Matthew 11:11-15
These verses reveal the accent of violence and the Kingdom. In the Amplified Bible they speak of the Kingdom enduring violent assault and being seized by violent men. In Luke 16:16 we read about men striving violently to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This is a difficult saying to understand. There are some commentators who consider it speaks of people having to purposely and with courage enter the Kingdom. According to this interpretation we can never just drift into the Kingdom. However, Luke 16:16 speaks of men striving violently to enter their own way rather than through God’s way. This would suggest that this is not the meaning. Other commentators, and Barclay is one of them, look at both verses and interpret this as meaning that the Kingdom will always be subjected to violence and there will be efforts to break it up and destroy it. Only those who can “violently” withstand such persecution will survive.
After making this statement Jesus tells the people that John is the Elijah they were waiting for. He couldn’t have made his identity as the Messiah more obvious! The people knew John had identified Jesus as greater than him. Given his role as Elijah the only one who could be greater than him was the Messiah. But Jesus then did an extraordinary thing. He told the people that the least of His disciples was greater than John, Elijah, a prophet. All the Old Testament prophets were less than those who were to witness Jesus saving grace and follow Him. The revelation of the cross and the submission to that sacrifice paid for all would mark the difference between the Old Testament Prophets and those who were to come as followers of Jesus.
Jesus ends this section by reminding the people that if they have ears to hear then they should listen to Jesus, consider what He says, perceive the meaning of His words and comprehend them. They should do this by hearing what Jesus says.
Listening is an interesting activity. Most people never listen properly to what is said to them. They spend 75% of listening time distracted by personal thoughts or things happening around them and never hear what is said. At the end of listening to someone, the best a person can recall is 50% of what was said. When we are listening we gain 55% of our meaning of the words from the speaker’s facial expressions, another 38% of meaning is gleaned from the way the words are said. Only 7% of our understanding comes from the actual words. So listening, really listening, is a difficult thing. Jesus was asking those listening to listen, really listen to Him.
Again this brings us back to Jesus’ statement to John’s disciples that they should report to John what they see, not what is said. This is not a contradiction. He should listen to Jesus, not those who intellectualise the Christian faith, and we should live out our lives in Jesus, observing His work in our lives and those around us, not have our walk interpreted by some preacher or bible scholar or book.
 

Matthew 11:7-11.
Having sent John’s disciples back to him with Jesus’ message, Jesus now talks to the crowds about John. In this section, Jesus gives John praise and that is why this is often referred to as Jesus’ “accent of admiration”.
Jesus asked the people if they went out into the desert to see an ordinary person. Of course not, John was an extraordinary person. Did they go out to see someone who was unable to express a strong opinion, a “fence sitter”? No one would go out into the desert for someone like that and John was a man who spoke hard truths. Then he asked if they went out to see a man dressed in beautiful, luxurious robes. This is the man who knows how to flatter rulers and leaders. John was not a man like that, he spoke the truth to everyone, even rulers and leaders. Finally, Jesus asked if they went out to see a prophet. By this He meant a man who had confidence in God and spoke the truth from God. He had a message and the courage to deliver it. He had God’s wisdom in his mind, God’s truth on his lips and God’s courage in his heart. Jesus confirmed this is who the people went to see, but John is more. He is the one spoken of by Isaiah (40:3) and Malachi (3:1) who will proclaim the coming Messiah.
Having spoken this great praise about John and his mighty ministry, Jesus then announced that the least in the Kingdom of Heaven will be greater than John. What does that mean? Hasn’t Jesus just sung John’s praises and spoken of his greatness? Jesus was referring to the fact that John had not seen the cross. Those who see the cross receive the greatest revelation of the love of God that it is possible to receive. But this is what John had not seen, because it had not happened and would not until after he was dead. John was able to alert people to the fact of their sinfulness. This was necessary in order for them to receive the good news about God’s love and redemption. It is not possible to receive forgiveness until you are aware of the need for forgiveness. As in the time John warned the people of the need to repent, we also need to be aware of our sin and, where directed by God, to alert others of their sin. No one can come to Jesus without an awareness of their sinfulness. Sometimes God does bring people across the path of another to alert him to his sinfulness, other times just entering the presence of God, as happened to Isaiah in Isaiah 6:5 is enough to convict a person of their sinfulness. I know that was my experience of coming to faith in Jesus. Just standing in the presence of God was enough to convict me of my need of a saviour!
Are you or can you be greater than John and experience that revelation of the love of God that allows our sins to be forgiven through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross?