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Sermon
The Gospel of Matthew

Are You The One?

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July 20, 2025
Matthew 11:1-6
Ben Katterson
Pastor for Middle School & Families

Faith

Suffering & Trials

Assurance of Salvation

Transcript

0:17Good morning. My name is Ben Catterson. I have the joy of being the pastor for middle school. We don't have a school here. There's middle school aged students and their families, and it's my joy to bring the word this morning from Matthew six. So let's pray. Father in heaven, you are the only one who can really feed your sheep with fear. Spiritual food. This morning, give us your spirit. This morning you said, open your mouth wide and I will fill it. Feed us on your word, these six brief verses. Take this lazy summer Sunday and do a wonderful thing. Glorify your name, fortify faith. I ask Lord, strengthen our resolve to endure to the end for the joy set before us.

1:28In Jesus' name, amen. Once there was a very young boy named Johnny for a long, long time he's been promised that something wonderful is coming something amazing, something life changing, but nothing happens for a soup long time. And then one day he walks down his ordinary hallway and his ordinary home into his ordinary living room. And there's his mom just like always, but she has a big smile. She says, Johnny, look, this is your new baby brother.

2:18A baby's tiny and red and wrinkled And ugly and he cries all the time and he can't play, catch or talk right? And even when Johnny tries to be nice, gives him his pocket knife, it does not go well. Finally, Johnny says, mom, dad, I'm afraid there's been some mistake. I think we need to send him back. What Johnny feels is a disparity between expectations and experience. He was looking for something wonderful and he wasn't wrong, but the gift came with unexpected challenges and a different slower unfolding of joy. This gift was already, but also not yet. And this morning we will reflect on another experience of a question arising at a long awaited gift that doesn't look as expected.

3:27In last week's text, Jesus required radical devotion. If you remember in this week's text, Jesus requires and supplies radical faith. My aim is to fortify your devotion. The very cross that you take up to follow Jesus is the very situation where Jesus reaches in and strengthens your faith, solidifies your spine, and renews your joy in your situation. So let's read Matthew 11 one. When Jesus had finished instructing his 12 disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities. It's a transition verse up through chapter eight and nine. Everything has been going well. Jesus authority over all opposition is revealed as he heals.

4:28Lepers, calms a storm, casts out demons, even restores life to the dead. Everyone's amazed with Jesus and wondering. Then in chapter 10, Jesus gives a discourse about the mission following that familiar pattern, story, sermon or narrative discourse. And now we go back to a story or a narrative in chapter 11 where opposition begins, and it all starts with John the Baptist of all people. But toward the end of the sermon about the mission in chapter 10, Jesus said this, if you recall, whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. We see a new sovereignty in the identity that Matthew is sketching for us with this radical call to discipleship is a radical call for faith.

5:30We may very well ask what happens when our experience following Jesus doesn't feel like what we expected? What do we do when Jesus isn't using his authority to make things better? This text mainly hangs on John's question in Jesus' answer. That'll be our outline. Verse two and three is John's question. Verses four through six are Jesus answer. So let's look at the question and I wanna look at that in three parts. John's situation, his history, and then his question verse two and three. Now, when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, are you the one who is to come or shall we look for another?

6:25If you recall, John the Baptist had been arrested back in chapter four, verse 12. So far as we can tell during this period where Jesus is teaching the sermon on the Mount revealing his authority, teaching his disciples about devotion to him and his mission, John has been waiting and waiting. Matthew's account of this story is shorter than Luke's and Matthew uses the word prison. John uh, we we know was arrested by Herod Anus and imprisoned at the fortress of MCC in per, which is on the eastern side, sorry, your east is this side eastern side of the dead Sea. It was a palace fortress at a great height and very far away.

7:15He seems to have access to his disciples and it's from here that he hears news. It's also from here that he will be killed. Verse two specifically says that John hears in prison about the deeds of the Christ. What are these deeds? If you were to flip back through Matthew eight, nine, Matthew's talking about some specific deeds, he's painting a portrait of Jesus and his authority. Jesus preaches a sermon packed with good news to a whole crowd on a mountain. That's five through chapter five through eight. He cleanses a leper and a lame man at a distance. And many people combs, a storm casts out demons.

7:58In chapter eight, in chapter nine, Jesus heals a paralytic, forgives his sin, raises a girl from the dead, opens the eyes of two blind men and the mouth of a mute man. Matthew has specific deeds of the Christ that we are supposed to remember. Then Matthew shows his own cards. These are the deeds of the Christ. What is Matthew's conclusion on the identity of Jesus so far? Matthew says that Jesus is the Christ despite John's doubts. So let's look at John's history. Now I look at two things, what John perceived and what John preached. Let's jump back in time a minute and see what Matthew has already revealed about what John has perceived about Jesus in Matthew three 14.

