Matthew 11:1-19 – Even If

In February 2009, my mom was battling cancer, and during a routine checkup, the doctors gave us the news no one ever wants to hear: "She has 3-6 months to live." My mom was the godliest person I knew. If anyone was a candidate for miraculous healing, it was her. People all over were praying, believing for a miracle. But despite our prayers and our faith, in late March, she passed away.

Now, I want to be clear—throughout all of this, I never lost my faith in God. I didn’t find myself angry or running from Him because of her death, but I would be lying if I said it wasn’t hard to reconcile. Even today, I still wrestle with the question, "Why does God choose to heal some and not others?" I’ve seen people healed from cancer after praying for them, and I fully believe Jesus when He says in Matthew 17:20-21, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." But I also know that God’s plan is often beyond my understanding.

Some of you know exactly what I’m talking about this morning. You’re in the middle of a tough situation, maybe it’s you or someone close to you, and you’ve been praying, begging God to intervene. And yet, the circumstances aren’t changing. And so, these questions start to emerge: "Is God really good?" "Is my faith not strong enough?" "Why does God allow what seems like unjust suffering or untimely death to happen to really faithful, godly people?" Here’s the thing—I have NO IDEA what is in the mind of God when it comes to healing. What I do know is that God is good, and He is always working for good, in life and in death.

This morning, we’re diving into Matthew 11, where we find this idea of unjust suffering on display in the life of a man Jesus described as, "Among those born of women, there has not risen anyone greater…" We’re talking about John the Baptist.

In verse 1, we don’t see any mention of the disciples going out. Matthew spent a lot of time on Jesus’ instructions to them, but when it comes to their actual mission, he just moves forward in the story. Matthew, instead, chose to focus on John the Baptist and his circumstances.

So, why was John the Baptist in prison? Herod Antipas had married Herodias—an unfortunate name for a woman, by the way—who was his brother Philip’s wife. John called him out on it, saying in Matthew 14:5, "It is not lawful for you to have her." So, Herod arrested John and eventually had him beheaded. While in prison, John still had disciples following him, and he sent them to Jesus with a question that seems a bit odd. He asked, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?"

Now, this is the same John who, in Matthew 3:14, said to Jesus, "I need to be baptized by you." In John 1:29, he declared, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" So, why is he questioning now? Could it be that John was expecting Jesus to come in a different way? Maybe John, like so many others, expected Jesus to be a new King, a military leader, who would deliver Israel from Roman oppression. And when John found himself in prison, maybe he became disillusioned.

This gives us a glimpse into John the Baptist’s limited understanding of his role. He knew his calling was to prepare the way for the Messiah, and he fully believed Jesus was that Messiah. But what he couldn’t reconcile was why he was stuck in prison. Maybe John was like the disciples who believed they would be part of the Messiah’s earthly reign, that they would see an overthrow of Rome, and the restoration of Israel to its former glory.

When John’s disciples brought this question to Jesus, His response was simple yet profound. He said, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor." Then Jesus added, "Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me."

In other words, Jesus was saying, "Yes, I am the Messiah. Look at what I’m doing!" But beneath that, there’s an unspoken question: "John, do you still believe in me even if I don’t rescue you from this prison?"

Charles Spurgeon once asked, "Why is it that, in these days, miracles are rather a trial of faith than a support of it?" To John the Baptist, Jesus essentially responded, "Blessed is anyone who does not stumble because of me." The ESV says, "not offended," while the NLT says, "does not fall away." Here’s what Jesus is really saying: You are blessed when you continue to follow even when you don’t get what you want when you want it.

Israel desperately wanted their Messiah to be a military hero like King David, someone who would restore their nation to prominence. But the Kingdom Jesus was ushering in was not about changing the landscape—it was about changing hearts.

Jesus is saying to John the Baptist, and to you and me this morning, "Do you believe in me even if I don’t change your circumstances? Even if I don’t heal you? Even if I don’t fix your job situation or your challenging circumstance?"

