24 When the
messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning
John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see?
A reed shaken by the wind? 25 But what did you go out to see?
A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and
live in luxury are in kings’ courts. 26 But what did you go out to see?
A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is
written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare
Your way before You.’ 28 For I say to you, among those
born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who
is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” 29 And when all the people heard Him,
even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of
John. 30 But the
Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been
baptized by him.
Commentary
Vs. 24 When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
The Lord Jesus then having healed many and restored sight to the blind in the very presence of the messengers sent from John the Baptist to Him; and so with their departure to report back to John what they have seen and heard Jesus now begins to speak to multitudes of people around Him concerning John. Asking them what did they go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? That is when they heard of John’s preaching in desert and they went out to see who this was, did they expect to find some preacher whose message and faith would soon start to wane because of those forces who would oppose him. No John the Baptist was so much more than a would be “preacher” looking to make some disciples for himself. For John the Baptist was the messenger sent before the Christ, therefore he will keep his faith In the Lord Jesus Christ to the end.
Vs. 25 “But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings’ courts.”
Neither then was John a faith “celebrity” who was well dressed and well-manicured who ran with, and ran after, the “power brokers” and the money crowd.
Vs. 26-28 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ 28 For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
Now for those curiosity seekers who went out to see John the Baptist because they wanted to see a real-life prophet, Jesus says that John was so much more than just another 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.’ vs. 27 Thus in quoting from Malachi 3:1 Jesus is saying that John the Baptist was the foretold messenger who was sent by God to prepare the way before Him. Therefore, the people needed to know and understand that John’s person and ministry was not born of himself, but has its origins in God, to fulfill His Word. Therefore, John was God’s messenger sent before the Lord Jesus Christ to prepare the way for Him. And as such no prophet born of women is greater than John the Baptist, because he was chosen to announce and baptize, God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore having elevated John the Baptist to the prestige that Christ’s forerunner must have, Jesus now says to crowds, … “but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” In other words, do not be satisfied to have known or known of John the Baptist, and thus been baptized by him, because “he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” For Johns ministry and life was wrapped up on earth, but the Lord Jesus Christ’s, and thus all who believe in Him are eternally bound to Him in the Kingdom of heaven. Therefore, even the least person there is greater than John the Baptist was down here.
Vs. 29-30 29 And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.
So it was when all the people heard Jesus, even the tax collectors justified God; that is by their obeying God in repenting and being baptized by John as He wanted all of Israel to do they justified Him, that is they proved that He was right in having sent John to preach to them to repent and then be baptized (i.e. be ceremonially cleansed or washed of all their sins and transgressions) in preparation for His Son (Acts 13:23-24). However, as the Scripture notes the Pharisees and lawyers (i.e. authorities in the Law) rejected God’s will for themselves, by not repenting and being baptized by John. Therefore, in rejecting the Will of God for themselves they shut themselves out of the Kingdom of God, because know one who rejected John’s baptism, ever received the Lord Jesus Christ’s Baptism (antithesis Acts 19:1-7).
Commentary
Vs. 24 When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
The Lord Jesus then having healed many and restored sight to the blind in the very presence of the messengers sent from John the Baptist to Him; and so with their departure to report back to John what they have seen and heard Jesus now begins to speak to multitudes of people around Him concerning John. Asking them what did they go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? That is when they heard of John’s preaching in desert and they went out to see who this was, did they expect to find some preacher whose message and faith would soon start to wane because of those forces who would oppose him. No John the Baptist was so much more than a would be “preacher” looking to make some disciples for himself. For John the Baptist was the messenger sent before the Christ, therefore he will keep his faith In the Lord Jesus Christ to the end.
Vs. 25 “But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings’ courts.”
Neither then was John a faith “celebrity” who was well dressed and well-manicured who ran with, and ran after, the “power brokers” and the money crowd.
Vs. 26-28 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ 28 For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
Now for those curiosity seekers who went out to see John the Baptist because they wanted to see a real-life prophet, Jesus says that John was so much more than just another 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.’ vs. 27 Thus in quoting from Malachi 3:1 Jesus is saying that John the Baptist was the foretold messenger who was sent by God to prepare the way before Him. Therefore, the people needed to know and understand that John’s person and ministry was not born of himself, but has its origins in God, to fulfill His Word. Therefore, John was God’s messenger sent before the Lord Jesus Christ to prepare the way for Him. And as such no prophet born of women is greater than John the Baptist, because he was chosen to announce and baptize, God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore having elevated John the Baptist to the prestige that Christ’s forerunner must have, Jesus now says to crowds, … “but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” In other words, do not be satisfied to have known or known of John the Baptist, and thus been baptized by him, because “he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” For Johns ministry and life was wrapped up on earth, but the Lord Jesus Christ’s, and thus all who believe in Him are eternally bound to Him in the Kingdom of heaven. Therefore, even the least person there is greater than John the Baptist was down here.
Vs. 29-30 29 And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.
So it was when all the people heard Jesus, even the tax collectors justified God; that is by their obeying God in repenting and being baptized by John as He wanted all of Israel to do they justified Him, that is they proved that He was right in having sent John to preach to them to repent and then be baptized (i.e. be ceremonially cleansed or washed of all their sins and transgressions) in preparation for His Son (Acts 13:23-24). However, as the Scripture notes the Pharisees and lawyers (i.e. authorities in the Law) rejected God’s will for themselves, by not repenting and being baptized by John. Therefore, in rejecting the Will of God for themselves they shut themselves out of the Kingdom of God, because know one who rejected John’s baptism, ever received the Lord Jesus Christ’s Baptism (antithesis Acts 19:1-7).
Scripture Quotations
New King James Version. (1982): Thomas Nelson
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