11:7
John the Baptist had had a big impact, he had drawn many crowds to himself, though then pointing them to Jesus. Jesus now teaches the people, so that they can understand John aright. This was a bigger problem than we realise, for even in Acts 19:1-7 Paul met a group who only knew about John. Jesus is getting the crowds to look at themselves, to question their own thinking. He asks them what they went out in the desert to see? For the desert was where John did most of his ministry. They did not go out to see a reed swayed by the wind. This could just be saying that they went out to see John, not to observe the desert vegetation. Or it could be looking ahead to the conflict there would be between Jesus and the religious leaders. Jesus would not “sway in the wind”, and neither should His followers.
11:8-10
So they did not go out to the desert for a nature trip, what then did they go to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, it would be an odd place to go to see such a man, one would go to a palace if that is what you were after. They went to see a prophet, and not just any old prophet. This was the prophet spoken of in the Old Testament who would prepare the way for the Messiah.
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