Chapter 36
OH … HOW BLESSED WE ARE!
(Matthew 11:1-15)
Let us begin our study with the following prayer,
Holy Father, Almighty God,
We come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father God, please bless this study of Your Word. Cause us to see and understand the tremendous blessings we have received when we became born again believers in Your Son Jesus Christ.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
We begin this study by reading the conversation Jesus once had with the disciples of John the Baptist. To do this we go to,
[1] Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities. [2] And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples [3] and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” [4] Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: [5] The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. [6] And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
In the previous study, that is chapter 35, we explored in some depth the verses of the above passage. This study revealed to us that the true born-again believer in Jesus Christ is truly blessed. We are blessed because:
1. We have received forgiveness for our sins.
2. We have been delivered from our bondage to sin.
As glorious and wonderful these blessings are, we will now find that the Bible also teaches us that those who are born-again of the Holy Spirit are greater than John the Baptist. (Naturally, this only applies to the time when John was physically here upon this earth).
To see this we will,
1. Find that John the Baptist was more than a prophet.
2. Discover that no one born of a woman was or is greater than John.
3. Explore the position or standing the true born-again believer in Jesus Christ now has with God the Father.
We begin our study by first discovering that,
JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS MORE THAN A PROPHET
To see this let us return to the conversation Jesus had with the disciples of John the Baptist. More specifically, as John’s disciples were leaving to return to John the Baptist Jesus began to speak to those who remained. To read what Jesus said to them we go to,
Matthew 11:7-9
"[7] As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? [8] If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. [9] Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet."
Notice in the last portion of verse 9 Jesus told the people then and now us that John the Baptist was more than a prophet. This statement raises the question as to: "Why did Jesus say that?”
The answer to this question is because in the Old Testament it was foretold that God the Father would send His messenger to prepare the way for the arrival of the Messiah. In other words, the prophets of the Old Testament only prophesied: (1) For Israel to get right with God, (2) the various events that were to befall Israel and/or other nations and (3) the promise of the eventual coming of the Messiah. However, it was John who was selected by God to perform the task of preparing the people for the imminent arrival of our Lord and Savior.
To see this let us read the following two prophecies. The first one was given by the prophet Isaiah and is recorded in,
Isaiah 40:1-3
"[1] Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. [2] Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. [3] A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God."
The second prophecy was given by the prophet Malachi and is recorded in,
Malachi 3:1
""[1] See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty."
Notice that in both of the above prophecies, God the Father said that He was going to send a messenger to prepare the way for the Messiah.
To see that John the Baptist fulfilled these prophecies let us read what is written about him in the Gospel according to Mark.
Mark 1:1-8
"[1] The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. [2] As it is written in the Prophets: "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You." [3] "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight."" [4] John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. [5] And all the land of Judea and those from Jerusalem went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. [6] Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. [7] And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. [8] "I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
Let us notice the following verses,
2 …This is a quote from the Prophet Malachi. In this prophecy we have the privilege of reading what God the Father told God the Son, Jesus Christ. Specifically, in this prophecy God the Father told Jesus that to prepare His way He would send a messenger before Him.
3 … This is a quote from the Prophet Isaiah that also foretold that Jesus' messenger would prepare the way for Him.
4-5 ... God the Father used John the Baptist to bring about a great revival of repentance and sorrow for sins. This convicted them to a water baptism of repentance.
7-8 … Notice that the whole purpose of John's ministry of repentance was to prepare the hearts of the people so they would be able to receive and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. It is the same today. To be a true born-again believer in Jesus Christ, that is receive and accept our Lord and Savior in our hearts, we must first truly repent and be sorrowful for the sins we committed against God and man.
If there be any doubt about John the Baptist being the fulfillment of these prophecies, we find that Jesus Christ Himself also bore witness to John and his calling. To see this let us read from,
Matthew 11:10
"[10] This is the one about whom it is written: "'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'"
As we continue to read what Jesus told the people about John the Baptist, we also discover that He said,
OF THOSE BORN OF WOMAN THERE HAS NOT RISEN ANYONE GREATER THAN JOHN THE BAPTIST
To read what Jesus said let us go to,
Matthew 11:11(a)
"[11] I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; ..."
This raises the question of; “Why did Jesus say this?” The answer to this question lies in what an angel said to Zechariah as recorded in,
Luke 1:5-17
"[5] In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.
Both Zechariah and Elizabeth were descendents of the High Priest Aaron. Thus, their offspring, John the Baptist, was a descendent of Aaron. Consequently, according to the Law of Moses, he also was a priest.
Let us continue our reading by going to,
[6] Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. [7] But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.
Both Zechariah and Elizabeth observed the Lord’s commandments and regulations. In addition, they had no children. Elizabeth was barren and both were well advanced in years and were past the age of child-bearing.
Moving on, we go to,
[8] Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, [9] he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. [10] And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. [11] Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. [12] When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.
Let us notice the following verse,
11 … While burning incense to God an angel of the Lord came and stood on the right side of the altar of incense. Notice this was not a vision but an actual appearance of an angel.
