Greatest in the Kingdom!

SCRIPTURE Matthew 11:11-13

“I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is! And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it. For before John came, all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time.”

OBSERVATION

John was great, but he wasn’t born again with the in dwelling of the H.S. under the New Covenant. he lived and died before the completion of Jesus’ work at the cross and the tomb. So, he did not know or experience the benefits of the born again life.

Jesus’ reference to violence refers to both the intense spiritual warfare attacking his ministry and John the Baptist’s. It also refers to the intense spiritual violence required on our part to follow God. The kingdom of God can never be received passively.

And Jesus was referring to a period of time that ended with John. all of the O.T. prophets prophesied about John’s ministry as the one who paved the way for the messiah. every other prophet announced, “The Messiah is coming.” But John had the privilege of saying, “The Messiah is here.”

APPLICATION

We must never take for granted the power, the position and the privilege of the indwelling of the spirit in our lives. An ordinary man becomes extraordinary.

And we should never be surprised at the violence of the evil one and the violence required on our part to stay true to our Lord. While the enemy may conduct physical and emotional violence. We are called to use spiritual violence through prayer, worship, fasting, meditation and Bible study. John was the greatest of all prophets in that he would actually see the Messiah. We see the Messiah through the indwelt Holy Spirit in our lives.

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The Unveiling!

SCRIPTURE. 2 Corinthians 3:12-18

“Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”

OBSERVATION

Paul is referring to the Jews of the Old Testament when Moses came down from Sinai after meeting with God. Moses was so filled with the glory of the Lord that people could not stand to look him in the face. So, Moses covered his face with a veil. To this very day the Jewish people read the Old Testament but do not understand what it truly means. This veil covers their mind and it can be removed only by them believing in Christ. Where the spirit is there is no veil, all things are uncovered.

APPLICATION

Paul shows that this spiritual revelation is followed by a spiritual transformation. With the veils gone, we can boldly look at Christ, who is the glory of God. We can now see him for who and what he is. This act of seeing and understanding the nature of Christ begins the process through which God transforms us into the image of Christ. “Where the spirit of their Lord is there is freedom’, freedom to know who Christ truly is and freedom show who we truly are in Christ.

Be blessed!