Matthew — Chapter 11

In this sermon on Matthew 11:2–6 titled “Art Thou He that Should Come?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-looks at the question John the Baptist asked during his imprisonment. Getting the answer correct to this question is of the highest importance, but it is an answer that makes many people feel ashamed. Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows that it is impossible for the natural person not to be ashamed of the answer. Many people have preconceived notions about how Jesus was to redeem humanity. Some believed He was to be a great military leader, while others see Him as a good, passive, and moral teacher. Jesus’s actions are ones that turn logic on its head and show that His ways are so much higher than humanity’s ways. Jesus did not come to this earth to answer to people, but so that they could turn to Him for the forgiveness of their sin.

What did Jesus mean when He said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened”? What is the burden? In this sermon on Matthew 11:21–28 titled “Woe Unto Thee,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the necessity of seeing Christ’s gentleness as well as His severeness. Many today preach only on God’s love, believing that a loving God cannot possibly condemn anyone. If that were the case, what was the point of Jesus’s death on the cross? Dr. Lloyd-Jones dispels the false idea that God cannot punish sinners, and instead shows that God must punish sin, whether that is through Jesus or through the sinner. It is the gospel that determines who takes the wrath of God. The most important question a person can ask themselves is where they stand before God, and their eternal soul depends on the correct answer. God has promised that He will give salvation and rest to those who humble themselves and believe God is who He says He is. However, for those who try to shape God into their own being, Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches that there is no salvation or rest.

What is one of the main reasons people give for rejecting the claims of Christ? In this sermon on Matthew 11:28 titled “A Knowledge of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that many claim that it is narrow and dogmatic to claim to have all the answers to life, particularly Christians who believe that the Bible is God’s word and that Jesus is the only Savior. The reason for not believing in Christianity is not ultimately born out of intellectual objections to Christianity, but it is a result of spiritual blindness. Because all are in sin and depravity, they are unable to judge the merits of Christianity in a rational and objective way. All those that oppose Christianity do so because of their sinful nature and spiritual blindness. This problem of sin cannot be overcome through clever argumentation and evidences, but ultimately only through the power of the gospel. There are no truly modern objections to Christianity, but only old ones in new forms. Christians should be encouraged that it is not their own intellect and rhetoric that convince unbelievers of the truth of Christianity, because it is ultimately God alone who, by His grace, changes the hearts and minds of men and women in order that they might believe in the gospel.