Let us return to Chapter 1 of Luke and read the following,
[13] But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. [14] He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, [15] for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. [16] Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. [17] And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.""
Let us notice the following verses,
13-14 … The angel told Zechariah that his wife, Elizabeth, will conceive and bear a son. This son was to be named John. It is interesting to note that like Abraham and Sarah, Zechariah and Elizabeth were well advanced in years and were unable to have children. Thus, as it was with Isaac, John was a miraculous baby.
15(a) … John was to be great in the sight of the Lord.
15(b) … From his birth John was filled with the Holy Spirit.
16 … As we read earlier, through the preaching of John, many will repent of their sins and return to God.
17 … John, a priest, born by a miraculous event was sent by God the Father in the spirit and power of Elijah.
Verse 17 might raise the question; “Is the Bible teaching us that John the Baptist was the incarnation of the prophet Elijah?” The answer is NO!
To see this, we get a clue as what the Bible is teaching us by considering what Jesus said to those who thought Jesus was telling them to physically eat His flesh and drink His blood. To read what Jesus said we go to,
John 6:63b
[63b] ... The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
Consequently, when reading God’s Word, the Bible, it must be spiritually discerned. To see this we go to,
1 Corinthians 2:11-14
[11] For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. [12] Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. [13] These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. [14] But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
With the above in mind, let us recall that to bring back the Israelites to Him and forsake their worship of the false god Baal, God gave Elijah great spiritual power. As we read 1 Kings 17:1-18:46 God through His prophet Elijah brought upon Israel a severe drought. Then to demonstrate that He was the one and only God, through Elijah’s hand He brought down fire from Heaven. The result was a great awaking of the Israelites.
Thus, the angel explained to Zechariah that to prepare His people to receive His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ God gave John the spirit and power like the one He gave Elijah. Let us remember that John, from birth, was filled with the Holy Spirit. Let us also recall that one of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of its sin. To refresh our memory let us read the following excerpt from the Gospel according to John,
John 16:8
[8] And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
However, even though no one, not even the prophets, was greater than John the Baptist he was still only born of a woman. In John's case the woman was Elizabeth. With this in mind, let us consider what Job once said about those who were only born of a woman. To do this let us read from,
Job 15:14
""[14] What is man, that he could be pure, or one born of woman, that he could be righteous?"
And now from,
Job 25:4
"[4] How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure?"
Let us consider,
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JOB’S WORDS AS APPLIED TO JOHN
It is true that the Bible teaches us that John was greater than the prophets. It is also true that even from his birth he was filled with the Holy Spirit. However, at the time of John, Jesus had not yet made atonement for the forgiveness of sins. Remember, John, unlike Jesus, was only born of a man and woman. Therefore, John had inherited the image or nature of Adam. To see this let us read from,
Genesis 5:3-4
[3] And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. [4] After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were eight hundred years; and he had sons and daughters.
The consequence of this is revealed in,
Romans 5:19a
[19a] For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners...
Hence, as great as John was, he still needed to receive the forgiveness and redemption that Jesus Christ had yet to suffer and die for.
With the above in mind let us now reread,
Matthew 11:11(b)
"[11] I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
In reflecting upon what Jesus said one might think He was he talking about the angels. (Or) Is there something more significant that Jesus was referring to? To address this question let us explore,
THE POSITION OR STANDING OF THE BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER
As we do, we will find that:
1. The born-again believer in Jesus Christ is a new person.
2. Each and every born-again believer in Jesus Christ is a temple of God the Holy Spirit.
3. Those who are true born-again believers in Jesus Christ are also children of God.
4. The born-again believers are sealed as God's chosen people and are now waiting to receive their inheritance in His Kingdom.
5. The born-again believers are no longer citizens of this world or this world's system but in Jesus Christ they are now citizens of Heaven.
Let us begin this exploration by seeing that,
THE BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER IS A NEW CREATION
To better appreciate this, we must realize that the born-again believers are no longer dead in their sins. Their previous condition has changed. They have been made alive in Christ Jesus. This truth is described for us in,
Ephesians 2:4-10
"[4] But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, [5] made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. [6] And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, [7] in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. [8] For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- [9] not by works, so that no one can boast. [10] For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
For this study, let us notice the following verses,
5 … We are no longer dead in our sins but are alive with Christ.
6 …We are now seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realms. Notice, that this is not future but present tense. As we will see later in this chapter, this means we are now citizens of Heaven!
8-9 … It is by His Grace, meaning unmerited favor towards us, that we have been saved. It was nothing we earned; it is God's free gift to you and me.
In other words, as the following Scripture teaches, God has transformed us into a new creature or new person,
Ephesians 2:13-18
"[13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. [14] For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, [15] by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, [16] and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. [17] He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. [18] For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit."
For this study, let us review the following verses,
13 … It is through the Blood of Jesus Christ, that He shed on the cross, that brought us near to God the Father.
15 … His purpose was to create in Himself a new man out of the two, that is the born-again believer. Thus, in Jesus Christ, all born-again believers are one; we are all God’s chosen.
