16  The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived  (Luke 7:24–30)

When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces! But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’ I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they acknowledged God’s justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John. (7:24–30)

The primary goal of Jesus’ ministry was to demonstrate that He was the promised Messiah, King, and redeemer, who would fulfill the promises of the Abrahamic, Davidic, and New covenants. Therefore His goal in this passage was not merely to honor John the Baptist, although hewas deserving of honor. Christ’s main point in discussing John was to show how his ministry revealed and established Jesus to be the Expected One (cf.the discussion of that term in the previous chapter of this volume).

Most people in Israel initially accepted John as God’s prophet who spoke for God as all true prophets did in the past. This was monumental since there had not been one for four centuries. All three of the Synoptic Gospels refer to the vast crowds that flocked to the Jordan River to hear him (Matt. 3:5–6; Mark 1:5; Luke 3:7, 10). Herod Antipas hesitated to execute John because the crowds viewed him as a prophet (Matt. 14:5), while the Jewish leaders feared that if they denied John’s authenticity, “all the people [would] stone [them] to death, for they [were] convinced that John was a prophet”(Luke 20:6; cf. Matt. 21:26; Mark 11:32).

What makes the people’s belief that John was a prophet all the more remarkable is the nature of his message. John the Baptist was no man-pleasing flatterer, but preached a fiery message of coming judgment and the need for repentance. He denounced both the crowds (Luke 3:7) and their leaders (Matt. 3:7) as venomous snakes scrambling to escape the furious wrath to come. Still more amazing, many of those who heard John preach were willing to be baptized by him—a proselyte baptism normally reserved for Gentiles converting to Judaism. By accepting baptism at his hands, the Jews were acknowledging themselves to be outside the covenants and the promises, and no better than uncircumcised Gentiles. But despite John’s forceful condemnation of their sin and his call for them to repent, the people kept coming to hear the prophet announcing Messiah’s arrival. They agreed with Jesus’ assessment of John the Baptist, I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John.

There was a glaring inconsistency in their acceptance of John, however. Their dilemma was that while they acknowledged John as a prophet, for the most part they did not accept John’s message that Jesus was the Messiah. Beyond what John said, the Lord had clearly demonstrated by the truth of His declaration that He was the Expected One, God in human flesh. He had traveled all over Galilee healing the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead (as He had just done at Nain [7:11–15]). In fact, Jesus had just finished putting on a display of His divine power for the messengers from John the Baptist (7:20–22). All that was done in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (cf. Isa. 61: 1).

At this point, Jesus seized the opportunity to confirm His messiahship and put the crowds in an untenable position by pointing out the reality that because they accepted John as a prophet, they must therefore accept his testimony to Jesus being the Messiah. If John were a prophet, that testimony was true; on the other hand if his testimony was not true, then he was not a prophet. And John could hardly havedeserved the honor of being called the greatest man who ever lived if he lied about Jesus being the Messiah.

Based on societal norms, John would not be considered great. He would be viewed as anti-social, abrasive, politically incorrect, and in general a bothersome, irritating nuisance. He had no wealth, social prominence, or formal education. He achieved nothing notable by the typical standard of measure; he held no position, built no organization, and left no literary works. But God’s standards for greatness are the absolute antithesis of the world’s, and by those standards John was greater than anyone before him, including all the exalted persons of the Old Testament record, like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, and all of the prophets (cf. Luke 1:15). In this passage Jesus lists three features that mark John’s greatness; his personal character, privileged calling, and powerful contribution.

JOHN’S PERSONAL CHARACTER

When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces! (7:24–25)

As noted in chapter 15 of this volume, John was imprisoned and unable to come to Jesus in person. Apparently experiencing some doubts, based on what was happening to him and not happening with Jesus, John sent two of his disciples to ask Him if He was really the Messiah. In response, the Lord put on a convincing display of His divine power for their benefit and sent them back to John (7:21–23). After the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about him. Jesus drove home His point that it was inconsistent for the people to accept John as a prophet, but reject Him as Messiah. Three rhetorical questions form His response. The first two emphasize John’s personal character.

The Lord’s first question, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?” stresses that John the Baptist was not a vacillator, swaying here and there in the breezes of popular opinion, but a man of firm, unshakeable convictions. Those convictions led him to fearlessly confront Herod Antipas, which led to John’s arrest and eventual execution. It was his uncompromising boldness and passionate commitment to the truth that caused thousands of people to travel up to forty or fifty miles or more into the wilderness where Johnspent his entire ministry (Matt. 3:1; cf. v. 3; Isa. 40:3) to hear him preach repentance in readiness for the Messiah.

Jesus then asked a second rhetorical question that further reveals John’s character. “What did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces!” Malakos (soft) is translated “effeminate” in 1 Corinthians 6:9. It calls to mind the frilly, lacy embroidered clothing that has always been worn by the pampered nobility. John’s wardrobe was just the opposite; it consisted simply of “a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt” (Matt. 3:4). Instead of the fancy delicacies of some royal court, his diet consisted of “locusts and wild honey” (v4).

