Jesus continued, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it” (Matt. 11:12). John the Baptist was chosen from before his birth and led an arduous ascetic life in the wilderness.
Had he attended Jesus with a sincere heart, the position of Jesus’ chief disciple was surely reserved for him. However, because he failed in his mission to serve Jesus, Peter, a “forceful man,” laid hold of the position of chief disciple.
We can deduce from the expression “from the days of John the Baptist until now” that Jesus spoke the verses that follow (Matt. 11:16-19) in reference not primarily to the people in general but specifically to John the Baptist.
Jesus concluded, “Wisdom is justified by her deeds” (Matt. 11:19). Had John acted wisely, he would not have left Jesus, and his deeds would have been remembered forever as righteousness. Unfortunately, he was foolish. He blocked the Jewish people’s path to Jesus, as well as his own path.
Here we have come to understand that the main reason why Jesus had to die on the cross was the failure of John the Baptist. |