Bible Questions Answered: John - Greater Than

Bible Questions Answered:
How do you explain Luke 7:28, John was the greatest of men, and then the least is greater than he is?
Shawna/ Crumlin, Northern Ireland

Bible Answer:

Text:
Luke 7:24-35 NLT
24 After John’s disciples left, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind?
25 Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people who wear beautiful clothes and live in luxury are found in palaces.
26 Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet.
27 John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say,‘Look, I am sending My messenger ahead of You, and he will prepare Your way before You.’

28 I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John.
Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!”

29 When they heard this, all the people—even the tax collectors—agreed that God’s way was right, for they had been baptized by John.
30 But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism.
31 “To what can I compare the people of this generation?” Jesus asked. “How can I describe them?
32 They are like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends, ‘We played wedding songs, and you didn’t dance, so we played funeral songs, and you didn’t weep.’
33 For John the Baptist didn’t spend his time eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’
34 The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’
35 But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.”

John the Baptist, was the son of the priest Zacharias, and mother, Elisabeth (Daughter of Aaron.).
John was the last of Old Testament prophets, who prepared the way of the Messiah.

John a devout man, taught his disciples...

To fast.
Matthew 9:14 KJV
Then came to Him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?

To pray.
Luke 5:33 KJV
And they said unto Him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?

Luke 11:1 KJV
And it came to pass, that, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said unto Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

To make confession of sin, and be baptized.
Matthew 3:5,6 NLT
5 People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John.
6 And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.

Herod Antipas, had John executed.

Luke 3:19,20 NLT
19 John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done.
20 So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others.

Matthew 14:6-11 KJV
6 But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.
7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.
8 And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.
9 And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.
10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
11 And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.

John saw but a glimmer on the horizon of a coming new day of grace, but never was able to partake of it.

Up until his time, there was no greater than John the Baptist, and yet, in the new day of “grace,” under Christ, the very least (Christian) is greater than he, because he has been saved by the precious blood of Christ.

I Peter 1:18,19 KJV
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot:

I John 1:7 KJV
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.

The difference,is the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
For Christ's message of faith, and the grace of God, is greater than that of the law.

Galatians 2:16 KJV
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Galatians 3:11 KJV
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Hebrews 2:1-3 KJV
1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
2 For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward;
3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation..."


II Corinthians 6:2 KJV
(For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)