Luke 7:24–35 What
we will study this morning in Messenger of the Messiah…01. The Greatest Prophet (Luke 7:24-28);
02. The Dividing Line (Luke 7:29-30);
and 03. Vindication of Wisdom (Luke 7:31-35).
Last time we looked at the imprisoned John the Baptist (Matthew 11:2) commissioning two of his
disciples (Luke
7:19) to ask Jesus if He was the “Expected One” (Luke 7:19-20).
We also looked at various passages throughout the Old Testament that all point
towards Jesus being the “Expected One” (Luke 7:19-20).
Remember, the parallel passage is found in Matthew 11:2–19.
01. The Greatest
Prophet (Luke 7:24-28)
Luke 7:24 “When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to
the crowds about John,”
Luke 7:24 “What did you go out into the wilderness to see?”
John was a man who “lived in the deserts until the day of his public
appearance to Israel.” (Luke 1:80) who remained there when “the word of God
came to John…in the wilderness.” (Luke 3:2 cf. Matthew 3:1-5;
Mark 1:4-5).
John described himself by saying that he is the
“voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make straight the way of YHWH,’
as Isaiah the prophet said.”” (John 1:23 cf. Isaiah 40:3-5)
Luke 7:24 “A reed shaken by the wind?” Jesus is declaring what John the Baptist is not. John
the Baptist is not like a reed shaken by the wind, a man without conviction. He
spoke the truth in an uncompromising way, regardless of the fact that the great
ones here on earth were offended, much like what Paul exhorted Timothy to do in
2 Timothy
4:1-5.
Luke 7:25 The Greek word for “But”
here is (G235) alla alla and it is is used to describe great contrasts.
What Jesus was saying through these questions posed to the people is that you
find people living and clothed in luxury in palaces not in the wilderness,
which is where they found John. Instead, John was a poor preacher in the
wilderness, who spurned the luxuries of this world. John wore “a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his
waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.” (Matthew 3:4)
Jesus then asks the people the main question. “But what did you go out to see? A prophet?” (Luke 7:26) In Luke 1:16-17 we saw that the ministry of John
was going to fulfill what the prophets foretold (Isaiah 40:3-5; Malachi 3:1;
Malachi 4:5-6)
that one will come in the power of Elijah to prepare the way for the Messiah
(HaMashiach).
When John the Baptist was born, his father Zacharias
foretold that his son would be the prophet of the Most High, and the one
preparing the way for the coming Messiah (Luke
1:76; cf. Isaiah 40:3).
Luke 7:26 “Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet.”
John was the last of the Old Testament prophets (Matthew
11:9–14; Matthew 14:5; Matthew 21:26; Luke 16:16; Luke 20:6). The phrase “one who is
more than” in Luke 7:26 is one word in the Greek (G4053- περισσός pĕrissŏs) περισσότερον
(perissoteron) and it literally means superabundant,
exceeding abundantly above exceedingly high above.[1] What Jesus
was saying to the crowd is that John was much more than a prophet. Jesus then
explains why He said that John was more than a prophet, “This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way before You.’” (Luke 7:27)
quoting from Isaiah
40:3. John was a lot like Elijah in how bold he was in standing up
to those in authority who were breaking the commandments of God (1 Kings 17:1;
1 Kings
18:17-40; 2 Kings 1:1-16; Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:17-29).
Elijah stood up to Ahab, King of Israel much like in the same way that John
stood up to Herod Antipas (Matthew 14:3-4; Mark 6:17-18; Luke 3:19–20). John the Baptist (Matthew 11:13-14; Matthew 16:14; Matthew 17:10; Mark 9:11; Mark 15:35; Luke 9:7-8; John 1:21) was a lot like Elijah in dress (2 Kings 1:8;
Matthew 3:4).
