And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see 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. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” (Matt 11:2–6)
But a deeper understanding is revealed in these things which happened concerning John. As we perceive in John a grace expressed with the effectiveness of reality, he also is the prophet that prophesies according to the manner in which he was the embodiment of the Law. For the Law announced Christ and preached the remission of sins, promising the Kingdom of heaven. John completely fulfilled all of the works of the Law. Now that the Law has become inactive, confined, so to speak, by the sins of the masses and chained as a result of the people’s sins, John is restrained in chains and in prison so that Christ may not be understood by them. The Law, therefore, points to the Gospel so that unbelief may consider the truth of Christ’s words in his deeds. Whatever of the Law was bound through the deceit of sins is delivered when one learns the freedom of the Gospel. For this reason, John was not seeking insight as a remedy for his own ignorance, but for that of his disciples, since he himself had preached about the One who was to come for the remission of sins. So that they should know none other than the One whom John had preached, he sent his disciples to learn about His works. John knew that those works would confer an authority on His words and that no other Christ should be expected than the One to whom His works bore witness.
John, however, was not believed by the people; the works of Christ did not win authority; the cross was going to become a scandal. Now prophecy is ceased; now the Law is fulfilled; now all preaching is concluded; now the spirit of Elijah is sent ahead in the voice of John. Christ is preached to some and acknowledged by others; He is born in some and loved by others. His own people spew Him out, while strangers receive Him; His closest attack Him, while His enemies embrace Him. Those who are adopted seek His heritage, while His family rejects Him. The children repudiate the Covenant, while the servants acknowledge it. And so it is that the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence. Those who seek to attack it do so because the glory pledged to Israel by the patriarchs, announced by the prophets, and offered by Christ, is now appropriated and seized by the faith of the pagans.
Hilary of Poitiers, Commentary on Matthew 11.2, 7
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