Who is this Jesus? -- Our Rest (Matt 11-12)

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Who is this Jesus? That is the question we are asking as we explore the Gospel of Matthew. By meditating on His words and actions as recorded by the apostles, we can come to know the one we call Savior a little bit better.

Chapters 8-10 come to a conclusion with a question from John in chapter 11. "Are you the one?" Jesus responded by pointing to the evidence, citing prophecies from Isaiah that He was fulfilling^[1]. The works of Jesus testify--this is the Messiah.

After this, Jesus goes into a soliloquy, expounding on the role of John, denouncing those who had seen these works and rejected Him, and finally promising rest to those who choose to draw near to Him. Signs, judgement, and rest will be the themes of these two chapters.

Signs

Matthew sums up chapters 8-9 twice. First, as mentioned above, he points to the signs Jesus performed as proof that Jesus is the Messiah, the coming King. The signs point to His identity, both His role as Redeemer and his character as compassionate shepherd.

Secondly, he points to the signs as a proof that His Kingdom had indeed arrived (Matt. 12:22-32). The scribes and Pharisees dared to repeat their refrain from earlier (Matt. 9:34), that Jesus was casting out demons by the power of the prince of demons. They accused Him of working for the wrong kingdom. But, here, Jesus points out the fruit of His Kingdom--healing and freedom from demonic oppression. The things Jesus was doing stood contrary to the character of Satan's kingdom, but in line with the character of God's Kingdom. So, Jesus repeats one of His sayings from the sermon on the mount: judge by the fruit. And be careful how you judge, for you will be judged by your words.

It's at this point in the story that the scribes and Pharisees dare ask Jesus for another sign. I say "another" because the fact is, Jesus had already done numerous signs. But, apparently, to the Pharisees, they didn't count. Maybe they weren't fantastic enough. Some they dismissed as being done by the power of Satan. What sign could Jesus do that would convince them? Jesus reply is that of an exasperated parent. Did you not see how I healed the leper? He came to the Temple as a proof. Or how I restored sight to the blind? Have you not heard of the work I did restoring the dead to life?!? Will you not accept my casting out of demons as a sign? You're not truly looking for evidence, for if you were, you would have already believed! Stop pretending!

How often do we come to Him, asking for some guidance or revelation, when the truth is we know what is required of us. "Go, and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice'" (Matt. 9:13, echoed again in 12:7).

Judgement

As we move through these chapters in Matthew, you may notice an increasingly sharp dividing line between those who desire to follow Jesus and those who are opposed to Him and His reign. Jesus echoes the language of John, calling his opponents a "brood of vipers", talking of trees and their fruit, and warning of the impending judgement (c.f. Matt. 3:7-12). Here is the one that is mightier than John with the winnowing fork in His hand. He makes a division, not within His own Kingdom but between His Kingdom and that of darkness. Those who are baptized in the Holy Spirit will be gathered into the barn, but those who reject the work of the Spirit will burn with unquenchable fire.

What does it mean to reject the work of the Spirit? David Brown points out that we must view this statement in light of previous line stating that every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven.^[2] That is, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is not an exception to this rule, but rather a rejection of that very forgiveness and freedom that the Son of Man was offering; a hardening of one's heart against any work of God's Spirit in your life in full knowledge of the "blaze of glory which the Holy Ghost" threw around Jesus' claims.^[2-1] Already in these chapters we see how the scribes had rejected Messiah's work in the midst of signs that would have caused Sodom and Tyre to repent and Nineveh and the queen of the South to turn their ears. Jesus is warning them that they are on the precipice of disaster, separating themselves from the very Kingdom they claimed to have. Still, Jesus stands ready to forgive every sin, even this blasphemy against Himself.

The Lord is slow to anger. He is patient with us, compassionate toward us as we wander like sheep without a shepherd. Later Jesus would pray, "How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her winds, and you would not." (Matt. 23:37). Jesus came casting out our demons, but He warned us that if we did not accept His message and allow the Spirit to take up residence in our lives, we would find ourselves in worse straights as hardness of heart, bitterness, and pride found a home in our hearts.

Rest

After denouncing several of the cities wherein He had done mighty works, Jesus shifts His tone and extends an invitation: "Come to me all, 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 souls." (Matt. 11:28-30).

It is no accident that this invitation is immediately followed by conflict over the Sabbath commandment. The scribes and Pharisees had tied up heavy burdens for the people with all their regulations around the Sabbath, missing the entire point: rest! Come, learn from Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus makes three key points here.

First, He asserts His own authority over the Sabbath day. David profaned the bread of the presence and was guiltless; here is a King greater than David. The priests profaned the Sabbath with their Temple service and here is a Priest greater than Moses, Aaron, and the Temple in which they served. Jesus is the one who instituted the Sabbath. Surely, He has the authority to tell us how to observe it!

Second, Jesus affirms mercy over sacrifice. This is the second time He quotes this passage from Hosea "For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings" (Hos. 6:6). Note that both times Jesus makes this statement, sacrifice proper is not in contextual view. Rather, we see Jesus is rebuking them for judgement and ritualism (for which sacrifice is used as a shorthand). The point is that relationship with our Creator and conformity to His character come first. We see this echoed in several other passages of the Old Testament as well--especially in Micah 6:6-8 when the Lord reminds us what He requires of us. To do justice. Love kindness. And walk humbly with our God. This is what is good.

Which brings us to the third point. It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. To do justice and set the oppressed free. To love kindness and tend to the hungry. To walk humbly, setting aside our own religiosity, acknowledging our need and inadequacy, drawing near to Jesus, and allowing ourselves to be conformed to the image of Christ. Against such things, there is no law.

Come to Jesus and find rest. Learn from Him what it means to love mercy over sacrifice. Open your eyes to the Kingdom He has set in front of you.

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1. Notably, Jesus leaves out the prophecies about setting prisoners free. It seems there is a hidden question and answer in this exchange. "If you are the one, why am I still in prison?" "I am the one, but this is the way things must be."

2. Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 41.