Matt 11:7-16, 20-24
SS Lesson for 02/09/2025
Devotional Scripture: Jer 8:4-6
The significance of John the Baptist is hinted at in the fact that his name is mentioned about 90 times across the four Gospels and the book of Acts. It’s important to clarify that he is not the same as John the Apostle, who’s mentioned about half as often in the New Testament. The New Testament mentions another man by the name of John (also known as “Mark”) in Acts 12:12, 25; 13:5, 13; 15:37. “John” was a popular name! John the Baptist was born in Judea (Luke 1:65). His father, Zechariah, was of a priestly family (thus of the tribe of Levi). His mother was Elizabeth, a relative of Mary (1:35-36), so John and Jesus were related through their mothers. John spent a great deal of time in the wilderness while young (1:80). John preached repentance “for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 3:2). His baptizing of the multitudes resulted in his identifying title. In the Gospels, he is called “John the Baptist” by both his supporters and adversaries (3:1; 14:2). John contributed to the ministry of Jesus in three important ways. First, he was in one sense “the Elijah who was to come” (Matthew 11:14; compare Malachi 4:5-6; Matthew 17:10-13; contrast John 1:21). In this regard, John was understood to assume the role of Elijah as a prophetic voice that prepared the people for the coming of the Messiah (Luke 1:17; John 1:23). Second, John’s baptizing of Jesus in the Jordan River was “to fulfill all righteousness” - it was the right thing to do in God’s plan, confirmed by “the Spirit of God” and “a voice from heaven” (Matthew 3:13-17). Third was John’s prophetic identification of Jesus as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Today’s lesson examines a time after John’s ministry as a wilderness preacher had ended. He had run afoul of the local ruler, Herod Antipas, and ended up in prison. This turn of events resulted in doubts for John, which he attempted to resolve by sending two of his disciples to Jesus to determine whether or not Jesus was the Messiah (Matthew 11:1-3). Jesus responded by pointing to the evidence of the miracles (11:4-6). Today’s lesson text picks up after Jesus’ response to John’s disciples (Luke 7:24-28 is a partial parallel).
Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent
(Scriptural Text from the New King James Version; cross-references from the NIV)
7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
10 For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.'
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
33 "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.
6 As for those who seemed to be important — whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance — those men added nothing to my message.
11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet,"
4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered him a prophet.
11 Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
24 Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John's baptism — where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?" They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' 26 But if we say, 'From men'-we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet." 27 So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Then he said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.
4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets.
13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: 16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
11 "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.
15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
1 My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
9 O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure.
16 The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his own head.
7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away, for they refuse to do what is right.
1 Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company; 2 for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble.
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.
14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: 16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
20 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:
21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the Day of Judgment than for you.
23 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24 But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the Day of Judgment than for you."
10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11 See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.
25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God "will give to each person according to what he has done." 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
If John had some doubts about Jesus, Jesus had no doubts about John! The crowd must have overheard the question John’s disciples put to Jesus and our Lord’s response. As John’s disciples begin their trek to report back to John, Jesus uses this occasion to address the crowd concerning John the Baptist. Jesus first presses the crowd to acknowledge what He knew they were thinking – that John was a prophet (see Matthew 21:26). In effect, Jesus says this about John,
“What did you go way out into the wilderness to see? A wishy-washy fellow whose views change with the political winds? I don’t think so! Maybe you went all the way out into the wilderness to see what the new fashions in menswear would be? We all know it can’t be that. No, you all know that the one thing which drew you out into the wilderness to hear John was the strong conviction that he is a true prophet – a man who speaks for God, a man whose words are God’s words. John is a prophet, but he is not merely a prophet. In a very real sense, John is the prophet – the prophet everyone has been waiting for, the prophet whose appearance and ministry have been prophesied by other prophets. Malachi spoke of him when he wrote, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ John is the forerunner of Messiah, whose unique privilege has been to proclaim His appearance and reveal His identity.”
Because of John’s unique role as the last of the Old Testament prophets, the prophet whose mission it was to introduce Messiah, no one born of woman (to that point in time) was greater than he. And yet, as towering a personality as John was when viewed from the landscape of the Old Testament, even the least in the kingdom of heaven was greater than John (Matthew 11:11).
To me, verses 12 and 13 are some of the most puzzling in all of Matthew. In verse 12, Jesus calls attention to the “violence” which seems to characterize the days of John the Baptist. Just what is this violence? I believe we find clues in the Book of Acts and also in the Gospels:
33 Now when they heard this, they became furious and wanted to execute them. 34 But a Pharisee whose name was Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the council and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. 35 Then he said to the council, “Men of Israel, pay close attention to what you are about to do to these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and nothing came of it. 37 After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census, and incited people to follow him in revolt. He too was killed, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking originates with people, it will come to nothing, 39 but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them, or you may even be found fighting against God” (Acts 5:33-39, emphasis mine).
