Introduction
A. At the height of His earthly ministry, Jesus was approached by two disciples of John the Baptist
1. Turn to Matthew 11:1-6
2. John was in prison, and had sent the two disciples to Jesus
Matthew 11:1-6 (NKJV)
Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities. {2} And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples {3} and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" {4} Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: {5} The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and he deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. {6} And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."
3. Perhaps troubled by his own imprisonment, he wanted affirmation that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Coming One
4. Jesus pointed to His works, and spoke of the blessedness of those not offended because of Him
B. Jesus used this opportunity to tell the multitudes about John the Baptist
1. Lets turn to Mt 11:7-10
Matthew 11:7-10 (NKJV)
As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? {8} But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. {9} But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. {10} For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.'
2. Israel was an agricultural society
a. The people knew what Jesus meant when He said, “ "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?”
(1) They knew just what He meant, John was not one bend with the prevailing wind
(2) Originally the High Priest in Israel was appointed by God
(a) You might remember the rod of Aaron, “behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.”
(3) But, the Romans appointed the High Priest
(a) Caiaphas
(b) And Annas
(c) These men, did as the Romans wished
i) They were reeds shaken in the wind
(4) But John stood toe-to-toe with the religious elite and political leadership calling them a brood of vipers
(a) He condemned Herod the king for having his brother’s wife
3. Israel was a country of haves and have nots
a. There were the rich
b. And the poor
c. The middle class was very small, mostly merchants
d. So, the people knew what Jesus meant when He said, “what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments?”
(1) The soft garmented would be the Pharisees, priests, and scribes
(a) These are the ones Jesus condemned for hypocracy and lack of compassion
(b) No John was not rich
(c) But, John was obedient to God’s call
4. Israel had been a people who had many prophets
a. They knew what Jesus meant when He said, “what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.'
(1) Turn to Malachi 3:1
(2) John’s dress was like that of Elijah
(3) John’s meat was like that of Elijah
(4) John’s manner was very much like that of Elijah
(5) But, Jesus went further, Jesus attributed John the Baptist as the prophet spoken of by the prophet Malachi in the first part of Malachi 3:1
Malachi 3:1 (NKJV)
"Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me.
(a) Now lets turn to Matthew 11:11
II. Body
A. John the Baptist the greatest of the prophets
Matthew 11:11 (NKJV)
"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
1. John the Baptist was not some easily shaken reed or man in soft clothing, but a prophet
a. Turn to Isaiah 40:3
b. Yes, he was the prophet foretold by Isaiah and Malachi
Isaiah 40:3 (NKJV)
The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.
c. Turn to Malachi 4:5
Malachi 4:5 (NKJV)
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
2. But then Jesus made two remarkable statements
Matthew 11:11 (NKJV)
"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
a. The first was “among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist”
(1) Think of what Jesus just said.
(a) Turn to Hebrews 11:5
(2) Who would be included?
(a) Enoch
Hebrews 11:5 (NKJV)
By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
(b) Turn to James 2:23
(3) Who would be included?
(a) Abraham
James 2:23 (NKJV)
And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God.
(b) Turn to Acts 13:22
(4) Who would be included?
(a) David
Acts 13:22 (NKJV)
And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.'
(5) Now we could go on and on naming soldier, prophet, priest and king
(a) But I think you get the idea
(b) Jesus made the statement that up to then, John the Baptist was greater than every other individual that had ever been born
B. John was the Messiah's forerunner, the herald of the true King
1. When God chose a person to run ahead and herald the coming of the Messiah, He did not choose a King or any other person of power or fame
a. He chose a simple man and called him to preach the coming of the Messiah
b. This conveyed a powerful message: God's kingdom is not based on earthly pomp or earthly power
c. It is based on God's Spirit and God's power
(1) Turn to Luke 1:13-17
(2) John was filled with the Holy Spirit even before he was born
Luke 1:13-17 (NKJV)
But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. {14} And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. {15} For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. {16} And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. {17} He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
d. Christ applied the Isaiah and Malachi prophecy to Himself
(1) That is, He claimed to be the Messiah before whom John the Baptist ran and prepared the way
(a) Jesus and John were the fulfillment of prophecy
(b) Jesus was the Messiah and John was the forerunner who prepares the way by proclaiming His coming
(2) All believers, preachers and laymen alike, are to be preparing the way of the Lord
(a) How?
