Summary: Jesus was saying that His own generation was a childish generation. By childish He meant perverse. They turned away from that which was right and good to that which was corruptible. They were just wrong-headed, mindless, and contrary.

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

(4) Therefore, He was accused of being a sinner Himself

(a) A glutton

(b) A winebibber, that is one who over indulges in alcoholic beverages

(c) And an immoral friend of sinners

i) It must be remembered that when Jesus moved about in the social functions of society it was for the purpose of witnessing to them, not to be a part of the worldly fellowship

ii) Lets turn to Jeremiah 4:22

5. The childish generation justifies its inconsistencies

a. John lived and preached a gospel of repentance and separation

b. Jesus lived and preached a gospel of liberty

c. The religious elite were like children: they found fault with both and accepted neither

d. They just wanted to do their own thing

e. The final act of childishness was that they justified their inconsistency

Jeremiah 4:22 (NKJV)

For My people are foolish, They have not known Me. They are silly children, And they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge."

(1) Turn to Ephesians 4:14

f. But look at Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 4:14

Ephesians 4:14 (NKJV)

that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

6. There are two approaches to righteousness: the way John approached it and way Jesus approached it

a. Turn to 2 Corinthians 6:17

b. John’s way was that of being separate

(1) The simple way of the being set apart

2 Corinthians 6:17 (NKJV)

Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you."

(2) Separation is a valid lifestyle

(a) Turn to James 1:27 and Mark 16:15

c. On the other hand Jesus way was to be in and among those He wanted to reach

(1) He participated in weddings

(a) Feasts

(b) Synagogue worship services

(c) And other public gatherings

James 1:27 (NKJV)

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

(2) Visit, be involved with, people who need what you have

Mark 16:15 (NKJV)

And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

7. The religious elite rejected both approaches

a. They are as children at play, fault-finders who can not be pleased

(1) Some are playful

(a) They are having a good time and do not want to be interrupted and bothered

(b) They wanted to go on doing their own thing

(2) Some are mindless and thoughtless

(a) They do not think about the reason and logic behind God's glorious plan in the Messiah

(b) They refuse to face the reality of truth: the evil, sin, and depravity of the world and the existence of a personal God and the desperate need for Him to save the world

(3) Some are contrary

(a) Their minds are made up

(b) They are not going to listen to any other view

(c) They have their own thoughts about the world and morality, and they are comfortable living as they want to live

(d) Therefore, they stubbornly reject any other view, no matter the reasonableness of what was presented

i) Most people reject any attempt to restrict their own play

ii) They wish to continue doing their own thing whether it be seeking pleasure, intellectual pursuit, secular interest, or religious commitment

iii) Most are willing to go only so far in restricting their own desires, will, and way

iv) Few are willing to deny self completely

8. God clearly used both approaches to righteousness

a. Jesus did not condemn John's approach

(1) Jesus only commented on John’s style to illustrate His point in our passage

b. John did not condemn Jesus' approach

(1) John’s belief was that Jesus was, “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world

(2) John’s only comment was, “whose sandals I am not worthy to unloose

c. They supported each other

(1) What a lesson for Christians, there is no room for a judgmental spirit

(2) Men have different temperaments and need to be approached by different methods

(a) I believe this is why we have various churches in Julesburg and other cities

i) Lets go on to Matthew 11:19

9. The World's Inconsistencies

Matthew 11:19 (NKJV)

"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."

a. Lets us just look at the last sentence in this verse, “But wisdom is justified by her children.”

(1) This is probably an accusing statement by Jesus

(2) Children usually justify their wisdom and ideas even if their wisdom and ideas do not make good sense

(a) Well, lets turn to Matthew 11:20 - 24

B. Judgment, there is the judgment of this generation

Matthew 11:20-24 (NKJV)

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: {21} "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, 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. {22} "But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. {23} "And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. {24} "But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."

