The Words We Need to Hear

"Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist"  (Matthew 11:11)

I have often thought, as many have noted, that it would be nice if John the Baptist actually heard these words. But he didn't; he was in prison about to lose his head and he sent his disciples to ask Jesus "Are you the one who  is to come or shall we look for another" (Matthew 11:2). Though there is debate over the reason behind John's question, apparently Jesus didn't quite fit into his understanding of the Messiah. Most Jewish minds expected the Messiah to be the king who would deliver Israel from the heavy hand of Rome and bring them into their long awaited glory. The Messiah, John himself had said, would bring judgment upon the wicked and blessing upon the righteous (3:11). For now however, the kingdom of heaven was suffering violence (11:12) and John was experiencing this first hand being imprisoned by Herod. 

To the crowds Jesus presented John as a prophet, even more than a prophet. He was the very one of whom the Scripture said would prepare the way for the coming of the Lord (11:10). He was Elijah who was to come (11:14). But again, John did not hear these words, they were spoken after the disciples of John "went away" (11:7). Why is this? Wouldn't it have been an encouragement to John to hear what Jesus said of him? Wouldn't that have given him strength to endure his imprisonment and face death? It is amazing to me that Jesus spoke these words to the crowd about John but not to John. He did not allow John to hear these words because these were not the words John needed to hear. He didn't need a pep talk from Jesus assuring him of his own greatness. Instead Jesus says to those who came "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them" (v.4-5). He follows these words up with "And blessed is the one who is not offended by me" (v.6). 

Though Jesus affirmed John to the crowds, the words that were directed to John were about Jesus. The hope that John needed in the midst of what he could not understand, and the assurance he needed in the face of death was not found within John. It was found in Christ. Jesus directed John's hope on Christ's words and works. It seems that what is promoted in modern Christianity is the opposite. Today's pastors and authors would remind John of who he was and of his own greatness. A survey of contemporary Christian book titles reveals this because this is what we are being when authors write such things as It's Your Time, Get Out of That Pit, or Reaching Your Full Potential for God. 

True hope is not found within us but outside of us in Jesus Christ and all he is for us. The words John needed to hear and the words we need to hear are not those which assure us of our selves, but those which assure us of our God by pointing us to the hope found in Christ.