These verses record Jesus" description of the condition of the kingdom when He spoke these words. The days of John to the present began when John began to minister and extended to the time Jesus uttered the words Matthew recorded here. What does "suffers violence" mean? If the Greek verb biazetai is a deponent middle tense, it could mean that disciples must enter the kingdom through violent effort. [1] This seems to introduce a foreign element into Jesus" teaching on discipleship. Entrance into the kingdom depends on faith in Jesus as the Messiah. The deponent middle could also mean that the kingdom has been forcefully advancing, but it had not swept away all opposition, as John had expected. [2] However the image of an irresistibly advancing kingdom seems foreign to Matthew"s portrayal of Jesus" ministry thus far. Mounting opposition suggests that the kingdom was encountering severe resistance. [source][source][source]
Probably the verb biazetai is in the passive tense. The kingdom suffers violence because evil men take it violently. Perhaps Jesus meant that men were snatching the kingdom from God and forcing its coming. [3] This is impossible since Israel was not forcing the kingdom to come. The Jews were unwilling to receive it when Jesus offered it. Perhaps Jesus meant that some Jews, such as Barabbas, where trying to bring in the kingdom by political revolution. [4] This is unlikely since Jesus made no other reference to this happening in the context. Probably Jesus meant that the religious leaders of His day were trying to bring in the kingdom in their own carnal way while refusing to accept God"s way that John and Jesus announced. [5][source]
This view explains satisfactorily Jesus" reference to the period from the beginning of John"s ministry to when He spoke. Ever since John began his ministry of announcing Messiah the Jewish religious leaders had opposed him. Moreover in Matthew 23:13 Jesus accused the scribes and Pharisees of trying to seize the reins of kingdom power from Messiah to lead the kingdom as they wanted it to go. They also snatched the kingdom from the people by rejecting the Messiah. The imprisonment of John was another evidence of violent antagonism against the kingdom, but that opposition came from Herod Antipas. John and Jesus both eventually died at the hands of these violent men. [source][source][source]
Jesus described the imminent kingdom as in grave danger because of His enemies. The Old Testament prophets had predicted until John , but when John began his ministry the time of fulfillment began. That was a unique time that the law and the prophets had foretold ( Matthew 11:13). [6][source]