John, the Last

BY D. A. CARSON

tell you the truth: Among to say, he was not only a prophet, he those born of women there was the subject of prophecy, the one has not risen anyone about whom prophecy was written. greater than John the What prophecy? 's prophecy Baptist; yet he who is least in the revealed that there would be a kingdom of heaven is greater than he" messenger ahead of the Lord's (Matthew 11:11). appearing, a messenger The more one who would announce meditates on this verse and prepare the way of the more astonishing it the Lord, a precursor, a is. The plain meaning is forerunner. John was that if you are a that person. Christian, you are is the greatest "Indeed," greater than King says in verse 11 , , greater than simply because "among those born of , greater than women there has not King ; for this he is the one risen anyone greater text says that John the than John the Baptist." Baptist was the great­ who has pOinted What does Jesus mean? est one born of women Clearly, He is saying up to that point, and the out Jesus with that John the Baptist is least in the kingdom is to be viewed as greater greater than he. So by greatest clarity_ than King David - the Jesus' assessment, John great King David; the Baptist in some greater than , the respect outstrips David, Solomon, Isaiah, one who under introduced the Sinai Jeremiah, and Daniel, and the least in code, the Law, the Ten Commandments. the kingdom outstrips John. That is He is greater than Abraham, the first astonishing! patriarch, the originator of the entire In verses 10- 11 we find what John Jewish race. He is greater than Isaiah, was. Jesus tells us: "Thi s is the one the one who penned the servant song, about whom it is written: '] will send "He was wounded for our My messenger ahead of You, who will transgressions, He was bruised for our prepare Your way before You. ", That is iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and by Hi s stripes we are many peopl e came to Him. They said , healed" (Isaiah 53:5 NKJV). 'Though John never performed a John the Baptist is the greatest miraculous sign, all that John said about simply because he is the one who has thi s man was true.' And in that place pointed out Jesus many beli eved in with greatest clar- Jesus." John's ity. The law greatness, therefore, "prophesies": it did not consist in the depicts Jesus in a Though John never ability to perform variety of ways miracles, for he did through the entire performed a miraculous not perform one; not sacrificial system. in the ability to write Moses thus antici­ sign, all that John said great books Ii ke pates Jesus. Moses Isaiah, for he didn't is th e figure in about Jesus is true. write one. Not in the Deuteronomy 18: ability to rule a great 18 who anticipates He was a desert people; he was never the prophet who is a king. He was not a to come. King high priest, he never David I S the preacher, but he offered a sacrifice. archetypical king, He was a desert and Jesus comes in pointed out who preacher, but he David's line; that pointed out who way, David wit­ Jesus was - and Jesus was - and nesses to Jesus. that's what makes Isaiah certainly that's what makes him great. witnesses to Jesus. For Jesus to say Even Jere miah him great. that John the pointed o ut who Baptist's greatness Jesus is. But to was above everyone John the Bapti st fell the peculiar of who had been born of women (which is pointing out who Jesus is directly. pretty universal - it might exclude "There, th at's the One," he said. "That is , and that's about it) makes Him the One: He is the promised . either who He claims to be - one with That is the Lamb of God. That is the God - or an international class nutter. One whose shoes I am not worthy to There's no intervening possibility ­ unloose. That is the One who baptizes in none. So we find here, in other words, the Holy Spirit promi sed under the both Jesus' public identification of the term s of the new covenant. He is the forerunner and the public identification One." And that is what makes John the of Hi s own role and place in redemptive Baptist great. hi story. _ The same sort of thing is said in John 's gospel in John 10:40-42. We Dr. D.A. Carsol1, ollthor of numerous books (lnd read these remarkable words: "Then commell taries, is Research Professor afNew TeS /{Im elll at Trillity EV(llllwlical Divinity School. Jesus went back across th e Jordan to the Dee/jield, IL. This article is adapled./i-ol1l {I place wherc John had been baptizin g in serll/Oll delil'ered (It Grace Reformed BalJlisl th e early days. Here He stayed and Chllrch, Amesbllry. MA. ill NOII('1Ilhe r 199(),