1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

I Cor. 3:13-15.R5028 : page 165DEEDS, NOT WORDS"They do the leastWho talk the most,Whose good designs,Are all their boast;Let words be few."They do the mostWhose lives possessThe sterling stampOf righteousness;For deeds are true."====================R5030 : page 166"LEAST IN THE KINGDOM"--MATTHEW 11:2-19.--JUNE 16.--"Amongst them that are born of women there is none greaterthan John; yet the least in the Kingdom of God isgreater than he."--Luke 7:28.IT WOULD BE difficult to express in wordsa higher tribute to John the Baptist thanJesus paid him in our text. Again He said,"There hath not risen a greater Prophetthan John the Baptist." If then John wasso holy a man, so great a man from theDivine standpoint, why did our Lord in thistext declare that the least in the Kingdomof Heaven would be greater than John?This text has puzzled Bible exponents formany a day. It has seemed to many to be contradictory.But just as soon as we turn on the light contained inthat word "Kingdom," the entire subject becomes clear.God had promised a Messianic Kingdom, and Jesus hadcome that He might be the Head of that Kingdom. Thesteps leading to the Kingdom honors and glories weresteps of obedience to God, even unto death, and thesesteps Jesus had begun to take. On the cross He declared,"It is finished." He had finished the work of provingHimself loyal to God and to the Truth even unto deathon the cross.Jesus thus became the Great Conqueror, the great HighPriest, the great King of Glory, being exalted to theHeavenly state in His resurrection. But, as the GreatKing, He was to have associated with Him in His Throne,His Bride class. As the Great Priest, He was to have an