- 1And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.
- 2Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
- 3And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
- 4Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
- 5The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
- 6And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
- 7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
- 8But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
- 9But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
- 10For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
- 11Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
- 12And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
- 13For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
- 14And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
- 15He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
- 16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,
- 17And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
- 18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
- 19The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
- 20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
- 21Woe 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.
- 22But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
- 23And 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.
- 24But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
- 25 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.
- 26Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
- 27All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
- 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
- 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
- 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
KING JAMES VERSION
MATTHEW 11
Read the chapter, follow a linked verse, and continue into related Watchman 33 teaching.
CHAPTER VISUAL
Matthew 11 — Jesus answers John through His works, confronts unbelief, and invites the weary to find rest in Him.
About this illustration
John’s question is represented by two observing messengers and a distant fortress. The yoke remains an ordinary object beside the road, supporting the invitation to rest without becoming a magical symbol.
Scripture basis: Matthew 11:1–30King James Version · Standardized 1769 text with Strong’s numbering · Public domain outside the United Kingdom
EXPLORE THE MESSAGE
Related Watchman 33 Resources
Archaeological Evidence
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
4th–5th Century
Papyrus P19: Matthew 10:32–40 in a Greek Witness
P.Oxy. IX 1170, now Bodleian Library MS. Gr. bib. d. 6 (P), is a fourth- or fifth-century papyrus codex leaf preserving Matthew 10:32–11:5 across both sides.
Matthew 10:32–42 · Matthew 11:1–5
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
4th Century
Papyrus P62: Matthew 11:25–27 in a Greek–Coptic Witness
P62, Oslo P. 1661, is a fourth-century miniature Greek–Akhmimic Coptic codex preserving Matthew 11:25–30 and Daniel 3:50–55, perhaps produced for excerpted, liturgical, devotional, or amuletic use.
Matthew 11:25–30
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
3rd Century
Papyrus P70: Matthew 11:26–27 in a Greek Witness
P70 joins three third- or early-fourth-century papyrus fragments in Oxford and Florence that preserve portions of Matthew 2–3, 11–12, and 24.
Matthew 2:13–16 · Matthew 2:22–23 · Matthew 3:1
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEArchitecture
Principally 3rd–6th centuries AD, with earlier occupation beneath and around the synagogue
Chorazin Synagogue and the Inscribed Seat of Moses
Korazim's basalt synagogue, donor inscription, and so-called Seat of Moses document the durable Jewish communal life of a Galilean town named in the Gospels, though the visible building is later.
Matthew 11:20–24 · Luke 10:13–15 · Matthew 23:2–3
Prophecy Events
PROPHECY EVENTFulfilled
28
Isaiah 40:3–5 · Malachi 3:1 · Malachi 4:5–6A Forerunner Prepares the Way
Isaiah and Malachi announce a messenger who prepares the Lord’s way. The Gospels identify John the Baptist with that messenger, while Josephus independently describes John’s public teaching, baptism, following, imprisonment, and death under Herod Antipas.
Prophetic signJohn the BaptistJesus ChristIsaiahMalachi
PROPHECY EVENTFulfilled
28
Isaiah 35:4–6The Blind See and the Lame Walk
Isaiah pictures God’s saving arrival with opened eyes and ears, leaping legs, and songs from formerly mute mouths.
Restorationhealingblindlamekingdom signs
Sermons
Legally Blind
Pastor Dean Odle warns that believers can become spiritually blind through pride, passivity, and failure to practice or rightly interpret Scripture. Moving from James 1 and Jesus' confrontations with the Pharisees to Paul's pastoral commands and Christ's rebuke of Laodicea, he urges humility, careful study, prayer, and honest self-examination. Odle applies the warning to disputes over salvation, spiritual gifts, women in ministry, and biblical creation, attributing deception to isolated proof texts and resistance to correction. He closes from 2 Corinthians 5 with the judgment seat of Christ, a call to be reconciled to God, and a prayer for the Holy Spirit to open believers' eyes.
Doctrine and DiscernmentApostasy and DeceptionChristian LivingScripture Alone
View sermon The Heart of Mankind - Part 6: Pride
Pastor Dean Odle presents pride as a foundational corruption of the human heart: self-exaltation that resists truth, correction, dependence, and humble obedience to God. Jeremiah 17 again supplies the series’ controlling diagnosis, while Proverbs, Obadiah, Isaiah 14, and Ezekiel 28 trace pride’s deception and its association with Satan’s fall. Spiritual gifts, knowledge, success, and ministry activity can themselves become occasions for boasting if love and humility are absent.
Doctrine and DiscernmentChristian LivingSpiritual Warfare
View sermon The Lost Axe Head
In “The Lost Axe Head,” Pastor Dean Odle presents a Scripture-centered message about the condition of the church, the prophetic sign, spiritual leadership. Drawing especially from Obadiah 13, John 1, Luke 3, Matthew 11, the teaching emphasizes that the church is called to recover biblical faithfulness instead of accommodating compromise. Odle connects that foundation with the conviction that the biblical narrative is used to show God’s power to recover what has been lost and restore usefulness.
Bible Prophecy
View sermon Showing 1–3 of 6 sermons