50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you are here to do.” Then they came and took hold of Jesus and arrested him. 51 But one of those with Jesus grabbed his sword, drew it out, and struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place! For all who take hold of the sword will die by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and that he would send me more than twelve legions of angels right now? 54 How then would the scriptures that say it must happen this way be fulfilled?” (Matthew 26:50-54, emphasis mine)
35 Then Jesus said to them, “When I sent you out with no money bag, or traveler’s bag, or sandals, you didn’t lack anything, did you?” They replied, “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now, the one who has a money bag must take it, and likewise a traveler’s bag too. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, ‘And he was counted with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me is being fulfilled.” 38 So they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” Then he told them, “It is enough” (Luke 22:35-38, emphasis mine).
14 Now when the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus performed, they began to say to one another, “This is certainly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Then Jesus, because he knew they were going to come and seize him by force to make him king, withdrew again up the mountainside alone (John 6:14-15, emphasis mine).
John’s generation seems to be one in which messianic expectations had reached the boiling point. The events surrounding the births of both John and Jesus may have helped to fuel some of this eschatological enthusiasm. Then, too, the political situation in Israel at that time may have played a role. I am inclined to think that John’s prophecy may have also unwittingly contributed to the messianic fervor, leading in a number of instances to violence or the use of armed force. People failed to grasp our Lord’s teaching and ministry, so why not John’s as well? Even the disciples seemed ready and willing if it came to a show of arms (Luke 22:35-38).
Jesus’ comments in verse 12 about violence seem to be closely related to verse 13 (which begins with the word “for”): “ For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John appeared” (Matthew 11:13, emphasis mine). I see a rather clear chronological scheme laid out here:
“All the prophets and the law prophesied until John appeared” (verse 13)
“From the days of John the Baptist until now” (verse 12)
Here is the way I currently understand our text. John the Baptist has some doubts about Jesus’ identity as the Messiah. This seems to be because He is not the “forceful” Messiah that John predicted, the One who would come powerfully in judgment on sinners. Jesus seems to be saying that a certain element of Israelites who tended toward violence was attracted to John, his ministry, and his message. Why would this be the case? For one thing, it would seem as though John were the only prophet in those days. Before that, there were a substantial number of Old Testament prophets who prophesied. The law, too, had its prophetic aspects. John’s ministry was the culmination and climax of all Old Testament prophecy. If we accept the concept of progressive revelation (which I do), then we must see that John’s prophecy was the fullest, most well-developed prophecy of all the Old Testament prophets. As Old Testament prophets go, it doesn’t get any better than John the Baptist.
I do not believe that Jesus is seeking to be critical of John or of his ministry. He is simply attempting to show that John’s doubts are, in part, a reflection of the spirit of the age – a time when men yearned for Messiah to come in power to cast off Roman rule, to punish the wicked, and to establish His kingdom. No wonder John had some doubts. Jesus did not seem to be playing out the script John and others had for Messiah in their minds.
I am reminded of a television commercial that ran a number of years ago. A couple of older women were in a fast food outlet and one of them looked under the bun and asked, “Where’s the beef?” I think John is looking at the ministry of Jesus and is asking, “Where’s the fire?”
John may have his doubts, but Jesus does not. In spite of John’s second thoughts, Jesus gives a full endorsement to John.
14 “And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, who is to come. 15 The one who has ears had better listen!” (Matthew 11:14-15)
In the Gospel of John, we see that John himself denied that he was Elijah:
21 So they asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not!” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No!” (John 1:21)
How, then, can Jesus say that John is Elijah? First of all, notice that Jesus qualifies His statement by adding, “And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah . . . .” Obviously, some won’t see it this way, and Jesus acknowledges the fact that only some will agree. The other statement in verse 15 underscores the qualification in verse 14:
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15, NASB).
This is a statement that will be used later on in Matthew 13 (verses 9, 43) when Jesus begins to teach by parables. This is an exhortation for the reader to think more deeply than merely on the surface. It is not a challenge to think literally, but to think beyond what is literal – that is what parables are about. They are not meant for everyone to understand. Thus, Jesus’ words here are not a contradiction to John’s denial that he is literally Elijah. John is Elijah in a more symbolic sense.