Why did Jesus say that John was more than a prophet? It is because John was
also the forerunner of the Messiah! John was sent by God to prepare the way of
the Messiah (Malachi
3:1; John 1:6–7)
Luke 7:28 “I say to you, among those born of women there is no one
greater than John;” In a royal procession, those who were
nearer to the king’s chariot were higher in rank. And those who ride just in
front of the king are the greatest. John was pointed out by Jesus saying that
because he had the honor and privilege of announcing the soon coming Messiah,
he was the greatest. John was greater than all the prophets because he
had the honor of saying that the Messiah is here, and not “He is coming”
like all the other prophets said. John was the only prophet to have
other prophets foretelling his coming. The angel of the Lord
told Zacharias, the father of John that at his birth “You will have joy and gladness, and many
will rejoice at his birth. 15 “For he will be great in the sight of
the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the
Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb.” (Luke 1:14-15) John
himself said that he was not the Messiah, “And
he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 They
asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?”
And he answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, so
that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about
yourself?” 23 He said, “I am a
voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make
straight the way of YHWH,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”” (John 1:20–23; Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:7;
Luke 3:16)
Luke 7:28 “yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than
he.” Here is what appears a great paradox. John was great because he
was the forerunner of the Messiah, given the opportunity to point to Him and
say that the Messiah was here (John 1:29). Yet,
John the Baptist is less than the least in the kingdom of God because he didn’t
get to see the finished work of Jesus on the cross (Matthew 27:33-56; Mark 15:22-41;
Luke 23:33-49;
John
19:16-30; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8) and His resurrection
three days later (Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-13; Luke 24:1-12;
John 20:1-18;
1
Corinthians 15:1-8). Christian, what a privilege that you and
I have, knowing the redemptive work of the Messiah on the cross and raising
from the grave for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:1-10)! The
lowliest follower of Jesus today knows more and enjoys a more fruitful life
born of the Holy Spirit than the greatest born of woman! To
experience the blessings of the kingdom of God is far greater than it is to be
the herald of the King.
02. The Dividing
Line (Luke 7:29-30)
Many people think that these two verses is a parenthetical
statement made by Luke. What we see is that John the Baptist in his short time
of public ministry had such created such a large divide on the nation of
Israel. You can see that in the description of those who accepted his message
and ministry (“all
the people and the tax collectors”-Luke 7:29) and those who rejected
his message and ministry (“the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected”-Luke 7:30).
All those there that heard Jesus, the common people and tax collectors (Luke 03.12-13),
they all agreed with what Jesus said about John the Baptist, for they were
there in the wilderness when John the Baptist was preparing the people for the
coming Messiah (Isaiah
40:3; Malachi 3:1; Malachi 4:5; Matthew
3:1–12; Matthew 11:10; Mark 1:2; Luke 1:15-17;
Luke 1:76;
Luke 7:27).
Luke 7:29 “they acknowledged
(or declared) God’s justice” or (G1344 (ἐδικαίωσαν)
δικαιόω dikaiŏō[2]) His
righteousness by admitting that they were sinners and acknowledging that God is
holy and just to condemn them for their sin (Psalm 51:4; Romans 3:4-6; Romans 10:3;
Revelation
15:3; Revelation 16:5). They heeded the message of John to repent and
to be publicly baptized (Luke 3:2-6). The Jews knew about baptism, for
they would baptize Gentile proselytes. But John baptized Jews, which was
unusual and strange. For a Jew to allow
himself to be baptized, he was essentially saying that he was as bad a heathen
Gentile. So when these Jews were baptized, it was a sign of humility and
repentance to do a public act that equated them spiritually on the same level
as the Gentiles. We are told in Acts 19:1-5 that the baptism of John was looking
forward to the coming Messiah (HaMashiach), while Christian baptism of today
looks back to the finished work of Jesus (Romans 6:3-4).
Luke 7:30 “But (the
religious elite), the Pharisees and the lawyers (experts
in the Mosaic Law), rejected God’s purpose for
themselves (refusing to repent of their sins), not having been baptized by John.” The
Pharisees were proud and self-righteous, viewing themselves as the spiritually
elite, not like the common people (John 7:49). These lawyers were experts in the Mosaic
Law, and they would instruct and guide in matters about the Mosaic Law. John
the Baptist, at the beginning of his ministry, spoke to the Pharisees and
Sadducees about repenting of their sins (Matthew
3:1–12; Mark 1:2-8; Luke 3:2-14). The Greek word for
“rejected”
here in Luke 7:30
is (G114 ἀθετέω athĕtĕō[3]) ἠθέτησαν
(ethetesan) and it means to make void or
reject the Word of God. These Pharisee and lawyers rejected the purpose of
God for their lives, which was their salvation through Christ (Acts 2:23; Acts 4:28; Hebrews 6:17)!
