Language Studies

Difficult Sayings

John the Baptist and Jesus - Greater than John the Baptist
Matthew 11:11, Luke 7:28

"¹¹ Among those who have been born of women there has not risen a greater one than John the Baptist. But the least in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. " (Matthew 11:11)

regards him as only the greatest of the prophets. The word 'prophet' is missing in the Arabic and Ethiopic versions, perhaps endorsing Matthew's words as the more original.

How is it possible to regard John as greater than Abraham, Moses or Elijah? The rabbis themselves termed both Joseph and Moses as greatest in the Hebrew Scriptures.

In terms of God's chronological prophetic plan John was the last and thence perhaps greatest of the prophets to prophesy of Jesus' messianic deliverance. Yet, like Abraham, Moses and David, he was not to taste of the Promised Land himself. Does this mean that he was not saved? No, for the others, though they did not taste of the Promised Land or as in David's case get to build the promised temple, are all mentioned in Hebrews 11's list of faithful ones.

John was himself predicted to be "great" in the Lord's eyes and was filled with the Holy Spirit (pre-Pentecost) from his mother's womb (Luke 1:15).

As John was the last martyr before Jesus' own death and ushering in of the kingdom he could be regarded as the greatest in terms of proximity to Messiah's coming, in terms of having seen Jesus in person and not just prophesied of him…yet he was to die before Jesus inaugurated the new era. In this way the least or first in the new kingdom was greater than John in terms of their new status as "with Christ" and "in Christ". This was not to put down John but to raise the status of Jesus' followers and disciples. John was the pivot between the old and the new, and a great pivot at that!

More next week...

Copyright Statement
'Difficult Sayings' Copyright 2024© KJ Went. 'Difficult Sayings' articles may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author at the end of each article, along with a link to https://www.studylight.org/language-studies/difficult-sayings.html  2) 'Difficult Sayings' content may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.