Matthew 11:2-3 - What Makes A Person Great
Introduction:
*I would like to ask you a question…
1. What Is It That Makes A Person Great?
a) Money, fame, fortune?
b) Born into a influential family?
c) Degrees, athletic ability, artistic talent?
d) Based on that set of criteria, even Jesus Christ was not great.
(1) He was born into a common family—His father was a simple carpenter.
(2) When He was an adult, Jesus did not own a business, a herd of cattle or sheep, a house, or even a tent. He said, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Matt. 8:20).
(3) He had little, if any, formal education. And He certainly didn’t seek political office or manifest any artistic accomplishments. Jesus displayed very little of the marks that the world would consider great.
e) John the Baptist manifested even fewer of the world’s marks of greatness.
(1) Like Jesus, he came from a simple, obscure family. His father, Zacharias, was one of many priests who took turns ministering in the temple.
(2) His mother, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly tribe of Levi and a descendant of Aaron (Luke 1:5). But many were descendants of Aaron, and they had no special social status.
(3) It is likely that when John reached his teen years he went to live in the wilderness of Judea, existing much like a hermit and giving up any social honor and economic status or comfort.
2. 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).
3. Jesus Said That John Was The Greatest Among Those Born Of A Woman (Matt.11:11).
a) Jesus was saying that as far as mankind is concerned, no one who had yet lived was greater than John the Baptist.
(1) 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.
4. Jesus Made Sure, However That the People Did Not Misunderstand the Nature of John’s Greatness.
a) “Yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matt. 11:11).
(1) Although he was a spiritual giant, John’s greatness came from his role in human history.
(2) 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.
(3) What was it about John that led Jesus to speak of him in such radiant terms?
(4) In Matthew 11:7–14 Jesus sets forth three specific marks that characterize John’s greatness.
!! A. Strong, Individual Character of John – three qualities.
1. Quality #1 - Conquering Weakness & Difficult Circumstances (Matthew 11:2-3).
a) Many people have difficulty in rising above their difficulties and circumstances.
(1) 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:
Matthew writes saying “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).
(2) 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).
(3) 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.
(4) From many sources, including some of his own disciples, he had heard of Jesus’ miraculous powers.
(5) He was obedient to God’s Word.
(6) He was self-controlled, drinking no “wine or liquor” (Luke 1:15a). He was temperate in his food, dress, and lifestyle.
(7) 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).
(8) He courageously and faithfully proclaimed God’s Word.
(9) 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.
(1) 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.
(2) 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).
c) Though God Understands Our Doubts, it Does Not Mean He is Pleased with our doubts.
(1) 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
(c) It should be reassuring to us that even a man of John’s spiritual stature and gifts was subject to doubt.
(d) When we are confused, we can take comfort in John’s perplexity.
(e) 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?”
!!! 2. Quality #2 - He Held Strong Convictions (Matt.11:7).
a) John Never Changed His Message or Compromised His Standards.
(1) Many who loyally followed John recognized him as “a prophet” with a divine message
Remember when Herod wanted to put John to death? "Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, (which is not good) because they regarded John as a prophet.” (Matthew 14:5)
Remember when “the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Jesus while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?”
Jesus said to them “I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. “The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?” And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ “But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet." (Matthew 21:24-26, NASB95)
(2) 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).
(a) In other words, “Did your ever see John compromise his standards or his message?
(b) 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, but he continued 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).
(c) John believed that “right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.”
(3) John had many opportunities to win the approval of the authorities.
(a) John could have won the support of the hypocritical Pharisees and Sadducees who came to him for baptism. Instead, he confronted their sin and hypocrisy:
Speaking to the Pharisees, John said “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with your repentance; and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matt. 3:7–10).
3. Quality #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).
(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)
(3) John abstained from strong drink, never cut his hair or touched anything that was unclean.
(4) This vow could last for a few months or years (Num.6:4–8). But only Samson (Judg.13:7; 16:17), Samuel (1Sam.1:11), and John the Baptist took the vow for life.
(5) John’s lifelong, voluntary self-denial was the ultimate act of devotion to God.
(6) John was so consumed by God’s calling that he was not attracted to the world’s enticements.
!! B. John’s Privileged Calling (Matthew 11:9-10).
After thousands of years of God’s preparation and prediction, John was given the privilege of being the Messiah’s personal herald.