John was the dividing line for the
nation. Those who accepted his message and ministry were those who accepted
Jesus as the Messiah. Those who rejected the message and ministry of John were
the ones who rejected Jesus as the Messiah.
03. Vindication of
Wisdom (Luke 7:31-35)
Luke 7:31 Because
the religious leaders rejected John and Jesus, Jesus told a short parable to
explain their behavior.
Luke 7:32 “They are like children who sit in the market place and call
to one another,” At this time, the children gathered in the market
place when it wasn’t being used to play games because they didn’t have
playgrounds in the first century like we do today. This is the only reference
in the Bible to children playing a game. When children play, they often imitate
adult behavior and occupations. It would seem that the children at this time
often played two games that reflected some notable events in the Jewish
community: weddings and funerals. Luke 7:32 “and they say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not
dance;’” Jesus likened them to a group of children who wanted others
to be involved in a make-believe wedding. At a Jewish wedding, music and
dancing were important aspects of the weeklong celebration. But those that they
invited to join in their game refused to join in; instead they rejected the
offer and refused to dance at the make-believe wedding. Luke 7:32 “we sang a dirge,
and you did not weep.’” They then tried to involve those who refused
to take part in the make-believe wedding by having a make-believe funeral. The
children who invited those who refused tried to get them to pretend to be the
mourners at a funeral while they sang a dirge and these children refused to
weep. The word for “weep” here in Luke 7:32 in the Greek is (G2354 θρηνέω thrēnĕō[4]) ἐκοψασθε (ekopsasthe) means to beat the heart.[5] In this
parable, Jesus is essentially calling the religious leaders spoiled, bratty
children.
Giving His hearers a simple illustration, Jesus now applies
it to Himself and John (Luke 7:33–34). Luke 7:33 “For John the
Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine,” Jesus
compared the ministry and life of John the Baptist to the funeral game. Eating
and drinking wine were a normal part of everyday life for the Jews. John the
Baptist lived a life that was the direct opposite of the norm for society at
that time. He lived an ascetic life, living in the wilderness (Matthew 3:1;
Matthew 11:7;
Mark 1:3-4;
Luke 1:80).
Instead of eating bread John ate “locusts and
wild honey” (Matthew 3:4),
which were Kosher (Leviticus 11:22), and his Nazirite vow (Numbers 6:2-4;
Judges
13:4-6) forbade him from drinking wine (Luke
1:15). John did not wear the latest fashion, but instead he wore “a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his
waist” (Matthew 3:4). John’s
ministry was announcing the coming Messiah, warning the people the need for repentance
of a coming judgment. John would not put up with those who were hypocrites,
displaying a false sense of holiness. He called these people “brood of vipers” who were only there to
escape the unquenchable fire of judgment that was coming (Luke 3:7). He confronted his hearers to repent
or be burned up by the unquenchable fire of judgment that was coming (Luke 3:8–17). John definitely was not a
preacher that would have a large congregation today. John wasn’t
interested in preaching a soft message or tickling the ears of his hearers (2 Timothy 4:3).
The reaction of the religious leaders towards John showed that they are the
spoiled bratty kids in the parable that Jesus told.
Luke 7:33 “and you say, ‘He has a
demon!’” They condescendingly dismissed John by claiming that he was
demon-possessed. The present tense of the Greek verb for “you say” in Luke 7:33
(G3004 λέγω lĕgō [λέγετε]) indicates that some of those that Jesus was talking
to right now were the very ones that had accused John as being demon-possessed!
Many came to this same conclusion about Jesus as well (Matthew 10:25; Luke 11:19; John 7:20; John 8:48, 52; John 10:20).
They attacked the character of John to justify their rejection of his message
and ministry. Their rejection was not limited to John, but to Jesus as well.
The phrase “Son of Man” in
Luke 7:34 is a messianic title taken from
Daniel 7:13.
