Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 11:15

"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." — Matthew 11:15 (ASV)

The argument returns to vv.9–10, stating explicitly what Jesus said there: John the Baptist was the prophesied “Elijah” (v.14). This locates his place and function in the history of redemption and affirms again that what Jesus was doing was bringing in the Day of the Lord. The clause “if you are willing to accept it” does not cast doubt on the truth of the identification; but, like v.15, it acknowledges how difficult it was to grasp it, especially before the Cross and the Resurrection. The formula in v.15 is both a metaphorical description of and a challenge to spiritual sensitivity to the claims of the Gospel.