8:57John looks Jesus in the eye and says, I need to be baptized by you and do you come to me? John knows who Jesus is and who he is Before Jesus. I need to be baptized by you, saved by you. I know who you are. In Matthew three 17, John looks up and sees a dove coming down right on Jesus. And then he hears a sound like mighty rushing waters. This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased. John was there. He saw and he heard. That's what John knows. It's what he perceived. Now let's look at what John preached about the Messiah. In Matthew chapter three, he says these things to the Pharisees and three, seven, you brood of vipers who warned you to flee from the wrath to come, wrath to come In verse 10, he says, every tree, therefore that does not bear good food, is cut down and thrown into the fire.

10:08Judgment is coming. Verse 11, I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me, remember that term is mightier than I, whose sandals I'm not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn. But the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. John knows that Jesus is the winer to come, the one who will burn the chaff, who will bring the wrath of God the Almighty. So John is in prison, he hears the news about the Christ and we hear in Matthew's account that John knows who Jesus is.

11:00John introduces Jesus to the nation of Israel. He's the herald proclaiming the new day. And John isn't wrong, but then from prison he sends a question by his disciples. So let's look at his question. Are you the one who is to come or shall we look for another? It's a simple or alternative question. Let's understand the question and then try to understand where it's coming from. What does he mean by the one who is to come? Well again, let's use uh, John's own words from Matthew three 11. I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I'm not worthy to carry.

11:45He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Such a bold statement of submission about the he who is coming after me. And it's the same Greek word, air commandos, the coming one. And what will this coming one do? Baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire this heir commando. This coming one is the Messiah. John's question, are you the air commas means are you the messiah or is there another? Why would he ask that? Where does that question come from? I think John feels too great. Pistons pushing on the small metal lump of his faith. These two big rods are John's expectations and his current suffering.

12:44John's expectations about Jesus were being challenged. John was proclaiming the truth about Jesus from the Bible and he had God's own promises as a bedrock foundation for his message. Listen to Malachi four, one behold the day is coming burning like an oven. When all the arrogant and all evil doers will be stubble the day that it's coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. Isaiah 35, 4 say to those who have an anxious heart. Be strong fear not behold your God will come with vengeance. With the recompense of God, he will come and save you.

13:36Isaiah 61, 2. The Messiah comes to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all who mourn. John rightly proclaims the winer, the one who would burn the unfruitful enemies with fire. This promised one of God would finally set things right, bring God's justice to completion. But when John heard the news about the deeds of the Christ, his mercy, his healing, his authority, what he heard didn't match his expectations. I thought, I thought you were coming to judge. I thought you were coming to be the winner, the one to burn up the adversaries. What John knows or thinks he knows is being challenged.

14:33But there's another reason for his question. John is suffering. He's in prison. He's being pressed between the disappointment of unmet expectations and a dark foreboding circumstance. Endurance is all the more difficult when the circumstances press the air out of you. It could be that John knowing his Bible remembers the promises of Isaiah 61. He knows that the anointed one, the Messiah will come bringing good news to the poor, bind up the broken hearted and to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound in prison. John is at the whim of a wicked ruler and his wily wife.

15:29Those promises of liberty, an opening of the prison seem highly relevant to him. John asked, are you the Messiah? Because he's disappointed. Jesus is not meeting John's expectations and he's suffering incomplete information. Plus suffering can be a sore test of faith. But John's danger is that disappointment is a brother to disbelief. And if left unchecked can lead to despair or worse. I do wanna make a little sidebar here. John knows not to go to the Pharisees with his question or the Romans. Another reason we know that John really knows that Jesus is the one to come, is that he goes to him with his question.

16:26He sends his disciples to Jesus. He doesn't just sit there in prison wondering, but he dispatches a message. I want to challenge some of you who are doubting or disappointed or despairing. Take your heart right to Jesus himself. Bring it right out into the open. Bend your knee before him and tell him your doubts. Let's look at Jesus answer in verses four, five and six. Jesus answers like only the Messiah ever could.

17:12Jesus does not. Jesus gives John what he needs. He does not submit to John's requirement that he defend himself to prove his role or amend his ways and begin to bring God's vengeance. Jesus' answer is so much better. We went to to dinner a couple nights ago with some friends at their house and uh, I saw on their refrigerator a Spurgeon quote. It was on a tea towel hanging on the front of their refrigerator. What a glorious refrigerator. And the the Spurgeon quote hanging there said this. I I took, snapped a picture of it real quick. I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the rock of ages.

18:00What a great kitchen promise for the household. John's faith is being dashed by two great waves on the rocky shores. And the whole point of the storm is that John's faith would not fail. That he, after losing all, would be found worthy of Christ. Another quick sidebar. Do you ever doubt do you see that even John the Baptist doubted everyone's going to doubt the question. Is what you do with your doubt? Do you gaze into the gloom? Just gaze into the darkness? It's exactly what Satan wants for that temptation. Just look at the doubt. Whatever you do, look at the doubt. Don't raise your eyes up and see the galaxy of reasons and proofs and glories that show beyond the shadow of a doubt that Jesus is the one.

