John The Baptist. By Mark Mayberry 6/17/2012

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1 His Fulfillment of Prophecy John The Baptist By Mark Mayberry 6/17/2012 The Old Testament repeatedly foreshadowed the work of John the Baptist (Isa. 40:3-5; Mal. 3:1; 4:2-6). He prepared the way for the Savior, preaching a message of repentance, announcing the coming of Jesus Christ our Lord (Mark 1:1-8; Luke 1:11-17, 67-80; 3:1-6). Isaiah 40:3-5 (NASB95) 3 A voice is calling, Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; 5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Malachi 3:1 (NASB95) 1 Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming, says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 4:2-6 (NASB95) 2 But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. 3 You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing, says the Lord of hosts. 4 Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. 5 Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. 6 He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse. Mark 1:1-8 (NASB95) 1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way; 3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight. 4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 John was clothed with camel s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. 7 And he was preaching, and saying, After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. 8 I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. 1

2 Luke 1:11-17 (NASB95) 11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. 13 But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Luke 1:67-80 (NASB95) 67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: 68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant 70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old 71 Salvation from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us; 72 To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant, 73 The oath which He swore to Abraham our father, 74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. 76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; 77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins, 78 Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, 79 To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace. 80 And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel. Luke 3:1-6 (NASB95) 1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, 2 in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. 3 And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight. 5 Every ravine will be filled, And every mountain and hill will be brought low; The crooked will become straight, And the rough roads smooth; 6 And all flesh will see the salvation of God. His Family & Personal Life John was born into the priestly family of Zacharias and Elizabeth. His father was of of the division of Abijah, and his mother from the daughters of Aaron; both were devout and godly (Luke 1:5-7). Foretold by an angel, the birth of John was a miracle by reason of his parent s extreme age. He was born in the hill country of Judah six months before Mary gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem. 2

3 Luke 1:5-7 (NASB95) 5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. The son of Zacharias and Elizabeth was circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. Family friends wanted to call him Zacharias, after his father. However his parents named him John, according to the word of the angel (Luke 1:57-66). Perhaps he was set apart as a Nazirite (Luke 1:15; cf. Num. 6:1-21). His early life is summarized in a single verse: The child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel (Luke 1:80). His dress and manner were reminiscent of the prophet Elijah. He lived a hard and difficult life in the desert (Mark 1:6). Luke 1:57-66 (NASB95) 57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her. 59 And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father. 60 But his mother answered and said, No indeed; but he shall be called John. 61 And they said to her, There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name. 62 And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. 63 And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, His name is John. And they were all astonished. 64 And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God. 65 Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, What then will this child turn out to be? For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him. Luke 1:15 (NASB95) 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother s womb. Numbers 6:1-21 (NASB95) 1 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to dedicate himself to the Lord, 3 he shall abstain from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar, whether made from wine or strong drink, nor shall he drink any grape juice nor eat fresh or dried grapes. 4 All the days of his separation he shall not eat anything that is produced by the grape vine, from the seeds even to the skin. 5 All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall pass over his head. He shall be holy until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord; he shall let the locks of hair on his head grow long. 6 All the days of his separation to the Lord he shall not go near to a dead person. 7 He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother, for his brother or for his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head. 8 All the days of his separation he is holy to the Lord. Luke 1:80 (NASB95) 80 And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel. 3

4 Mark 1:6 (NASB95) 6 John was clothed with camel s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. His Ministry John began to preach in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar (A.D. 25), attracting a great multitude of followers (Matt. 3:5-6; Luke 3:1-2). Unlike Jesus Christ, John did no miracles (John 10:40-42). Matthew 3:5-6 (NASB95) 5 Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; 6 and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins. Luke 3:1-2 (NASB95) 1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, 2 in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. John 10:40-42 (NASB95) 40 And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there. 41 Many came to Him and were saying, While John performed no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true. 42 Many believed in Him there. John announced that the Messianic kingdom was near. His message centered around the need for repentance. John said, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matt. 3:1-12). Many Israelites had become self-righteous and self-satisfied. True religion had become a lost art. Calling the people of God to repentance, he affirmed the necessity of experiencing a change of heart followed by a change of life (Luke 3:1-18). Matthew 3:1-12 (NASB95) 1 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight! 4 Now John himself had a garment of camel s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; 6 and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, We have Abraham for our father ; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 10 The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is 4

