Regarding John the Baptist
Luke 7:24-35
June 3, 2018
If you were with us last week you will remember that
Luke just used a question by John the Baptist
To make a very definitive statement regarding who Jesus is.
• John was in prison
• He was suffering and suffering alone
• And he was suffering unjustly
• And John’s predicament had led him (like many prophets before him) to enter a
phase of doubt in his life regarding Jesus.
John sent messengers to Jesus to ask,
“Are You the Expected One, or should we look for someone else?”
And while we discussed the nuances to that question,
The final reality was that it allowed Jesus
To make a definitive statement on the issue.
Luke recorded in verse 21 “At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind.”
Jesus dropped the mic.
It was as clear and emphatic of an answer as Jesus could have given.
He is in fact the One that God promised throughout the Old Testament,
And He is in fact the One the Jews had been expecting.
So Jesus used the doubt of John
To make a definitive statement about Himself.
Now, Jesus addresses who John is.
And MORE IMPORTANTLY what the ministry of John says about the people who witnessed it.
• Jesus just sent a warning to John that he should not “take offense” at Jesus.
• He should not forget who Jesus is just because life’s circumstances have taken a difficult turn.
And now Jesus will turn that same warning
Toward the crowd that witnessed it all.
To put it plainly.
• What John did with Jesus would prove the wisdom of John.
• And what these people did with John also proves their wisdom.
In fact if you’ll skip to the final verse of our passage
You can see where we’re headed and perhaps it will cause
The entire passage to more easily come into focus for you.
(35) “Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”
Matthew’s gospel records it as “wisdom is vindicated by her deeds”.
Both obviously mean the same thing.
You recognize wisdom by what it produces.
We’re going to find out if the crowd Jesus is addressing
Is wise or foolish.
And it is determined by how they have responded to John and Jesus.
So let’s listen as Jesus speaks about John the Baptist
And ultimately as He exposes those who heard him.
4 points this morning
#1 THE REPUTATION HE EARNED
Luke 7:24-26
Luke reveals that “When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John”
It’s the perfect opportunity to address a very important issue.
• John just questioned the validity of Jesus.
• Jesus just addressed the validity of John.
• But they aren’t the only ones who are here addressed.
Now Jesus turns to the crowd
And He begins with the subject of John the Baptist.
His questions are meant to prove what the people believed about John.
“What did you go out into the wilderness to see?”
Jesus begins by helping them remember what they thought about John.
• These people did crazy things for John.
• They left the city and traveled out into the wilderness.
• There are people in our day who won’t drive 5 minutes in an air-conditioned car to listen to the word of God, yet all these people faced the elements to hear him.
Jesus wants to know why.
WHY DID YOU GO?
“What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?”
You understand His imagery.
A reed is not sturdy, as the wind blows it rocks to and fro.
A reed succumbs to any pressure put on it…
A reed gives way to any external force…
“Did you go out to see a wishy-washy man?”
“Did you go to hear a man who would tell you what you wanted to hear?”
Many people do that today.
2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,”
Well the masses were flocking to John and Jesus wants to know why.
• Was he funny?
• Did he tell you what you wanted to hear?
• Was he entertaining?
And of course you know the answer.
NOT IN THE LEAST
John preached about as unpopular a message as a man can preach.
• He told people to repent.
• He told people they didn’t measure up.
• He told people they weren’t good enough.
If that wasn’t enough,
John even challenged the rock solid Jewish establishment.
John was calling for baptism
WHY?
Baptism is how a Gentile converted to Judaism.
John was in effect telling all these Jews that they were such lousy Jews
That they actually needed to be baptized.
Remember his message to the religious elite?
Luke 3:7-9 “So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? “Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘ We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. “Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
It is obvious that they did not go to hear “A reed shaken by the wind?”
John was no such reed.
Well if he wasn’t a reed, what was he?
(25) “But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing?”
The obvious answer is no.
Matthew 3:4 “Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.”
John was no wealthy man.
He didn’t dress in fine clothes.
“Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces!”
Certainly John wasn’t there.
