Jesus about John (Luke 7:24-30)

Not only is Jesus an unexpected Messiah. He is not the only figure to defy expectations. John too was an unexpected prophet. The Jews were used to prophets. Even if they had not had a genuine one in a few centuries. Their scripture was full of men filling that role, speaking the words of God to the people. However, John was the last of these such prophets. God was preparing to radically change the way He would deal with His people. When the Spirit would be poured out, people would have access to God and His leading.

John was also a special figure in another way. He was the precursor to the Messiah. He had been sent to clear the way for the Messiah’s ministry. His message of repentance led directly to Jesus’s ministry of the gospel. The Kingdom of God was about to break into the world.

Lastly, the reaction of the people to John and Jesus’s message was unexpected. Sinners responded while the pious, religious did not…