Luke 7:18-35 Sermon for July 12, 2026

So good to be back after a couple of weeks away!

And, now, we turn to the Word of the Lord, Jesus Christ. We are in The Gospel of Luke, and before I bring us through the passage, let me set the context, set the tone, set the scenario.

John the Baptist, Not John the Methodist or John the Presbyterian, sits in Herod’s dungeon. The camel-hair prophet who once thundered by the Jordan now sends two of his disciples with a question that carries the weight of the ages:

“Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” This is not casual curiosity. This is a man who once declared with authority and conviction, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” now wrestling in the shadow of death. Quite literally.

And Jesus’ response is not a private reassurance but a public declaration that shakes the foundations of Israel – and, if we have ears to hear, shakes the foundation of this very church this morning!

With that said, let’s turn to our passage, which is Luke 7:18-35. It’s a bit lengthy and I want to ensure we’re all staying focused and grasping what we’re reading, so I’ll take us through this passage section by section, but let me provide some additional, preliminary notes and commentary.

John is the greatest prophet born of women, we read in verse 28. He is the Elijah who was to come. He prepared the way. He called Israel to repentance. He baptized with water. And yet even he, in the darkness of prison, battles doubt. Reformed theology has always insisted that true saints persevere- but not without struggle. Assurance is the fruit of faith, not its root, and even the strongest of believers can be assaulted by the enemy  when circumstances seem to contradict the promises of God.

Jesus doesn’t rebuke John here. He does not say, “How dare you doubt, John!” Instead, Jesus points to the evidence of His messianic work: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.” We see this in verse 22. These are the very signs Isaiah prophesied for the coming of the Lord. We see that in Isaiah 35, 61). Jesus is saying, without saying it directly, “I am Yahweh in the flesh. The promises are being fulfilled before your very eyes.”

Then Jesus turns to the crowds and does something quite remarkable. He preaches a funeral sermon for a generation that refused both John and Himself. He preaches a message that a majority of churches today would boot Him right out of the church.

“To what then shall I compare the people of this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge (a lamentful song), and you did not weep’” (vs. 31-32). They wanted a Messiah on their terms!

Joh came in ascetic severity- they called him demon-possessed. Jesus came eating and drinking- they called Him a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. The problem was not the messengers. The problem was their hard, unrepentance hearts.

That is the heart of this morning’s passage, and it cuts straight to the hearts of us today.

Alright, verses 18-23. (Read this section of the passage)

John was the magnificent. He was filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb. He preached with holy fire; with conviction. Crowds flocked to him. Kings trembled. Yet Jesus says the least in the kingdom of God is greater than John (v. 28).

Why? Not because john was deficient in character, but because of the epochal shift that occurred at the cross and empty tomb. John stood on the threshold. We stand on the other side of the finished work of Christ. We live in the age of the poured-our Spirit, the inaugurated kingdom, the indwelling presence of the Triune God.

So, understand this, that Reformed Baptists have always gloried in this. We do not romanticize the old covenant. We rejoice that we have a better covenant enacted on better promises (Hebrews 8:6). John could point to the Lamb. We feast on the Lamb. John baptized with water. We are baptized into the death and resurrection of the King Himself. Do not despise your privilege, church. The least believer in this room who has been born again by the sovereign Spirit has a greater position than the greatest Old Testament prophet.

But with greater privilege comes greater responsibility. To whom much is given, much will be required. Many of you were raised in the covenant homes. You have heard the gospel from the womb. You have sat under faithful preaching. You have the Scriptures in your own language. You have the indwelling Spirit. And yet how often do we live as though Jesus were optional! How often do we treat the King as a consultant rather than as a sovereign Lord and King and Savior?

Jesus’ miracles were not merely humanitarian acts. They were signs of the kingdom breaking in. The blind see. The lame walk. The dead live. This is what King Jesus Does. He does not come to improve your life. He comes to raise the dead. He comes to conquer sin, Satan, and death. He comes to make all things new.

And now, verses 24-35. (Read this section of the Passage.)

