John the Baptist at His Weakest Is John the Baptist at His Greatest

John the Baptist ended up in prison, which isn’t surprising. He had the rare and dangerous habit of calling sinners ‘sinners.’ If the mark of a good preacher is that he avoids conflict, John the Baptist failed miserably. Christ himself failed miserably if you want to judge preachers by that standard. Don’t misunderstand. John wasn’t a bad man. He wasn’t hateful. He wasn’t a criminal. His problem was that he spoke to truth to men whose capacity to sin was only surpassed by their capacity to lie to themselves about their ‘inherent goodness.’ Simply put, John was in chains because he was the last prophet in the long tradition of men who had been persecuted and killed for speaking God’s truth to sinners.

Hardened sinners never take it well, hearing the law, hearing that their hearts, thoughts, and actions deserve God’s wrath and eternal torment. Never underestimate the lengths to which people will go to protect their mute idols, pet sins, and hidden lusts. Instead of letting the prophets keep to themselves, they resort to whatever means necessary, be it slander or violence, to keep their lifestyles unopposed.

Murdering prophets is what sinners do.

Elijah complained to the Lord, “The people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword” (1 King 19:10).

Nehemiah complained. “[The people] were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed the prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed blasphemies” (Nehemiah 9:26).

St. Stephen condemned the Sanhedrin that sentenced him to death. “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered” (Acts 7:52).

Jesus himself says, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing” (Matt. 23:37)!

John the Baptist was no statesman gently introducing strangers to heaven’s kingdom. Nor was he interested in rehabilitation, taking the time to ease sinners into the works and ways of righteousness before heaven’s kingdom appeared.

John was a man with an ultimatum. “Repent or be destroyed.” Herod Antipas, though he liked the prophet’s bluster well enough, in the way you’re impressed by someone’s audacity to yell at you but know they can’t hurt you, put up with fire and brimstone sermons for a while. But, when Herodias became offended at John specifically singling out the illegitimacy of their marriage, the time for indulgence ended. John was thrown in prison. Soon he would pay the price for his preaching with his life, beheaded for Herodias’ malice and Herod’s careless oath. (Mark 6:14-29)

John didn’t exactly keep his head up and chin out in defiance to the bitter end like you might expect.

The greatest of the prophets is just a man, flesh and blood like you and me. Like you, he inherited a sin sick heart from his parents. Like you, his inner Christian that lived by faith struggled against his fallen and corrupt desires. Which is to say, don’t be shocked when John’s imprisonment resulted in the question, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another (Matt. 11:3)?'“

Maybe you think John should have been stronger, more steadfast. Isn’t he the man who was so full of the Holy Spirit that he leaped in Elizabeth’s womb for joy at his Lord’s arrival in the flesh (Luke 1:41)? Isn’t he the man who saw the heavens opened and heard the Father say about Jesus, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17)? Isn’t he the one who steadfastly pointed away from himself and to the Jesus as the true Messiah to prepare his way (John 3:20)?

I think we’d rather the Scriptures left us with the image of John in his strength by the Jordan than showing us this diminished John in prison.

But it’s a romantic and false idea that the Scriptures portray the patriarchs and saints as ever ascending from one spiritual strength and success to another. Yes, their faithfulness and good works are examples for us to emulate. But in their weakness, we find how bitterly and strenuously the spiritual battle of faith verses despair is waged in the human heart. We don’t see steady progress upward toward perfection, but the ups and downs of life-long repentance.

Remember Moses’ transgression when he struck the rock rather than speaking to it as the Lord commanded (Num. 20:11-12). Remember Elijah’s despair as he considered himself the last of God’s people alive in the land (1 Kings 19:10). Remember Jerimiah’s reluctance to take up his office because of his youth (Jer. 1:6).

Do you think God’s grace has abandoned you because you struggle? Do you think that you suffer the spiritual attacks and doubt because your faith has failed?

If we look at ourselves, faith is always failing. Sin is always quenching the faintest glimmers of true Christian love and good works. Which is why it’s so important that you see what John does in his weakness. He doesn’t brood. He doesn’t draw inward and sulk. The object of his preaching hasn’t ever been the strength of human souls. The object of his faith has never been in himself. John the Baptist turns toward Christ, the Lord whom he preached. He turns his heart towards the Lord whom he announced with joy from his mother’s womb.

John is not disappointed.

Jesus doesn’t send back to John saying, “You should have been stronger! Don’t you know that people are going to see you being weak? Get over it!” Instead, according to promise, “a bruised reed [the Messiah] will not break and a faintly burning wick he will not quench” (Is. 42:3). Jesus speaks tenderly to the spiritually afflicted soul, the soul that seeks its only solace from Christ alone.

“Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Matt. 11:6-4).

Jesus says, “Remember the Scriptures. Remember Isaiah.”

3 Strengthen the weak hands,
    and make firm the feeble knees.
4 Say to those who have an anxious heart,
    “Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
    will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
    He will come and save you.”

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
    and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
    and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. (Is. 35:3-6)

Jesus says,

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;
    they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
    the devastations of many generations. (Is. 61:1-4)

Jesus says, “Everything you’ve preached, everything for which you’ve hoped is fulfilled in me. Though you diminish in prison, your preaching concerning me hasn’t been useless and in vain. My kingdom is come in the mercy poured out on the brokenhearted. My kingdom is come in the good news being preached to poor of spirit. Though you doubt, though Satan presses you hard, hear my words and be strengthened in faith. They are enough to save you and all who were blessed by your prophesies which pointed sinners to me.”

John’s disciples returned to their imprisoned teacher with the message. And we shouldn’t think that John had failed in his office concerning these followers. Though they loved John, soon the time would come to follow only Jesus, the fulfillment of all their teacher had promised. Even from prison, John kept faith with his office as the one who prepares the Lord’s way and makes straight the highway to Zion.

To keep us or anyone else from thinking less of John, Jesus says about him,

“What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you’” (Matt. 11:7-10).

John didn’t resemble the prophets who came before them. Rather, they all foreshadowed John. No, John didn’t administrate any great partings of water. Nor did he win great victories against the prophets of Baal. But works of power don’t make great prophets. Their promises about Christ are the true glory of their office. In the clarity of his preaching, in his faithfulness of office, John surpassed them all. But you see that John wasn’t great because of any special gift he had achieved by his own strength and power. He was the greatest because he was the closest to Christ and his mercy. He was the greatest because his ears were filled with the Savior’s voice. He was the greatest because he saw his face. He was the greatest because in the moment of his weakness, he was lifted by Jesus’ tender mercy.

Jesus says the least of the kingdom of heaven is greater than John (Matt. 11:11). How? Because you haven’t found heaven’s kingdom confirmed for you in pomp and power the world loves. You know Jesus according to his cross, according to his sacrifice for all the world’s sin. The least of the kingdom of heaven is greater than John because we see and know the fulfillment of everything John and the prophets promised through Christ suffering death and hell in our place. This means that we know our Lord not by his wrath and anger, but by his death, his blood, and the forgiveness of sins.

When you’re afflicted, don’t lose heart or be afraid. Neither draw in on yourself and your own speculations as to why you’ve been chosen to suffer. Learn from John to turn your ears and the eyes of your heart toward Christ. The Lord won’t crush you. He won’t throw you off. Jesus, your Redeemer, will bind up your broken heart. He will preach good news to the poverty of your soul. By his Word he will forgive and give you eternal life.