Old Covenant, New Covenant
I have honestly always wondered about this passage: how could John the Baptist be greater than everyone born of the flesh, and yet least in the Kingdom of Heaven?
It is my belief that the key to correct interpretation is that what John represents, the closing of the Old Covenant, and the coming of the New, represented here by the kingdom of heaven, is what is being discussed. Jesus' words should not be interpreted as meaning John personally is less than the least person in the kingdom, as though John will be "back of the line".
The law is, per Paul, the "ministry of condemnation" with "fading glory". John is the final word of this ministry, pointing to Jesus as the way, preparing the hearts of Israel to receive her Messiah and King. Jesus' teaching and the covenant He establishes are infinitely greater than the covenant John and the prophets before him represented.
John himself knew this, and the scriptures show us a man fiercely devoted to the superiority of Christ and what came with His ministry. Thus, all who are born again and are a part of the ministry of reconciliation in Christ have a ministry representing the greatest covenant man has ever received from God. To be a follower of John was to be a practitioner of the letter and heart of the law, which left one anxiously waiting for final justification. To be a follower of Jesus leaves one justified, filled with the Holy Spirit, and adopted as one of God's own children.
Created 11 months ago
