Matthew 11:11-15 11Truly I say to you, no one has been born of women greater than John the Baptist. But the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, and the violent take it by force. 13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Jesus gets the attention of the crowds with his pronouncement, truly I say to you. The surprise of Jesus praising John in spite of John’s questions continues in these verses. On the one hand, Jesus praises John as the greater person born, yet on the other hand, shows how even more awesome it is to be part of God’s kingdom. John was special because he prepared the way for the Messiah. He was great in the sight of God and filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb (Luke 1:15). The Law and the Prophets led up to the point of John’s ministry. John was the last prophet under the old covenant as he prophesied in preparation of the new covenant. He brought the old system to an end by calling people to repent and look to God’s coming kingdom.
Before John, people misunderstood God’s kingdom, treating it violently through persecution and rejection. God’s kingdom is eternal and has been around since creation. It can be found in the Law and Prophets, since it is seen by faith. If one reads the Old Testament carefully, God’s kingdom is present on every page. The problem is with the sinful human heart that rebells against God’s light and turns away in idolatry.
The kingdom was breaking into history in a powerful way through Jesus. Even the poor, enslaved, sick, and victims of evil could become citizens of this kingdom by believing in Jesus. The least in the kingdom in the new era is greater than the greatest of the old era. The greatest privilege is to be part of God’s kingdom.
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