Daily Reflection

Reflection for December 11, 2025

John the Baptist: Forerunner of Christ's Kingdom

In this striking passage, Jesus offers a profound and paradoxical tribute to John the Baptist, His herald and cousin. At first glance, His words seem almost contradictory: John is the greatest “among those born of women,” yet “the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” This is not a dismissal of John’s holiness, but a revelation of the seismic shift in salvation history that John himself announced.

John: The Pinnacle of the Old Covenant
John stands at the threshold. He is the final and greatest prophet of the Old Covenant, the one of whom Malachi prophesied: “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes” (Mal 4:5). John’s entire life—his asceticism in the desert, his call to repentance, his baptism of preparation—represents the culmination of humanity’s longing and the Law’s instruction. He is the “friend of the Bridegroom” (Jn 3:29), who points directly to the Lamb of God. In him, the hope of the prophets finds its voice crying out in the wilderness. Jesus affirms this unparalleled role: no one born of woman, by natural generation, is greater.

The New Kingdom: A New and Greater Dignity
Yet, Jesus immediately unveils a greater reality. “The least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” Why? Because John died before the culmination of Christ’s Paschal Mystery—the Passion, Resurrection, and sending of the Holy Spirit. The “kingdom of heaven” that Jesus inaugurates is not just prophesied; it is present in His very person. Through Baptism into Christ, we receive something John could only point toward: sanctifying grace, indwelling of the Trinity, and adoption as sons and daughters of God. The “least” baptized Christian participates in the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4) in a way that was not yet fully available to John. Our greatness is not our own; it is the sheer gift of incorporation into Christ, the Head.

The Violence of the Kingdom
Then comes a challenging line: “the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and the violent take it by force.” This is not a call to physical aggression. In the spiritual sense understood by the Church Fathers (like St. Jerome and St. Gregory the Great), it speaks of the fierce, determined zeal required to enter the Kingdom. It is the “violence” of:

Radical conversion: Tearing ourselves away from sin and worldly attachments.

Audacious prayer: Storming heaven with persistent trust.

Spiritual combat: Vigorously resisting temptation and fighting for virtue.

Eager longing: A holy “violence” of soul that refuses to be passive, that actively, urgently seizes God’s promises. John embodied this violence—his whole life was a forceful assault on complacency, calling souls back to God.

He is Elijah
Jesus confirms John’s identity as the promised Elijah, the preparer of hearts. To accept this is to accept the critical moment of decision: the prophecies are fulfilled, the Kingdom is at hand in Jesus. John’s message of repentance is the essential gateway to Christ’s message of salvation.

Whoever Has Ears, Let Them Hear
This final exhortation is for us. We are called to hear—to perceive with faith the monumental truth Jesus proclaims. We live not in the time of preparation, but in the time of fulfillment. We possess, through the Church’s sacraments, the very life of the Kingdom that John heralded.

Personal Application:

Gratitude for Our Dignity: Do I live with the awareness of my baptismal dignity—that I am a child of God, greater in grace even than John the Baptist, not by my merit, but by Christ’s gift?

Embrace Holy Violence: Where is my spiritual life passive or complacent? What attachments do I need to “violently” uproot? Do I pray with fervent determination, seeking God’s grace with a hungry heart?

Heed the Voice in the Wilderness: John’s call to repentance still echoes. In this Advent spirit (even outside the liturgical season), what needs cleansing in my heart to better receive Jesus?

Be a Pointer to Christ: Like John, our ultimate role is to decrease so Christ may increase (Jn 3:30). In my words and actions, do I point others directly to the Lamb of God?

Prayer:
St. John the Baptist, greatest of prophets, pray for us. You who prepared the way for the Lord, help us to embrace with holy violence the Kingdom you proclaimed. May we, who have been blessed to live in the fullness of Christ’s redemption, never take for granted the grace of our adoption. Give us your zeal, your humility, and your single-minded focus on Jesus, that we may decrease and He may increase in our lives. Amen.