Manny Pereira - January 26, 2020
Defining Greatness
The manifesting of the Messiah has come with scandalous surprise–many will stumble in unbelief. Why? Essentially because the Holy One has come as the Humble One. Though unwavering in truth, majesty is veiled in humility. Here, appearances are contrary to reality. The prophet Isaiah foretold the scenario centuries earlier: “Who has believed what he has heard from us? … He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men” (Isaiah 53:2-3). So great is this scandalous surprise, the messenger himself questions the message—the pointer the One to whom he points. In this passage, Jesus masterfully redirects questioning hearts to unseen glory. He validates the voice that cried in the wilderness while calling for even greater clarity among His hearers. In the end we discover that it is not about John, but Jesus. Jesus is here upholding John not for John’s sake but for His own glory.
Scripture References: Matthew 11:7-15