Christ was pointing out John as the last among the People of God who’s membership is a matter of bloodline.
secondarily it’s also a physical reality that share union with the spritual reality of the changing of ages.
In a wisdom book in the OT it says; PP:" you can tell the works of God because they come in pairs and opposites"
John and Jesus represent the opposing forces of the beginning and the end of an age. Typified by the serpent swallowing it’s tail in pagan myth. And it does that continuously untill the tail is anthropamorphized in Mary’s womb and becomes the heel that crushes the head attempting to swallow up the end again. The loop of the rosary shows that. The incarnation begins the line of Christ’s life to the cross that gets us out of that viscious cylce of Satan’s trap. The people of God xperienced a new revelation of God at these times that wasn’t swallowed up in the emotional baggage that misinterprets the past like the pagans but remembered reverently as the Word of God from a son of man. Events that echo the past recalling the person of Adam the ancient of days who reestablishes the proper goals and directs his people on the straight path for the new age. The opposite elements of revelation among some and confusion among others is part of that duality too.This duality is always a part of the turning of an age. Archetypes in scripture are Adam and Eve,Eve and Satan, Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau, Elija and Jezebel, Elija and Elisha, David and Goliath ,David and Jonathan, Moses and Pharoe, Samson and Delilah, Hosea and Gomer, Martha and Mary, John and Jesus, Christ and anti-christ. The culture of death and the culture of life. The Marriage of the Lamb. Notice in the birth of esau and Jacob a similar unfolding of events as Paul describes betweenth appearing of the man of sin and Christ at the parousia.
How many statements they both made alluding to this; I must grow smaller He must grow greater. John is the fulfillment of the OT prophets yet least of those parallell in the next age. John is the greatest prophet yet performs no miracles.
33For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.” ’ 35But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”
What have i done? I indulged babblous speach !
Anyway if you look for that opposing duality you’ll begin noticing it throughout scripture.Then maybe in your own circumstances.
