Lit., less. All the prophets prior to John prophesied only that Christ was coming, but John testified that Christ had come. The prophets were looking forward to Christ, but John saw Christ. Hence, John was greater than all the prophets. Although John saw the incarnated Christ and introduced Him to people, he did not have the resurrected Christ indwelling him. The kingdom people do. John could say only, "Here is Christ," but the kingdom people can say, "To me, to live is Christ" (Phil. 1:21). Hence, the least in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he. Whether a person is greater or lesser depends on his relationship to Christ. Christ is the deciding factor. The closer one is to Christ, the greater one is.

This word indicates that up to that time the kingdom of the heavens had not come and that John the Baptist was not in it.

From the days of John the Baptist until that time, the Pharisees were violently frustrating people from entering the kingdom of the heavens. Hence, those who desired to enter had to do so by "violence."

The Lord testified that John was much more than a prophet.

In the wilderness, while he was boldly testifying for Christ, John the Baptist was not a weak person who wore soft clothing. The Lord testified that he was neither a reed shaken by the wind nor a man arrayed in soft clothing.

The Greek word means perceive. So in the next verse.

A reed signifies a weak and fragile person (Matt. 12:20; 1 Kings 14:15). When John the Baptist was testifying for Christ in the wilderness, he was not such a weak person.

The Greek word means to view attentively.

The Lord's reply to John implicitly indicated John's mistake. However, His words to the crowds concerning John explicitly testified for John.

This word implies that John the Baptist might have been stumbled because of the Lord, because the Lord did not act on his behalf according to his way. Here the Lord encouraged him to take the way He had ordained for him, that he might be blessed. This blessing is very much related to participation in the kingdom of the heavens.

The poor signify all who are without Christ and without God and who have no hope in the world (Eph. 2:12). Upon receiving the gospel, they are made rich in Christ (2 Cor. 8:9; Eph. 3:8).

The dead signify those who are dead in sins (Eph. 2:1, 5), unable to contact God. After being regenerated, they can fellowship with God by means of their regenerated spirit.

The deaf signify those who cannot hear God. After being saved, they can hear the Lord's voice (John 10:27).

See note Matt. 8:2^1b.

The lame signify those who cannot walk in God's way. After being saved, they can walk by a new life (Matt. 9:5-6; John 5:8-9).

The Lord mentioned first the blind's receiving of sight, because there had been no such miracle in the Old Testament. By this He gave clear evidence to John that none other than the Messiah could have done such a miracle (Isa. 35:5). In the spiritual sense also, the blind's receiving of sight comes first. In the Lord's salvation, first He opens our eyes (Acts 26:18); then we can receive Him and walk to follow Him.

The Greek word means a different one.

John the Baptist's word here does not mean that he was in doubt concerning Christ. He questioned Christ in this way in order to provoke Him to deliver him. He knew that Christ was the Coming One, and he had strongly recommended Him to the people (John 1:26-36). After that, John was put into prison (Matt. 4:12), where he waited, expecting that Christ would do something to deliver him. However, Christ did nothing for him, although He did much to help others. When John heard of this, it might have been that he was about to be stumbled (v. 6). Hence, he sent his disciples with such a question to provoke Christ.

This proves that the Old Testament dispensation was terminated by the coming of John.

Or, him.

Hades, equal to Sheol in the Old Testament (Gen. 37:35; Psa. 6:5), is the place where the souls and spirits of the dead are kept (Luke 16:22-23; Acts 2:27).

While the Lord was rebuking the cities, He fellowshipped with the Father. At that time, answering the Father, He spoke to Him the extolment in vv. 25-26.

Malachi 4:5 prophesies that Elijah will come. When John the Baptist was conceived, it was said that he would go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). Hence, in a sense, John may be considered "Elijah, who is to come" (cf. Matt. 17:10-13). However, the prophecy of Mal. 4:5 will actually be fulfilled during the great tribulation, when the real Elijah, one of the two witnesses, will come to strengthen God's people (Rev. 11:3-12).

Christ and John the Baptist "played the flute" to preach the gospel of the kingdom, but the Jewish religionists did not "dance" for the joy of salvation; John and Christ "sang a dirge" to preach repentance, but the Jewish religionists did not mourn for the grief of sin. The righteousness of God demanded that they repent, but they would not obey; the grace of God afforded them salvation, but they would not receive it.