5 in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Luke 3:1-18 (NASB95) 1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, 2 in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. 3 And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight. 5 Every ravine will be filled, And every mountain and hill will be brought low; The crooked will become straight, And the rough roads smooth; 6 And all flesh will see the salvation of God. 7 So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, We have Abraham for our father, for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 9 Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 10 And the crowds were questioning him, saying, Then what shall we do? 11 And he would answer and say to them, The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise. 12 And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, Teacher, what shall we do? 13 And he said to them, Collect no more than what you have been ordered to. 14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, And what about us, what shall we do? And he said to them, Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages. 15 Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ, 16 John answered and said to them all, As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. 18 So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people. Repentance is necessary if we are to please God (Luke 13:3; Acts 3:19). What is repentance? It is a change of heart, preceded by godly sorrow and followed by a change of life (2 Cor. 7:10; Rom. 2:4). In other words, we must change our minds about sin. Determining to walk in it no longer, we happily yield our lives to the Lord. Luke 13:3 (NASB95) 3 I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Acts 3:19 (NASB95) 19 Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 5

6 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NASB95) 10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. Romans 2:4 (NASB95) 4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? John administered the baptism of repentance unto those who were receptive to his message. Men and women who yielded to this commandment renounced their past sinful lives and found forgiveness and cleansing. They also pledged their loyalty to the kingdom of the Messiah. A great multitude were receptive to his message, nevertheless, some rejected his preaching. In particular, the Pharisees and the Sadducees were stubbornly disobedient. Trusting in their manmade traditions, they resisted the teachings of both John and Jesus. Jesus was baptized by John before beginning His ministry (Matt. 3:13-17). It was not that Jesus needed forgiveness. Our Lord was pure and sinless. Rather, this was done in order to fulfill all righteousness. In being baptized, Jesus submitted to the Father s will, evidencing a spirit of obedience, formally consecrating His life to God. Matthew 3:13-17 (NASB95) 13 Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me? 15 But Jesus answering said to him, Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he permitted Him. 16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased. John pointed men unto Jesus (John 1:29), but his special ministry came to an end with our Lord s baptism. After the Messiah had come, there was no further need for a herald. Still, John and his disciples continued for some time to baptize individuals even after the beginning of Jesus ministry (John 3:23; 4:1). In addition to preaching on the need for repentance, he also taught his followers about specific duties such as fasting (Matthew 9:14; Luke 5:33) and prayer (Luke 11:1). John 1:29 (NASB95) 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 3:23 (NASB95) 23 John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and people were coming and were being baptized John 4:1 (NASB95) 1 Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John Matthew 9:14 (NASB95) 14 Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast? 6

7 Luke 5:33 (NASB95) 33 And they said to Him, The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same, but Yours eat and drink. Luke 11:1 (NASB95) 1 It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples. His View of Himself The Baptizer had a proper sense of his own position and work (John 3:22-30). He had no illusions about himself, and sought no personal glory. Neither did he try to extend his ministry beyond its divine allotment. When the time came, he yielded to the Messiah. John 3:22-30 (NASB95) 22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He was spending time with them and baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and people were coming and were being baptized 24 for John had not yet been thrown into prison. 25 Therefore there arose a discussion on the part of John s disciples with a Jew about purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him. 27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, I am not the Christ, but, I have been sent ahead of Him. 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. Some do not evidence proper recognition of their position. John understood his role and was faithful to his calling. We must do the same. Instead of viewing ourselves as servants, we begin seeking glory and honor. Let us never forget that we are mere bondservants of the Lord, whose primary duty is to obey the Master s will (Luke 17:10; cf. Phil. 3:7-11). Luke 17:10 (NASB95) 10 So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done. Philippians 3:7-11 (NASB95) 7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 7

8 His Courage John was fearless in his proclaimation of the truth. He sternly rebuked the sinful relationship of Herod and Herodias, and this eventually led to his imprisonment and subsequent death (Matt. 14:3-12; Mark 6:17-19; Luke 3:19-20). Avoiding the temptation of being men-pleasers, let us learn to not compromise our faith (Matt. 10:28; Gal. 1:10; 2 Tim. 4:1-5). Matthew 14:3-12 (NASB95) 3 For when Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. 4 For John had been saying to him, It is not lawful for you to have her. 5 Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded John as a prophet. 6 But when Herod s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod, 7 so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Having been prompted by her mother, she said, Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist. 9 Although he was grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oaths, and because of his dinner guests. 10 He sent and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 His disciples came and took away the body and buried it; and they went and reported to Jesus. Mark 6:17-19 (NASB95) 17 For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, It is not lawful for you to have your brother s wife. 19 Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so; Luke 3:19-20 (NASB95) 19 But when Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him because of Herodias, his brother s wife, and because of all the wicked things which Herod had done, 20 Herod also added this to them all: he locked John up in prison. Matthew 10:28 (NASB95) 28 Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Galatians 1:10 (NASB95) 10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. 2 Timothy 4:1-5 (NASB95) 1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 8

