Jesus and John the Baptist

Luke 7:18-35

Key Verse 7:28

I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

This passage talks about the superiority of Jesus and his ministry over all other servants of God and their ministries, such as the ministry of John the Baptist or the ministry of the Pharisees and teachers of the law. 

Overall it talks about the blessedness of Jesus and the life of the one who receives Jesus as the Lord and Savior and abides under His leadership. 

1. In verses 18-20 John the Baptist asked Jesus questions. What does the passage tell us about John and his disciples?  

** Apparently they had some doubts about Jesus as the Savior of the world. Doubts might have arisen due to such reasons as: 1) Jesus becoming successful (and John's ministry becoming nothing); 2) Jesus and his disciples seeming to have a good time, not even practicing fasting, but rather enjoying eating fellowship all the time when John and his disciples had to abstain themselves from even the basic desire for food; and 3) a sense of loss might have crept into their hearts, for Jesus did not come to save John even though John suffered so much to serve God's purpose. 

2. Think about the way Jesus helped John and his disciples in verses 21-23. What does this passage teach us about the way to serve God's mission to the end, joyfully?

** 1) We need to learn to be satisfied with Jesus thriving and people becoming happy/blessed thanks to our services to the Lord. 

2) We should not fall on account of Jesus. Suppose, for example, you served Jesus and suffered a lot even to the point of getting sick or losing everything like John the Baptist in prison. Suppose no one even came to visit you in prison. Suppose you prayed a lot for healing or for freedom from prison, but God did not do anything for you. How would you feel about God and your life as a servant of God's mission? It is very possible for you to doubt God's love, and even lose faith in Him. But Jesus says that you will be blessed if you do not fall on account of Jesus (who does not give you any tangible rewards such as a handsome bonus). 

3) In conclusion, we need to give thanks to God for giving us the opportunity to "suffer" for Jesus' name's sake and lose something for Jesus. The opportunity to suffer for Jesus is the greatest privilege. Why? It is because our ultimate reward comes not while we are in this body but in the world to come when Jesus will give his children resurrected bodies in a perfect kingdom. Read Luke 6:21 and 22. The point here is that we should not be just fair-weather Christians. 

3. Consider what Jesus said to the crowd about John in verses 24-28. What does Jesus mean by "the one who is least in the kingdom of God"? In what respect is the one who is least in the kingdom of God even greater than a man as great as John the Baptist?

** To say the conclusion first, the one who is least in God’s kingdom (like Matthew the tax collector) is greater than John the Baptist just as Jesus is greater than John the Baptist. 

1) Here "in the kingdom of God" means "in Jesus Christ", for wherever there is Jesus there is the kingdom of God. 

2) One of the least in Jesus means even the least ones such as Simon Peter (who often put his foot in his mouth). 

3) Remember that "the one who is least in the kingdom of God" is used as opposed to those who are born of "women". "The one who is least in the kingdom of God" is the same as those who are "born of God" as John 1:12 says. Of course John the Baptist was filled with the Spirit even from birth. But, still he is inferior to the Apostles such as the Apostle John or the Apostle Peter, in that, unlike John the Baptist, these apostles/disciples were directly taught by Jesus, the Son of God. Then Jesus who is the exact representation of God's being directly empowered them to serve the Lord's world mission command. So the level of the revelation of God and his purpose, is far higher, deeper, wider, and longer than that of the revelation revealed to John the Baptist and to his disciples through Jesus Christ. Figuratively speaking the difference between John and Jesus' disciples is like the difference between a man who says, "Look! Here is a New York Steak" and the man who says, "Oh, I ate a New York Steak. It is good." John the Baptist only pointed people to Jesus, but he did not fully enjoy Jesus. But the apostles (like Matthew the ex-tax collector, for example) fully enjoyed Jesus. 

4. Verses 29-35 compares two groups of people: 1) people like tax collectors and sinners; and 2) the Pharisees and teachers of the law who had not been baptized by John. How are the two groups different? Why do many still reject Jesus even after being given the opportunity to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior? 

** The former got baptized by John and received Jesus as the Savior of the world, whereas the latter did not. 

** 1) Busy-mindedness (as busy as a man doing businesses in a marketplace). 

2) Indifference to God's way and purpose, as children talking to one another in the marketplace.

3) Insincerity. They are not sincere to God's word. In order to justify their own way of life, they quickly find faults with servants of God such as John or Jesus. 

The end

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