Consequently, anyone (Jew or Gentile) who is in Christ Jesus is a new creature; the old has gone, the new has come.” To see this, let us read from,
2 Corinthians 5:17
[17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
To expand upon this we go to,
Galatians 3:26-28
"[26] You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, [27] for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
In addition to being a new creation, the Bible also teaches us that,
THE BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER IS A TEMPLE OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
To see this, let us read the following Scriptures,
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
"[16] Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? [17] If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple."
Let us notice the following verses,
16 … You, the born-again believer, are God’s temple and God the Holy Spirit lives in you!
17 … God’s temple is sacred. And, you are that temple!
The Bible also teaches us that because we have been born again by God, we are God's children. Thus, the born-again believer in Jesus Christ was not only born of a woman but was also born again of God. Hence,
THE BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER IS A CHILD OF GOD
To strengthen our faith and belief that you and I as a born-again believer are children of God, let us first read,
1 John 3:1-2
"[1] How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. [2] Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."
We also find that the Holy Spirit bears witness to our spirit that we, the born-again believer, are God's children. To refresh our memories we go to,
Romans 8:16
"[16] The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."
As a child of God, the Bible teaches us that,
THE BORN-AGAIN BELIEVERS ARE SEALED AS GOD’S POSSESSION
This is clearly taught to us by reading from,
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
"[21] Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, [22] set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."
We also find this promise given to us in,
Ephesians 1:13-14
"[13] And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, [14] who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory."
Let us notice the following verses,
13 … When we believed, that is when we were born again, God placed His mark of ownership within us. This mark of ownership is the promised Holy Spirit.
14 … He, the Holy Spirit, came as a deposit to guarantee our inheritance.
What is this inheritance that the Scripture talks about? The answer is that as a child of God, we now have an inheritance in the Kingdom of God. To expand upon this let us read what Jesus told His disciples when He was preparing them for His return to Heaven.
John 14:1-3
""[1] Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. [2] In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
Just think, Jesus Christ Himself is preparing a place for you and me! When it is ready and the time is right, He will come back and bring us to live with Him for the rest of eternity.
Let us summarize this discussion of our inheritance by reading from,
1 Peter 1:3-5
"[3] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, [5] who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time."
Let us notice the following verses,
3 … Because of God’s great mercy, He has given us a new birth through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
4 … We have been born into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade away. This inheritance is in Heaven and is being kept by God for you!
5 … While waiting for the appointed time to receive our inheritance, God through faith shields and/or protects us from falling away.
Consequently,
THE BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER IS A CITIZEN OF HEAVEN
As we reflect upon all the incredible blessings that God has bestowed upon us and our new position (relationship) with Him, we come to realize that our position or standing here upon earth has also changed. As a child of God, with an inheritance in Heaven, we find that we no longer belong to the kingdoms and governments of this world. True, we are physically here on earth and when it does not conflict with God’s will, we are to be in subjection to their authorities. However, our citizenship is now in Heaven. Thus, we find ourselves in a similar position as Jesus. He too was physically here upon earth and under subjection to its rulers and authorities and yet clearly His citizenship was in Heaven. In fact, this is exactly what Jesus said to Pontus Pilate.
John 18:36
"[18] Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.""
For us to more clearly understand that the kingdom we now belong to is not of this world, let us begin by reading the following Scripture,
Colossians 1:13-14
[13] He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed (transferred) us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, [14] in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
This means we are no longer under the authority of the evil one. To see how this relates to the earthly kingdoms and governments let us read what the Apostle John wrote in,
1 John 5:19
"[19] We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one."
Thus, as a child of God, whose sins have been forgiven and have been transferred from the control of the evil one into the Kingdom of God. Consequently, we are now pilgrims, strangers or aliens sojourning in this world. To see this, let us notice how the Holy Spirit, through Peter, addresses the children of God in the introduction to his first epistle. To bring this truth closer to home let us substitute the names of the various cities in the area in which we live.
1 Peter 1:1-2
"[1] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, [2] who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance."
So that there is no mistake about the fact that we are now foreigners living in this world’s system, let us read the following exhortation,
1 Peter 2:11-12
"[11] Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. [12] Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."
Let us notice the following verses,
11 … The Holy Spirit addresses us as aliens and strangers in the world.
12 … We are instructed to live good lives among the pagans, that is the non-believers. We do this not to earn praises from others, but we do this so that God, our Father, would receive honor and praise.
Now that we are strangers and aliens to this world, we are no longer strangers or aliens to God’s Household. To see this, let us read from,
Ephesians 2:19-22
"[19] Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, [20] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. [21] In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. [22] And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit."
Notice, as a child of God we are fellow citizens of God’s people and members of God’s household. In other words, we find that our citizenship is now in Heaven! This is clearly stated in,
Philippians 3:20-21
"[20] But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."
CONCLUSION
With all this in mind let us recall what Jesus said to the people before He made atonement for the forgiveness of sins. Specifically, "He who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than John." (Matthew 11:11)
In other words, those who are born-again citizens of Heaven living on this earth are greater than John was when he was physically living on this earth.
OH … HOW BLESSED WE ARE!
Blessed be the Lord forever,
Amen and Amen