Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist. Matthew 11:11 NIV
It was an unusual and shocking statement. Jesus said to the disciples and the crowd around Him that no one who had ever lived was greater than His cousin, John the Baptizer. In our current designations, he was the GOAT. Can you imagine how the crowd of Jewish people, from commoners to the top Pharisaical leaders, thought about that? How could He say that? They held Moses the Lawgiver, the many prophets like Elijah, King David, and others in the very highest honor. How could John even be included in that group, let alone be at the top of the list?
Think about John’s situation when Jesus said that. He was an itinerant preacher who mostly lived in the wilderness. He didn’t go where people were to preach – they came to him. He looked poor and eccentric. Matthew recorded in 3:4 that he wore clothes made of camel’s hair with a leather belt tied around his waist. His diet was chiefly locusts and wild honey. He had many disciples and followers when Jesus came, but some of them defected to Jesus, and Jesus’ following was far larger now. King Herod was angry at John for calling him and his “wife” out for their adulterous affair and threw him in prison where he was currently languishing, awaiting, most likely, execution. THIS was Jesus’ selection as the greatest man?
Jesus knew he was great because he was chosen, called, and anointed by God. Great because he totally followed that privilege – not everyone does. Great because he was 100% faithful – not everyone is.
He was great because he was courageous. He was the first to recognize Jesus and the only one to this point in time who had fearlessly declared to the world that Jesus was the Messiah, the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. Millions would believe later when Jesus proved that He had power over sin and death and was the Risen Savior – John believed without any evidence.
He was great because of his humility and willingness to become lesser and lesser so Jesus could become greater and greater. How many people have enough greatness to give up their power and position in immediate recognition that someone else is greater?
There are so many more reasons why He was the greatest. And now Jesus recognized him as the greatest – not because he never doubted, but because in the midst of his pain, lack of understanding, unmet expectations, he still looked to Jesus for the answer.
- Jesus, may I follow You with the intensity and passion of John, and in my doubts always go to You for truth.