"I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." (Matthew 11:11) After 400 years of silence, since the Prophet Malachi last spoke to the exiles from Babylon, John came as the connecting link between the two testaments. ( John can be counted with the old testament Prophets because Jesus compared him with his predecessors and found him to be greater than all of them but when compared with the new testament believers, didn't find him to be greater than the least of them. ) Though being the last of the old testament Prophets, yet he preached the new testament message of the Gospel, thus becoming the connecting link between the two testaments. Among those born of women, since the dawn of man on earth, he is considered to be greater than all who were born before him; greater than Abraham and Moses; greater than all the Prophets and the kings of Israel, because he was filled with the Spirit even from his birth while others weren't. Ofcourse, Adam once had the Spirit but he was not born of a woman but was created by God. The only other person who had the Spirit even from birth is Christ, who is called the second Adam and was born of a woman. but he was born after John and is greater than him because he was from the beginning. Therefore John testified concerning him saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'" ( John 1:15) But speaking of John, the Angel Gabriel told his father Zechariah: "He will be great in the sight of the Lord ... he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from Birth." (Luke 1:15) This is the reason why 'when Elizabeth heard Mary's greetings, the baby leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.' ( Luke 1:41) Our greatness comes from the indwelling of the Spirit and not by anything else we possess. It's the Spirit that gives worth to the vessel that carries the anointing. The least in the kingdom of God is greater than John because we got the indwelling of the Spirit, which, none of the old testament saints had experienced, including John! The old testament saints had experienced the infilling in the Spirit but not the indwelling of the Spirit, because the Spirit had not yet been given. 'Upto that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.' (John 7:39) If the least in the kingdom of God is greater than John, to whom will the greatest be compared to? There is an interesting comparison in Scripture, referring to the time when Christ returns to rule the earth: "On that day ... the feeblest among them will be like David and the house of David will be like God, like the Angel of the LORD going before them ..." (Zechariah 12:8) During the millennium, if the house of David will be like that of God, then the greatest of the new testament saints too will be like God, like the Angel of the LORD, who is Christ himself. It shows how superior is the kingdom of God compared to kingdom of Israel or how superior is the new covenant compared to the old covenant. 'The ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is a mediator is superior to the old one and it is founded on better promises.' (Hebrews 8:6) Had we understood the superiority of the Kingdom of God, we would not still hold on to this world. (Matthew 13:44-46) We consider some nations superior to others and would like to immigrate to those nations. Rather flee to the kingdom of God immediately, before the gate is closed and the immigration is stopped ! Receive the Spirit for he is the reason for our greatness and the seal of our citizenship. Amen.
Sam Matthews. K
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