APPROACHABLE

Have you ever spent time thinking about how approachable God is?  It’s probably not one of your top 10 attributes of God, but it’s fundamental to our relationship with Him.  I was reading Mathew 11 this week and realized that the chapter seems to be focused on this.  

It begins with the familiar story of when John the Baptist was in prison and had sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the Messiah.  So, the guy who was supposed to prepare the way for the Messiah wasn’t sure that Jesus was the Messiah and yet he baptized Him, saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him (Matt 3:16), and heard a voice from heaven saying, “You are my Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased (Luk 3:22). More remarkable than this was Jesus’ response to John’s question.  He didn't point out John's doubts but strengthened his faith by allowing his disciples to hear, see and later share with John the many messianic prophecies that He was currently fulfilling [Mat 11:4-5 NIV] 4 Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 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.  

Jesus further encourages John by the prophecy that the Messiah will be “a stone that causes people to stumble (Isa 8:14-15)” and that he will be blessed if he doesn’t stumble over Him (Mat 11:6) but chooses to believe in Him.   

Jesus knew exactly what John the Baptist needed to hear to remove his doubts and come to fully believe in Him.  This is good news because He does the same for us.  For example, let’s say that you have humbly sought Jesus in earnest and experienced His presence in very tangible ways, and later found yourself in hardship and then wondered if it really was Jesus all along.  This is what happened to John and just as Jesus responded to him, He won’t judge our doubts, but will remove them with His Word so that we’ll come to Him.  He is proactively approachable by removing the barriers that keep us from Him and encourages us to not stumble on account of Him, but to come to Him.  

After removing John’s doubts, Jesus’ focus turns to the crowd.  He tells them that John was “the one about whom it is written: “ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ (Mat 11:10 NIV, Mal 3:1) and that “among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Mat 11:11) So as with John, Jesus wants the crowd to come to believe in Him.  He doesn’t judge their doubts but removes them with the Word of God. He further encourages them that the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than even John the Baptist.  Jesus then removes the barriers that have kept the crowds from coming to Him.  He tells them: 

• John is the Elijah who was prophesied to come before the Messiah (Mat 11:14, Mal 4:5)
• Their generation are like children in the marketplaces who don’t come close to John or Jesus but make assumptions about their character with no firsthand knowledge. (Mat 11:16-19)
• The towns where most of His miracles were done did not repent although they saw Jesus fulfill the same messianic prophecies that John’s disciples saw (see Mat 11:4-5 above).  It will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for them. (Mat 11:20-24)

 Jesus then tells the crowd that “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Mat 11:27) clearly showing them that He is the only way to the Father. 

Then at the end of Mathew 11, Jesus makes the most amazing and approachable offer yet: [Mat 11:28-30 NIV] 28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." 

Jesus’ offer to come to Him and be given rest and to take His yoke upon us and learn from Him and find rest for our souls is open to everyone.  And if you’re rightfully in awe of being that close to God the Son, He further explains that He is gentle and humble in heart and that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. Jesus repeatedly tells us throughout scripture: “Do not be afraid” (Mat 28:10, …). The same God the Son through whom all things, including us were created is gentle and humble and wants to lead us through this life next to Him.  It’s amazing to consider how approachable our God is!

Cary Allen (cary.allen@comcast.net)