Day 20, The Greatest Prophet, Luke 7:24-35

Having sent John’s disciples back to him with His answer, Jesus now addresses the crowd.  He not only praises John the Baptist; He also teaches the crowd.

First, Jesus tells the crowd what He thought of John.  For one thing, John was not superficial.  Jesus asks the crowd why they had gone out into the desert.  It was not a site-seeing trip because there is nothing more than the reeds blowing in the wind along the Jordan.  And John himself was not the type who was blown about by every wind of doctrine.  Again, they did not go to see one of the rich and famous people.  We can say John was not an entertainer, compromiser or power-hungry preacher happy to attract a large crowd.  

(Let us insert this thought, that many preachers today are superficial and we are warned about them: e.g. 1 Cor. 2:1-5; 1 Thess. 2:3-6; Jude 16.)

Rather, we can say, John was substantial.  He was a prophet, standing in the line of Abraham – Moses – Elijah/Elisha – Isaiah/Jeremiah/Ezekiel – Hosea to Malachi – and many others.  But John was more than a prophet; he was the messenger prophesied by Isaiah (40:3) and especially Malachi (3:1) who would come to prepare the way of the Messiah.  That makes him incredibly special so that Jesus can say, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist.  

Yet, Jesus makes an interesting statement: He who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist.  How can that be?  This is a great Biblical truth: John, like all the prophets before him, was still waiting for the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies.  John died the martyr’s death before Jesus died the Savior’s death.  John did not experience the blessings of the New Covenant (the outpouring of the Spirit) and is thus less than the least of NC believers in Christ.  God having provided something better for us (NC believers), that they (pre-NC believers) should not be made perfect apart from us (Heb. 11:40).

Jesus still draws attention to John’s pivotal role in His day.  Many justified God (declared God righteous) by accepting John’s message, showing it by baptism.  The experts in the Law rejected John, showing it by refusing to be baptized.  Jesus could point to John and his contrasting style of ministry from His own, and call attention to the hypocrisy of those who rejected John AND Jesus.  

 As Jesus says, wisdom is justified by all her children.  The truly wise ones were those who were led to Christ by John.  Has your wisdom (way of thinking) resulted in receiving Christ?  If not then your wisdom isn’t at all wise!