OUR FATHER WHO SENT A PROPHET TO PREPARE THE WAY BEFORE THE MESSIAH

When John's followers left to take the Lord's message back to John, the Lord Jesus taught the people about John the Baptist and the significance of his ministry and the sea change that had occured since his arrival.

Matthew chapter 11 verses 7 - 15 says it this way;

7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he of whom it is written:

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

11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Jesus asked the group of people around Him what had attracted them out to the wilderness when John was preaching there.

The Lord answered for them and told them that they had gone out to the wilderness because John was a genuine prophet from God speaking with authority and conviction.

The Lord then told them that John was a greater prophet than all other prophets prior to him but in the spiritual  kingdom that Jesus Himself was instituting in earth, the lowest ranking member would be greater than John.

The comparison reflects how momentous Jesus' own mission was because it was bringing in a system of salvation that was so great that the nothing that came before it, even with all the glory that it had, could match it.

Since John started preaching, the Kingdom of Heaven, reaching down to get a foothold on the earth, was suffering a violent counterattack as the agents of darkness were being promted to strike at it in order to snuff it out.

Whereas Moses and the prophets were prophesying into the future about the coming kingdom of heaven, John was the old covenant prophet who actually came into contact with the kingdom of heaven and was no longer prophecying but contending for the platform on which the Messiah would be presented.

John was the warrior prophet in the order of Elijah who was prophesied about and had now come and had plunged into the battle for righteousness headlong for which he was now imprisoned.

Amen.

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