But John was no effeminate flatterer of nobility; he was not a panderer living in luxury in Herod’s palace, but a prisoner languishing in a dungeon. William Hendriksen writes,

John not only spoke like a prophet, but also lived like one. There was not a trace of self-aggrandizement in his life. He did not live a life of indulgent luxury, but of austerity and self-denial, of separation from the world and devotion to God. John’s denial and devotion may be seen in his lifelong abstention from alcoholic beverages (Luke 1:15), which suggests that he had taken a Nazirite vow (cf. Num. 6:2–4). John’s prophetic integrity rang true with the people because of his unimpeachable personal character.

JOHN’S PRIVILEGED CALLING

But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’ (7:26–27)

As noble as John’s character was, an even more significant element of his greatness was his privileged calling. When the people trekked into the wilderness to see John, they all knew that they were going out to see a prophet. As noted above, John was highly regarded by the people, so much so that they even wondered if he himself might be the Messiah (Luke 3:15). John had all the marks of a prophet; he powerfully proclaimed the word of God, confronted sin, warned of coming judgment, called for repentance, and lived a life of self-denial.

But Jesus went beyond merely identifying John as a prophet, declaring him to be one who is more than a prophet. John was not only a prophet himself, but also one who was prophesied to come. Paraphrasing Malachi 3:1 to give it its correct interpretation Jesus reminded the crowd, “This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’“ John was the prophet whom Malachi predicted would prepare the way for the Messiah (cf. Isa. 40:3–5; Luke 3:4–6). It was his unique privilege of being Messiah’s forerunner that set him apart for unparalleled greatness. While the other Old Testament prophets predicted that Messiah would come; John announced that He had arrived. For them it was a matter of faith; for John it was sight. He had the privilege of not only seeing the Messiah, but also of talking with Him, and hearing the Father’s audible testimony concerning Him.

Malachi’s identification of this coming prophet as Elijah (Mal. 4:5) raises the question of whether John the Baptist was Elijah returned, since John explicitly denied that he was (John 1:21).The true interpretation of Malachi’s prediction was made clear before John was born. In his announcement of John’s miraculous birth to his father Zacharias, the angel Gabriel said of him, “It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him [Messiah] in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17). Thus, when John denied that he was Elijah, he meant that he was not that very Old Testament prophet returned from heaven, and clarified what the Jews wrongly expected (see Luke 9:8 and the discussion of Luke 7:18–20 in chapter 15 of this volume).

The truth is that had the Jews believed in Jesus, John the Baptist would have become the fulfillment of the Elijah-like prophet of whom Malachi wrote. In Matthew’s parallel account of this passage, Jesus noted, “If you are willing to accept it [the truth that He was the Messiah], John himself is Elijah who was to come” (Matt. 11:14).When the apostles asked Him, “Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” (Mark 9:11) Jesus replied,

Since Israel rejected Messiah and His kingdom, there must be another Elijah-like prophet who will come in fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy just before Christ’s return to establish His glorious, earthly, millennial kingdom. Unrelated to that prophet to come, who will bear some resemblance to the ministry of Elijah, there will also appear two witnesses who will minister during the tribulation (Rev. 11:3–12), one of which may actually be Elijah.

But Israel’s unbelief does not diminish John’s stature. He was the forerunner of the Messiah, the fulfillment of Malachi’s (Mal. 3:1) and Isaiah’s (40:3–5) prophecies. His privileged calling made him the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets, the last preacher of the age of promise, the bridge into the age of fulfillment, and the first preacher in the New Testament.

JOHN’S POWERFUL CONTRIBUTION

When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they acknowledged God’s justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John. (7:29–30)

Whether these two verses record words spoken by Jesus or are Luke’s editorial comment is not clear, but the latter is more likely. John’s profound impact on the nation is evident from the response both of those who initially accepted his message, and those who rejected it. So great was John’s influence that he literally divided the nation. When all the common people, including even the hated and reviled tax collectors, heard John’s powerful preaching they acknowledged God’s justice, or righteousness. They admitted that they were sinners and that God was holy, righteous, and just to condemn them for their sin and call them to repentance. They also agreed to be baptized with the baptism of John, thus publicly acknowledging themselves to be outside of God’s kingdom and no better off than the pagan Gentiles.

On the other hand, the religious elite, the Pharisees and the lawyers, rejected God’s purpose for themselves, and refused to repent and be baptized by John. The lawyers, or scribes, were the self-styled experts in the law. They gave advice and direction in religious, criminal, and governmental matters. Most of them were Pharisees, proud, aloof, self-righteous, and viewing themselves as spiritually superior to the common people (cf. John 7:49). Unlike the people, they were not at all willing to acknowledge that they were sinners.