But what Jesus was really asking,
“Did you go to listen to some prosperity preacher?”
We’ve seen them today haven’t we?
Men who wear $10,000 suits promising that God gave it to them, and for a small love donation to their ministry God will bless you in much the same way.
It is foolish to us, but obviously people flock to that sort of doctrine.
Prosperity gospel churches are some of the largest in America.
And so Jesus wants to know,
Did you go listen to him because of his promise of prosperity?
And certainly that wasn’t the case.
John didn’t tell people how to get more money in God’s name,
John told people to give their money up.
Luke 3:10-14 “And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “Then what shall we do?” And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.” And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.”
That is just the opposite of the prosperity gospel.
They most certainly did not flock to John to find out how to get rich.
So if you didn’t go to be entertained…
And if you didn’t go to learn how to get rich…
THEN WHY DID YOU GO?
(26) “But what did you go out to see? A prophet?”
Then did you go to hear the actual words of God?
“Yes”
That is exactly why you went to John.
• You didn’t go because he told you what you wanted to hear, you went because he told you what you needed to hear.
• You didn’t go because you wanted to be rich on this earth, you went because you wanted to be rich in eternity.
• You went to see a true prophet of God.
He is reminding them of what they thought about John.
• These people knew that John the Baptist was a prophet sent by God.
• And they knew that John spoke the words of God.
That was the reputation he earned.
We read about Herod, even after he imprisoned John.
Matthew 14:5 “Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded John as a prophet.”
At the end of His ministry we read about an argument between Jesus and the religious leaders
Mark 11:30-32 “Was the baptism of John from heaven, or from men? Answer Me.” They began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ “But shall we say, ‘From men’?” — they were afraid of the people, for everyone considered John to have been a real prophet.”
The people were in agreement that John was no men-pleaser.
He was a prophet of God who spoke the words of God.
That was the reputation he earned
#2 THE ROLE HE FULFILLED
Luke 7:26b-28
Was John a prophet? “Yes”
But Jesus continues, “I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet.”
Jesus says, “I know you went to see a prophet, but what you didn’t realize is that John is much more than just a prophet.”
WHO IS HE?
(27) “This is the one about whom it is written, ‘BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.’”
Jesus says, John is not just an ordinary prophet,
John actually functions in a dual role.
John is also the forerunner.
Malachi 4:1-6 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. “You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the LORD of hosts. “Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. “He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”
The Old Testament ended with the promise of the coming Messiah,
And also with the promise that Elijah would come before Him.
Jesus says, “John was more than a prophet, he was also the forerunner.”
So John was a prophet and after John the Messiah was coming.
So Jesus continues.
(28) “I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John;”
Now that is a strange statement.
Most people read that statement to mean that
There was never another human as righteous and good as John.
And I certainly couldn’t refute that.
Filled with the Spirit from his mother’s womb…
Totally forsook the comforts of this world…
Spoke the word of God without compromise…
Even died a martyr’s death for his boldness…
John was certainly a good man.
Of course John was not without fault, for just last week
We saw him struggle with doubt and get a rebuke from Jesus.
But John was a good man.
And that is what most point out there.
But that is not necessarily the point that Jesus is making.
After pointing out that John was a prophet Jesus was in effect saying, “And as far as men go, you could do no better than to follow John”.
Everyone who chose to follow him and listen to him
Made a great decision, for I can’t think of another single human
Who would have been better.
“Yet, he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN?
Perhaps it will help if you understand it
IN TERMS OF CONDITION NOT CHARACTER.
It’s not that people in the kingdom are better people
(though you could argue that since they are now clothed in the righteousness of Christ)
The point Jesus is making is that those who follow Christ are in a greater condition than those who follow John.
Let me say it like this:
THE MOST PATHETIC CHRISTIAN
IS IN A BETTER CONDITION THAN THE MOST PIOUS JEW.
So while following John is good, it’s not as good as following Jesus.
John represented the end of a previous era.
• John was the last of the Old Testament prophets.
• He was the last of those who foretold of the coming Christ and pointed people to the promise.
