Daily Devotions
Matthew
The Law and the Prophets
Text: Matthew 11 : 1 - 19
Once again, Jesus made reference to The Law and the Prophets. His love for the Scriptures, His extensive knowledge of it and His skilful application of the Biblical text is breath-taking.
“For all the prophets and the law prophesied
until John. And if you are willing to receive it,
he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears
to hear, let him hear!”
Matthew 11:13-15
What an intriguing statement this is. Let us take time to ponder its meaning.
“The Prophets and the Law…”
1. A reference to the Scriptures
This is the most obvious meaning. Once again, Jesus was prefacing what He was going to say with an expressed commitment to the authority of the Scriptures.
2. A reference to the prophetic element
While there was a general reference, Jesus was also making a pointed reference in making this statement. That the prophetic element was indeed highlighted may be seen in this peculiar statement.
“For all the prophets and the law prophesied…”
Matthew 11:13a
a) That the prophets “prophesied” is a concept easily understandable
Prophets did many things. They prayed for people. They taught people how they may seek the Lord. Of course one of their main ministries was to prophesy.
b) The law as prophecy too?
This was an approach that was not common. Nevertheless it was true. Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy wrote that God would one day raise up a special Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:17-22). In this sense the Law also contained a prophetic element.
“For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John…”
Again, we have an intriguing statement. How did Jesus intend this statement to be understood?
1. The Focus on John
Jesus once again turned the focus on John the Baptiser. All that he had been saying thus far (Matthew 11:7-15) involved the forerunner John the Baptiser. Jesus was not just praising John. He was helping the multitudes to understand the significant role that John played. His ministry was most significant, for he was the last of the special people God appointed to point people to the Messiah!
2. The prophecy concerning John
Jesus was trying to explain to His hearers that the Scriptures, represented by the phrase, “The prophets and the law” pointed to one Special Person – the Messiah. John was in the same great tradition. He too pointed people to Jesus as the Messiah. Thus we have a threefold witness in this text. There was The law (or read “Moses”), The Prophets (in this particular context Malachi) and John the Baptiser. All of them prophesied or testified of the Messiah whom God would send. John was the last of the special witness of God to testify concerning the Messiah.
AN APPEAL TO PAY MORE ATTENTION
Jesus had taught much. How well did the multitudes pay attention to the teachings of Jesus? It would appear that they did not comprehend much. Wherein was the problem? The clue may well lie in this statement.
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Matthew 11:15
1. Individual effort
How does understanding come about? Of course, there must be that grace from the Lord. However, we cannot blame God if we end up not comprehending things. Jesus placed the onus of understanding on the hearers. They were responsible for hearing well. They will have to put in personal effort to comprehend all that Jesus said.
2. Individual responsibility
Jesus had done His part and more. Nobody could blame Jesus for failing to teach well. Let us consider some of the teaching skills Jesus applied in His ministry.
a) He expounded the Scriptures.
b) He illustrated the Scriptures by the miracles He performed.
c) He patiently repeated Himself in a variety of ways.
We could add many more things to the above list. There is no need to elaborate further, for the point has been established. Jesus was an outstanding Teacher. The problem lies with the pupils. They had ears to hear, hadn’t they? Then they must exercise their sense of responsibility and work at hearing (that is, “understanding”) what Jesus taught.
JOHN WAS “THE ELIJAH TO COME”
The prophet Malachi prophesied that God would one day send Elijah to Israel. His appearance was of utmost significance. He would usher in “The Day of the Lord”. Jesus pointedly declared that John was the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy!