WHAT JESUS SAID OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.
By Stephen N. Haskell
JOHN THE BAPTIST was a child of promise, like others mentioned in the Scriptures. God selected John as the forerunner of Christ, because he knew that Zacharias and Elizabeth, like Abraham, would order their household aright. As God is no respecter of persons, John was not arbitrarily chosen for that work, but only from the fact of his being better fitted for the work, from the circumstances connected with his birth and his early life, than any other person then living. The experience gained by the disciples of John was not such as would lead them, with their selfish natures, to appreciate the advanced experience of those disciples that followed our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It was a wonder to them why they and the Pharisees fasted oft, while the disciples of Jesus did not fast; but the Saviour assured them that his disciples could not fast while he was with them. Their experience was in advance of the disciples of John. An important question now presents itself before us as to how Christ himself looked upon John. Did he belittle his work by any expression or action on his part? Did he speak of John's work as being inferior to his work? On a certain occasion when there was rising a feeling of jealousy among the disciples of John because of the increasing popularity of Christ, the Saviour "left Judea, and departed again into Galilee." No action of his, therefore, could be construed in any way to belittle the work of John the Baptist. But this matter is set forth in a very forcible light in the eleventh chapter of Matthew. After John had been cast into prison, and had met with the great disappointment of not seeing Christ take the kingdom, he sent two of his disciples to inquire of Christ, "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" Matt. 11:3. Christ took occasion in this same hour to heal the blind, to cleanse the lepers, to restore the lame, to cast out evil spirits, to raise the dead, and to preach the gospel to the poor. Luke 7:19-22. This was for the benefit of these disciples that had come from John. They would carry the message back to John, and state what they had seen, while John would take the prophecy of Isaiah and read that these very things would happen when Christ came. Thus the prophecies themselves would evidence to his mind that Jesus was the true Messiah. But the Saviour tenderly withheld from them information which he might have given them, that in a short time John would be beheaded; but he sent them back with words that would rejoice his heart while in his prison cell. This was Christ! He left John to hope on that some day he might be released from prison, and enjoy that to which he so ardently looked forward; but instead of this came the executioner, and he was beheaded. But in the resurrection, to him the next instant, more than his brightest hopes will be realized. But this was not all. After the disciples of John had departed, Jesus turned to the multitudes that thronged him, and said concerning John: "What went ye out in the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken by the wind?" Did you expect to find a person that, like a reed in the wind, swayed first one way and then another? "But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment?" Did you expect to find a person seeking his ease, desiring a position of honor? Did you expect to find a man that was seeking for some position that would release him from the responsibilities and burdens that God had placed upon him? "Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses." Then come the words of Christ, far more wonderful in this respect than any words spoken by him concerning any other person mentioned by inspiration. "But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and MORE than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare the way before thee." These words under these circumstances are peculiarly significant. They were not spoken to the followers of John; they had been sent back with a message of joy; but they were spoken to the multitude. He said further: "Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist; notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." Matt. 11:7-11. These are most wonderful words. No man ever born of woman greater than John the Baptist—"more than a prophet"—and, notwithstanding all this, he that had followed Christ, that had had the least joy in beholding his miracles and his wonderful works, had greater joy than John the Baptist. Are there not lessons here for our most serious thought? John had sacrificed every selfish consideration of ease, personal pleasure, waiting for the time when Christ should take the kingdom, and he with others would share the blessing and honor of reigning with him. Would it not be well for the reader to study the lessons here brought out, meditate upon them, and then imitate in life and character not only John the Baptist as it relates to his work, but the greater and more perfect light—our Lord Jesus Christ?