True Greatness
Published by Stanley Pouw in 2013 · 10 February 2013
Let us study a very special man by the name of John the Baptist in Matthew 11. Think for a minute, who are really the great people in the world? Some would say the geniuses of the world, others would say the educators, some might think the wealthy or the famous or the entertainers, or the athletes, or the kings, or the heroes.
But when it comes to greatness as God defines it, it is very different from the world. Tonight we are looking at a man from a common family, no wealth, no worldly education, no success, no physical beauty, no earthly possession or position, and yet our Lord says he is the greatest human being who ever lived up to that time.
Look at Matthew 11:11, “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.” Now that is a statement of fact from the mouth of our Lord Himself who is speaking in this text. And to emphasize it He says at the beginning of verse 11, "Assuredly," which means, a fact beyond dispute.
And then He says, "Among those born of women." Now what is that? Basically that is a Jewish reference to the human race. He was the most powerful personality and the most powerful voice ever heard; He had dynamic ability to communicate. In this sense he was greater than Adam or Enoch. He was greater than Melchizedek or Abraham. He was greater than Joseph or Moses or David or Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah or Daniel.
Our Lord reinforces John's greatness and He does it by discussing three truths about John. The first one is his personal character. He was a man who could overcome his weakness. Everybody has weaknesses, everybody has failings and problems. The question is whether or not you can overcome them and that is the mark of greatness.
The first thing John did was admit that he had a weakness, and not only that; he was also willing to admit it to the people beneath him. One of the great marks of this kind of man, one of the truest tests of greatness is humility. The person who lives under the illusion of pride is the true fool.
And Jesus taught in Matthew 23:11, “But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.” And John had the humility to say in Matthew 3:11, “He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.” And in John 3:30 he said: "I must decrease and He must increase."
In Matthew 11:7, the 2 disciples of John just left but the multitudes were still there. All the people had heard this conversation, and they were now aware of John's doubt, but everybody knew that he was a prophet according to Matthew 21:26. They must have been a little bit quizzical at this point and thinking, well, maybe he isn't as great as we think.
And so the Lord begins in Matthew 11:7 to reaffirm in their minds John’s greatness, because people are so often quick to assume that to admit weakness is not to be great when just the opposite is true. 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?”
So Jesus asks them a very simple question. Can we believe him? Is he a vacillating person? So, look what He says, the first statement: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?" Why would you make such a long journey? What was it that attracted you to that man? Was it because he had a weak character, blowing back and forth with every new wave that came along?
John was not weak, John was a man of conviction. And he did not hold back his message for anybody. When all of the religious leaders came out he said to them in Matthew 3:7-12, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.”
“10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
He spoke against sin at any time and against anybody. In fact, the whole leadership of Israel had let Herod's sin pass, Herod's adultery and Herod's illicit marriage. But John faced him face to face and told him it was a sin and that's why John was in prison and soon to have his head chopped off.
Third thing, his life was also marked by self-denial. The truly great people are the people who can deny themselves. When we look back in history and read about great generals who went through incredible hardship for a victory, or scientists who were locked up in some kind of a situation for years trying to discover a cure which we now take for granted.
Or when we read about a missionary who gave his life by the time he was 30 years old preaching the gospel to some tribes someplace inland, we then are reminded that that's the mark of greatness. John the Baptist lived in the wilderness. His cause was not comfort. He was not interested in gaining favor from people above him who could support him.
He was a man consumed by a greater cause such that he would not be attracted to the world systems. Now if you want to know what kind of life style he had it's very simple. John had a rough garment of camel's hair, a leather belt, this is Matthew 3:4, around his waist. And his food was locusts and wild honey.
Truly great people are concerned with a mission that supersedes any personal comfort or self-indulgence. And we know, we are all tempted to just go to the easy way. John's commitment was an all consuming commitment. In fact, according to Luke 1:15 it said: "He would drink neither wine nor strong drink." And that meant he took a Nazarite vow.
It also was part of the Nazarite vow to allow your hair to grow without cutting your hair, never putting a razor to your head which didn't exactly keep you up with the current society trend and hairdos. There were very few people who took that vow for life, only people like Samson, Samuel and John the Baptist. He was committed to self-denial.
Now when we talk about self-denial don’t be mistaken, we are not talking about one who denies himself to accomplish a goal that is obtainable. No, John was great because of his personal character was great. Secondly, in his privileged calling. He was given the greatest task that any human being ever had, that is announcing the arrival of God in human flesh.
The only person in the human race that even comes close to John in that regard is Mary. Mary was chosen to bear the Messiah. But in many ways John was greater than Mary. Mary gave birth to a baby. John proclaimed a King. Mary brought Jesus into 30 years of obscurity. John ushered Him into three years of effective ministry. He was a remarkable man.
Look at Matthew 11:9-10, and the Lord's third question: “But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.” How could anyone be 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.”
So, his greatness comes not only from character but from his calling. True greatness always matches the right man with the right position. That's why it's so great when a person is called to become a Christian because God knows what your strengths are and God through His will and the Holy Spirit can lead you into that which is the greatest fulfillment of that ability.