9 His Doubts While in prison, John began to have doubts, so he sent and asked if Jesus was indeed the Messiah (Matt. 11:2-6). Recall that John had already testified to this fact (John 1:6-8, 29-34). He knew in his mind, but he doubted in his heart. Our Lord answered John s question in a round-about manner. He reminded him of the nature of Christian faith, which is not subjective, but is based upon evidence. The miracles Jesus performed could not be denied. They confirmed the fact that he was the Christ, the Son of God (Heb. 2:3-4). Jesus said, Consider the evidence, John, and draw the inescapable conclusion. Matthew 11:2-6 (NASB95) 2 Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to Him, Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else? 4 Jesus answered and said to them, Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me. John 1:6-8 (NASB95) 6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. John 1:29-34 (NASB95) 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He on behalf of whom I said, After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me. 31 I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water. 32 John testified saying, I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit. 34 I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God. Hebrews 2:3-4 (NASB95) 3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. His Character The Bible holds John the Baptist in high esteem. Jesus said that John bare witness unto the truth. Furthermore, he was a burning and a shining light (John 5:33-35). In like manner, we must let our lights shine before men in such a way that they may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven (Matt. 5:14-16). Consider also the praise of Jesus in Matthew 11:7-11. John 5:33-35 (NASB95) 33 You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. 34 But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you 9

10 may be saved. 35 He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. Matthew 5:14-16 (NASB95) 14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 11:7-11 (NASB95) 7 As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings palaces! 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written, Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way before You. 11 Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. His Relationship to the Church Did John start the church as many Baptists affirm? Some insist on elevating certain Bible characters above their true roles. While Peter was an apostle, he was not the first pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Similarly, there is misunderstanding regarding the place and work of John the Baptist. The Old Testament prophets foreshadowed his work, picturing him as a fore-runner, one who prepared the way for the Messiah. Jesus, not John, established the church (Matt. 16:16-18). John was not a citizen of the kingdom which he foresaw (Luke 7:24-28). He lived under the Old Covenant and died before the kingdom was established (Heb. 9:15-17). Matthew 16:16-18 (NASB95) 16 Simon Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. Luke 7:24-28 (NASB95) 24 When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John, What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces! 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written, Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way before You. 28 I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. 10

11 Hebrews 9:15-17 (NASB95) 15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. 17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. John was not a Baptist, but the Baptist, i.e., the immerser. His baptism was only temporary, and was subsequently replaced by Christian baptism (Acts 19:1-7; cf. Eph. 4:4-6). In contrast, the baptism of Christ is now required of all mankind (Matt. 28:18-20). It is for remission of sins (Acts 2:38). It provides admission into the church, i.e., the kingdom (1 Cor. 12:13). It puts one in contact with the blood of Christ, and the salvation He affords (Rom. 6:3-6; Gal. 3:26-29). Acts 19:1-7 (NASB95) 1 It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. 2 He said to them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? And they said to him, No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit. 3 And he said, Into what then were you baptized? And they said, Into John s baptism. 4 Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. 7 There were in all about twelve men. Ephesians 4:4-6 (NASB95) 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. Matthew 28:18-20 (NASB95) 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Acts 2:38 (NASB95) 38 Peter said to them, Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 (NASB95) 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Romans 6:3-6 (NASB95) 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of 11

12 His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; Galatians 3:26-29 (NASB95) 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham s descendants, heirs according to promise. Conclusion John the Baptist deserves honor and praise for his faith and fidelity, courage and conviction, message and martyrdom. Like John, let us point the way to Jesus Christ, the Savior of all mankind. Like John, let us boldly preach the word. Like John, let us humbly yield to the Master s will. Sources: Tom Roberts, The Role of John The Baptist, Preach The Word, ed. Earl Robertson, (Fairmount, IN: GOT Foundation), p Extensively modified and revised. 12