Acceptance Or Rejection Of John The Baptist And Jesus Christ Series

Introduction

A. A man and his wife were making their first doctor visit prior to the birth of their first child. After everything checked out, the doctor took a small stamp and stamped the wife's stomach with indelible ink. The couple was curious about what the stamp was for, so when they got home, the husband dug out his magnifying glass to try to see what it was. In very tiny letters, the stamp said, "When you can read this, come back and see me."

B. Jesus is talking about John the Baptist

1. Lets turn to Matthew 11:16 - 19

II. Body

A. This childishness generation

Matthew 11:16-19 (NKJV)

But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, {17} "and saying: 'We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not lament.' {18} "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' {19} "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children."

1. Now Jesus was addressing the Scribe, Pharisees, and the Sadducees

a. Basically the religious elite of His time

b. But, He was also addressing every generation

c. And every nationality

d. What Jesus has to say includes our generation

(1) Turn to Matthew 18:3

2. Jesus compares the adults, He was addressing, to kids

a. This was possibly the best illustration He could come up with

(1) Comparing them with obstinate, argumentative children

(2) Now, in places Jesus said, well lets read Matthew 18:3

Matthew 18:3 (NKJV)

and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

(3) But this is not what He was talking about

(4) Think about this, children playing in the market place. One group says, “Lets play wedding.”

(a) At a wedding was feasting and dancing

(b) But, their companions reply, “No, we don’t want to be dancing around today.”

(5) So the other say, “well, then how about playing funeral?”

(a) But their companions reply, “No, we don’t want to be sad and crying.”

(6) I remember my son, Lee, and his friends liked to play cowboys and Indians or cops and robbers

(a) Just imagine one set of friends saying no to those and every other suggestion

(b) Jesus point is that the people He was addressing would not be happy with any alternative

i) They wanted to do their own thing

b. Jesus was saying that His own generation was a childish generation

(1) By childish He meant perverse

(2) His generation was a perverse generation

(3) They turned away from that which was right and good to that which was corruptible

(4) They acted contrary to the evidence

(5) They were opposed to that which was right, reasonable, and acceptable; and they were obstinate in their opposition

(6) They were just wrong-headed, mindless, and contrary

(7) They did not want the truth, so they made excuses for not receiving the truth

3. Just look at verses 18 and 19

a. How does this fit into what Jesus is saying?

(1) How should the Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees have understood it?

(2) Look and see how Jesus applied what He had said about children playing and those religious elite around Him

Matthew 11:18-19 (NKJV)

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' {19} "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children."

b. John had lived a simple life, separated unto God

(1) He didn’t drink wine

(2) He ate simple foods

(a) Locust and wild honey

(3) John was clothed like Elijah

(a) Camel hair robe and a leather belt

(4) John preached in the wilderness

(a) That is outside town

c. The religious elite said, “he has a demon”friends.

(1) John just isolated himself and cut himself off from everyone

(2) He withdrew from society

(3) His message was a gospel of repentance and separation from the things of the world

d. Therefore, he was accused of having a devil, that is, of being mad and insane for choosing to live that way

4. Conversely Jesus was a gregarious individual, living a life style opposite that of John the Baptist.

a. So the religious elite accused Jesus of worldliness

(1) Jesus lived and preached a gospel of liberty

(2) He ate and associated with the people and shared in their social affairs

(3) He moved among all sorts of people, mixing and making Himself accessible to all no matter how terrible they were thought to be