19:02Keep your eyes in the dark. Look at that doubt. So let's dig into Jesus' answer here with his answer. Jesus supplies his cross bearing saints, John the Baptist and you this morning with what they need to believe until the end to endure. Jesus gives John a person a prophecy and a promise. It's like a person. This is uh, 11 verse four in verse four. Jesus calls John back to the reality of who he is. John, answer them. Go and tell John Jesus. Answer them. Sorry. Go and tell John what you hear and see. There's no secret passcode or hidden identity. Hidden key. Jesus gives John an observable identity of his person.

20:02What do you hear? What do you see Jesus tell them to relay evidence. Tell John what your senses observe. This even became the testimony of the apostles later on and we carry their solid testimony today. Uh, one John one, one through three says that which was from the beginning, which we heard, which we've seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands. We touched him concerning the word of life that which we've seen and heard. We proclaim also to you. Jesus brings John back from disillusionment, doubt and questions of his own cloud of reflections to the concrete world of the observable person of Jesus.

20:59Reality is relief. Jesus lived. Jesus healed and preached and delivered and saved. It's recorded. It's historical fact. Get away from your mental mesmerizing and myopic worries and call to mind the facts of Christ. We have a historical record in the word that can renew your heart's in truth. Next, John, uh, Jesus gives John a prophecy to recall it's verse five. Listen to this list. The blind receive their sight in the lame walk. Lepers are cleansed and the deaf here and the dead are raised up and the poor have good news preached to them. Listen to how this list connects with messianic prophecies in Isaiah.

22:05Isaiah 35, 5 through six then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped then shall the lame man leap like a deer and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. Isaiah 26 19. You are dead shall live. Their bodies shall rise you who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy, for your do as a do of light. And the earth will give birth to the dead. Isaiah sixty one one. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me 'cause the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. Does that sound familiar? Jesus is summarizing his own miracles from Matthew eight to nine. In 9 27 to 28, Jesus heals two blind men.

23:09In nine, one through eight, Jesus heals a layman. I bet he left like a deer. In chapter eight verse two, Jesus heals a leper in 9 32 to 33 heals a deaf man in 9 24, he raises the dead. In 4 23 and 9 35, Jesus goes about proclaiming the gospel, good news of the kingdom. Look at what Jesus is doing for John. He's taking John's expectation and showing John what he was missing. One day the Messiah will indeed bring justice and winnow the wheat from the chaff. But his ministry is unfolding in an unexpected way, already revealing his nature, but not yet fully illuminating his glory and reign. John, don't forget, the Messiah will bring mercy from God.

24:12He will preach good news to the poor. He will take the burden of sin off of his people and lay it on his own shoulders. Jesus is more the one who is to come the air commandos than John can fathom. And the gospel of Matthew reveals the mercy of this one who is to come our king. This contrast between what John expects and what Jesus does shows the contrast between the current era of salvation and the second coming. All those prophecies will be fulfilled at the right time. Jesus does not have to say to John, uh, yes John, as a matter of fact, I I am. I am the one to come. The miracles testify to the reality.

25:14In essence, Jesus tells John John's disciples go tell John what he already knows. But if John already heard the news about the Christ in verse two, why didn't it work for him? Why does Jesus send these guys back to rehearse it? Because faith comes not just from assenting to information but believing it, loving it, treasuring it, preach to yourself. The problem was that John was not using the news to his advantage. He was not bolstering his faith with this information. He was becoming overwhelmed with the shadow of his situation. John's cross, the prison was hard, heavy, and dark, but in the gloom of his suffering made harder by faulty expectations.

26:17Jesus shines light. Am I the one who is to come look at me, John and see how my words and ways fill in the portrait of the promised one. Preach the truth to yourself in that prison. Maybe you can identify with John this morning. Maybe you have taken up a cross like John obeying your savior, but you find yourself saying, I thought it would be different. Jesus, I didn't expect this. I didn't expect to not get married.

27:08I didn't expect that my daughter would get encephalitis. I didn't expect to follow you from a cancer ward. Fill in your expectation. This crosses heavy and it's dark and I thought you were going to make things better. What do you preach to yourself in that prison? Do you follow your doubts to despair? Do you linger too long in questions that lean toward lies? Is he the one? Is he good? Is he even there? Hear Jesus command to you. Come back to reality. Those are lies. Now remember me. I am the one foretold from ancient times and hoped for I was born of a virgin. I lived sinless. I preached to many.

