Luke 7:18-30

Expanded Bible

John Asks a Question^(A)

¹⁸ John’s ·followers [disciples] told him about all these things. He called for two of his ·followers [disciples] ¹⁹ and sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the ·One who is to come [the Expected One; ^Cthe Messiah], or should we ·wait for [look for; expect] someone else?”

²⁰ When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you with this question: ‘Are you the ·One who is to come [Expected One], or should we ·wait for [look for; expect] someone else?” ²¹ At that time, Jesus healed many people of their sicknesses, diseases, and ·evil [defiling; ^Lunclean; 4:33] spirits, and he gave sight to many blind people. ²² Then Jesus answered John’s ·followers [disciples], “Go tell John what you saw and heard here. The blind can see, the ·crippled [lame] can walk, and ·people with skin diseases [^Tlepers; see 5:12] are ·healed [^Lcleansed]. The deaf can hear, the dead are raised to life, and the ·Good News [Gospel] is ·preached [announced; proclaimed] to the poor [^Csigns of God’s restoration of creation, predicted by the prophet Isaiah; Is. 29:18–19; 35:5–6; 61:1–2]. ²³ Those who ·do not stumble in their faith [are not offended] because of me are blessed.”

Jesus Comments on John^(B)

²⁴ When John’s ·followers [^Lmessengers] left, Jesus began talking to the ·people [crowds] about John: “What did you go out into the ·desert [wilderness] to see? A reed ·blown by [shaken by; swaying in] the wind [^Csomething fragile and easily swept away]? ²⁵ [^LBut] What did you go out to see? A man dressed in ·fine [expensive; ^Lsoft] clothes? No, people who have ·fine [glorious; splendid] clothes and much ·wealth [luxury] ·live [are] in ·kings’ palaces [royal courts]. ²⁶ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, and I tell you, ·John is [^Lone who is] more than a prophet. ²⁷ This was written about him:

²⁸ I tell you, John is greater than any other person ·ever born [^Lborn to women], but even the least important person in the kingdom of God is greater than John [^Cbecause John was part of the old age of preparation, those in the new kingdom age have greater blessings and status].”

²⁹ (When the people, including the tax collectors, heard this, they all agreed that God’s ·teaching was good [way was right/just], because they had been baptized by John. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and experts on the law ·refused to accept [rejected] God’s ·plan [purpose] for themselves; they did not let John baptize them.)