John Calvin Commentary Matthew 11:12

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force." — Matthew 11:12 (ASV)

Since the days of John, I have no doubt that Christ speaks honorably of the majesty of the Gospel because many sought it with warm affection. For as God had raised up John to be the herald of the kingdom of His Son, so the Spirit infused such efficacy into his doctrine that it entered deeply into the hearts of men and kindled that zeal. It appears, therefore, that the Gospel, which comes forward so suddenly and extraordinarily,¹⁶ and awakens powerful emotions, must have proceeded from God.

But in the second clause, this restriction is added: that the violent take it by force. Most men were no more stirred than if the Prophets had never uttered a word about Christ, or if John had never appeared as His witness; and therefore Christ reminds them that the violence, of which He had spoken, existed only in men of a particular class.

The meaning, therefore, is this: a vast assembly of men is now gathered, as if men were rushing violently forward to seize the kingdom of God; for, aroused by the voice of one man, they come together in crowds and receive—not only with eagerness but with vehement impetuosity—the grace that is offered to them. Although many are asleep, and are as unaffected as if John in the wilderness were acting a play that had no reference to them, yet many flock to him with ardent zeal.

The point of our Lord’s statement is to show that those who, in a contemptuous manner and as it were with closed eyes, pass by the power of God—which manifestly appears both in the teacher and in the hearers—are inexcusable.

Let us also learn from these words what the true nature and operation of faith is. It leads men not only to give cold and indifferent assent when God speaks, but to cherish warm affection toward Him, and to rush forward, as it were, with a violent struggle.

¹⁶ ”Laquelle tant soudainement gaigne les coeurs des hommes d’une facon non accoustumee, et y cause des mouvemens merveilleux;” — “which so suddenly gains the hearts of men in an unusual manner, and excites in them wonderful emotions.”;” — “which so suddenly gains the hearts of men in an unusual manner, and excites in them wonderful emotions.”