Behold the King: Unveiling the Power Behind John the Baptist - Jesus’ Transformative Sermon

Behold The King - Matthew 11:7-15  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  45:30
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Matthew 11:7–15 KJV 1900
And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Now after receiving a moment of clarity, the disciples of John bring back the long-awaited revelation that Jesus is the fulfillment they have been seeking. But what about the crowd that surrounds Jesus? With a deep understanding of the human heart, Jesus fearlessly confronts their distorted thinking. Does God truly value status and importance, or does He reward those who remain faithful? Can you imagine the impact this truth could have on your life?
If you knew that God deeply cares for you, and has given you victory in the name of Jesus, would that change the way you live your life?
In this episode of Behold The King, we see Jesus unveiling the Power Behind John the Baptist. Jesus shares this transformative sermon to the crowd.

Divine Prophecy: Unveiling Destiny

Jesus asks a probing question, Who did you go out to the desert to see? A useless tool? A preacher of prosperity? No this man that captivated you was not just a prophet he was the prophet that was prophesied of.
Malachi 3:1 KJV 1900
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: And the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, Even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: Behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
This prophet was the forerunner of the Messiah. The word prophet means “someone who speaks in behalf of and interprets the will of a supernatural being, often rebuking or predicting events; can be used of poets who were said to be inspired by the gods.” John’s only prophesy was that the Lamb of God was coming and then was here. John’s gave his whole existence to proclaim Jesus! He was so filled of the Spirit that even as an unborn baby he couldn’t help but make Jesus known to man.
There were only two prophets that had been prophesied of in the Old Testament, John and Jesus.
Deuteronomy 18:15 KJV 1900
The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
Acts 7:37 KJV 1900
This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
Jesus is not only asking the crowd, who John is? But since John is the forerunner, who does that make Jesus? Subtle but distinct!
Acts 4:12 KJV 1900
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
1 Peter 1:18–20 KJV 1900
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
God, before he created anything, planed the events surrounding the coming of the Messiah, and the one that enthralled the Jews the most was that God would send the spirit of Elijah to them to make the way straight for the anointed one. Jesus said “Here he is!!” Now here the One anointed to suffer and die in your place!

God’s Justice: Impartial and Sure

Jesus continues this episode by sharing that John the Baptist is the greatest among those who had a natural beginning.
This could seem counter productive. Now that the greatest has been born, why try?
First of all Jesus is saying that out of all of the Old Covenant John was the greatest, but when the New Covenant is established through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. All who put their faith in Jesus will be equal and
2 Corinthians 3:7–18 KJV 1900
But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Do you know who are considered the hardest workers in the Karate world? You might think that it would be the black belt! Those that have mastered the skills of the art, but you would be statistically wrong. The ones that have proved over and over that they are the hardest, hungriest, most ambitious in the Karate world are the red belts! This is the rank just before the black belt. The reason is due to the fact that the black belts have already arrived to their goal, and now they relax. When faced with an active red belt they have found that more than half of the spars have been technically won by red belts.
Philippians 3:13 KJV 1900
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Israel’s Choice: Rejecting Redemption

Matthew 11:12–13 KJV 1900
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
Jesus gives the learned habits of the nation of Israel.
Suffereth Violence, and the violent take it by force.
During Annalisa's birthday extravaganza, as we belted out the obligatory Happy Birthday song, the air became thick with an anticipation. The room was covered with Star Wars decorations. The cake and ice cream were served, but their sugary sweetness was masking the impending chaos.
As the time for present opening arrived, Annie, with her innocent smile, placed her unfinished ice cream cone aside, oblivious to the impending mischief. Little did she know that danger lurked in the shadows, ready to strike. Emma, the mischievous mastermind, seized the opportunity to unleash her wicked plan.
With a devilish gleam in her eye, Emma pounced on the unattended ice cream cone, snatching it away from Annie's plate. The room fell silent, as if frozen in time, as Annie's expression transformed from joy to sheer betrayal. Her sister, whom she trusted, had committed the ultimate act of treachery.
The crowd, initially jubilant and entertained by the festivities, now found themselves caught in the middle of a sibling rivalry. We watched with equal parts amusement and horror as Emma reveled in her deceit, relishing in the chaos she had caused. The atmosphere crackled with tension and anticipation, as the crowd braced themselves for the impending showdown.
Annie, fueled by a mix of anger and determination, reclaimed her stolen treat and restore justice to her birthday kingdom. With an army of partygoers cheering them on, she embarked on a quest to confront Emma and reclaim what was rightfully hers. The crowd became a lively chorus of support, their laughter and encouragement echoing through the room.
In an unexpected twist, as Annie cornered Emma, the mischievous mastermind revealed a determination of her own, taking several licks and bites as Annie ripped her cone from the grip of her sister. Laughter erupted, the crowd, now in stitches, applauded Emma's cunning and creativity and Annies fight for justice.
Jesus said that the Jew’s had the last 4,000 years of direct contact with people He had used to communicate His will and desire with them and they had rejected all and killed most.
Matthew 23:37 KJV 1900
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
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