John the Baptist was a significant figure in the Gospels and played an important role in preparing the way for Jesus Christ. In Matthew 11:11, Jesus declares, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.” This statement provokes the question – in what way was John the Baptist considered the greatest?
To understand this, we must first look at who John the Baptist was. John was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, the cousin of Jesus, and a prophet who lived in the wilderness of Judea (Luke 1:5-25, 57-80). He preached a message of repentance and baptized people as a sign of their repentance in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. He was also the one who baptized Jesus at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry (Matthew 3:13-17).
John fulfilled an important role as the forerunner of Jesus Christ, as prophesied in the Old Testament. Isaiah 40:3 declared that a voice would cry out in the wilderness telling people to prepare the way for the Lord. Malachi 3:1 spoke of a messenger who would prepare the way before the coming of the Lord. John fulfilled these prophecies through his preaching, call to repentance, and baptisms in the wilderness.
In what ways then was John considered the greatest?
1. His unique greatness as the last Old Testament prophet
John represented the climax and culmination of the Old Testament prophetic tradition. He came in the spirit and power of Elijah, the greatest of the prophets (Malachi 4:5-6; Matthew 11:14). John was thus the last in a long line of prophets that stretched back hundreds of years to the time of the prophet Samuel. As the final forerunner prophet, John formed the bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament eras.
Jesus declared that John was more than a prophet, because he had the privilege of announcing and introducing God’s kingdom in the person and work of the Messiah (Luke 7:26-28). No other prophet had this honor. In this sense, John was unique among all the prophets of the Old Testament.
2. His greatness in preparing the way for Jesus Christ
John’s greatness is also tied to the vital role he played in preparing the way for Jesus Christ. As discussed earlier, John fulfilled important prophecies about the coming forerunner of the Messiah. His preaching of repentance readied people’s hearts for receiving Jesus’ message.
John humbly declared that the one coming after him (Jesus) would be far greater than himself, because Jesus was in fact the mighty Messiah (Matthew 3:11-12). John said his baptism was just with water, but the one who would come after him would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. By preparing the way, John magnified the preeminence of Christ.
Jesus affirmed that John had an important purpose “to bear witness to the truth” about Himself (John 5:33-35). No one else had the role of pointing to and bearing witness to the Messiah. In carrying out this special assignment, John’s greatness was tied to the greatness of the Messiah he heralded.
3. His greatness in being the messenger of the Messiah
John’s greatness is revealed in the special privileges he had as the announced messenger and forerunner of the Messiah. John was the messenger foretold by the prophet Malachi who would be sent ahead of the Lord to prepare His way (Malachi 3:1).
John got to hear God’s voice from heaven affirming Jesus’ identity at His baptism (John 1:32-34). He had the honor of baptizing the Messiah Himself. He got to see the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus at His baptism. From the womb, John was filled with the Holy Spirit and appointed to his special mission regarding the Christ (Luke 1:15).
These were incredibly unique privileges that set John apart in his greatness. No one else had the honor of playing this vital role regarding the long-awaited Messiah.
4. His greatness in being the link between the Old and New Covenants
John is also significant in that he stands as the transition figure between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. He is the last prophet under the Old Covenant, preaching a baptism of repentance according to the Law of Moses. Yet he announces the arrival of the Kingdom in Jesus the Messiah and baptizes the Messiah, signaling the dawning of the New Covenant. In God’s redemptive history, John thus serves as the crucial hinge between the old economy and the new economy.
This makes John’s ministry unique and incredibly significant from God’s perspective. John stands on the threshold between the Law and the Gospel, between Moses and Christ, between the prophets and the Apostles. His strategic placement in salvation history amplifies his greatness.
5. His greatness in his life of devotion and holy conduct
In addition to his important ministry, John’s personal life exhibited qualities that marked his greatness as a prophet:
- John was filled with the Holy Spirit from birth (Luke 1:15)
- He chose a lifestyle of self-denial, living as a wilderness ascetic (Matthew 3:4)
- He exemplified humility, continually pointing away from himself to Christ (John 3:30)
- He courageously confronted sin, even when it cost him his life (Matthew 14:3-12)
- He faithfulfully fulfilled his mission from God with unwavering commitment
John lived a life of devotion, holiness, humility, courage, and faithfulness. He exemplified the kind of character that should mark a prophet of God. In his personal life and conduct, John reflected a spiritual greatness to complement his important ministry.