1. John’s Message.
a) Repent
(1) Part of preparing the people for the coming of the Messiah involved John’s proclamation of a simple message, which is easily summarized in one word: “repent”
In Matthew 3:2 John said "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 3:2, NASB95)
We read in the book of Acts that "John had proclaimed before His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel." (Acts 13:24, NASB95)
And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus." (Acts 19:4, NASB95)
(2) The meaning of the word repentance has been twisted in recent years to the point that its biblical meaning is now obscured in the minds of many.
(3) The idea that genuine repentance could result in anything but a change of life is completely foreign to Scripture.
b) What does the Bible teach about the relationship between salvation and repentance?
(1) First—it teaches that repentance is essential to salvation.
(a) One cannot truly believe unless he repents, and one cannot truly repent unless he believes. Repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin (but they are not synonymous terms). In Acts 11…
When the brethren in Judea heard that Gentiles had also received the Word of God, they contended with Peter saying “You went in to uncircumcised men and at with them…” But Peter responded by saying "If God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?" (Acts 11:17)
Acts 11.18 says "When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life." (Acts 11:18)
Peter said in his 2nd epistle "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9, NASB95)
(2) Second—the Greek word for repentance, metanoia means "to have another mind."
(a) Biblically, a person who repents does not continue willfully in sin. Repentance is a turning from sin, and it always results in changed behavior:
Speaking to the Pharisees, John said "Bear fruits in keeping with repentance." (Luke 3:8, NASB95)
Listen to the way the NLT renders the same verse: "Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say, ‘We’re safe—we’re the descendants of Abraham.’ That proves nothing. (Luke 3:8, NLT)
(b) John’s point was simple: “You are in the same condition as the Gentiles; you have no right to the kingdom unless you repent and are converted from sin to righteousness.” Failure to repent and change one’s sinful life would result in severe judgment.
(c) And when Jesus arrived on the scene, He also preached a message of repentance (Mark 1:15; Matt. 4:17; Luke 5:32).
!!! 2. John’s Motive.
a) The King is Coming.
(1) The motive John gave for repentance was “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2). The people needed to repent and be converted because the King was coming, and He deserves and requires no less.
(2) After four hundred years, the people of Israel again heard God’s prophetic word.
(a) Malachi’s prophecy was followed by four centuries of silence, with no new or direct word from the Lord. Now, when His word came to Israel again, proclaiming the coming of the King, it was not the expected word of joy and comfort and celebration but a message of warning and rebuke.
(b) The kingdom of heaven is at hand, waiting to be ushered in, but Israel was not ready for it.
b) A word for us today-the KING IS COMING.
(1) We need to be ready for our King:
Luke writes in chapter 12 how we are to be ready for the Son of Man, he says "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching…And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (Luke 12:35-40, NKJV)
(2) We need to be looking for the blessed hope:
Paul writes "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:11-14, NKJV)
Listen to what Jesus Christ says in Revelation "Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book." (Revelation 22:7, NKJV)
He says he is bringing His reward” And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work." (Revelation 22:12, NKJV)
And lastly He says "He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20, NKJV)
C. 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.
(1) It can be difficult not to wonder about God’s love when we experience tragedy.
(2) Satan magnifies them and tries to use them to undermine our trust and confidence in God.
(3) All that Joseph went through, the Lord was with him (Gen.39:3, 6, 23).
(4) Lets look at his fathers response (Gen.42:29-38)
Paul said "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28, NKJV)
He continues by saying "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32, NKJV)
(5) Look at Joseph’s response (Gen.45:1-8; 50:15-21).
(6) Our response should be same as John’s-going to the Lord. Remember, John sent his disciples to ask Jesus a question. The point is, he went to Jesus!
(7) 1 Peter 5:7 cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
(8) 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.
(1) 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.
(2) He could not understand why the Messiah did not free him.
(3) When things don’t go our way, we must:
(a) Trust Christ & His Word anyway.
(b) Continue to commit our lives to Jesus, even though we don’t fully understand.
(c) 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).
(d) Remember what the Lord Jesus went through (Hebrews 12:3).
2. Overcoming Our Doubt.
a) The Answer from the Lord (Matthew 11:4)
(1) Jesus answered and said to them – 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.
(2) 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:
Paul says "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NKJV)