WHAT KIND OF A PREACHER WAS JESUS?

Matt. 11:20-24

Morning Meditation 5/8/2013

“Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, 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. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”

The only thing we know about Jesus as a preacher is revealed in Scripture. There are things revealed about him like Matthew 11:29 where Jesus says, “I am meek and lowly in heart.” Of course his meekness would come out in his preaching. But meekness would be seen in the whole of his life. Our text also gives insight into what he could be like when the need demanded it. Our text reveals the content of his message on this occasion.

The words “Then began he to upbraid the cities” indicate a time when this started. The word “then” means “at that time.” The word “began” (archomai) means “to begin, make a beginning.” and is an aorist middle indicative verb. The aorist tense refers to a point of time. The middle voice is where the subject participates in the result of the action and means he did this for himself. He didn’t do this through someone else. He did this himself. This is what you would hear when you heard him preach. The word “upbraid” (oneidizo) means “to reproach, upbraid, revile.” It is a present active infinitive. This means he began at this point to continually upbraid, reproach and revile the cities because they did not respond to his message. We all like positive preaching. Jesus was positively negative here.

Several years ago I listened to a certain preacher whose name is not important. He was very negative in his presentation of truth. But he was very good in his exegesis of Scripture. My purpose in listening was not only to get the message he was teaching but to learn his skills in arriving at the truth of a verse or word. He was so negative that he would attack straw men who were supposedly disagreeing with him. I listened to him in bed before I would go to sleep at night. One time he said something no preacher should say in the pulpit. It was like a resurrection took place next door! My wife was lying in bed beside me on this occasion. She sat straight up in the bed and said, “Did he just say what I think I heard him say?” I said, “Yeah, I am afraid he did!” Well, I didn’t listen to him much longer. I found myself wanting to say what I was hearing him say and it just wouldn’t do at all for me to say what he said! What I am saying if you hear someone who is all the time negative, you will begin to be that way yourself.

Now in the case of Jesus, you have balance. There is a very little negative preaching like we are witnessing in this passage. But Jesus could get tough. And he did it here. And there are times when we need to get tough. And we need to be willing to do it when the situation demands.

The words ““Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done” tell us where Jesus did this. It was in the cities. Jesus did his “upbraiding” where the most responsibility was. He had worked many miracles in these cities. The words “wherein most of his mighty works were done” tell us this. The words “mighty works” (dunamis) translate one word and refers to the powerful miracles that Jesus did. Jesus had not only spoken in these cities but he had worked miracles that confirmed his message. There was no excuse for these cities rejecting his message.

The words “were done” (ginomai) translate one word that means “to become, i.e., to come into existence, begin to be.” It is an aorist middle indicative. The aorist tense means these “mighty works” were done in the past and these cities had had time to examine the authenticity. What Jesus had done in these cities should have been enough to convince anyone of the truth of his message. John says in John 3:1-2: “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.” God literally bore witness to what Jesus said by and through the miracles which he worked.

The words “because they repented not” give the reason for the “upbraiding” of which our text speaks. Did Jesus require repentance? What does this word mean? The word “repented not” (metanoeo) means “to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins.” This is used with the negative which means they didn’t do this. Jesus demanded in his preaching a change of mind and direction.

Do we have the right to demand less that Jesus did? Many are dropping repentance from their message and debating the issue of “faith” and “repentance.” They are saying that these words mean the same in the New Testament. Paul in preaching to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:21 says, “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” The words “repentance” and “faith” are used in the same verse here and I’ll assure you they do not mean the same. The doctrine of “repentance” is not debatable for the Bible believer. Now I know some men who say they believe the Bible who are still debating that issue. This should not be. Jesus preached repentance. Paul preached repentance. Why in the world would men want to debate such a clear issue? When a man gets so smart that he debates such a clear issue in the Bible, he is entirely too smart! Let God be true and every man a liar.

The words “Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida!” tell us that Jesus did not mind calling names.

Jesus also preached the coming day of judgment: “But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.” He also taught in this statement that it will be “more tolerable” for some than for others.

He also preached hell for the unrepentant. The words “...shalt be brought down to hell” (vs 23). Jesus was a “hell fire and brimstone preacher.”

This give us a little view of what king of preacher Jesus was.

May the Lord bless you.

In Christ

Bro. White