The 

Witness of John the Baptist

The Greatest Man 

What Makes A Person Great?

       Introduction: Last week we looked at John’s witness in (v.33-35) & in those verses we see some amazing   words attritributed to him from our Lord.  Jesus said that John:

       “bore witness to the truth” The words “bore witness” mean a permanent and continuing witness.  

       “burning and shining lamp” This meant that he was, (1) a very zealous man, (2) one who had a ministry that brought light to others, and (3) one who was consumed in the process of pointing people to Jesus.

What Is It That Makes A Person Great?

       --Money, fame, fortune?

       --Born into a influential family?

       --Degrees, athletic ability, artistic talent?

       --John the Baptist Had none of these things.

John Was Destined For Greatness.  God Set Him Apart For Greatness Even Before His Birth. 

John’s father and mother “were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.”  But they had no children, and Elizabeth was beyond normal childbearing years (Luke 1:6–7).

One day as Zacharias was ministering in the temple, “an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense” (Luke 1:11).

The angel said, “Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord” (vv. 13–15).

Jesus Said That John Was The Greatest Among Those Born Of A Woman (Matt.11:11).

Jesus was saying that as far as mankind is concerned, no one who had yet lived was greater than John the Baptist.

That means John was greater than: Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or Joseph. He was greater than Moses, Elijah, David, or any of the Old Testament prophets. He also was greater than any of the world’s kings, emperors, philosophers, or military leaders. Thus John was the greatest man yet born besides Jesus Himself.

Jesus Made Sure, However, That the People Did Not Misunderstand the Nature of John’s Greatness.

“Yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matt. 11:11).

Although he was a spiritual giant, John’s greatness came from his role in human history.

In his spiritual inheritance John was equal to every other believer. That’s why Jesus could say that the least in the kingdom of heaven (exaltation in the spiritual realm) “is greater than he” (exalted roles in the human realm), which included John.

What was it about John that led Jesus to speak of him in such radiant terms? In Matthew 11:7–14 Jesus sets forth three specific marks that characterize John’s greatness.

A.     The Character of John.

1.       Conquering Weakness & Difficult Circumstances. 

a)        Many people have difficulty in rising above their difficulties and circumstances.

All of us have problems; overcoming them is what separates great people from indifferent people. Great people don’t succumb to obstacles—they fight through them triumphantly. That’s certainly what John the Baptist did when faced with doubts about Jesus’ identity as the Messiah:

“When John in prison heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples, and said to Him, ’Are you the Coming One, or shall we look for someone else?’” (Matt. 11:2–3).

1.         John was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb and had been set apart by God to announce the Messiah and to prepare Israel for His coming (Luke 1:15b).

2.         He had seen the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus at His baptism and had heard God the Father declare Jesus to be His beloved Son.

3.         From many sources, including some of his own disciples, he had heard of Jesus’ miraculous powers.

4.         He was obedient to God’s Word.

5.         He was self-controlled, drinking no “wine or liquor” (Luke 1:15a). He was temperate in his food, dress, and lifestyle.

6.         He was humble. He had the right perspective in relation to Christ: “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals” (Mark 1:7), and, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

7.         He courageously and faithfully proclaimed God’s Word.

8.         Finally, he was faithful in leading people to Christ, in turning “back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God” (Luke 1:16).

b)        The fact that John sent his disciples to Jesus is a strong testimony to his faith.

In his heart he believed that Jesus truly was the Messiah and trusted Him as his Lord; but the events or lack of them caused his mind or emotions to put a cloud of doubt over his assurance.

He was not asking for information but for confirmation. He believed, but his faith had become weakened. John came to Jesus through his disciples, saying, like the father of the boy Jesus cleansed of an evil spirit, “I do believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). MacArthur, John F., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (Chicago: Moody Press) 1983.

1)        Though God Understands Our Doubts, it Does Not Mean He is Pleased with our doubts.

Our Doubts reflect against the nature and character of our God.

(a)      In Acts 10:19-20 The Holy Spirit tells Peter to go down and meet three men who are looking for you & go with them, doubting nothing.

(b)      James (1:6) warns believers that he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind

1.         It should be reassuring to us that even a man of John’s spiritual stature and gifts was subject to doubt.

2.         When we are confused, we can take comfort in John’s perplexity.

3.         It is also encouraging to remember that it was to His true disciples, primarily the twelve, that Jesus repeatedly said such words as “O you of little faith” and “How long will you doubt?” (Matt. 8:26; 14:31; 21:21; cf. 28:17; Mark 11:23; 16:11; Luke 12:28).

2.       He Held Strong Convictions (Matt.11:7)

a)        John Never Changed His Message or Compromised His Standards.

Many who loyally followed John recognized him as “a prophet” with a divine message (Matt. 14:5; 21:26), they must have been confused by his doubts. Were he and his message no longer trustworthy?

Jesus asked them a question “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind?” (Matt. 11:7).

                      In other words, “Did your ever see John compromise his standards or his message?

