also belongs to them as much as it belongs to you. Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Tonight, if you are here as an unbeliever, as a procrastinator, if you are holding Jesus aloof, then the woes that Jesus pronounces on Jerusalem, on Chorazin, Chesedah, and Capernaum, are the woes that await you. A judgment worse than Sodom. But you also are to take seriously what is found at the end of this chapter. Where Jesus says, come unto me, all you, all you who labor 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. My yoke is easy. My burden is light. What a wonderful Lord. Heavenly Father, we give you our praise and thanks for your unbelievable patience with us and even with the world itself. We thank you for declaring Jesus to be the one that you have promised, the one who would fulfill all the prophecies, the one who would bear our sin and shame. We thank you, Lord Jesus, for your bitter and shameful death for the sake of sinners. We thank you, Holy Spirit, for continuing to open up our hearts and to convict us. If there is anyone here tonight who has not been convicted, will you convict him now or her so that Jesus might be glorified and praised in their life too? It is in his name we ask it. Amen.