In Matthew 11:11–12, Jesus praises John the Baptist as the greatest of the old prophets, yet states that the least person in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Jesus adds that since John’s ministry, the kingdom has faced intense opposition or advanced with unstoppable, forceful spiritual energy.Matthew 11:11 BreakdownJohn’s greatness: Jesus declares that no one born of women is greater than John the Baptist. John stands at the peak of the Old Testament era as the ultimate herald who directly prepared the way for the Messiah.The lesser in the kingdom: The "least in the kingdom of heaven" is greater than John because New Covenant believers possess a privileged, completed perspective. They witness the finished death, resurrection, and indwelling presence of Christ, privileges the prophets only looked forward to from a distance.