Matthew 11:7-15

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Introduction

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7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written,

“ ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,

who will prepare your way before you.’

11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

During our last time together we looked at Jesus’ interaction with John’s disciples, but now we see those disciples leaving to return to John, and this week we turn to Jesus’ teaching on who John is, or more specifically, what John’s role was in relation to the OT and to the ministry of the Messiah. These are Jesus’ most explicit words concerning the identity of John the Baptist.

Jesus speaks to the crowds

And Jesus begins by turning and speaking to the crowds around him, and he asks them there in verse 7,
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“What did you go out into the wilderness to see?

“What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

Now, if you’ll recall John spent the majority of his life and ministry in the Judean wilderness. In fact, it’s believed that he spent most of his time on the south side of the Sea of Galilee along the Jordan river, and he preached a message of repentance, which we saw back in chapter 3, verse 1, where we read that,
Now, if you’ll recall John spent the majority of his life and ministry in the Judean wilderness. In fact, it’s believed that he spent most of his time on the south side of the Sea of Galilee along the Jordan river, and he preached a message of repentance, which we saw back in chapter 3, verse 1, where we read,

3 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

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John drew large crowds over the course of his ministry, so large that even the Jewish historian Josephus took notice, and at one point recorded this,
The Works of Josephus: New Updated Edition The Ancient Citations of the Testimonies of Josephus, from His Own Time Till the End of the Fifteenth Century

Now when [many] others came in crowds about him, for they were greatly delighted in hearing his words, Herod was afraid that this so great power of persuading men might tend to some sedition or other, for they seemed to be disposed to do everything he should advise them to

Jesus’ rhetorical questions

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John’s ministry in the Judean wilderness had an immense impact, an impact that garnered even the attention of Herod. And so Jesus looks at the crowds around him, with John now in prison, and he asks them in a rhetorical fashion, in other words he doesn’t expect them to answer back, he says, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?” John was not the kind of man who adapted his message to whatever he thought would be popular to the people. John’s message wasn’t crowd-sourced, John was bold, sharp, unwavering. He was not like a reed shaken by the wind.
In fact, John’s message of repentance hardly fit the mold of a man who’s teaching changes with the wind. John’s message was uncompromising, and, in fact, it was this kind stubbornness and tact that landed him in Herod Antipas's prison. If you’ll recall John was thrown into prison for speaking out against Herod taking his brother’s wife.
And Jesus goes on, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A man dressed in soft clothing?” Was John a man of prestige and wealth, like someone living in a king’s palace? No, John had no power or prestige to speak of, instead he lived in the wilderness wearing a garment of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. () John’s message was not heeded because of who he was. Nor was his message motivated by an desire to gain power or wealth. John’s mission was not influenced by any power or privilege.
I see this played out all the time in our day. If someone has wealth or power we almost always assume the worst of their actions. We assume that their actions are always guided by a pursuit of more wealth and more power. However, it would be near impossible to make such accusations of John who had neither wealth or power of his own.

John is not just any prophet

And finally Jesus asks, “What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.” In other words, John was not just any prophet. He was the last and final prophet of the OT era, he was the immediate forerunner to the Messiah. Out of all the prophets he pointed most clearly Messiah. In facts in John chapter 1, verse 29, we read that when John “saw Jesus coming toward him, [he] said, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John doesn’t just speak concerning the Messiah who is to come, but literally points him out in a crowd. John’s life and ministry overlaps with the life and ministry of Jesus.
And more than that, John himself is the fulfillment of OT prophecy. John is as Jesus says there in verse 10,

10 This is he of whom it is written,

“ ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,

who will prepare your way before you.’

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or as Jesus puts it in verse 14,

he is Elijah who is to come.

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Then just as you can’t imagine Jesus exalting John to any greater status he says there in verse 11,

11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.

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If you miss John you miss Jesus

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This is astounding, and what I think Jesus is doing here is first telling his hearers that they had better not miss who John is and why he came, because if you miss John you miss Jesus.

Yet the one who is least in the kingdom is greater than he

And the second reason I think Jesus does this is because he intends to set us up for what he’s about to say in the second half of verse 11,
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11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

So Jesus has just exalted John to a position of privilege that surpasses even Abraham, Moses and David, to tell us that the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. John the Baptist is a prophet of astounding privilege, yet the most insignificant citizen of the kingdom of heaven is more privileged than that of John himself.
Because we stand on the other side of the cross, after the Messiah’s crucifixion and resurrection, after the inauguration of the new and better covenant, we see and understand more than John ever could have. Like a child being lifted on the shoulders of her father to get a better view so we see Christ and all his finished work on the cross.

