23: Jesus Speaks Of John The Baptist

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Matthew 11:7-19; Luke 7:24-35


Jesus Speaks of John the Baptist



When the messengers of John the Baptist had left, Jesus said to the multitude concerning the Baptizer:

“What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously appareled, and live delicately, are in kings’ courts. But what went ye out to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, ‘And much more than a prophet.’ This is he, of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.’ For I say unto you, ‘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.’”

The publicans and people who had been baptized by John glorified God because of Jesus’ words of tribute to John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected his words against themselves, being not baptized by John.

Jesus continued speaking:

“Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? And to what are they like? They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, ‘We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.’ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, ‘He hath a devil.’ The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, ‘Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified of all her children.”

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