The common people were thrilled for a while by John’s ministry. They were excited to have a prophet among them again after four centuries without any word from God. The people eagerly anticipated the arrival of the long-desired Messiah, of whom John was the forerunner. But John’s identification of Jesus as the Messiah put them in a quandary. Amazingly, instead of accepting the testimony of the one whom they had hailed as God’s great prophet, the people refused to embrace Jesus. Some even chose to escape their dilemma by revising their view of John to accommodate their rejection of Jesus. Some said the worst according to Luke 7:33 where the Lord said, “For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’“ Others, according to John 5:35, were temporarily impressed by John. In the words of Jesus, “He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light” (emphasis added).

All the euphoria surrounding John and his ministry was shortlived. Awed and traumatized by John’s powerful preaching and caught up in the crowd mentality, many people made superficial, emotional commitments. Later, under the influence of the religious leaders, they turned away from John and his teaching. They began to deny what they had once affirmed regarding John to justify their rejection of Jesus. So completely did they abandon John that there was no public outcry when corrupt Herod executed him. Many similarly were swept up in the excitement of Jesus’ triumphal entry But the same frenzied mob that shouted “Hosanna!” on that occasion would just a few days later scream, “Crucify Him!” Like the rocky and thorny soils (cf. Luke 8:6–7), their commitment was shallow, superficial, and fading fast.

But despite his exemplary personal character, uniquely privileged calling, and undeniably powerful contribution, the shocking truth is, Jesus told His hearers, that although “among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God (the sphere of salvation where God rules over His people) is greater than he.” That surprising statement can be understood in two ways. First, the kingdom of God is an eternal, spiritual reality, while John’s ministry was an earthly, temporal one (although John himself, of course, was also in the kingdom).Thus, although no one ever had a more significant earthly function than John, everyone in the kingdom has greater spiritual privileges. Eternal salvation far surpasses the highest earthly privilege.

But there is another sense in which the Lord’s words can be understood. The kingdom of God takes on various distinct forms. It existed in the Old Testament where God ruled as king over Israel (cf. 1 Sam. 8:7; 12:12; Isa. 33:22). It was a kingdom based on the promise of the coming Messiah. But there was another form of the kingdom that both John the Baptist (Matt. 3:1–2) and Jesus (Matt. 4:17) said was imminent, inaugurated with the coming of Messiah. This was not a different sphere of salvation, but rather the fulfillment of the kingdom promised in the Old Testament. All believers in the era of fulfillment enjoy greater privileges than even John, the greatest man of the era of promise, enjoyed.

Having inaugurated the era of fulfillment with His coming, Jesus could say to His disciples, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them” (Luke 10:23–24). The writer of Hebrews notes that “all these [the heroes of faith from the era of promise], having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect”(Heb. 11:39–40).

In contrast to John and the others in the era of promise, believers in the era of fulfillment have the full record of the life of Christ in the gospels, the spread of the gospel by the Spirit’s power in Acts, the explanation of Christ’s person and work and the purpose of God in salvation in the epistles, and the details of Christ’s glorious return to establish His earthly kingdom and the eternal state that follows it in the book of Revelation. Believers in the era of fulfillment also have the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower (Acts 1:8) and guide them (1 John 2:20, 27).As a result, we understand truths not understood by those in the era of promise, not even by its greatest prophet, John the Baptist. Paul identifies those truths as mysteries, hidden in the Old Testament, but revealed in the New. They include:

• The mystery of Christ’s incarnation (Col. 2:2–3); that He would be both God and man, a truth hinted at in the Old Testament (e.g., Isa.7:14;9:6), but not made clear.

• The mystery of Israel’s unbelief (Rom. 11:25–29).

• The mystery of Gentile salvation (Rom. 16:25–26).

• The mystery of Jews and Gentiles united in one body (Eph. 2:11–22).

• The mystery of the indwelling of Christ in believers (Col. 1:25–27).

• The mystery of lawlessness embodied in the future antichrist (2Thess. 2:7–8).

• The mystery of the rapture of the church (1 Cor. 15:51).

• The mystery of the summing up of all things in Christ (Eph. 1:9–10).

Those in the era of fulfillment have full revelation concerning the depravity of man, Christ’s substitutionary atonement, resurrection, ascension, and future return in glory, heaven and hell, the justification, sanctification, and glorification of believers; in short, we have in the word of God the revelation of the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16) and the full purpose of God (Acts 20:17–20, 27).

The cross and empty tomb mark the point at which promise became fulfillment. Believers on this side of the resurrection are greater than John the Baptist, not in terms of personal character or influence, but because they have the privilege of proclaiming the fullness of the gospel. John preached that sinners needed to repent and be reconciled to God to prepare themselves for Messiah’s coming. But to believers in the era of fulfillment, God “has committed … the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:19), sending us out as ambassadors for Christ, pleading with sinners to be reconciled to God through Him (v.20; cf.Matt.28:19–20). Our message is to proclaim the full truth of the Savior’s death and resurrection.