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The sermon presents Matthew 11:5 as a distinguishing sign of Christ’s messianic mission: the poor receive the good news. Spurgeon defines the Gospel through Scripture, Christ’s atoning blood, and the Holy Spirit’s converting power, while insisting that preaching must remain clear, engaging, and faithful rather than merely intellectual or philosophical. Evangelization is more than exposure to preaching; it produces Gospel-shaped lives and can lead poor believers into Gospel ministry. The church therefore bears responsibility both to remove barriers to hearing the Gospel and to provide practical financial support for faithful ministers among the poor.
Theological center: Christ’s Gospel is authenticated by its fulfillment of Scripture, its salvation through Christ’s blood, and its regenerating application by the Holy Spirit.
Applications: Preach where the poor gather · Make preaching accessible · Preach the true Gospel · Support poor ministers
Primary texts: Matthew 11:3-5 · Isaiah 35:5-6 · 1 Timothy 1:15
“The poor have the gospel preached to them.” Matthew 11:5 JOHN, the forerunner of Christ, had some followers who continued with him after Christ had come in the flesh and openly manifested Himself among the people. These disciples were in doubt as to whether Jesus was the Messiah or no. I believe that John himself had no doubt whatever upon the matter, for he had received positive revelations and had given substantial testimonies on the subject. But in order to relieve their doubts, John said to his disciples, in some such words, “Go and ask Him yourselves.” And therefore, he dispatched them with this message, “Tell us whether thou art he that should come, or do we look for another?” Jesus Christ continuing His preaching for a while, said, “Stay and receive your answer.” And instead of giving them an affirmative reply, “I am that Messiah,” He said, “Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: 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.” As much as to say, “That is My answer, these things are My testimonies—on the one hand, that I come from God, and on the other hand, that I am the Messiah.” You will see the truth and force of this reply, if you will observe that it was prophesied of the Messiah, that He should do the very things which Jesus at that moment was doing. It is said of Messias, in the thirty-fifth chapter of Isaiah, at the fifth and sixth verses, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.” The Jews had forgotten this too much. They only looked for a Messiah who should be clothed with temporal grandeur and dignity, and they overlooked the teaching of Isaiah, that he should be “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” And besides that, you observe, they overlooked the miracles which it was prophesied should attend the coming of the glorious One, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus gave this as His answer—a practical demonstration of John’s problem, proving it to an absolute certainty. But He not only referred to the miracles, He gave them a further proof, “The poor have the gospel preached to them.” This, also, was one evidence that He was Messias. For Isaiah, the great Messianic prophet, had said, “He shall preach the gospel unto the meek,” that is, the poor. And in that Jesus did so, it was proved that He…