Greater Than the Prophets

One of the messages of the New Testament is that Jesus was greater than all of the previous prophets who were so important in Israelite history.  Most of the major prophets of the Old Testament were mentioned in relation to the Savior showing His preeminence.  In regards to Abraham, the Jews asked, “Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead?”  The Savior’s answer was this shocking statement, “Before Abraham was, I am”—clearly confirming to them that the answer to their question was yes.  This was so blasphemous to them that “then took they up stones to cast at him” (John 8:53, 58-59).  When Christ spoke to the woman at the well, she asked Him, “Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well?”  He answered indirectly: “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst” (John 4:12-14).  Again, the answer was yes—Christ was greater than Jacob.  We also learn in the Gospels that Christ was greater than Moses.  In addition to the references where the New Testament writers showed the superiority of Christ’s law to the law of Moses, Jesus also taught the people that He was superior to Moses: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven….  Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.  I am the living bread which came down from heaven” (John 6:32, 49-51).  Moses gave bread that fed the body; Christ was the Bread which gave eternal life.  The Savior also referred to David when He taught the people, and He implied that He was likewise greater than that king so revered by the Jews.  He asked them this question, “If David then call [Christ] Lord, how is he his son?” (Matt 22:45)  In other words, Christ may have been a physical son of David because of His lineage, but He was in reality Lord to David.  Of David’s son Solomon Christ said, “Behold, a greater than Solomon is here,” referring to Himself (Matt 12:42).  Similarly He said, “Behold, a greater than Jonas is here” (Matt. 12:41).  So Christ was greater than David, Solomon, and Jonah, all revered figures of Jewish history.  John the Baptist was another who was revered by the people as a prophet (see Luke 20:6).  Christ gave this compliment to John: “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist.”  But then He added, “Notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matt. 11:11).  Who was least in the kingdom of heaven?  I believe He was referring to Himself—the one who would descend below all things—and He was indeed greater than John the Baptist, the man who declared that he was not even worthy to unloose Christ’s shoe latchet (John 1:27).  So according to the Gospels, Jesus was greater than Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon, Jonah, and John the Baptist.  While some would say that He was “one of the prophets,” we know that He was more than any prophet.  With Peter we declare that He is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16).