There’s a song by MercyMe called "Even If" that summarizes this idea beautifully:

"They say it only takes a little faith to move a mountain/ Well good thing, a little faith is all I have/ But God, when you choose to leave mountains unmovable/ Oh give me the strength to be able to sing it is well with my soul/ I know you’re able and I know you can/ Save through the fire with your mighty hand/ But even if you don’t/ my hope is you alone."

In Daniel 3:17-18, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego tell King Nebuchadnezzar, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it…but even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

In James 1:2-4, we’re told to consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of many kinds because the testing of our faith produces perseverance. And in Romans 8:35, 37-39, Paul reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.

So, yes, John the Baptist was in prison, but Jesus affirmed his calling. Jesus said that John was not a reed swayed by the wind, not someone seeking the comforts of this world. John was a prophet, but even more than that—he was the fulfillment of Malachi 3:1, the messenger sent to prepare the way for the Messiah. Even though he was imprisoned, John was fulfilling his calling.

Jesus then makes a powerful statement: "There is no one greater than John the Baptist…YET whoever is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he." What was Jesus saying? He was saying that because the New Covenant had not yet been completed through His death and resurrection, John was not a full recipient of the Kingdom of Heaven like future followers of the Way would be. You and I, the least in the Kingdom, are greater because of what we have received through Jesus’ death and resurrection. It’s not about what you DO, but what you RECEIVE.

In verse 12, Jesus says, "The Kingdom of Heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it." This is a confusing statement, and scholars differ on its meaning. But one thing is clear—those living a Kingdom life were under attack, both by governing authorities and by spiritual darkness. Jesus said in Matthew 10:34, "I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." He’s telling us that His way will be divisive, that it will stand in opposition to the culture, and even in contradiction to our own hearts. Hebrews 4:12 reminds us that God’s word is "sharper than any double-edged sword"—it divides, it contradicts our natural tendencies toward self-gratification, self-protection, and self-addiction. And our natural response is to fight it, to oppose it, sometimes violently, because WE WANT WHAT WE WANT.

But life in the Kingdom is not about deliverance from the storm, though God sometimes does that. It’s about a peace-filled existence in the middle of the storm. "Jesus, your Kingdom come, your will be done, EVEN IF I don’t get my way."

The prophets up until John were all pointing to a Messiah who was to come. But John had the unique privilege of prophesying that the Messiah was HERE. He was, in essence, the return of the prophet Elijah.

But as we see in verses 18-19, the Kingdom of Heaven was facing opposition. People criticized John, yet thousands came to repentance through his ministry. They criticized Jesus, yet many, including the least of society, like the writer of this gospel, Matthew, received the love, peace, and hope that the Kingdom offers.

A friend of mine recently released a song called "Backwards Kingdom," and it’s a must-listen. The chorus says, "Strength is weakness, weakness is strength, living is dying, dying is gain, you get forgiveness by giving it away. When you save your life, you lose it. When you lose it, you’ll be saved."

So here we are at the beginning of Matthew 11. John the Baptist, a man of great faith, is experiencing a crisis of faith. And Jesus reminds him, as He reminds you and me, that there is a cost to following Him. Jesus reminded John of his calling, and in many ways, it’s our calling too—PREPARE THE WAY for JESUS in the lives of others: your neighbors, your family members, your co-workers, even in random encounters with others, NO MATTER WHAT.

Maybe today, God is allowing something difficult in your life because He wants to use your testimony of struggle to show the world what it looks like to have peace in the midst of it. He may be building in you a powerful story, like Paul’s in 2 Corinthians 11:21-31.

Sometimes your story is powerful because of healing; other times, it’s powerful because of the strength you show in the midst of struggle. Ultimately, Jesus ushered in the Kingdom of Heaven to accomplish BOTH. Jesus is good NO MATTER WHAT, EVEN IF you are chosen to suffer for His sake.