Jesus praises John publicly- right after John’s disciples leave. This is the tender pastoral care. ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? A man dressed in soft clothing? A prophet? Yes, and more than a prophet” (vs. 24-26).

John was no fragile reed. He was an oak planted by the Jordan. He was no courtier in soft robes. He wore camel’s hair and ate locusts. He was the messenger who prepared the way before the Lord.

And yet, “Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by John” (v. 30).

This is one of the most terrifying verses in the Gospels. They rejected the purpose of God ‘for themselves. Not that God’s eternal decree was thwarted- since we stand on God’s sovereignty- but that they refused the very means God had ordained for their salvation. They would not humble themselves in repentance. They would not be baptized. They stood outside the kingdom while tax collectors and prostitutes entered ahead of them.

Church, hear this with fear and trembling. There is such a thing as being religious, knowledgeable, respected in the community, and yet outside the kingdom. There are people in even the most sound doctrinal churches who can articulate the doctrines of grace better than may pastors, who have never been broken over their sin. They have never been baptized as believers because they have never truly believed. They have never wept at the foot of the cross. They have never cried, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”

And so, church, I want to come at you with a few takeaways.

The first is the Christ is enough! Even in the darkest prison, John’s question is every believer’s question in suffering: Lord, are You really who You say You are? The answer is always the same: Look at what He has done and what He is doing. The empty tomb is the final answer to every doubt. The exalted Christ at the right hand of the Father intercedes for you. He has not forgotten you. He is sovereign over all things.

The second is that repentance is non-negotiable. The generation that rejected John and Jesus loved their sin more than they loved God. Nothing has changed. Our generation loves its autonomy, its sexual freedom, its materialism, its therapeutic self-worship. The church must not soften the call. We preach repentance and faith as the twin commands of the gospel. To reject repentance is to reject the purpose of God for yourself.

I say this with seriousness. Too many in the church are so concerned with the show, hoopla, and shenanigans. But no concern over holiness, doctrine obedience, etc.

The third is that the church must be both tender and terrifying. We are tender towards the broken sinners who know they need mercy. Amen. We are terrifying toward respectable self-righteousness. We must confront the Pharisee in the pew as fiercely as we comfort the prostitute at the altar. Both need Christ. Both must come on the same terms- empty handed.

Church, look at what God has done among you. You are a people who love the doctrines of grace. You sing robust songs. You listen to expository sermons. You practice believer’s baptism. You care for one another. We support missions. You resist the downgrade. You have not bowed down to the idols of this age. Rejoice in that! The King is building His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail!

But, hear the Word of the Lord. There is a generation among us that is playing games in the marketplace. They hear the flute of the gospel and will not dance for joy. They hear the dirge of coming judgment and will not weep. They sit in these pews week after week, nodding at the sound doctrines, but their hearts are far from God.

Some of you are like the Pharisees. You love being known as Reformed. You love the confessions and doctrines and the Holy Scriptures. You love winning theological arguments. But you have never been baptized upon profession of faith because you have never truly repented. You are trusting in your heritage, your knowledge, your moral life. Jesus says, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

The time has come! Repent.

Some of you are cultural Christians. You like the community. You like the songs and preaching. But the cross is offensive to you. Radical obedience is too much. You want a Jesus who fits your lifestyle, not One who demands your life. You are rejecting the purpose of God for yourself.

Some of you are weary and discouraged like John the Baptist. You have been faithful, but the prison is dark. The culture is hostile. The church seems small. Hear Christ’s words: Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” Do not stumble over a crucified and risen King who saves sinners by sovereign grace. He is worth it. He is enough. Do not compromise. Finish strong!

And now, as I invite Cristina back up, let me leave you with these concluding words: Jesus Christ, the greater than John, stands before you today- not in the flesh, but by His Word and Spirit. He has performed the signs. He has conquered death. He has poured out His Spirit. The kingdom has come. The King reigns.

Come to Him. Repent. Believe. Be baptized. Join the community of those who have been humbled by grace. And for those who have already come, press on. The Kingdom is worth every cost. The King is worthy of all praise.

Awake, church! Do not sleep on the King! Let us now stand and worship our King, Savior, Lord, and Messiah.