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In Matthew 11, Jesus speaks of John the Baptist and reveals what true greatness is and how astonishing a privilege it is to know Christ. John was a great prophet sent by God. Jesus said to the crowd concerning John:

What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? (Matt 11:7).

Reed

In Scripture, a reed is used as a symbol of weakness that is easily broken and cannot be trusted (2 Kgs 18:21). Jesus made clear that John was not a person like a reed, not someone who wavered according to circumstances or the eyes of people. He was not shaken by money or honor, and even when death was before his eyes, he did not bend the integrity of his faith. He did not compromise before power, and even if the person was a king, he did not hesitate to rebuke sin. And although he was born into a priestly family, he practiced a life of poverty in the wilderness, wearing camel’s hair and eating locusts and wild honey (Matt 3:4).

More Than a Prophet

Jesus said of John the Baptist that he is “more than a prophet.” Interpreted literally, this means that John is a person beyond a prophet, the most outstanding among all prophets, greater even than Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. And He continued, saying, “Among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist.” Interpreted literally, this means that John is not merely someone above the level of a prophet but the greatest figure among all humanity from Adam until the time of Jesus. From Adam onward, there were many remarkable figures. But the Lord said that no king or hero was greater than John the Baptist.

Then on what basis is he said to be such a great person? He performed no great miracles, he was not outstanding in learning, and he left behind no great achievements. On what grounds is he greater than all the prophets and the greatest among those born of women? The reason is not merely his personal excellence or his ascetic life, but that he was the final prophet who directly prepared the way of the Messiah.

The prophets of the Old Testament looked to Christ from afar and prophesied in shadows, but John saw Jesus with his eyes and pointed with his finger, testifying, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He was the prophet who testified to the coming Christ at the closest distance and with the greatest clarity. Here we see a new value system by which the Lord judges.

True Value

In the Lord’s eyes, true value is not the standard of the world. Greatness in the world is obtained through accomplishment. A person becomes great when he achieves some great work. But the greatness the Lord sees is not the result of human effort but comes from one’s relationship with the Lord. Jesus then says, “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matt 11:11). Here, “the kingdom of heaven” refers not only to the glorious kingdom to come but also to the present reign of God that began with the first coming of Jesus. And “the least in the kingdom of heaven” refers to the believers who live under the grace of this New Testament era.

Greater than John

The Lord’s statement that New Testament believers are greater than John does not mean that they have a more excellent character or are more devoted than John. The reason New Testament believers are greater than John is only one: New Testament believers know Christ more richly than John did. John saw Jesus, but he did not see the cross and the glory of the resurrection, and he did not live under the light of completed revelation. He prophesied the coming age, but he was not a member of that age. But New Testament believers know the completed redemption of the cross, know the power of the resurrection, enjoy the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and live holding the whole Word of God in their hands. Jesus said, “Many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it” (Luke 10:24). New Testament believers live in the age that the prophets and kings of the Old Testament longed to see but could not. Therefore, New Testament believers are greater than John not because of character or achievement, but because of the richness of revelation that comes from their relationship with Christ.

Standard of Greatness

The standard of greatness the Lord sees is not worldly but spiritual. The world uses achievement, ability, and fame as the measure of greatness, but in the kingdom of God, the one united with Christ—though he may appear insignificant in the world—is precious before God. Just as a queen receives an honored status because of her relationship with the king, in the Lord’s standard, a person’s height or lowliness is not determined by personal good deeds or achievements but solely by his relationship with the Lord. The one who is precious and great in the Lord’s eyes is not a war hero, a great thinker, or a scientist, but the one who knows Christ.

The reason the Old Testament believers possessed greater privilege than the Gentiles was that, unlike the Gentiles, who had only general revelation, they came to know Christ—however dimly—through various types and shadows, and the reason John the Baptist was greater than the prophets of the Old Testament was that he knew Christ a little more clearly. The reason New Testament believers are greater than John is that they know Christ more richly. Jesus is the Creator God, the Almighty God who dwells in glory, the Most High. There is nothing in heaven or on earth more precious than the Lord Jesus. The dignity of the Christian comes from his relationship with Jesus, and there is no greater blessing than becoming a Christian who has a relationship with this infinitely precious Lord Jesus.

Check The Greatness of Knowing Christ.