Jesus came offering the kingdom that was formerly promised.
Matthew 13:16-17 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. “For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
Peter wrote it like this:
1 Peter 1:10-12 “As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven — things into which angels long to look.”
THEY SAW THE KINGDOM, BUT DIDN’T ENJOY THE KINGDOM.
There was a very real sense in which
The greatest men and women of God saw the promises,
But never fully enjoyed the fulfillment.
Hebrews said it like this, referring to the saints of old who died in faith:
Hebrews 11:39-40 “And all these, 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.”
John would have been like one of them.
And John, like every other Old Testament prophet,
Could prepare you for the coming kingdom,
But they could not place you in the kingdom.
Only Christ can do that.
So while it’s certainly accurate to recognize John as a prophet,
It’s more important to see him as the forerunner
So that you’ll recognize Jesus who can actually save you.
And we can’t dwell long here, but it is so important to understand.
• Every prophet and preacher in the world can certainly lift high the righteous
standard of God.
• They can lead exemplary lives of piety and integrity.
• BUT NOT ONE OF THEM (including John) CAN GRANT YOU THE
NECESSARY RIGHTEOUSNESS TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO GOD.
ONLY CHRIST CAN DO THAT.
More than simply preaching righteousness
Every Old Testament prophet and every New Testament preacher
Has an even greater responsibility and that is to point you to Christ,
Because the most pathetic Christian
Is in a better condition than the most pious keeper of the Law.
AND THAT WAS REALLY JOHN’S ROLE.
Prophet? Yes
But more than that he was the forerunner.
The reputation he earned, the role he fulfilled
#3 THE REJECTION HE SUFFERED
Luke 7:29-30
Jesus just revealed that the most pathetic Christian
Is in a better condition than the most pious Jew.
Well, look at this crowd.
• You have here the pious (Pharisees)
• You have the pathetic (tax collectors)
And Jesus just said that the pathetic (with Christ)
Are in a better condition than the pious (without Him).
(Jesus just preached the gospel)
THAT CERTAINLY EXPLAINS THE RESPONSE
(and I see this as a parenthetical explanation by Luke)
(29-30) “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.”
You have here the PATHETIC:
“the people and the tax collectors”
They “acknowledged God’s justice” (literally “justified God”)
They heard John preaching of the necessity of repentance
They agreed they were in need and they ran to Jesus.
And then you have the PIOUS:
“the Pharisees and the lawyers”
They “rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John.”
When John told them they were sinners, they wouldn’t believe it
So they rejected John and the Jesus he pointed to.
I think Adrian Rogers stated it better than anyone:
“The worst form of badness is human goodness.”
And of course this is a point Luke has made over and over
And that explains why Luke adds in this little tidbit of information here.
Jesus is preaching about how much better it is
To be a forgiven human than it is to be a good human.
And the sinful agree while the self-righteous reject.
It’s a constant theme.
The Reputation he earned; the role he fulfilled; the rejection he suffered
#4 THE RESULT HE PRODUCED
Luke 7:31-35
That is to say that in being rejected by the self-righteous,
John actually proved who they really are.
“To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like?”
Jesus is referring to those self-righteous men who rejected God’s word
And refused John’s baptism and the repentance it symbolized.
Jesus is saying, “How do I best describe these people to you?”
And here is His answer
(32) “They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another, and they say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’”
Jesus says, “They are like children”
I suppose you could twist that to be a good thing.
You could suppose Jesus was speaking of the innocence of a child…
You could suppose Jesus was talking about the simple faith of a child…
But Jesus is not here speaking of a child’s innocence or faith.
Jesus is here speaking of a child’s selfishness.
While children can be innocent and children can demonstrate great trust,
Children also have a propensity to be selfish and stubborn.
THEY CAN BE SPOILED ROTTEN BRATS
And that is what Jesus references here.
(possibly even pointing out some children doing this very thing)
(32) “They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another, and they say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’”
Now this isn’t a hard comparison.
We all know children love to play games which emulate grown-up activity.
