Praise of John the Baptist

So far Jesus has declared that John the Baptist was the forerunner of the Messiah who was predicted in Malachi 3:1. That must have stunned the crowd. Some had probably wondered if that was true; but when Jesus declared it to be fact, they must have been filled with excitement because every Jew was waiting for the Messiah to come. Then many in the crowd would have agreed that John was greater.

Jesus’ next statement must have been stunning too!

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. (NASB) Matt. 11:12-13

Luke 16:16 records another time when Jesus made essentially the same statement. At that time Jesus re-ordered the two comments and added an additional comment,

The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. (NASB) Luke 16:16

By saying that all the prophets had prophesied until the time of John, Jesus declared that the divine plan of the ages was coming together. God’s great plan for Israel was near completion.

The Apostle Peter tells us that the prophets had prophesied about Jesus, and the angels of heaven had desired to know when Jesus would appear and what would occur.

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. (NASB) 1 Pet. 1:10-12

The time had arrived. The forerunner was now here. The long wait for the prophets and angels was over. The crowds were standing on the threshold of sacred history. John the Baptist and Jesus had been announcing that the Kingdom of Heaven was near, and it was. All the Law and the Prophets had pointed to the time of John, and he was the forerunner of the Messiah - the One who was to come!

Conclusion. We will explore Jesus' statement about the kingdom suffering violence and violent men taking it by force in our next study. We will close with the following statement about Jesus,

Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” (NASB) John 6:14

The forerunner had accomplished his mission - his purpose. Many, not all, understood that Jesus was the Promised One - the Messiah. Some, including the Jewish leaders, did not want the kingdom that Jesus offered. They wanted their own kingdom. They wanted control. They wanted their own religion. As a result, in our next study we will see that they rejected John and Jesus. They rejected everything that had been promised.

The same is true today for many. God has offered to forgive our sins and allow us to live with Him forever. But some do not want what God offers. They want God and His kingdom to conform to their wishes. As a result they reject what He is offering. Someone once told me that the type of God he was looking for was one who would accept him as he was. Unfortunately, we do not have a choice of gods to choose from. What are your expectations of God? God calls us sinners and says that we going to an eternal punishment. So He offers forgiveness of your sins if you will believe Him and are willing to submit to Him. He has offered us help because He holy, just, compassionate and loving!