(b) By proclaiming
i) That He has come
ii) And that He is coming again
(c) Remember: He came the first time, so He will come the second time
e. The kingdom was not brought about by man's hands, but by the hand of God
(1) Thus, God's kingdom is a lasting, eternal kingdom, not a temporary kingdom that eventually will pass away ..
C. The second statement was just as remarkable, “but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
1. John was the greatest of natural men, yet not as great as the least in the kingdom
a. John did not have what believers have today
b. In knowledge, he did not have the full revelation of salvation which God has given believers in the Lord Jesus Christ
c. In experience, he did not have the Holy Spirit's indwelling in the sense that New Testament believers do
2. I guess the first thing we have to discover is what is meant by the kingdom of heaven
a. I believe that John was just as much a part of the kingdom of heaven as anyone
(1) But, John was pre-cross
(2) That is John did not know the full extent of God’s plan of salvation
(a) In the book of Acts, Paul found some who had converted but were not indwelt by the Holy Spirit because their baptism was the baptism of John
(b) Their faith was incomplete
(c) Paul explained the gospel, baptized them, laid hands upon them and they received the Holy Spirit
i) In other words, their faith was completed
3. Jesus reference to the kingdom of heaven, in this case, are those of us who are post-cross
a. Believers have the opportunity for more knowledge about God then John had
b. In the Kingdom which God is building, those who believe in Jesus have access to the full revelation of God
(1) The believer sees the cross
(2) He knows that the Messiah has come, died, risen, and ascended into heaven
(3) The believer knows the full scope of salvation
(4) He sees the cross, the symbol of the great love of God
(5) He can know the love of God in a way that John and others before John could have never known
(6) Just imagine! The humblest believer can know more about God than the greatest of the Old Testament saints
(a) Turn to Luke 12:48
(b) He can know more than Abraham, Moses, Elijah, or Isaiah
(c) It should be noted, however, that this is not favoritism
(d) It is a heavier responsibility for which followers of Christ shall be held more accountable
(e) We will read only the last sentence in Luke 12:48
Luke 12:48 (NKJV)
For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
i) Believer, that is you and me
c. Believers have the opportunity of more experience with God than John had
(1) The basic difference between believers before Christ and believers after Christ is the Holy Spirit
(2) Believers after Christ have the opportunity to experience God more fully through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit
(3) They also understand God's revelation more clearly by knowing the Lord Jesus Christ personally and following Him
(a) Turn to Romans 4:3
(4) Positionally, both the Old Testament and New Testament believers stand justified before God
(a) Abraham, a believer before Christ, believed God and was counted righteous or justified
Romans 4:3 (NKJV)
For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
(b) The Phillipian jailer, a believer after Christ, believed God and was saved or justified
(c) Positionally, those in the Kingdom of Heaven today stand no more justified before God than John the Baptist
(d) But having the opportunity to know and experience the full revelation of God, the believer of today is unsurpassed in privilege
(e) However, for this privilege the world today stands much more responsible and accountable
Luke 12:48 (NKJV)
For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
4. In God's estimation John was the greatest man ever born of a woman
a. John was neither a prince nor a king
b. He was not a man of wealth, fame, or power
c. Who was he?
d. He was simply a man who believed in the Messiah and who totally committed his life to that belief
e. God does not value a man by his birth or earthly attainments, but by his relation and commitment to the Messiah
5. Think about this, the preacher today has the privilege to proclaim the cross and resurrection
a. John never knew the cross and resurrection
b. He only knew that the Messiah had come
c. Yet look at how committed he was to his mission
d. What a lesson for all of us today
6. Man today has the privilege to know the cross and resurrection of Christ
a. Turn to 1 Corinthians 1:18
b. John did not
c. He only knew that the Messiah had come
d. How much more accountable we shall be!
1 Corinthians 1:18 (NKJV)
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
e. Turn to Acts 1:8
D. You and I and every Christian has one responsibility to Christ the Lord
Acts 1:8 (NKJV)
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
1. We are to be salt and light in this rotting, stinking, dark world we live in
