Daily Reading

Matthew 11:2-30; Psalm 14:1-7; Proverbs 3:19-20

So what's happening here? John the Baptist - whose ministry pointed toward the coming Messiah - wants to confirm that Jesus is the Messiah. He does this either for his own sake or for the sake of his disciples so they will now follow Jesus.

Jesus confirms that He is the Messiah. Then He tells His disciples that all the prophets, including John, have pointed toward Him. There are over 300 Messianic prophecies. The scholars and religious leaders of Jesus' time would have most of these prophecies memorized. The Jewish people would have been taught many of these prophecies. Yet the religious refused to connect the prophecies with Jesus. They were so set in their own ways, so convinced of their own righteousness that they missed the signs. Even Jesus' miracles failed to convince most people that He was the Messiah.

Why? The Jewish leaders expected the Messiah to come and save them from Roman occupation. They were looking for a man who would restore their control over the Promised Land. They wanted a king and they refused to open their eyes to a man that fulfilled a much different role. Jesus didn't give them what they wanted, He gave them what they needed.

You see, the Jewish people lost control over the land because they turned away from God and began following their own ways. They believed that simply obeying a bunch of rules would be enough. Unfortunately, in their attempt to follow the rules, they forgot the purpose of the rules, which was to teach the people how to have a good relationship with God and with others. The Jewish leaders fell away from relationship and relied on strict obedience. The Messiah came to reteach the people how to have a relationship with God and to establish a new way to have that relationship, but we'll read more about that later.

So what about you. Are you missing Jesus because He isn't who you thought He should be? He didn't come to make you rich, give you good grades, or even to fix the problems of this country. Jesus came to heal your heart and restore your relationship with God. Will you let Him?