I’ve been giving this matter some thought, and I would like to suggest some ways in which John the Baptist is Elijah, if we would receive it. John was Elijah-like in his appearance. This was hardly an accident. John purposed to take on this look. Both John and Elijah spent time living in more remote places, eating food that was different from typical folks. Both John and Elijah were “inferior” to their successors. John made it clear that Jesus was far greater than he (Matthew 3:11). Elisha had a two-fold portion of Elijah’s spirit (2 Kings 2:7-14). Elijah was more a man of violence; Elisha was more a man of peace. Elijah had his doubts, when his spectacular confrontation on Mount Carmel seemed to fail. God took Elijah back to the same mountain where Moses received the law, and through a series of spectacular events, conveyed to Elijah that God was not obliged to work in spectacular ways, but sometimes through a “still, small, voice” (1 Kings 19:11-18). Elijah had the false perception that “he alone was left” (1 Kings 19:10, 14). Is this the way John also felt? Elijah hoped to bring about national revival, and it didn’t work. It was through others, whom he was to designate, that God would bring about significant changes in the nation (1 Kings 19:11-18). My point is that the similarities between John and Elijah are numerous, I believe. These two really were alike.
Matthew is a very talented writer with a flare for surprises where we least expect them. Think of the way Matthew has crafted this Gospel to show the building excitement and the enthusiastic expectation that Messiah would soon appear. Matthew has documented Jesus’ boundless authority and His growing popularity (Matthew 9:33), granted, with growing opposition from the Pharisees (but their objections seem impotent at this point in time).
The disciples have been sent out two-by-two, and they have apparently returned. As I mentioned earlier, no Gospel actually records what happened when the twelve went out, performing miracles and proclaiming that the kingdom of heaven was near. The closest we come is a brief description of the response of the seventy-two when they returned from a similar mission:
17 Then the seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “ Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name!” 18 So he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Look, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and on the full force of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names stand written in heaven.” 21 On that same occasion Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will. 22 All things have been given to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides to reveal him.” 23 Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it” (Luke 10:17-24, emphasis mine).
Notice that the seventy-two give no account of the success of their mission. That is, they mention nothing about how many actually repented in response to their ministry. When they return to Jesus, all these disciples can talk about is how much power they had – even the demons had to submit to their authority! Jesus saw this as an indication of Satan’s final defeat, but He encouraged His disciples to rejoice in their salvation rather than in the power they had exercised. The words which follow are quite similar to those we find in Matthew 11 in our text.
Up until now, Matthew has given us reports as to how people responded to Jesus (Matthew 4:24-25; 7:28-29; 8:34; 9:1-17, 33-34). But here, for the first time, Matthew gives us our Lord’s assessment of men’s response to the gospel that John, He, and their disciples had proclaimed. It is not a good report; indeed it is a shocking assessment of how men have responded to the gospel.
In spite of the popularity of Jesus with the crowds, very little repentance is evident. Jesus sent His disciples out to proclaim the approaching arrival of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus’ message, along with His disciples, was virtually identical with that of John the Baptist and his disciples: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; 10:79). Now, Jesus indicts those Israelite cities who had most frequently witnessed the presence, preaching, and miracle-working power of Jesus, and now of His disciples.
Jesus likened that generation to children who complained because He would not dance to their tune. They wanted a “have it your way” Messiah, and when Jesus refused to conform to their desires and expectations, they wanted nothing to do with Him. These were fickle folks.
Notice how our Lord continues the theme of His relationship to John the Baptist. The two of them were very different, but that generation rejected them both. John came to them fasting (“neither eating nor drinking” – compare Matthew 9:14), and they called him demon possessed. Then Jesus and His disciples came along, both eating and drinking, and they accused Him of being a glutton and a drunkard, and (worse yet!) One who associated with sinners. The link between John and Jesus was buttressed by the fact that this generation rejected them both.
Specifically, Jesus rebuked these cities of Israel where most of His miracles had been performed “because they did not repent” (Matthew 11:20). The purpose of John’s preaching and that of Jesus was to bring the nation of Israel to repentance. It was not to draw large crowds or to attract a huge following, but rather to call sinners to repentance. That had not happened, and thus our Lord’s stinging words of rebuke to those cities that had greatest contact with Jesus and who had seen the most miracles.
Jesus names specific cities. We know almost nothing about Chorazin. It is mentioned only here and in Luke 10:13. From what our Lord says here, it is apparent that this city saw a great deal of our Lord, and yet they did not repent. Bethsaida is a different story. Jesus may very well have been in or near Bethsaida as He spoke these words of rebuke (see Luke 9:10). We know from John 1:44 that Bethsaida was the hometown of Philip, Andrew, and Peter.
Jesus very clearly assumes that there are degrees of punishment in verses 20-24. Greater punishment is due those who have been given greater revelation, and then have rejected it. Less punishment goes to those who have acted with less revelation. This same principle is taught in Luke 12:
45 “But if that slave should say to himself, ‘My master is delayed in returning,’ and he begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat, drink, and get drunk, 46 then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, and will cut him in two, and assign him a place with the unfaithful. 47 That servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or do what his master asked will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know his master’s will and did things worthy of punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked” (Luke 12:45-48).
