Matthew 11:2 (KJV)

Passage

Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

Nearby Context

Matthew 11:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

Matthew 11:2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

Matthew 11:3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

Matthew 11:4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "john", "heard", "prison", "works", "christ", "sent", and "disciples". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "john" and "heard", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "And it came to pass when Jesus..." into verse 3's "And said unto him Art thou he...", so "john" and "heard" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "john" and "heard" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.