Luke 7: 24 After John’s disciples left, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? 25 Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people who wear beautiful clothes and live in luxury are found in palaces. 26 Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. 27 John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say, "Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you.’ 28 I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!” 29 When they heard this, all the people—even the tax collectors—agreed that God’s way was right, for they had been baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism. 31 “To what can I compare the people of this generation?” Jesus asked. “How can I describe them 32 They are like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,
Jesus described John the Baptist as a strong man of courage. In describing him He also brought up the fact that he wasn't what people were expecting and that He is not a prophet, but he is more. How can someone in those days be "more than a prophet?" It might be because he was a messenger and a proclaimer of the coming Messiah. Jesus said that there is "none greater" than John and in that description Jesus also stated the strength by which John was preaching and proclaiming the truth. Even the tax collectors
agreed that God's way was right and they were baptized by John.
In verse 30 Jesus says who was against John 30 But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism. What John was preaching was far beyond religious law and Jesus described the generation of the day by saying “How can I describe them 32 They are like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends, The generation of the day missed the whole point as they rejected John, a man who was very different from the religious people of the day, in dress, message, and boldness.
The best way to shut down a messenger from God is to discredit him and maybe he will just go on and quit speaking the truth. Not John. John was sent by God and he was chosen by God for a specific task that would usher in the Messiah and John came through with His calling. The last thing a life of lies wants is the truth. Caitlin Clark, point guard for the Iowa Hawkeye is being called a "generational" talent and that is because she is so far above the other players in almost every area of her game. John was a multi-generational servant of God and the value Jesus gave him was very high as Jesus said in verse 28 I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. The value Jesus puts on any of us is important to realize and it should cause us to search out God's plan for our lives and line up with His will.
What value does God put on any of our lives? Well. He died for us individually upon a criminal's cross when WE were the ones who were guilty of a sinful condition. Significance (def) - the quality of being worthy of attention. John was "worthy of attention' and the generation of the day needed to be listening to him, but the religious people of the day were content to just be "religious" and John upset their ways of doing things so they tried to discredit him, but Jesus. Jesus described the value God put on John as NONE GREATER.
So the enemy decided to kill John and when John called out Herod for his sing Herod killed him. The accepted lifestyle of Herod and the adultery and fornication had been an accepted practice and the society had slipped into such a dark place that nobody would ever question anything because of the threat of being put in prison. This messenger, John the Baptist did not pull back from proclaiming the need for Herod to repent and it got him killed. NONE GREATER? You bet. I bet if John the Baptist were alive today and came as this messenger from God to proclaim that our world needs to turn to the Messiah the "woke" generation would kill him. Sadly, many religious people would also reject his message of change because they would be too deep in their traditions to be willing to see change.
When evil is on the rise and religion is falling the two look quite a bit alike during the transference, but they are not the same. The message of hope in Christ Alone is one that is weakened by some saying "there is another way", and the reason they say that is to make others accept them and not be "different." As a messenger, John was "different" and the reason he was different was because it was all God and not much John because he was just that, a messenger. We are also messengers with a message not always accepted in our present-day world. It will take a totally devoted follower to hold to the message, but God will work and change lives if we will remain faithful to proclaim this message of hope.
At the end of the day even the religious leader's minds were changed. 29 When they heard this, all the people—even the tax collectors—agreed that God’s way was right, for they had been baptized by John. Truth does win out after all. Be a messenger of this truth.
The Pilgrimage Continues,
David Warren
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