In Amos 3:7 it says: "The prophets are the ones to whom God reveals His secrets." And John was one of those prophets with a message from God. And it had been 400 years since there had been a prophet. So when John came he spoke with power and conviction and people were changed. They didn't all believe his message but they all saw he was a prophet.
How could John be more than a prophet (Mat 11:9)? Well, first of all, he not only prophesied but in verse 10 he was himself the fulfillment of prophecy. He is the fulfillment of Malachi 3:1. And he not only predicted the Messiah, he actually baptized the Messiah. He touched the living Christ. His task is to prepare the hearts of the people for Christ’s coming.
He was great because of his personal character, and then because of his privileged calling. Lastly, he was great because of he had the right impact. He became the focal point; he was the culmination of all of Old Testament history. Matthew 11:12 says, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” Everywhere he moved there was a violent reaction.
And “the kingdom of heaven”, refers to God's rule, God's will, God's message, God's principles and God's purposes. And there has been violence since John came along. Now, what is the nature of this violence? Some commentators would read this way: The Kingdom of heaven is suffering violence (persecution) and violent men are seizing it. And that's how the King James translates it.
But there is another way of translating it, and it would read this way: The Kingdom of heaven is vigorously pressing itself. What it says, then, is that the Kingdom is moving ahead and people are forcefully entering it. This becomes positive then. And it's saying that John the Baptist is effective moving ahead and the kingdom is violently pressing forward through the sinfulness of the world.
And if you look at the history that is what happened. John the Baptist had a great impact. He was leading many people to Christ. In Luke 1:16-17 it says about John, " 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.”
Yes, and many refused but look the end of the Matthew 11:12 would read this way: Violent men are taking possession of it. There were the forceful who dared to step out, who dared to break with tradition, who dared at great cost to separate themselves from the worldly system, who came and took possession of the reign of God, who crowned Jesus Christ as Lord.
And that is the meaning of a parallel statement in Luke 16:16, where it says: "The law and the prophets were until John, since that time the Kingdom of God is preached and every man presses into it." And because of that parallel passage, it is saying - that the Kingdom is moving ahead under the power of John, and aggressive, forceful people are entering in that kingdom.
Well, does that express the proper perspective on salvation? Yes. In Matthew 7 it says that if you are going to enter into the narrow gate, it's hard to enter, that there must be a striving. Listen to what it says in verse 14, “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
You see, entrance into the kingdom requires earnest endeavor, energy and utmost exertion. Because Satan is mighty and his demons are powerful and sin hold us. God can break that and allow our hearts to respond. But the kingdom is not for weaklings, the compromisers, it is not for rich young rulers, it is not for would-be disciples who want to go home and collect their inheritance.
The kingdom is for men and women who are willing to enter it and affirm the Lordship of Christ. Becoming a Christian means you step out against the flow, you go against the trends in society. It is a way of violently pressing in, breaking the bands of your own sin and self.
Then Matthew 11:13, “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.” John is the culmination of everything. Everything from Genesis until John is moving along to the moment that he pointed to Christ. And there was only one message from Genesis till then which was – “The Messiah is coming.”
And in Matthew 11:14 it says: “And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.” Now what does that mean? Simply this, in Malachi 4:5 it said that before the Messiah came to set up His kingdom on earth, Elijah would come as a forerunner. Now would this be a real Elijah? No. Elijah's not going to be reincarnated. But one like Elijah.
How do we know that? Because that's what it says in Luke 1:17, “He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah.” And in John 1:21 he says: "I am not Elijah." and Jesus here says, "If you receive it, he is Elijah," then we know what it means by Elijah who is to come. Another person with his power, with his kind of character; a powerful, rugged individual who will announce the Kingdom.
And what does it say in verse 14? If you receive the Kingdom, if you open your hearts to the Messiah then God will establish the earthly kingdom and John will have fulfilled that prophecy, he will have been that Elijah. But, if you refuse the kingdom, then John is not going to fulfill that Elijah prophecy and there will yet be an Elijah-type person to come in the future.
Well, they didn't receive the kingdom, did they? So John was not that Elijah. And before the kingdom comes in the future, read Revelation 11, there's going to come two witnesses and there will be that Elijah that comes to announce the Kingdom. John could have been him if they would have believed and then the Kingdom would have been established right then. But they didn't believe and so he was not that Elijah.
Jesus is saying, if John is the forerunner then I am the King. And if I am the King, the Kingdom is being offered. And that puts you in the place of having to make a choice. Don't refuse it. A few received into their hearts the King and so there was a kingdom in the heart. But there yet waits another Kingdom on earth.
Now Jesus is going to make sure that they understand the greatness of John the Baptist, but only as an illustration of a greater spiritual truth. That's why at the end of verse 11 He says: "but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” In spite of his greatness, the least person in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
When it comes to human talent and playing a role in human history there has never been anybody as great as John the Baptist, but when it comes to the spiritual dimension the least person in the spiritual dimension is greater than the greatest person in the human dimension, Amen? Let us pray.