Matthew 11:2

2 And John having heard in the prison the works of the Christ, having sent two of his disciples,

Matthew 11:2 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 11:2

Now when John had heard in the prison
The person here spoken of is John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, who was now in the prison of Machaerus; being put there by Herod, for his reproving him for taking Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; and whilst he was there, an account was brought him by his own disciples, see ( Luke 7:18 ) of

the works of Christ,
the miracles he wrought; as the healing of the centurion's servant, the raising from the dead the widow's son of Nain, and the like; upon hearing of which,

he sent two of his disciples,
who might be the most prejudiced against Christ, because of the increase of his followers, and the decrease of their master's; and because he did not live such an austere life as John did; and who, notwithstanding all that they had heard, and their master had told them of Jesus, were not easily persuaded that he was the true Messiah. Moreover, two of them were sent, both because it was more honourable to Christ, and that they might be proper witnesses of what they saw and heard; and since it was not so much for himself, as for the sake of his disciples, that these messengers were sent.

Matthew 11:2 In-Context

1 And it came to pass, when Jesus ended directing his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

2 And John having heard in the prison the works of the Christ, having sent two of his disciples,

3 said to him, `Art thou He who is coming, or for another do we look?'

4 And Jesus answering said to them, `Having gone, declare to John the things that ye hear and see,

5 blind receive sight, and lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and deaf hear, dead are raised, and poor have good news proclaimed,