The Reeds—the reeds that Jesus referred to were light, flexible, & bent with every breeze.  But John did not bend, he held on to his convictions, did not water down the message, continuing to bear witness to the truth (John 5:33).  John stood up against the Sadducees, Scribes, Pharisees & to even Herod himself who had put him in prison for doing so (Mark 6:17 cf. Matt.3:7-10).

John believed that “right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.”

3.       He Denied Self (Matt.11:8). 

               Many people will sacrifice many things in order to become what they desire to be.  Athletes deny themselves many pleasures most of us take for granted.  Great scholars isolate themselves to study sacrificing their leisure time.  Musicians sacrifice their social life to practice and perfect their art.  Pastors sacrifice sleep in order to tend to prayer and the study of the Word of God.   

a)        John Had Taken A Nazirite Vow (Luke 1:15). 

1)        The Purpose for the Vow of a Nazirite (Numbers 6:1-2).

To separate himself to the LORD: The vow of the Nazirite was to express one’s special desire to draw close to God and to separate one’s self from the comforts and pleasures of this world (“The English word Nazirite transliterates Hebrew nazir, meaning “set apart.” (Wenham)

John abstained from strong drink, never cut his hair or touched anything that was ceremonially unclean.

This vow could last for a few months or years (Num. 6:4–8). But only Samson (Judg. 13:7; 16:17), Samuel (1 Sam. 1:11), and John the Baptist took the vow for life.

1.         John’s lifelong, voluntary self-denial was the ultimate act of devotion to God.

John’s very dress, food, and lifestyle were a stern rebuke to the self-satisfied and self-indulgent religious leaders of Israel… He was so consumed by God’s calling that he was not attracted to the world’s enticements. His devotion to ministry completely superseded any personal interests and comforts.  MacArthur Jr., John, In the Footsteps of Faith, (Wheaton, Illinois 60187: Crossway Books) 1998.

2)        John Was Consumed By God’s Calling

John was so consumed by God’s calling that he was not attracted to the world’s enticements. His devotion to the Lord completely superseded any personal interests and comforts.

1.         His lifestyle was a dramatic reminder that worldly lusts and pleasures prevent people from following & fulfilling God’s purpose & will completely and humbly.  MacArthur Jr., John, In the Footsteps of Faith, (Wheaton, Illinois 60187: Crossway Books) 1998.

2.         Application (2 Corinthians 6:14-18 cf. Romans 12:1-2)

B.     What Causes Doubt In Our Lives?

1.       The Causes of Our Doubt.

a)        Negative or Difficult Circumstances (Matthew 11:2)—Remember, John was in prison.  

When a believer has faithfully and sacrificially served the Lord for many years and then experiences tragedy, it is difficult not to wonder about God’s love and justice.

(a)      Satan magnifies them and tries to use them to undermine our trust and confidence in God.

(b)     Our response should be same as John’s-going to the Lord.

1.         1 Peter 5:7 cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

2.         Today we don’t need someone to ask for us, we can go straight to the Lord ourselves (Heb.4:14-16).

b)      Things Not Going the Way We Planned Them To.

John was in prison. He expected to be involved in the overthrow of the Roman conquerors and in the establishment of Israel as a free nation, yet he was in prison.

(a)      He could not understand why the Messiah did not free him.

(b)      When things don’t go our way, we must:

1.         Trusted Christ & His Word anyway.

2.         Continue to commit our lives to Jesus, even though we don’t fully understand.

3.         Do not let your unanswered questions or circumstances destroy your faith.  Jesus told the disciples in (v.6) to go and tell John, “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me”.  Go to the Lord and ask for His Wisdom in the matter (James 1:5).

4.         Remember what the Lord Jesus went through (Hebrews 12:3).

2.       Overcoming Our Doubt.

a)        The Answer from the Lord (Matthew 11:4)

Jesus answered and said to them – Here we see the fulfillment of James 1:5.

Go and tell John the things which you hear and see… John tells us in 2:23 that many believed in His name when they saw the miracles, which he did.  Jesus Himself said in John 5:36 that the works the Father had given Him to finish, they bear witness that the Father has sent Him. 

1.         When we share with others the great things that the Lord has done and is doing in our lives, this bears a great witness to the Lord that He is faithful (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

a.         The Story of Jesus Healing the Demon Possessed Man (Luke 8:26-40)

2.         When you are emotionally or spiritually hurt, or when you are being tempted and or going through trial’s and tribulations, often times the Lord will place on someone’s heart and say, “Go and tell him, that I Love him”

a.         Go and tell the Disciples & Peter (Mark 16:7) We are amazed that Jesus wanted to meet with these men who failed Him so deeply (Have you ever failed God), yet He makes special notice of Peter? Some say He distinguishes Peter here because he is separate from the rest of the disciples in the sense that he is no longer among them. Instead, Jesus distinguished Peter because He had special hope, special forgiveness, and special restoration just for the one who denied Him the worst.

b.         I believe that today I am the one whom God has sent to you to tell you that He loves you and cares for you.  He has a special hope, a special forgiveness, and a special restoration for you.  Come to Him today (Matthew 11:28; John 6:37).