Thus, Chorazin and Bethsaida (two predominantly Jewish towns where Jesus did much of His ministry) will be subject to greater judgment when the Messiah returns than will Tyre10 and Sidon (verses 21-22). Tyre and Sidon get a fair amount of attention from the Old Testament prophets (Isaiah 23; Jeremiah 25:15-29, especially verse 22; Ezekiel 26-28; Amos 1:9-10; Zechariah 9:1-4). This was the home of the Canaanite woman who asked Jesus to cast the demon from her daughter (Matthew 15:21-28). These were, by and large, Gentile towns seldom touched by the ministry or message of Messiah.11 And thus, they would receive less severe judgment when Messiah comes to judge the earth (Matthew 11:22).
Our Lord next draws the same contrast between Capernaum and Sodom in verses 23 and 24:
23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be thrown down to Hades! For if the miracles done among you had been done in Sodom, it would have continued to this day. 24 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom on the Day of Judgment than for you!” (Matthew 11:23-24)
Capernaum12 became our Lord’s Galilean headquarters for some time. Many of His miracles and a good part of His teaching were done there. No city had more exposure to Jesus, His preaching, and His infinite power than Capernaum. And yet the city did not repent. Because of this, Jesus indicated that it would be better for Sodom than for Capernaum on the Day of Judgment.
Why does Jesus ask the city of Capernaum if it expects to be exalted to heaven? What was it about Capernaum that led to this kind of arrogance? Two thoughts come to mind here. First, Capernaum may have taken great pride in being the headquarters of Jesus. The tourist business must have really been booming in Capernaum with all the people flocking there to get a glimpse of Jesus – better yet, to get healed by Jesus. We all know that the towns or cities that were the home of a president or famous person usually have a sign posted as you enter that town, reminding you of the town’s glory, due to its association with that great person. So it would seem Capernaum boasted in our Lord’s presence among them.
Second, the arrogance of Capernaum is reminiscent of the arrogance of Tyre, as described by Isaiah and Ezekiel:
8 Who planned this for royal
Tyre, whose merchants are princes,
whose traders are the dignitaries of the earth?
9 The Lord who leads armies planned it— to dishonor the pride that comes from
all her beauty,
to humiliate all the dignitaries of the earth (Isaiah 23:8-9; see Ezekiel 28:1-10).
In Ezekiel 28, the “prince of Tyre” in all his arrogance is likened to Satan (Ezekiel 28:11-19). It would seem to me, then, that our Lord is amplifying His rebuke of Capernaum by describing this city in a way that is reminiscent of the Old Testament description of Tyre and her king.
Our Lord’s words here in Matthew 11, combined with Matthew 12:38-42 and Luke 12:45-48, indicate that there are degrees of punishment for the wicked. In all cases, God judges men on the basis of what they do with what they know. In Romans 1, the heathen are condemned because they have rejected the revelation God has provided them in nature. In Romans 2, the Jews have a greater guilt because they have received the revelation of God in the law, and they rejected it.
(Adapted from URL:https://bible.org/seriespage/jesus-john-baptist-and-jews-matthew-111-30)
Pivotal people are agents of change in moving others to new ways of thinking and doing. An example of a pivotal person in a nonreligious sense is Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon. We see several pivotal people in the Bible. Just one example from the Old Testament is Samuel, seen in his being the last of the judges and the first of the prophets (1 Samuel 3:20; 7:6, 15-17; Acts 3:24; 13:20). In the New Testament, we rightly see the ultimate pivotal person to be Jesus. His life, death, resurrection, and ascension marked and enabled the transition from the old covenant to the new covenant (Romans 7:6; Colossians 2:13-15; Hebrews 8; etc.). The image of Jesus in this regard is so powerful and profound that it’s easy to overlook John the Baptist as a pivotal person also. As the last of the prophets who ministered under the realities of the old covenant (Matthew 11:9; 14:5; 21:26; Luke 1:76), he prepared the way for Jesus by preaching the nearness of the kingdom of heaven and the need to repent in anticipation of the new covenant. Many in the first century AD did not accept John the Baptist’s view of the kingdom of heaven and the need to repent. It is not widely accepted today. We live among unrepentant people who are often proud of transgressing God’s standards. The power and prosperity of an unrepentant culture confront us relentlessly with a choice: Who will be the pivotal person(s) we allow to direct our thinking and doing: the pivotal people of social media or the Bible? Making the wrong choice with regard to such influence runs the risk of infecting us with the “godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Romans 1:18). That decision, in turn, might cause us to love the world at the expense of our love of the kingdom of heaven. As we make the right choice daily, may we repeat neither the infamy of evil Sodom nor the unrepentance of Chorazin, Bethsaida, or Capernaum.