11:11 What does Jesus mean that the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than John the Baptist?

This is not about stature or importance in the kingdom, or devotion, or service. It has to do with the privileges of the gospel that has been given to the lowliest Christians under the New Covenant through the atoning death of Christ.

John did not live under the New Covenant so the privileges of the gospel were not available to him. As the forerunner of Christ he lived under the Old Covenant. He foresaw and foretold the coming of Christ who would usher in the kingdom and its attendant gospel privileges, but he could not partake of them. John was in the same position as Moses and all the other faith-worthies of the Old Testament who did not receive the promise of the New Covenant themselves, but foresaw it in shadowy form (cp He 11:39-40).

John only had a measure of the Spirit, whereas under the New Covenant every believer has the fullness (cp Mt 3:11-15 with Jn 7:37-39; 14:12-14 with Ac 1:4-5, 8). The least in the Kingdom of Heaven is the most insignificant person who enjoys the blessings of the new age of grace which Jesus was ushering in during John’s ministry.

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