11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15 Whoever has ears, let them hear. 16 “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 17 “‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.” (Matthew 11:11-19)
The Lord Jesus said here: “among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ” Last time the Lord Jesus said: John the Baptist “is more than a prophet.” That is, he is greater than all the prophets in the Old Testament. That is, no one born of woman is greater than John the Baptist, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than him. That is, he who is born of the Spirit and is regenerated and saved is greater than he who was born of the flesh, he was born of the flesh and still doubted that the Lord Jesus was the Christ.
24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”(Luke 10:24)
Before this passage, it talked about the Lord Jesus sending out seventy-two men to cast out the demons. The Lord Jesus also talked about the the Heavenly Father revealed to the babes. The disciples had the privilege to see and hear things that many Old Testament prophets had not seen or heard.
John the Baptist only baptized people with water and those who repent would enter the kingdom of heaven, those who strived to enter would enter. The Lord Jesus said that he was the Elijah who was to come. But in John 1:21 John the Baptist said that he was not Elijah.
And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17)
What the Lord Jesus meant was that he was in the spirit and power of Elijah.
Then the Lord Jesus said: “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.‘”
What does it mean? The Lord Jesus said that people in this generation had not responded to the gospel and was in difference. John the Baptist did not eat or drink, people said that he was possessed by a demon. The Lord Jesus ate and drank, people said that he was a glutton and a drunkard, the friend of tax collectors and sinners. I hope that more people will be open to the gospel, accept the Lord Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, and be born again and be saved and enter the kingdom of heaven.
May God bless you and your family! 🙏😊