1. Jesus began to pronounce judgment on the two cities that witnesses most of His miracles

a. Chorazin and Bethsaida

(1) These two cities were privileged to have the gospel available

(2) They had the presence of Christ, of believers and of the gospel

(a) Such exposure condemns a person if he does not respond

(b) Why? Because he has the opportunity to know Christ

(c) They refused to repent

i) A person who continues to live as he wills and refuses to turn to God condemns himself

a) God demands repentance

(d) They ignored and neglected Christ

i) Even in Jesus' day most people paid no attention to Him

a) Turn to James 4:17

b. The judgment is to be based not only upon doing wrong, but upon not doing right. Just sitting around doing nothing, that is no gross or public sin, does not free a person from judgment

(1) God expects commitment and diligence in serving Christ

James 4:17 (NKJV)

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

c. The degree of judgment for the two cities is to be greater than for most

(1) The judgment upon the two cities will be much greater than for Tyre and Sidon

(2) Tyre and Sidon never had the opportunity of Christ's ministry

(a) Chorazin and Bethsaida did, and they neglected and rejected Christ

(b) Therefore their judgment shall be much more severe

i) Turn to 1 John 2:22

d. Then there is the judgment of the most privileged city, Capernaum

(1) The degree of judgment upon Capernaum is to be even greater than the judgment upon Sodom

(2) Why? Because it was the very center of the Lord's ministry and the people still neglected and rejected Christ.

1 John (2:22 NKJV)

Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.

(a) Turn to John 3:19

(3) This is why the judgment on Capernaum is to be greater then that of Sodom

John 3:19 (NKJV)

"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

2. There is to be a day of judgment, and Christ says there are to be degrees of judgment

a. Turn to Luke 12:48

b. Some judgment is to be more "intolerable" than other judgments

(1) There are degrees of privilege

(2) There is much more witness for Christ in some areas than in others

(3) People who live in these areas are much more privileged and will be held much more accountable than people who had less witness

(4) There are degrees of judgment

(5) Our response to the message of Christ determines how severely we will be judged

Luke 12:48 (NKJV)

"But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more

(a) Severe judgment will fall upon all who have had the opportunity to receive Christ and did not

(b) Our eternal state is determined by our response to Jesus Christ, and our state cannot be altered

(c) The doom of Tyre and Sidon could not be altered, neither could the doom of Sodom

c. Our God forgives sin no matter how terrible

(1) The sins of Sodom would have been forgiven if the people had repented

(2) Judgment can be averted and escaped by repentance of sin and acceptance of the person and work of Jesus Christ

(a) In Matthew 11:20 - 22 two cities are mentioned

i) Chorazin Bethsaida

a) Turn to John 21:25

ii) Jesus did many "mighty works" in these cities, yet there is no record of the works

iii) We must always remember that what we have in the New Testament are only a small number of the miracles and works that Christ did

John 21:25 (NKJV)

And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Matthew 11:23-24 (NKJV)

And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. {24} "But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."

d. Capernaum was Jesus’ headquarters from where He launched His ministry

(1) We know the story of Sodom

(2) It has become the symbol of the depth of sin and judgment

(3) Sodom could have been forgiven its sin if the people had repented

(4) Sodom was judged and destroyed because of their sin

(5) It would not have been destroyed if its people had repented

(6) Sodom and its people will answer for much in the day of judgment, but not for having neglected and rejected Christ

(a) Lets turn to Matthew 11:25 - 27

C. The blindness of this generation

Matthew 11:25-27 (NKJV)

At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. {26} "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. {27} "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

1. The people were blind to God's truth

a. See the words, "these things," that is, the truth of Christ that the cities missed

(1) Lets turn to 1 Corinthians 3:19

2. The people were blind to God's will, to His purpose

a. God has purposed to save the world through His Son, Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 3:19 (NKJV)

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness";

(1) And turn to 1 Corinthians 1:21

b. He has also purposed that the wise, that is the wise in their own eyes, the self-sufficient, shall not see the truth, but the babe, the needful will have the truth revealed to him.

1 Corinthians 1:21 (NKJV)

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

(1) Turn to Matthew 28:18 - 20

Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. {19} "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, {20} "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

(2) We know that our generation is very much like the one spoken of by Jesus

(a) The Word of God is available to 80% of the population of the world

(b) The Word of God preaches peace, salvation, and good

(c) But, what does we face today

(d) Rejecters of Good and preachers of evil

(3) We have a mandate, go into all the world and preach the gospel