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Transcript 136A — On Being Least in the Kingdom of God [Mt 11:11]
HC: Good evening. Welcome to Open Forum.
CALLER: Good evening. Good to talk to you again. I'm puzzled about the verse that says that John the Baptist is least in the Kingdom of God. It would appear from the context that there were others among the disciples that would be above John in the Kingdom. I can't quite see a class distinction in the Kingdom, and yet I am puzzled.
HC: In Matthew 11:11 we read, "Truly I say to you, among those born of woman there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he." And the question is: Why is John the Baptist called greater than anyone else that had come before? And why does it go on and say that he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he?
I think we can immediately see why John the Baptist is called greater than anyone before. The prophets in the Old Testament longed to see this salvation. They announced the coming of the Messiah. They prophesied concerning the coming of the Messiah. And now John the Baptist finally arises. And he has the distinct honor and privilege of being the one who is on the scene to announce that the Messiah has actually come. He is the last, if you will, of the Old Testament prophets, because he definitely is on the Old Testament side of the cross. And he is actually the one who has been given the privilege of baptizing Jesus, of providing the ceremonial waters so that Jesus might be ceremonially cleansed, so He can go about His job as the High Priest who will offer the Lamb, and that is Himself.
And so in that sense John the Baptist is greater. Now when it says, "Yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he," there are two possibilities as to what this means. It can be talking about the most humble Christian who comes on the scene after the cross, after John the Baptist. Every born again believer, after the cross, is qualified to be a witness. He is a prophet just as definitely as John the Baptist was, or Isaiah or Jeremiah. And we have the distinct privilege of declaring that Christ has gone to the cross, and He has risen again. We have the full story to tell, which no Old Testament prophet could tell. And so in that sense it could mean this, that the most humble Christian is greater than John the Baptist. Now that's one possibility.
The other possibility is that sometimes the language of being "least in the Kingdom of Heaven" is synonymous with being under the condemnation of hell (not always, but sometimes). We read in Matthew 5:19, "Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven."
Now in Matthew 18:6 we read, "If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." Now if we are teaching commandments that are contrary to the Word of God, then we are causing a little one to stumble, and it shows that we are subject to hell.
And so the term "least in the Kingdom of Heaven" can be talking about someone who is subject to hell. Now when Christ came, He became sin for us. He became one who became subject to hell and went to the cross on our behalf.
And so in that sense it could be that it's talking about the Lord Jesus Christ, who of course is greater than John the Baptist, although He was least in the Kingdom of Heaven, in that sense, that He endured hell.
However, I tend to lean toward the first possibility rather than the second, although either one has biblical possibility.
CALLER: Thank you very much. I appreciate your Question and Answer program very much, and I appreciate that you're always referring us back to the Lord Jesus Christ.
HC: Thank you for calling. Good night.