6. His greatness relative to all people alive at that time
Jesus’ statement about John’s greatness is fascinating because He compares John to “those born of women.” This seems to refer to John’s greatness relative to all people alive on earth at that time. Out of all people living in the first century AD, John is singled out as the greatest person ever born.
This would make John greater than:
- All the Pharisees and religious leaders
- All the priests serving at the Temple
- All the Roman officials, soldiers, and rulers
- All the scholars, scribes, and teachers of the Law
- All the prophets, mystics, and miracle workers
- All the parents, workers, homemakers, and tradespeople
- In short, greater than any other man or woman alive
Of course, John’s greatness ultimately stemmed from the honor of his unique ministry regarding the Messiah. But Jesus’ statement highlights John’s preeminence compared to all his contemporaries.
7. His greatness while still under the Old Covenant system
An additional aspect of John’s greatness relates to timing and covenants. John lived his life and carried out his ministry before the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. This means John lived fully under the Old Covenant rules, not the New Covenant that was instituted by Christ (Hebrews 9:15-17).
Under the old system, the Holy Spirit was not yet poured out on all believers. Eternal redemption had not yet been secured by Christ. People were not regenerated and born again. So John’s greatness shined all the more remarkably as he served God so faithfully under the limitations of the Old Covenant.
Those born after Christ have access to greater spiritual privileges and blessings. Yet John’s greatness stands out all the more as he functioned fully under the old economy.
8. His greatness while denied the privilege of seeing the fulfillment of God’s kingdom
It is also significant that John died before he was able to witness the completed fulfillment of the Kingdom he announced in Jesus Christ. John faithfully prepared the way for and pointed to the coming Messiah, but was martyred before he could see the full revelation of the Messiah’s glory through His death, resurrection, ascension, and pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost.
John bore witness to the inauguration of the Kingdom at hand in Jesus’ ministry. Yet he was not able to stay alive long enough to see God’s kingdom promises come to complete fulfillment. This makes John’s steadfast service all the more noteworthy.
9. His greatness despite being a “reed shaken by the wind”
Jesus described John as a “reed shaken by the wind” (Matthew 11:7). Despite his powerful prophetic ministry, John had moments of doubt and uncertainty, just like any man. He sent messengers to ask if Jesus really was the Messiah, after John had been imprisoned (Luke 7:20). Jesus gently confirmed that John could be comforted in Him being the Messiah despite John’s wavering.
This shows that John was not immune from human weakness. But he continued faithfully serving God as the forerunner despite his vulnerabilities. John’s greatness shone all the brighter as he fulfilled his mission in spite of his moments of doubt.
10. His greatness despite being “less than the least in the kingdom of God”
Right after commending John’s greatness, Jesus made an even more stunning statement: “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11). This indicates that even though John was considered greater than all people on earth in his day, he was still “less than the least” compared to those who would come after him in the Kingdom.
This highlights the incredibly privileged position of all New Covenant believers who benefit from Christ’s finished work. John played a great role in salvation history, yet ordinary Christians afterwards experience “greater things” through their union with Christ (John 14:12).
So John was both the greatest man on earth in his time and less than the least in God’s eternal Kingdom! This shows how John’s greatness was limited to his historical role in reaching a climatic transition point between the Old and New Covenants. The least in the Kingdom exceeds John because of their access to the complete fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan in the Messiah.
John’s temporary greatness as the forerunner ultimately gave way to the surpassing greatness of life in Christ in the Kingdom of God. John himself said he must decrease as Christ increased (John 3:30). John’s supreme privilege was in magnifying the supremacy of Jesus Christ.
In summary
John the Baptist occupied a unique and incredibly significant role in redemptive history as the culmination of the Old Testament prophetic tradition and the bridge to the arrival of the Messiah. His ministry, personal life, and place in salvation history combined to make him greatest among all his contemporaries during his time. He powerfully prepared the way for people to receive Christ. Yet John also pointed to the greater realities that would come through Christ’s finished work. In all these ways, John the Baptist demonstrated a superlative greatness that provokes awe and wonder.