He is the one who comes after me, who is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I'm not worthy to loosen."

 The very titles by which the Old Testament calls the land and the people show that. Palestine is repeatedly called the holy land ( Zechariah 2:12; 2Ma_1:7 ; Wis_12:3 ). It is called the Lord's land; God speaks of it as his land ( Hosea 9:3; Jeremiah 2:7; Jeremiah 16:18; Leviticus 25:23). The Jewish nation is called God's peculiar treasure ( Exodus 19:5; Psalms 135:4). The Jews are called God's special people ( Deuteronomy 7:6). They are called God's peculiar people ( Deuteronomy 14:2; Deuteronomy 26:18). They are called the Lord's portion ( Deuteronomy 32:9). 