Matthew 11:5

“The 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.”

Context:To understand the significance of Matthew 11:5, it’s important to consider the context. In Matthew 11, John the Baptist is in prison and sends his disciples to ask Jesus if He is the one they were expecting, the Messiah. Jesus responds by pointing to the works He is performing as evidence of His messianic ministry.

Miracles of Jesus:In Matthew 11:5, Jesus lists several miraculous works that align with messianic prophecies found in the Old Testament. Let’s break down each of the miracles mentioned:

• a. The blind receive their sight: Jesus had performed numerous miracles of healing blind individuals throughout His ministry (e.g., Matthew 9:27-30; Mark 8:22-26; John 9:1-7). These miracles demonstrated His power and compassion, fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah 35:5: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened.”
• b. The lame walk: Jesus also healed those who were unable to walk, restoring their ability to move and walk (e.g., Matthew 9:1-8; John 5:1-9). This fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 35:6: “Then shall the lame man leap as a hart.”
• c. The lepers are cleansed: Jesus not only healed lepers physically but also restored them to society by cleansing them from the contagious disease (e.g., Matthew 8:1-4; Luke 17:11-19). This fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 53:4: “Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.”
• d. The deaf hear: Jesus restored hearing to those who were deaf (e.g., Mark 7:31-37). This aligned with the prophecy in Isaiah 35:5: “Then the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.”
• e. The dead are raised up: Jesus performed notable miracles of raising the dead, such as Lazarus (John 11:1-44) and the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:21-43). These miracles showed His power over death, fulfilling prophecies like Isaiah 26:19: “Thy dead men shall live.”
• f. The poor have the gospel preached to them: In addition to physical healing, Jesus proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God, bringing hope to the poor and marginalized. This aligns with Isaiah 61:1, which Jesus quoted in Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.”

Messianic Identity:By mentioning these miracles, Jesus affirms His identity as the long-awaited Messiah. The fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies through His works serves as evidence to John the Baptist’s disciples and to us that Jesus is indeed the Messiah, the Anointed One sent by God.

Overall, Matthew 11:5 showcases the powerful and compassionate ministry of Jesus. It highlights the fulfillment of Messianic prophecies through His miracles, affirming His divine identity as the Messiah and pointing to the kingdom of God. This verse emphasizes the transformative power of Jesus’ ministry, both in physical healing and in the proclamation of the gospel to the poor and marginalized.