Intro to “The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived”

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/25/2026 10:18 AM

My Worship Time                                      Focus:  Intro to “The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                    Reference Luke 7:24-30

            Message of the verses:  “²⁴ When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ²⁵ But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces! ²⁶ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet. ²⁷ This is the one about whom it is written,

‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’

²⁸ I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” ²⁹ When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they acknowledged God’s justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John.”

            Now as I have normally been doing in writing the introduction to different chapters from John MacArthur’s commentary I have quoted his introduction.

            “The primary goal of Jesus’ ministry was to demonstrate that He was the promised Messiah, King, and redeemer, who would fulfill the promises of the Abrahamic, Davidic, and New covenants.  Therefore His goal in this passage was not merely to honor John the Baptist, although he was deserving of honor.  Christ’s main point in discussing John was to show ho his ministry revealed and established Jesus to be the Expected One (cf. the discussion of that term in the previous chapter of this volume).

            “Most people in Israel initially accepted John as God’s prophet who spoke for God as all true prophets did in the past.  This was monumental since there had not been one for four centuries.  All three of the Synoptic Gospels refer to the vast crowds that flocked to the Jordan River to hear him (Matt. 3:5-6; Mark 1:5; Luke 3:7, 10).  Herod Antipas hesitated to execute John because the crowds viewed him as a prophet (Matt. 14:5), while the Jewish leaders feared that if they denied John’s authenticity, ‘all the people [would] stone [them] to death, for they [were] convinced that John was a prophet’ (Luke 20:6; cf. Matt. 21:26; Mark 11:32).

            “What makes the people’s belief that John was a prophet all the more remarkable is the nature of his message.  John the Baptist was no man-pleasing flatterer, but preached a fiery message of coming judgment and the need for repentance.  He denounced both the crowds (Luke 3:7) and their leaders (Matt. 3:7) as venomous snakes scrambling to escape the furious wrath to come.  Sill more amazing, many of those who heard John preach were willing to be baptized by him—a proselyte baptism normally reserved for Gentiles converting to Judaism.  By accepting baptism at his hands, the Jews were acknowledging themselves to be outside the covenants and the promises, and no better than uncircumcised Gentiles.  But despite John’s forceful condemnation of their sin and his call for them to repent, the people kept coming to hear the prophet announcing Messiah’s arrival.  They agreed with Jesus’ assessment of John the Baptist, I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John.

            “There was a glaring inconsistency in their acceptance of John, however.  Their dilemma was that while they acknowledged John was a prophet, for the most part  did accept John’s message that Jesus was the Messiah.  Beyond what John said, the Lord had clearly demonstrated by the truth of His declaration that He was the Expected One, God in human flesh.  He had traveled all over Galilee healing the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead (as He had just done at Naim [7:11-15]).  In fact, Jesus had just finished putting on a display of His divine power for the messengers from John the Baptist (7:20-22).  All that was done in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (cf. Isa. 61:1).”  “1 ¶  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;”

            “At this point, Jesus seized the opportunity to confirm His messiahship and put the crowds in an untenable position by pointing out the reality that because they accepted John as a prophet, they must therefore accept his testimony to Jesus being the Messiah.  If John were a prophet, that testimony was true; on the other hand if his testimony was not true, then he was not a prophet.  And John could hardly have deserved the honor of being called the greatest man who ever lived if he lied about Jesus being the Messiah.

            “Based on societal norms, John would not be considered great.  He would be viewed as anti-social, abrasive, politically incorrect, and in general a bothersome, irritating nuisance.  He had no wealth, social prominence, or formal education.  He achieved nothing notable by the typical standard of measure; he held no position, built no organization, and left no literary works.  But God’s standards for greatness are the absolute antithesis of the world’s and by those standards John was greater than anyone before him, including all the exalted persons of the Old Testament record, like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, and all the prophets (cf. Luke 1:15).  In this passage Jesus lists three features that mark John’s greatness; his personal character, privileged calling, and powerful contribution.”

Spiritual Meaning for my life Today:  I certainly have heard about John the Baptist being the greatest prophet of them all before, and I guess that this makes more sense to me to remember that his function was to announce the coming Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, as this certainly was an awesome privilege.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trusting the Lord to guide my path as things are difficult for me because of the passing of my wife, but I truly believe that God makes no mistakes including my wife’s recent death and transfer to heaven.  I desire to continue to follow the Lord’s leading in my life as this is a new chapter for me, but trusting that the Lord will continue to guide me.

8/25/2026 11:03 AM