John the Baptist

Matthew 11:1-19 and Luke 7:18-35

The two disciples of John the Baptist asked Jesus Christ "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" (Matthew 11:3) Those are the two questions they inquired of Christ to know. If I had been in the disciples place and had to tell John the Baptist some things that I had seen, I would tell him that I saw Christ give sight to the blind, heal people of infirmities, caused the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, also that a woman washed his feet with her tears.

"Did John doubt that Jesus was the Messiah?" John's final testimony was to remind his disciples that he himself was not the Messiah, but Christ was. He had a hard time convincing some of his disciples of this. His motives in sending the disciples to Jesus was probably out of persuasion for them, rather than reassurance for himself. John had the revelation and witness from heaven that Christ was the Messiah and received the testimony of him. His hopes in sending the disciples were to help them see Christ as he saw him.

Jesus Christ said of John the Baptist "among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he". There are three reasons that he was considered to be one of the greatest prophets: first is that he was trusted with the divine mission of preparing the way before the face of the Lord.

Secondly, he was required to baptize the Son of Man.

and Third, he was the only legal administrator in the affairs of the kingdom there was then on the earth, and holding the keys of power.

John 3:30 says "He must increase, but I must decrease". I think that John saying this means that he recognized and had a testimony of the fact that Jesus is the Messiah and he is above all things in this world. John, was a prophet who had a divine mission, but he was not the Messiah and he knew his place. I think this teaches us that we need to follow Christ, and be like him.