John, coming to bring men to repentance (Mark 1:4) and to cause them to grieve for sin, had no taste for eating and drinking (Luke 1:15-17); whereas Christ, coming to bring salvation to sinners and to cause them to rejoice in it, had the joy of eating and drinking with them (Matt. 9:10-11). The kingdom people, who are under no regulation, follow the divine wisdom, concentrating on the indwelling Christ, who is their wisdom (1 Cor. 1:30), not on the outward manner of life.

Because John the Baptist lived in a strange and peculiar way, not eating or drinking in the ordinary way, the opposers said, "He has a demon," i.e., that he was demon possessed.

See note Matt. 11:18¹.

Christ is not only the Savior but also the Friend of sinners, who sympathizes with their problems and senses their grief.

Wisdom is Christ (1 Cor. 1:24, 30). Whatever Christ did was done by the wisdom of God, which is Christ Himself. This wisdom was justified, vindicated, by His wise works, His wise deeds.

Some ancient authorities read, children (see Luke 7:35). The kingdom people are the children of wisdom, who justify Christ and His deeds and follow Him as their wisdom.

The rest that we find by taking the Lord's yoke and learning from Him is for our souls. It is an inward rest; it is not anything merely outward in nature.

The Lord's yoke is the Father's will, and His burden is the work of carrying out the Father's will. Such a yoke is easy, not bitter, and such a burden is light, not heavy.

The Greek word means fit for use; hence, good, kind, mild, gentle, easy, pleasant — in contrast to hard, harsh, sharp, bitter.

See note Matt. 10:15¹. So in v. 24.

Lit., lift.

Lit., acknowledge with extolment. The Lord acknowledged with extolment the Father's way in carrying out His economy. Although people, instead of responding to His ministry, slandered Him (vv. 16-19) and the leading cities rejected Him (vv. 20-24), He extolled the Father, acknowledging the Father's will. He did not seek prosperity in His work but sought the Father's will; His satisfaction and rest were not in being understood and welcomed by man but in being known by the Father (vv. 26-27).

In the Lord's extolling address, "Father" refers to the Father's relationship with Him, the Son, whereas "Lord of heaven and of earth" refers to God's relationship with the universe. When God's people were defeated by His enemy, God was called "the God of heaven" (Ezra 5:11-12; Dan. 2:18, 37). But when there was a man standing for Him on the earth, God was called "the possessor of heaven and earth" (Gen. 14:19, 22). Now the Lord as the Son of Man called the Father "Lord of heaven and of earth," indicating that the Lord was standing on the earth for God's interest.

The things regarding the knowledge of the Son and of the Father (v. 27).

The wise and intelligent refers to the people of the three cities condemned in vv. 20-24, people who were wise and intelligent in their own eyes. The Father's will was to hide the knowledge of the Son and of the Father from such people.

Infants refers to the disciples, who were the children of wisdom (see note Matt. 11:19⁴). The Father was pleased to reveal both the Son and the Father to them.

Lit., before You.

All things refers to the remnant whom the Father has given to the Son (John 3:27; 6:37, 44, 65; 18:9). This word implies that the wise and intelligent rejected the Son because the Father was not pleased to give them to the Son.

Full knowledge, not mere objective acquaintance. Concerning the Son, only the Father has such knowledge, and concerning the Father, only the Son and he to whom the Son reveals Him have such knowledge. Hence, to know the Son requires that the Father reveal Him (Matt. 16:17), and to know the Father requires that the Son reveal Him (John 17:6, 26).

This refers not only to the toil of striving to keep the commandments of the law and religious regulations but also to the toil of struggling to be successful in any work. Whoever toils thus is always heavily burdened. After the Lord extolled the Father, acknowledging the Father's way and declaring the divine economy, He called this kind of people to come to Him for rest.

Rest refers not only to being set free from the toil and burden under the law or religion or under any work or responsibility, but also to perfect peace and full satisfaction.

To take the Lord's yoke is to take the will of the Father. It is not to be regulated or controlled by any obligation of the law or religion or to be enslaved by any work, but to be constrained by the will of the Father. The Lord lived such a life, caring for nothing but the will of His Father (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38). He submitted Himself fully to the Father's will (Matt. 26:39, 42). Hence, He asks us to learn from Him.

To be meek, or gentle, means not to resist opposition, and to be lowly means not to have self-esteem. Throughout all the opposition the Lord was meek, and throughout all the rejection He was lowly in heart. He submitted Himself fully to the will of His Father, not wanting to do anything for Himself or expecting to gain something for Himself. Hence, regardless of the situation He had rest in His heart; He was fully satisfied with His Father's will.