Matthew 11:7 Commentary and Bible Study

As the two disciples sent from John the Baptist return with his answer, the Lord Jesus begins to commend John to the multitude. Obviously the multitude has heard this interaction because the question has been asked in public, but now, although there is a gap in John’s knowledge, Christ wishes to highly commend John, and in particular to draw attention to those features of his character that seem to have been called into question by this enquiry. The Lord does not judge by outward appearance as men judge, but he reads the heart and knows the deep commitment that John has to the truth.Why did the crowds leave Galilee and go to the deserts of Judea? To see a swaying reed – a figure for one who teaches what is the fashion of the moment? Is that what you went to see, a fashionable teacher, who teaches what people want to hear? Certainly not: John was genuine, firm, even blunt. The people knew it, and that is why they had come so far. They responded to his ministry just because he was free from all concession to human pride and vanity, and spoke the truth without fear of man. John was ramrod straight. He was ready to be rejected, though, to his amazement probably, he wasn’t. In fact the whole nation responded to his ministry in the most amazing way. The nation judged rightly in seeing him like this, the Lord says. That straightforwardness and integrity was more characteristic of him than any apparent vacillation indicated by this question. This was so refreshing in comparison to the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees. Their teaching was all about getting the praise of men. They had a hidden agenda all the time. John, by contrast, was so transparently honest and free from man-pleasing. He was the mouthpiece of God to that generation and carried out his ministry of calling the nation to repentance perfectly. He dismissed from his mind any advantage that would come to him by preaching a soft message, a message that was afraid to bring conviction, or that wanted to give man some credit. That was Christ’s true evaluation of John. ‘But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment?’ In those days, only the courtiers could afford soft clothing. Many scribes also had left the temple and gone to join Herod Antipas’ royal court. They lived a very smarmy life of luxury and wealth. Christ’s reference here it is about getting yourself into position, trying to arrange life to your advantage. John was utterly faithful to his calling. His lifestyle reflected and backed-up his message. He lived his message. He called men and women to repentance, and to turn their back on pandering to the flesh, and he lived that himself.‘A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.‘ How could he be more than a prophet? Because he was foretold himself. He was a prophet and the subject of prophecy. But furthermore, he was the forerunner of the Messiah. No other prophet had this immense privilege.