Kingdom Suffers Violence

John the Baptist and Jesus were not offering the type of kingdom largely expected. King Herod, a Gentile, did not like John’s call to holiness (Matt. 17:12-13; John 5:33-35) and put him in prison. John eventually died because he stood for righteousness. He died before Jesus died on the cross (Matt. 14:1-12; Luke 6:14-21).

The Pharisees did not like Jesus’ popularity and His rejection of their religious teachings and practices (Luke 5:21). As a result, they wanted to murder Him (John 5:18). Eventually they succeeded.

Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone. (NASB) John 6:14-15

Internal Violence. The other possible meaning of the phrase “suffers violence” is that the kingdom of heaven was pushing forward on its own. John and Jesus had arrived as the prophets had predicted. God was and is sovereign, and His will was being accomplished on earth as it is in heaven. God was not a victim and the response on earth was expected. Men and women were responding to Jesus’ message. Jesus had twelve leaders with Him and many followers. Jesus was eliminating disease, resurrecting some of the dead, and casting out demons. Thousands of people were coming to hear Jesus teach and heal. It must have been an exciting time in the land for the people, and a time of restless nights for the Jewish leaders. The kingdom was pushing forward in spite of the hostility. The kingdom of heaven was suffering violence from within and from without. Both were true.

Violent Men. The mystery of the last part of the verse “violent men take it by force” becomes clear when we discover that the meaning of the English phrase “take it by force” in the Greek is one word and has the idea of “seizing by force with the purpose of removing and/or controlling.” That is, violent men were attempting to remove or control the kingdom. It is clear that the Pharisees did not like John, Jesus, or their kingdom. Repeatedly, they attempted to control it.

Luke 6:1-11 and John 4:1 reveal that the Jewish leaders were watching Jesus closely. John 5:10-17 indicates that the Jewish leaders wanted Jesus to change His teaching and practices. They objected to His claim that He was God and could forgive sins (Luke 5:21). Finally, it was clear to them that they could not control Jesus. He would not stop teaching contrary to their practices, and He was claiming to be God. So they decided to remove Him.

The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. (NASB) Luke 16:16

This statement helps us understand Matthew 11:12. Since the gospel or good news of the kingdom was being preached (and it still is) by Jesus, it is clear that the kingdom was moving forward and it was being attacked by violent men who were attempting to control it and its messengers.

With this short statement Jesus told the crowds who John was and why he was in prison. The people did not know yet that even Jesus would be killed. The mission, the plan, the movement of God was being attacked. Their expectations, dreams, and hopes would soon end. They did not realize that Jesus did not come to give them a military or political kingdom. That would come in the future. Jesus came to give eternal life so that they could live with God in holiness and righteousness.

And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come. (NASB) Matt. 11:14

During the Passover Meal, which celebrated their exodus out of Egypt under Moses, every Jewish family would leave a place at the table for Elijah. The place setting with plate, glass, and silverware would be set out just in case Elijah might come during the meal. It was a symbolic reminder of his future coming They had hoped and dreamed that Elijah would come some day. So when Jesus said that He had already come, what do you think they thought? How did they feel?

John had been asked early in his ministry if he was Elijah and he had answered, “No!” (John 1:21). So why did Jesus say that John the Baptist was Elijah and John said he was not? Discovery of the answer starts with Luke 1:16-17 where the angel Gabriel told his father, Zacharias, that John would come in the spirit and power of Elijah. He was not Elijah. He came in the spirit and power of Elijah. Then sometime later, Jesus and His disciples had this conversation,

And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist. (NASB) Matt. 17:10-13

Here Jesus is asked about Elijah’s coming. The disciples apparently were interested in the signs of the coming of the end and were trying to understand the future and the events that must come first before the kingdom. Jesus’ answer is wonderfully simple. Elijah is coming and will come. He spoke of the present AND the future. Then Jesus used the past tense, “Elijah already came.” That is, Elijah “is,” “will come,” and “has already come.” He came. He is present. He will come! The end of the above passage reveals that His disciples understood He was talking about John the Baptist.

What was Jesus saying? His point was that John the Baptist was Elijah because Malachi 4:5 had predicted that Elijah would come before the Day of the Lord - before the coming of the Messiah. But John had been rejected and Jesus was being rejected and both would eventually die. This was part of God’s plan. It was in God’s plan for Jesus to die for our sins and then some day to return a second time to establish an earthly kingdom. The heavenly kingdom would come to earth and exist on the earth for 1,000 years. Jesus will return again some day to set up that kingdom; but before that occurs, the real Elijah will finally come. So John came in the power and spirit of Elijah the first time and Elijah will come at a future time.