Sermon #1145 John the Immerser Although the Old Testament presents God s love for mankind, God s patience with His people, and the triumphs of men and women of faith, the Scriptures present this period, primarily, as a disappointing era; the Jews fell far short of their covenant obligations. Malachi fills the final Old Testament book with correction in about 420 B.C., yet anticipation remains high that better days will come. Malachi 3:1, Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple. These words clearly point to a new day inaugurated by the coming of the Lord s Messenger. The Spirit provides more information on this mysterious messenger in Malachi 4:5, Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. This prophecy perplexed the people. Some Jews eagerly anticipated the return of the prophet Elijah. But did these words indicate that the prophet translated from earth to heaven in a whirlwind would come back in the flesh? Another prophecy in Isaiah 40:3-5 intersects with Malachi s words, The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed..." What connection, if any, do these prophecies have to do with John the Baptist? We will let the Bible Speak, after our song When you familiarize yourself with the message and methods of Elijah, you see why the Jews eagerly awaited his return. Although the New Testament mentions Elijah s name nearly thirty times, he appeared only briefly at the Mount of Transfiguration independent of these prophecies. Rumors spread that Elijah had returned as John the Baptist. John, incidentally, means "Jehovah is a gracious giver." John was a baptist only in the sense that he immersed people. John did not live in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and did not form, nor was he part, of any church. He lived and died under the Law of Moses, passing away years before anyone became a Christian. The Jews sent priests and Levites to ask John about his identity. John 1:20-21, He confessed I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Are you Elijah? He said, I am not. Are you the Prophet? And he answered, No. His name was not Elijah; neither was he the prophet who lived by that name nine centuries earlier. John also denied being the prophet Moses said would come in Deuteronomy 18:15-18. Dissatisfied with these denials and seeking more information to take back to their superiors, the Jews probed further in John 1:22, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" Here, in John 1:23, John the Immerser admitted being the fulfillment of Isaiah s prophecy,"i am The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the LORD,' as the prophet Isaiah said." Stunned by this claim and grasping to understand its significance, the Jews ask in John 1:25, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" John then deflected attention away from himself and towards Jesus (John 1:26-27), "I baptize with water, but there stands One 1
John the Immerser by Brett Hickey, sermon #1145 2 of 5 among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." John fulfilled Isaiah s prophecy, but denied being Elijah, so when does Elijah return? In Matthew 16:14, some saw Jesus as the second coming of Elijah. When Jesus later speaks of His resurrection, it triggers the disciples to ask in Matthew 17:10-12, Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? Jesus answered and said to them, Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands. Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist. The angel verified this when he spoke to Zechariah before John s birth in Luke 1:17, He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah God s plan never called for literal Elijah to return but for John who, as J. W. McGarvey puts it, showed the spirit of Elijah in his ascetic dress and life (2 Kings 1:8; Matthew 3:4) and in his message of repentance (1 Kings 18:21-40). The angel Gabriel announces to Zacharias a priest terrified by the sight--that he and his godly wife Elizabeth, well advanced in years, would finally have their prayer granted (Luke 1:7,13): Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. Imagine the priest s jubilation as the angel detailed his son s significance (Luke 1:14-16), And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. Upon John s birth, Zacharias, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied in Luke 1:76-77: "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins..." Luke then adds, So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel (Luke 1:80). Burton Coffman says the desert refers to the desolate and forbidding wastelands south of Jericho and along by the Dead Sea. Others call it a barren region of rugged hills and valleys. John Lightfoot writes on the day of his manifestation to Israel : John was unquestionably a priest by birth [both his parents came from priestly lineage]; and being arrived at the thirtieth year of his age, according to the custom of that nation, he was, after examination of the great council, to have been admitted into the priestly office, but that God had commissioned him another way. " The priest in whom any blemish was found, being clothed and veiled in black, went out and was dismissed: but if he had no blemish, he was clothed and veiled in white, and going in ministered, and gave his attendance with the rest of the priests his brethren..." Instead of finding John the Baptist in white or black, we read John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist : Jesus says in Matthew 11:18, John came neither eating nor drinking Obviously, he did not abstain from all food and drink, but, rather, lived a simple life of self-denial. He was no politician, nor the life of the party. Were we to see John, we might think by his appearance and diet that he was a homeless man; that did not tell the whole story. 2