Kids love to play “store”
Kids love to play “house”
Little girls have “tea parties” and little boys “work with their tools”
In Jesus’ day kids played the same types of games,
Only then they played “funeral” and they played “wedding”.
And with good reason.
Funerals and weddings were about the most excitement
Children saw on a regular basis.
Each lasted about a week, and each involved large numbers of people.
But because they were kids, you know there were times when one kid wanted to play funeral and the others wanted to play wedding.
To which a kid says, “I’ll take my ball and go home”
“If you aren’t gonna do it my way, then I’m not playing”
We’ve all seen this incident before.
And Jesus says, “That is what you are like”.
You are like a bunch of spoiled children
Who are only interested in doing what you want,
But unwilling to change in order to take part with everyone else.
Well that is obviously a pretty harsh rebuke.
YOU ARE BRATS – YOU ARE BABIES
• You are unwilling to see your own fault
• You are unwilling to see anyone else’s point
• You are unwilling to give in or yield; you only want your way
DO YOU HAVE ANY EVIDENCE OF THIS JESUS?
(33-34) “For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a frined of tax collectors and sinners!’”
That is to say, you’re impossible to please.
• You find fault in everyone.
• You won’t listen to anyone.
John came abstaining from all worldly desires (some see this as “playing the funeral game”) and commanding you to repent.
But you wouldn’t listen to John, and wrote him off as demon possessed.
Jesus came befriending sinners (some see this as “playing the wedding game”) and calling for you to love one another,
But you didn’t want to do that so you wrote Him off as being a drunkard.
John told you to repent so you could enter the kingdom.
Jesus offered the kingdom to the repentant.
But because of your selfishness…
Because of your spoiled nature…
You would listen to neither of them.
You wouldn’t listen to John and you won’t listen to Me.
You are like spoiled kids who would rather John and I
Change our standards to fit your desires.
Jesus exposed a people who were utterly unsubmissive
And unwilling to enter the kingdom according to God’s standards.
And then comes His main point.
(35) “Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”
How do you know if a person is a good parent?
You look at their kids don’t you?
• I mean it doesn’t matter if a person can write books about parenting…
• It doesn’t matter if they have parenting degrees and doctorates in child raising…
• If their kids are spoiled rotten brats you are not going to call them a good parent.
Well in that same way, you don’t call a person wise
Who makes the dumbest decision of all eternity.
You measure a person’s wisdom by what they do.
We’ve said it many times.
Wisdom is not what you know.
Wisdom is what you do with what you know.
No one explained this better than the writer of Ecclesiastes.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”
Wisdom isn’t what you know, it’s what you do with what you know.
• Jesus taught us that the wise man is the man who hears and acts on what he hears, like the wise man who built his house on the rock.
• But the foolish man is the man who hears but does not act on what he hears, like the foolish man who built his house on the sand.
Here Jesus is taking that same concept of wisdom
And confronting this crowd with it.
You think yourselves to be such wise men and yet
• You have failed to obey an obvious prophet
• You have failed to admit your obvious sin
• You have failed to follow an obvious Messiah
I don’t care about all the religious stuff you do, you are fools.
Those tax collectors may have been immoral,
But they weren’t fools.
That is a title reserved for the self-righteous.
Do you want to know who the biggest fool in the world is?
It’s the person who doesn’t think he needs forgiveness.
1 John 1:8-10 “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”
What can be more foolish than to have the only means of salvation standing in front of you and to choose instead to try it your own way?
But that’s exactly what the self-righteous do.
Because they are selfish, spoiled, brats.
Friend today, I simply remind you of the glory of the gospel.
Which reminds us that
• “All have fallen short of the glory of God.”
• “There is none righteous, not even one.”
• “And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment.”
But it also reminds us that there is salvation found in Jesus Christ.
1 John 2:1-2 “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”
• Christ first lived the perfect life God required, satisfying God’s holy standard.
• Then Christ suffered the punishment for offending God’s holy standard.
And now, salvation is available for the most wicked.
And only the most foolish would think they didn’t need it.
