How does Matthew 11:3 connect with Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah? Matthew 11:3 in Context “Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?” Old Testament Roots of the Title “the One who was to come” • Psalm 118:26 — “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.” • Deuteronomy 18:15, 18 — Moses foretells “a Prophet like me” whom the people must hear. • Isaiah 59:20 — “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression.” • Malachi 3:1 — “Behold, I will send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord you seek will suddenly come to His temple.” Together these passages shaped Israel’s expectation of a singular, promised “Coming One.” Jesus’ Reply Anchored in Isaiah’s Messianic Signs Matthew 11:4-5: “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” • Isaiah 35:5-6 foretells eyes opened, ears unstopped, the lame leaping, tongues singing. • Isaiah 61:1-2 promises good news to the poor, binding up the broken-hearted, liberty to captives. By echoing these prophecies, Jesus presents visible credentials that He is the long-awaited Messiah. The Forerunner-Messiah Pattern • Malachi 3:1 & 4:5 look for a forerunner (fulfilled in John the Baptist, Matthew 11:10-14) who prepares the way for “the Lord.” • John’s question in 11:3 shows he recognizes the pattern but seeks confirmation that Jesus fits it completely. Prophecies Reflected in Jesus’ Ministry • Miracle power (Isaiah 35; 42:6-7) → seen in the Gospels’ healings. • Preaching to the poor (Isaiah 61:1) → Sermon on the Mount, parables, outreach to outcasts. • Gentle yet authoritative rule (Isaiah 42:1-4) → Jesus’ compassionate authority over sickness, nature, and sin. • Suffering servant (Isaiah 53) hinted by Jesus’ beatitude in Matthew 11:6: “Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of Me”, preparing hearts for a Messiah who would triumph through suffering. Key Takeaways • Matthew 11:3 directly taps into a well-known Messianic title rooted in multiple Old Testament promises. • Jesus answers, not with abstract claims, but by fulfilling the very signs Isaiah attached to the Messiah. • The passage confirms that the prophetic thread—from Moses through the Psalms, Isaiah, and Malachi—finds its literal fulfillment in Jesus of Nazareth, the true “One who was to come.” |
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