Christianity is about liberation. Moses proclaimed liberty to the Ancient Hebrews and put an end to Egyptian captivity. Jesus proclaimed liberty to all people in the world, so that we all might be free from sin. But there are often discouragements; we live in a world that doesn’t always look to God, among people who might rejoice in selfishness and cruelty, and the Devil often tries to keep us from our task.
Bringing people to Christ might seem like a long and unenviable task, but we have been given a great privilege through membership in the Kingdom of God.
Discouragement
In Matthew 11:3, after hearing news about Christ in prison, John the Baptist sent a messenger to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” He had been imprisoned by Herod and knew he’d never be free again. He was looking for proof, with his beheading looming, that his life and ministry hadn’t been for naught. And Jesus replied, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, 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.” Jesus told John: you are a great man of God. You have completed your mission. And even though you will die, you have done what you should have done.
Matthew 6:11 has been translated a few different ways. The ESV (quoted above), NASB, and the KJV use the word ‘offended.’ The NIV says, “ Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” Jesus was encouraging John to keep the faith, despite his troubles and doubts.
Encouragement
After John the Baptist’s disciples went away, Jesus said to the crowd before him, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you’” (Matthew 11:7-10). John proclaimed the Messiah, John announced the most important event in the history of mankind. He showed people the way to Jesus. And he was a greater man than anyone else, greater than Abraham, and Moses, and Elijah, and Esther, separate or combined—because he announced the coming of the Son of God.
The Kingdom of Heaven
But then Jesus said, “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11). That’s us! Thanks to God, we have been given an enormous privilege to be in the kingdom of Heaven. John preached that too: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). John preached it, but he was not part of it. We are so lucky to be blessed in this way.
Christ fulfilled the eternal purpose of God by establishing the Church, which we are part of. Ephesians 2:1-6:“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins…But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Jesus sits at the right hand of God, with every title in the present age and future ages, and we’re there with him.
Jesus should reign in our hearts; we ought to recognize that it is he who leads us to victory, gives us liberty, gives us joy, happiness, and the wonderful hope that he will return.
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