Salvation revealed

So this text is not imply that John or anyone before him is not saved because of their coming before Christ, what Jesus is demonstrating is that the salvation God had promised to his people long ago has now been revealed, and that we are more privileged than even John to have seen these things.
Turn with me to 1 Peter chapter 1, starting in verse 10, because Peter talks about this as well,

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

And here we are together, gathering some 7,000 miles away from where Jesus stood, celebrating the Lord’s Day, the day that our Lord and Savior was raised from the dead. The day that our sins were atoned for, the day that Jesus bore the wrath reserved for us. This day we look back and have the privilege of see God’s work in hindsight, to see God’s redemptive purposes sustained from generation to generation, from Adam to Noah, Noah to Abraham, Abraham to Moses, Moses to David, David to John, John to Jesus, and finally to Jesus’ sacrifice that purchased our salvation. John didn’t have the NT as we have it today, he didn’t get to see God’s redemptive work played out in detail on the pages of Scripture, but we can, we have the privilege of carrying with us more than 6,000 years of redemptive history played out before us.

Do not neglect such a great salvation

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Now, I’m reminded of the words written in Hebrews chapter 2, starting in verse 3, where the writer warns us against neglecting such a salvation, he says,
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3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Therefore, let us be careful not to neglect such a great salvation.

Inauguration of the kingdom causes upheaval

However, this salvation has not come to us easily, Jesus explains there in verse 12,

12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.

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The the inauguration of this kingdom did not come without conflict, and it does not continue its advancement without violence. Not that its citizens advance this kingdom with violence, but instead the coming of this kingdom has elicited great opposition. From day one the kingdom of God has suffered violence and the violent attempt to overtake it by force.
We should all remember back in Matthew chapter 2, when Herod attempted to put Jesus to death even as a small child, going so far as to murder all of the children in Bethlehem and the surrounding region under the age of two. Or how both John and Jesus up to this point have been opposed and persecuted by many of the religious leaders in Israel. Or how John was put in prison for standing against Herod’s unlawful marriage, and who will ultimately have his head put on a platter for it. And we all know that Jesus will be crucified for his message of the kingdom. And the violence doesn’t end there, just one chapter back we spent several weeks listening to Jesus’ words to his disciples of how he’s sending them out as sheep in the midst of wolves.
The inauguration of this new kingdom causes significant upheaval for Israel, to such a degree that it even receives fierce opposition from the Roman Empire. Many do not accept or understand the ministries of Jesus and John, and this causes friction within Israel and Rome. This clash of kingdoms so to say plays a role in the varied responses that John and Jesus receive. And so it’s at this point that it’s important to remember again that chapters 11 and 12 will be in many ways a compilation of the varied responses to Jesus’ ministry, responses of doubt, of confusion, of opposition, and of persecution. These varied responses are toward both Jesus and John the Baptist.
The inauguration of this new kingdom has caused significant upheaval within Israel, to such a degree that it even receives fierce opposition from the Roman Empire. Many do not accept or understand the ministries of Jesus and John, and this causes friction within Israel and Rome.

He who ears to hear let him hear

Now, all of this here in verses 7-11recorded in Matthew thus far serves Jesus’ p
And finally Jesus wraps up his teaching of who John is there in verses 13-15,

13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

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Again, Jesus makes it clear that John is Elijah, the messenger sent by God to prepare the way for the Messiah, who was prophesied to come in the Book of Malachi (which is where Jesus quoted from back in verse 10). Now Jesus isn’t saying the John is Elijah in the flesh, in fact, John denied this very assertion in the Gospel of John, but rather John the Baptist is as the angel prophesied to his father, Zachariah, when the angel said in Luke chapter 1, verse 15,
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15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will 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 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah,

This is how John fulfills the OT prophecy concerning Elijah, by going forth in the spirit and the power of Elijah. We read in ,

5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

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Conclusion

So Jesus takes all of this mounting evidence of who John is and challenges them, “if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come, and he who has ears to hear, let him hear.” John is not some man who tells you what you want to here, he’s not some aristocrat trying exert control over the people, he’s a prophet, and not just any prophet, he’s the greatest of all the prophets, he is Elijah who was prophesied to come. So don’t miss who John is and why he came, because if you miss John you’ll miss the Messiah. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
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