Matthew 11 Summary - Quick Bible Study

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MATTHEW 11 SUMMARY IN 5 MINUTES

• WHEN:

  • The birth of Jesus probably occurred around 4 B.C..

  • From Luke 3:23, we know Jesus began His ministry when He was about 30 years old.

  • This would place the events of Jesus’ ministry roughly between 26-31 A.D..

• CHARACTERS:

• Jesus - The Messiah. The Son of God who came to save the world from sin.

• John - John the Baptizer prepared the people for the Messiah’s arrival.

• John’s Disciples - John sent some of his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the Christ. Luke 7:19 tells us there were two disciples.

• Crowds of Followers - Jesus taught a crowd of listener’s about John’s ministry.

• WHERE:

  • We aren’t told exactly where John’s Apostles met Jesus, but we know Jesus was teaching in cities and towns, probably in the region around Capernaum.

• OUTLINE:

  • JOHN SENDS DISCIPLES TO JESUS WITH A QUESTION (11:1-11:6):

    • After sending out His 12 Apostles (chapter 10), Jesus went to preach in various cities and towns.

    • John the Baptizer sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the true Christ.

    • As evidence that He was the Christ, Jesus told them to tell John of His miracles and of His ministry among the poor.

  • JESUS SPEAKS TO THE PEOPLE ABOUT JOHN (11:7-11:19):

    • When John’s disciples left, Jesus turned to the crowd to talk to them about John’s ministry.

    • He spoke of John as the prophesied forerunner of the Messiah.

    • All the Old Testament prophets led up to John.

    • He was the prophet Malachi referred to in Malachi 3:1.

    • Jesus then rebuked those who were still unbelieving.

    • John and Jesus presented the same truths about the Kingdom of Heaven, but did it with very different styles, yet no matter how it was presented, many of the Jews still rejected it.

  • REBUKE TO THE UNBELIEVING CITIES (11:20-11:24):

    • Jesus denounced the cities who saw His miracles but continued in unbelief.

    • The cities He rebuked included: Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum.

    • He told them if Tyre, Sidon, Sodom, and Gomorrah had seen the miracles they saw, they would have repented.

  • AN INVITATION TO THE WEARY AND HEAVY-LADEN (11:25-11:30):

    • Jesus thanked God for making the truths of the Kingdom of Heaven accessible to the humble, while being inaccessible to arrogant people.

    • He invited weary and burdened people to come to Him, learn about God, and find 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 souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (11:29-30).

• BIG PICTURE:

  • Jesus’ message of salvation is designed for humble people.

  • Proud, arrogant, and self-righteous people will not see their need for a savior.

  • Throughout the Bible, we observe God blessing humble and lowly people, while condemning people who thought too much of themselves.

  • Watch for this trend as you study through the books of the Bible.

• APPLICATION:

  • Even people with strong faith can struggle with doubts.

  • John introduced Jesus as the Lamb of God and even saw the events at His baptism.

  • John was in prison when he sent his disciples to ask Jesus about being the Christ.

  • Perhaps his tough circumstances introduced some doubts into his mind.

  • But notice how He went to the right source to find the answers.

  • He was right to send men to Jesus to find out the truth.