28:16I touched his lepers face and cleansed him. I called her back from the dead. I told the storm to stop. It obeyed. I bore the sins of my saints in my broken body on the cross. If you preach to yourself in your dark cell, you might find a humility and a grit and toughness to your faith. There is a spine supplied by Jesus when you preach to yourself. Now, John has two lifelines. He remembers the person of Jesus and the prophecies of Jesus. And now Jesus empowers him with a messianic promise in the storm. Hold these pro lifelines closer. Let's look at the promise. This is verse uh, chapter 11 verse six.

29:18Blessed is the one who is not offended by me. Hmm. What do you make of that? Jesus knows that John needs something to hold onto into the future. He needs something to, to grab, to trust. So Jesus gives this amazing little promise. And embedded within the promise is a warning and a reward. The warning is not harsh, but it is serious. The word offended is the Greek word scandal on we get the word scandal or fall away. When commentary said, it literally means to trip or fall down in other places in Matthew, it does mean offend or fall away. And uh, the kind of falling away Matthew has in mind is permanent, a permanent falling away.

30:14He tells John, don't let my unexpected ways be the cause of your unbelief. You ran the race finish. Don't fall away. John, you took up your cross and then followed. Follow me to the end. But while serious, this promise couples together the warning and the reward in English, we would normally say this verse in reverse like this. The one who is not offended by me is blessed because we put the emphasis on the last word. But in Greek it's a verse. The emphasis in Greek falls on the word blessed. Well, what does blessed mean? It's not an empty platitude. If you give it a minute, you'll find this word ringing with glories.

31:10Do you remember the sermon on the mount? A back a few months last year maybe when Jesus talked about people that are blessed or some of the rewards of those blessings. In Matthew five, one reward that the blessed received is the kingdom of heaven. God's kingdom another reward as heavenly comfort. Another reward is inheriting the earth. Another is righteous satisfaction, another mercy, another seeing God and as if it as if it can't get better. The last is being adopted into God's own family. It's Matthew five through through nine. This is how a believer can follow Jesus bearing their cross. This is how they can be sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.

32:10They relinquish their hold on all things including their own life. Take my life Jesus. They walk into the suffering Jesus has for them. They remember who Jesus is and what he's done. Then they recall God's promises. And these are like swords and daggers against the night of disappointment and keys in the gloom of doubting castle. Do you remember pilgrim and doubting castle? In the book, Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunion Christian and Hopeful Leave the King's Way and trespass on a monster's land. They're taken to doubting castle and tortured by the cruel giant despair and his wicked Wiley wife, DNCE.

33:02Does that sound familiar? Then after too long, Christian remembers the key in his breast pocket. In his heart. It's the key of promise. It unlocks any door in doubting castle. You want out of your doubt, your uncertainty, your hopelessness, pull out a promise of God like this one. Blessed is the one who is not offended by me. Hold on until the end and God's kingdom is yours. Hold on and trust me, says Jesus. And you will find comfort. Trust me and endure to the end. Through your tears, and you will find satisfaction, you will find mercy. You will see God. And as, as, as if it can't get better, he will be your father and you will be his son or daughter.

34:10You know what that's called? It's called Christian hedonism. Your greatest motive for enduring in the dark of your suffering while following Christ is the unfathomable reward of gaining God himself. So we say like Paul in Romans eight 18, if I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Or two Corinthians four, 16 to 17. So do not lose heart, though our outer self is wasting away. Our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light, momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison to end here, let the person of Jesus the prophecies preached and the promises savored bolster your faith this morning, the call to suffering believers to endure by looking to the person of Jesus.

35:32Remembering what Jesus has done and remembering the reward is all grounded in what Jesus actually has done. Some of you in here this morning have yet to believe any of this about Jesus. We heard at summer camp a few weeks back, a testimony from one of our leaders. This person's problem was not expectations or disappointment, but boredom. Some of you know the facts about Jesus, but you won't believe him, but you suffer. You suffer. So hear me, Jesus offers to carry your griefs and sorrows. Isaiah 53, 4. He actually endured the cross and bears not only our pains and our sufferings, but sins. Isaiah 53, 5 through six, confess your sins to Jesus.

36:42Give him your life. Take up your cross and follow Jesus. Then you can look past the suffering to the, through the reward for the joy set before us. We, like Jesus can endure the cross that Christ gives us to carry. So we, like John, can ground our hope in the person of Jesus, the prophecies of the Messiah and the promises of eternal joy with him. In the end, a call for radical discipleship is also a call for radical faith. But radical faith brings radical reward. Let me pray.

37:35There's your word, Lord. It's the food we've come to eat. And there are plenty in here who came in weary, soul weary, weighed down, and I ask that you through your word would fortify your saints. John received it and I think it helped him for the dark hour to come. He was gonna need it and there is more to come for us. Would you grant us endurance? Grant us to hold on by faith to your person and your prophecies and your promises. In Jesus name, amen.

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Sermon Text

Matthew 11:1-6

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