What Jesus Did

Key Passage
"Come to me all you people that are tired and have heavy burdens. I will give you rest."

— Matthew 11:28 ERV (Read Full Text)

Key Thought
Tired! Weary! Exhausted! Depleted! Burdened! Is that you? There are times when the limits of our mortality overwhelm our intentions, commitments, and abilities. In our quest for significance, we chase so many things. But there is only one true quest for significance that leads to rest: we must surrender all of those burdens to Jesus and...

 

Key Passage
"My Father has given me all things. No person knows the Son—only the Father knows the Son. And no person knows the Father—only the Son knows the Father. And the only people that will know about the Father are those people the Son chooses to tell."

— Matthew 11:27 ERV (Read Full Text)

Key Thought
The New Testament makes strong and exclusive claims for Jesus. These claims are not based just upon the conclusions of men, but go back to several powerful claims of Jesus. While...

 

Key Passage
Then Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. I praise you because you have hidden these things from the wise and smart people. But you have shown these things to people that are like little children. Yes, Father, you did this because this is what you really wanted to do."

— Matthew 11:25-26 ERV (Read Full Text)

Key Thought
God has always despised arrogance. Yet it is the repeated sin of his creatures. Satan's rebellion and Adam and Eve's sin have their...

 

Key Passage
"But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be worse for you than for Tyre and Sidon. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No! You will be thrown down to the place of death. I did many miracles in you. If those same miracles had happened in Sodom, {the people of} Sodom {would have stopped sinning and it} would still be a city today. But I tell you it will be worse for you in the day of judgment than for Sodom."

— Matthew 11:22-24 ERV (Read Full Text)...

 

Key Passage
Then Jesus criticized the cities where he did most of his miracles. Jesus criticized those cities because the people there did not change their lives and stop sinning. Jesus said, "It will be bad for you Chorazin. It will be bad for you Bethsaida. I did many miracles in you. If those same miracles had happened in Tyre and Sidon, then those people in Tyre and Sidon would have changed their lives a long time ago. Those people would have worn sackcloth and put ashes on themselves to...

 

Key Passage
"What can I say about the people that live today? What are they like? The people today are like children sitting in the market place. One group of children calls to the other group, 'We played flute music for you, but you did not dance; we sang a sad song, but you were not sad.' {Why do I say people are like that?} Because John came, and he did not eat {like other people} or drink wine. And people say, 'He has a demon inside him.' The Son of Man came eating {like other people}...

 

Key Passage
"All the prophets and the law {of Moses} spoke until the time John came. They told about the things that would happen. And if you will believe the things the law and the prophets said, then you will believe that John is Elijah. The law and the prophets said he would come. You people that hear me, listen!"

— Matthew 11:13-15 ERV (Read Full Text)

Key Thought
John is Elijah who has come back. This is more than just a novelty; he is the signal of a new time, a new age. Jesus...

 

Key Passage
"Since the time John the Baptizer came until now, the kingdom of heaven has been going forward strongly. People using force have been trying to get the kingdom."

— Matthew 11:12 ERV (Read Full Text)

Key Thought
The Kingdom of God is powerful. But it has been, and will continue to be, under the attack of violent men. John is a great reminder of this. The power of his message, the power of God's truth, the power of proclaiming the nearness of the Kingdom led to conflict and...

 

Key Passage
"This Scripture was written about John: 'Listen! I (God) will send my helper ahead of you. He will prepare the way for you.' I tell you the truth: John the Baptizer is greater than any man that has ever lived. But even the least important person in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John."

— Matthew 11:10-11 ERV (Read Full Text)

Key Thought
John the Baptist was the key bridge from the Old Testament age to the Kingdom of Heaven. He stood with the prophets, but he was...

 

Key Passage
"So what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, and I tell you, John is more than a prophet."

— Matthew 11:9 ERV (Read Full Text)

Key Thought
As Amos had prophesied, there was a famine in the land of God's people. It was a horrible famine. It was a long famine! It was a famine for the Word of the LORD. God's voice was not heard through his prophets. The passionate fire that once had spoken to Israel was a silent dying ember. God's chosen people suffered; they believed the...