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TODAY’S MESSAGE

Matthew 11:20-30 Repentance, Revelation & Rest

Yeshua’s ministry of miracles, signs, and wonders was known throughout Israel and beyond. Yeshua sent His disciples out to the cities of the lost sheep of Israel to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils, and proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. 

Yeshua declared to those who had ears to hear that John the Baptist was the one the prophets wrote about and the Elijah who was to come. Nevertheless, with all the supernatural revelations, the manifestations of miracles, healings, and fulfillment of prophecy, the people would not repent and therefore were unable to enter into the rest Yeshua came to give them.

Yeshua compared the attitudes of the people of His day to the attitudes of the people in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Yet, Yeshua continued to appeal to those who would listen to come, learn, and find rest. Join us in this portion of Matthew as we follow the teaching ministry of Messiah in the cities of the lost sheep of Israel as He appeals to the people to repent, receive revelation, and find rest for their souls.

Repentance is critical to receiving Revelation of YeHoVaH, as revealed by Yeshua. Without the Revelation of YeHoVaH in Yeshua, we cannot find or obtain Rest for our soul.

In this short passage, Yeshua preaches some of His most profound and harshest teachings as He goes through the various cities of the lost sheep of Israel.

 

Three of the cities He teaches in are mentioned by name

Chorazin

Bethsaida

Capernaum

 

After teaching and performing miracles, signs, and wonders for all to see, the people would not repent. When the people refused to repent as a result of the teachings and works of Yeshua’s soft approach, Yeshua began to upbraid them.

Mt 11:20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: 

 Upbraid – 3679 ὀνειδίζω oneidizo {on-i-did'-zo} Meaning:  1) to reproach, upbraid, revile 1a) of deserved reproach 1b) of undeserved reproach, to revile 1c) to upbraid, cast (favours received) in one's teeth Usage:  AV - upbraid 3, reproach 3, revile 2, cast in (one's) teeth 1, suffer reproach 1; 10 

Why wouldn’t the people repent? We will see later that they did not repent because they had their wise and prudent teachers (their sages), their religion, and their belief systems already.

Mt 11:21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, 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. 

Bethsaida was the home of Phillip, Andrew, Peter, and Nathaniel for sure and possibly the home of James and John.

Jn 1:44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 

Jn 1:45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

 

Mt 4:21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. 

Mt 4:22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

 

Mt 11:22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. 

 

Tyre and Sidon had reputations for being very wicked cities.

 Joel 3:4 Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompense? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompense upon your own head; 

Joel 3:5 Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things: 

Joel 3:6 The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border. 

Joel 3:7 Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompense upon your own head: 

Joel 3:8 And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the LORD hath spoken it. 

Mt 11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 

Capernaum was the town Yeshua dwelt in when He left Nazareth.

 

 

 

Mt 4:12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; 

Mt 4:13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

Mt 11:24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. 

Mt 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 

 

Hid – 613 ἀποκρύπτω apokrupto {ap-ok-roop'-to} 

Meaning:  1) to hide 2) concealing, keeping secret 

Origin:  from 575 and 2928; TDNT - 3:957,476; v

Usage:  AV - hide 6; 6

 

Wise – 4680 σοφός sophos {sof-os'} 

Meaning:  1) wise 1a) skilled, expert: of artificers 1b) wise, skilled in letters, cultivated, learned 1b1) of the Greek philosophers and orators 1b2) of Jewish theologians 1b3) of Christian teachers 1c) forming the best plans and using the best means for their execution

Usage:  AV - wise 22; 22

Prudent – 4908 συνετός sunetos {soon-et'-os} 

Meaning:  1) intelligent, having understanding, wise, learned

Origin:  from 4920; TDNT - 7:888,1119; adj

Usage:  AV - prudent 4; 4

 

If Father has hid these things from the wise and prudent, where did the wise and prudent get their wisdom and intelligence from?

There are schools of higher learning: Harvard, Oxford, Yale and others, teaching various sciences and pumping out professionals with the highest degrees.

People say that this knowledge learned from the various sciences, all come from God.  Yet, most of these individuals, in these schools of higher learning, do not profess a faith in God, but a faith in science.

Where are they getting their knowledge from? God or the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?

 

Ge 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 

Ge 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 

Ge 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

 

There is absolutely no doubt that there are highly intelligent and sophisticated individuals who can run a circle around you and I when it comes to Biblical knowledge. Those type of people have existed throughout Scripture. Paul learned from some and one of the best of them.

These learned people can know all there is to know about God that is humanly possible, and yet not know YeHoVaH. 

I believe it is safe to say that no one knows YeHoVaH better than satan, the prince of this world. Satan has blinded men with knowledge and puffed men up in human wisdom. Knowing about God is not the same as knowing Him.

Remember these words of Yeshua in John…

Jn 10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 

Jn 10:8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 

 Thieves – 2812 κλέπτης kleptes {klep'-tace} 

Meaning:  1) an embezzler, pilferer 1a) the name is transferred to false teachers, who do not care to instruct men, but abuse their confidence for their own gain

Usage:  AV - thief 16; 16

 

Robbers – 3027 λῃστής lestes {lace-tace'} 

Meaning:  1) a robber, plunderer, freebooter, brigand

Origin:  from leizomai (to plunder); TDNT - 4:2

These individuals are not setting men free to serve YeHoVaH, but are more like Pharaoh, desirous of being served by men. They set up shop in churches, synagogues, and  denominations to search the world over to make one proselyte. They say, if we can get just one person saved, our work is worth it. What they mean is if they can convert one person to believe like them.

Our mission is to preach the Kingdom, NOT our denominations. It is not about getting people to believe like us, but to get people to believe in Yeshua, believe YeHoVaH, and Keep His Commandments! 

 

Jn 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 

Jn 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

 

Mt 11:26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.  

Mt 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. 

Yeshua reveals YeHoVaH. 

YeHoVaH reveals Yeshua.

Jn 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

One cannot know YeHoVaH while rejecting Yeshua. 

No one can come to Yeshua except YeHoVaH draws him/her.

 

Yeshua compels people to come to Him and find rest.

Mt 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

 

Rest – 373 ἀναπαύω anapauo {an-ap-ow'-o} 

Meaning:  1) to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labour in order to recover and collect his strength 2) to give rest, refresh, to give one's self rest, take rest 3) to keep quiet, of calm and patient expectation 

Usage:  AV - rest 4, refresh 4, take rest 2, give rest 1, take ease 1; 12

For people to come to Yeshua, they must be willing to let go of their religion and the belief systems that religion engenders.

 

Mt 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 

Yoke – 2218 ζυγός zugos {dzoo-gos'} 

Meaning:  1) a yoke 1a) a yoke that is put on draught cattle 1b) metaph., used of any burden or bondage 1b1) as that of slavery

1b2) of troublesome laws imposed on one, esp. of the Mosaic law, hence the name is so transferred to the commands of Christ as to contrast them with the commands of the Pharisees which were a veritable 'yoke'; yet even Christ's commands must be submitted to, though easier to be kept 2) a balance, pair of scales 

Usage:  AV - yoke 5, pair of balances 1; 6

 

Rest – 372 ἀνάπαυσις anapausis {an-ap'-ow-sis} 

Meaning:  1) intermission, cessation of any motion, business or labour 2) rest, recreation

Origin:  from 373; TDNT - 1:350,56; n f

Usage:  AV - rest 4, rest + 2192 1; 5

 

Religion burdens people. 

Yeshua gives rest for the soul.

Mt 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

Peace and rest is Not found in knowledge and information. 

Peace and rest is found Only in Yeshua.


Last Updated on August 23, 2021 by

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