Appendix J. From the days of John until now

For a bit more insight into the idea of the heavenly realm, consider

Matthew 11:11-15

11 I mean it when I tell you, among those born of women, there has not arisen anyone greater than John (the Baptist) [LP.1a]. Even so, he that is least in heaven's kingdom is greater than him.
12 From the days of John [the Baptist] until now, people have been beating on the gates of heaven's kingdom and storming in.
13 All the prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
14 And if you can accept it, he is Elijah, who was to come.
15 He who has ears to hear, listen up!

John made the hearts of the common people ready to receive the message of salvation; they rushed eagerly to obtain that salvation, which could be fulfilled once Jesus was crucified and resurrected. Though Jesus had not yet sent them the Holy Spirit, many of these believers were as good as "in." They would, after the Resurrection, receive the Spirit in return for putting their trust, even before the Resurrection, in Jesus. Of course, we must assume that the belief of many who had stormed into the kingdom faltered when Jesus died, as did the belief of the inner circle of disciples. But just as the resurrected Jesus restored the belief of the inner circle, so he would have revived the hope of the many others – no doubt via the proclamation by the reinvigorated disciples.

Here we may speculate that perhaps the Sermon's main compiler did not yet have a full comprehension – though still very good – of what Jesus was driving at in his earthly ministry. I interpret 11:11-15 to mean that John was the greatest prophet born in a natural way. In fact, he was so great that he fulfilled the role of Elijah, [LP.3] who was thought by many to be someone who would return to pave the way for God's saving reign on earth. Yet, John was not born again. Those who have been born by the Spirit from above are much, much more fortunate than someone who remains in the natural state, born only in the natural way.

Verse 12, while praising John, also seems to imply a conflation of ideas. How could John's ministry set off a wild scramble to get into heaven's kingdom, and yet John himself be excluded?

Two, not necessarily mutually exclusive, possibilities come to mind:

i. At this stage Matthew's principal author was -- in some sense properly -- implying that the people who had rushed out to obtain John's baptism for repentance of sin had begun to enter God's kingdom, which Jesus would reign over. But this leaves a question about John's inferiority.
ii. John's role was to pave the way for the Messianic kingdom. It was necessary that his role as a natural man cease, to be replaced by the realm of supernatural men (the born again). We may also read into this the end and fulfillment of Israel's "natural man" path, now to be replaced by the New Israel.

By the words of Matthew 11:11-15, Jesus was indirectly announcing that he was the expected Messiah, as he did in previous verses in which he pointed out the works of wonder to the puzzled John.