Language Studies

Difficult Sayings

John the Baptist and Jesus - Why is John "The Messenger" "more than a Prophet"?
Matthew 11:9-10

9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
10 For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.'" (Matthew 11:9-10)

Prophets prophesy, so what does "more than a prophet" do? Usually a "messenger" is a mere errand boy but here it is "My messenger" before "Your face".

The Hebrew for "my messenger" is malakhi (Strong's #4397) as in the prophet Malachi. But the biblical reference and hint is to two messengers written about by the prophet Malachi at the close of the period of the Old Testament writing prophets. Indeed, after this period the Jews believed that they had entered upon a quiet period during which God now only whispered and his voice was only heard as a distant echo, known as the bath qol or "daughter of the voice". So imagine the people's surprise when Jesus tells them that he has suddenly come and the crowd hears God voice audibly out of heaven!

"Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming." (Malachi 3:1)

Malachi prophesied that God's messenger would prepare the way before God Himself ("Me") and the Lord (Adonai) would come, who was himself a messenger "of the covenant". So Messenger is an exalted title, more than a prophet and was used not only of John but also of Jesus himself, the Lord and Messenger of the Covenant — notice, not the new covenant, just The Covenant. Notice, too, that in Matthew's record Jesus turns the "Me" into "Your face", directing it both to himself and using the more literal Hebrew expression "face" to describe a person.

But John was more than a prophet in another way. Other prophets predicted the Messiah's coming, John foretold him too, but then had the inspiration to identify him as the Lamb and Son of God (John 1:29-30,34) — before Peter's similar great declaration on the basis of which Jesus made him the rock (Matthew 16:16-18). So whilst Peter's faith and vision became the bedrock of the Church, John's pivotal role diminished. Indeed, this was John's greatness, not only that he personally identified and physically saw the Messiah, but that he had the grace to "let go" and refer people to Jesus and his ministry. Furthermore, how many prophets before or after him were asked to baptise God himself?

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