Matthew 11:16-19 Jesus and John

"But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children,  and say, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.'  For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon!'  The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds." [Matthew 11:16‭-‬19 NASB]

The generation that was alive at the time of Jesus' earthly ministry was the most unique in history. They had both John the Baptist and Jesus as ministers.

John represents repentance and grace under the Old Covenant, while Jesus represents repentance and grace under the New Covenant. During this brief period of time there was an overlap. While the New Covenant wasn't sealed until the death of Jesus, He brought the kingdom of God to people, and extended New Covenant grace to them, as He met them.

The Jewish establishment of the time rejected John the Baptist. They, like many others, considered that he might be the Messiah. They questioned him, "This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." [John 1:19‭-‬20 NASB]

John was the consummate Old Testament prophet. He called out the sins of the people, including the religious leaders, and while he had some followers, he was overwhelmingly rejected by the religious leaders. They didn't want to hear about their sins, even if it meant repenting of them and being forgiven. He required of them to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. In other words, they needed to be as righteous as they claimed to be. He was like the one singing a dirge, and they accused him of having a demon.

Jesus ushered in the New Testament kingdom of God. Instead of crying out in the wilderness, He went to the cities and homes of the sinners. He required nothing of the sinners before forgiving them. He simply forgave them and told them to go and sin no more. Jesus laughed and ate with the lowest of the low, bringing forgiveness and joy. He was like one who played a pipe, and they accused Him of being a glutton and a drunkard.

With the death of Jesus, God made a New Covenant, not only with Israel, but with the whole world. There are many today who like to live with one foot in the Old Testament, and one in New. They  apply Old Testament promises to their lives, but leave out the Old Testament requirements that go along with it. Or they cherry pick the commandments that they will choose to keep. This will not work. If you keep one point of the Law, then you are obligated to keep the whole Law (Galatians 5:3), but "whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." [James 2:10 NASB]

These are the people who accept the New Testament teaching that salvation is by grace through faith. They will say that they are New Testament believers, and not under the Old Covenant. Then, by every good intent of trying to be good, they stumble over the Law. One of the first things new Christians learn is to keep the Ten Commandments. But the Ten Commandments are part of the Old Testament Law. We are taught that we need to tithe, but tithing (and the promises associated with it) is also part of the Old Testament Law.

Which brings us to the New Covenant that Jesus bought for us. "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, and on their mind I will write them," [Hebrews 10:16 NASB] As we walk in the Spirit of God, He will put His law in our hearts. We are not to follow rules, but the Spirit of God.

This is radical thinking for many Christians because they have not been taught this way. There is a sense in which it is easier to follow the boundaries of rules than it is to live without rules. 

Many Christians are in the same limbo as the Jews of Jesus' generation. They reject the Old Covenant Law as being a part of the past, but, by clinging to rules, refuse to walk in the full freedom of the New Covenant.

In order to live without rules, you must live entirely by faith in the Holy Spirit to guide you. With this faith come absolute freedom, not to sin, but to live a life more righteously than you can ever imagine living by following the rules.