Jesus used this phrase often to describe Himself (84 times in 80 verses-Matthew 8:20; Matthew
9:6; Matthew 10:23; Matthew 11:19; Matthew
12:8; Matthew 12:32; Matthew 12:40; Matthew
13:37; Matthew 13:41; Matthew 16:13; Matthew
16:27-28; Matthew 17:9; Matthew 17:12; Matthew
17:22; Matthew 18:11; Matthew 19:28; Matthew
20:18; Matthew 20:28; Matthew 24:27; Matthew
24:30; Matthew 24:37; Matthew 24:39; Matthew
24:44; Matthew 25:31; Matthew 26:2; Matthew
26:24; Matthew 26:45; Matthew 26:64; Mark
2:10; Mark 2:28; Mark 8:31; Mark 8:38;
Mark 9:9; Mark
9:12; Mark 9:31; Mark 10:33; Mark 10:45;
Mark 13:26; Mark
14:21; Mark 14:41; Mark 14:62; Luke 5:24;
Luke 6:5; Luke
6:22; Luke 7:34; Luke 9:22; Luke 9:26;
Luke 9:44; Luke
9:56; Luke 9:58; Luke 11:30; Luke 12:8;
Luke 12:10; Luke
12:40; Luke 17:22; Luke 17:24; Luke 17:26;
Luke 17:30; Luke
18:8; Luke 18:31; Luke 19:10; Luke 21:27;
Luke 21:36; Luke
22:22; Luke 22:48; Luke 22:69; Luke 24:7;
John 1:51; John
3:13-14; John 5:27; John 6:27; John 6:53;
John 6:62; John
8:28; John 9:35; John 12:23; John 12:34;
John 13:31).
Jesus was the opposite of John the Baptist, for He came “eating and drinking” (Luke
7:34), meaning that He was not a Nazirite like John, but instead He
took part in the normal daily life of a Jew at that time, including going to
weddings (John
2:1-11) and funerals (Luke 7:11-17; John 11:1-44). John’s ministry was primarily in
the wilderness, whereas Jesus traveled through the towns and villages in Israel
(Matthew 4:23-24; Matthew 9:35;
Matthew 11:1;
Matthew 16:13;
Mark 1:32-39; Mark 6:6; Mark 6:56; Mark 8:27; Luke 4:43-44;
Luke 8:1; Luke 9:35;
Luke 11:1;
Luke 13.22;
Acts 2:22;
Acts 10:38).
If John’s ministry was more like a funeral, then the ministry of Jesus was like
a wedding, describing Himself as the bridegroom and His disciples as the
attendants of the bridegroom (Matthew 9:15; John 3:29). While John was outside of Jewish
society, Jesus engrained Himself in it. They called John a man demon-possessed,
so the enemies of Jesus called Him “a gluttonous man
and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” (Luke 7:34) Jesus was often found with the dregs of
society, which made the Jewish religious leaders mad. For example, remember
when we saw that Matthew the tax collector encountered The Saviour of Sinners in Luke 5:27-39 and the “The Pharisees
and their scribes began grumbling at
His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?””
(Luke 5:30)
The Rabbis taught that repentance was nearly impossible for the tax collectors,
so because of this, no one but the social outcasts would interact with the tax
collectors. The present tense of the Greek verb for “you
say” in Luke 7:34 is the
same as in Luke 7:33, (G3004 λέγω lĕgō [λέγετε])
and it also indicates that some of those that Jesus was talking to right now
were the very ones that had accused Jesus of being “a
gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’”
Just like with His parable of the children, Jesus showed that no one could
please the Jews, not John and not Jesus.
[1]
Strong, J. (2009). A Concise Dictionary
of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible. Bellingham, WA:
Logos Bible Software.
[2]
Strong, J. (2009). A Concise Dictionary
of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible. Bellingham, WA:
Logos Bible Software.
[3]
Strong, J. (2009). A Concise Dictionary
of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible. Bellingham, WA:
Logos Bible Software.
[4]
Strong, J. (2009). A Concise Dictionary
of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible. Bellingham, WA:
Logos Bible Software.
[5]
Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in
the New Testament (Mt 11:17). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.
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