John the Immerser by Brett Hickey, sermon #1145 3 of 5 In Matthew 11:7-9, Jesus tells the people, What did you expect to find in the wilderness? A wishywashy, bending any way the wind blows, softy? Don t expect to find a man living off the land wearing designer clothes. Jim Hickey writes, Ancient historians say that when eastern monarchs made plans for an important expedition, they sent harbingers or heralds ahead of their armies, with orders to provide supplies, make bridges, find the best fording places over streams, level hills, construct causeways, cut down forests, and do whatever else needed to be done to facilitate the most convenient journey. In a similar way, John the Immerser s crucial mission centered on preparing the way for Christ. John s message impresses. His preaching was not set apart by great length, eloquence, or impressive vocabulary, but by clarity and simplicity; you did not misunderstand this man. John was a common man s man. Listen to Matthew 3:1-2, In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! " John did not change or abrogate the existing laws or institutions; neither did he usher in the new covenant, but he insisted his audience prepare for the soon coming kingdom. Jesus added in Mark 9:1 that some would see the kingdom come in their lifetime. Sadly, some still look for the kingdom -- a search unsupported by Scripture. The Apostle John said he was in the kingdom (Revelation 1:9); the apostle Paul also said we have been translated into the kingdom (Colossians 1:13). The baptism John preached demanded repentance -- a change of mind and it provided the amazing blessing of the remission or forgiveness of sins. Mark 1:4, John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. John didn t have to go to the people; the people came to him-- and by the droves. John ignited a regional revival. The people acknowledged the truth of his message by obedience. Matthew 3:5-6, Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. Even the chief priest and elders hostile to Jesus preaching recognized that all count John a prophet and dared not deny the divine authority of John s baptism (Matthew 21:23-27). The Bible teaches in Luke 7:29-30 that when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him. Joseph Thayer, in his Lexicon, explains the meaning of justified God in this context: by receiving the baptism [they] declared that it had been prescribed by God rightly. Even before Jesus death, and thus, before the church existed, one s response to baptism set a critical precedent. To reject baptism meant one rejected God s will. The Greek word translated baptize means to dip, plunge, or immerse in water. In John 3:23, we find John baptized at Aenon because there was much water there. When you insert sprinkling in the place of baptism you end up with nonsense. More on this in a future message. We never read of John baptizing babies because they could not repent of sins they had not committed; they could not speak nor could they comprehend disobedience. While Scripture plainly teaches in Luke 3:3 that John baptized for the remission of sins just as Peter and the apostles did in Acts 2:38, sadly some today deny it. We address this issue more fully in future weeks also. Acts 22:16; Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21 The masses regarded John as a great prophet (Matthew 3:5; 21:23-27) even before Jesus said among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist (Matthew 3
John the Immerser by Brett Hickey, sermon #1145 4 of 5 11:11). That s why so many from all over came to be baptized by him. John performed no signs or miracles (John 10:41), but because Jesus endorsed John, Jesus miracles confirmed the authenticity of John s work. When we understand John s significance and hear him say in Mark 1:7, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose, we know Jesus must be the Son of God (John 1:34)! When you believed in one, you believed in the other. John the Baptist embraced his place. The apostle John writes of him in John 1:7-8, This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. Despite being a great prophet six months older than Jesus, John did not compete with Jesus, but focused on validating and facilitating Jesus mission. When Jesus came to John to be baptized (Matthew 3:14-15), John tried to prevent Him, saying, I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me? But Jesus answered and said to him, Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he allowed Him. Why the hesitation? John s baptism was one of repentance for the remission of sins. John knew Jesus -- a lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:19)-- had no sins. John the Baptist has the crowd eating out of his hand, yet he does not put himself forward. Instead, when John sees Jesus he declares "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29) His audience associated animal sacrifices with sin removal, but John applied this image to a two-legged lamb and extended the potential for forgiveness to the whole word. Then, lest any miss it, John added in John 1:34, And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God." John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). He was no politician; he did not seek to please men, but God. If that meant standing alone, he embraced it; if that meant prison, very well; if that meant a violent death, so be it. John had an opportunity to ingratiate himself with the Jewish upper class, but instead, when the Pharisees and Sadducees came to his baptism, he took them to the woodshed (Matthew 3:7-10), Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father. For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Vipers, wrath, repent, ax to the tree root, fire. Earthly rulers did not intimidate him either. Herod imprisoned John on his wife, Herodias account (Mark 6:18), Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." It is easy to get lost in Herod the Great s family tree! Untangling the web made up of Herod the Great s descendants is no easy task. Herodias marriage was twice unlawful; both of her husbands were her uncles. They put a new spin on keeping it in the family. Herodias was Herod the Great s granddaughter; Philip and Herod (her husbands ) were Herod the Great s son, and so, brothers. Now, if one s brother died, he may be obligated to marry his brother s widow BUT it was against God s law to marry a sister-in-law while your brother lived (Leviticus 20:21). John preaching against Herodias unscriptural marriage infuriated her. She sought to kill John, but since Herod respected John as a man of God and enjoyed his preaching, he protected John. Unfortunately, at a big feast on Herod s birthday, Herodias' daughter performed a dance that so pleased Herod that he offered to give her whatever she wanted-up to half of his kingdom. With the offer 4
John the Immerser by Brett Hickey, sermon #1145 5 of 5 of great riches and power within her grasp, her mother, Herodias, persuaded her to ask instead for "The head of John the Baptist!" The King hated to do this but felt obligated in front of all the witnesses. And so, Herod ordered the executioner to fulfill the request. Mark 6:28, He brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. What hideous ungodliness! We know, however, that this first century Jezebel no more defeated John the Baptist than did the original Jezebel triumph over Elijah. Will close with what, at first glance, must be the most enigmatic statement Jesus made about John. Matthew 11:11, 13, "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 13For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. Quite a compliment! Excluding Jesus Himself, no man was greater than John. While Jesus and John were alive, they both preached that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. As close as John was to the kingdom, he died before it came. Speaking of events to take place on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, Jesus taught in Matthew 16:18-19, And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Although no man was greater than John, Jesus said those later added to the Kingdom Christ, were greater than John. You can share in that special privilege today! Jesus said in John 3:5, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Won t you be added to the kingdom, the church of Jesus Christ today! Stay with us after our song Thank you for watching Let the Bible Speak. Please contact us for a free transcript, CD, or DVD of this message, 1145, John the Immerser. Watch videos, hear audio, or read transcripts of over 400 messages at LetTheBibleSpeak.com. Do us a favor and visit, like, and share the Let the Bible Speak Facebook page. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to view the weekly message at your convenience. We say with the apostle Paul in Romans 16:16, the churches of Christ salute you. Until next week, goodbye and may God bless you. Are you searching for the truth of God's word and have a sincere desire to learn about the Bible? Do you want to know what the Bible says about salvation and about Christ and His church? If you are looking for Bible Founded discussion on these topics and many others, then please accept this invitation to explore "Let the Bible Speak" and then contact us for additional studies. We are members of the church of Christ as found in the New Testament. We are not members of a denomination or earthly religious organization. We are a brotherhood of believers, joined by a common bond, Jesus Christ. We try to live and worship following the patterns found in the New Testament. (For manuscripts of other sermons visit: www.letthebiblespeak.com) COPYRIGHT Let The Bible Speak. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. IMPORTANT COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Express permission is granted to distribute any video, audio, or transcript of any broadcast message as long as the material is: unedited and attribution is given to Let The Bible Speak; a hyperlink to LetTheBibleSpeak.com is included for electronic distribution; a text reference is included to www.letthebiblespeak.com for printed distribution; and the original author receives attribution. An irrevocable, world-wide, royalty free license for distribution is granted as long as such distribution has the intent of: supporting the truth as presented; giving glory and honor to God; and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. 5