John the Baptist
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· 4 viewsThe forerunner of Jesus Christ, born to elderly parents of the Aaronic line. His public ministry began in the Judean wilderness with a call to repentance and baptism. His ministry is seen as a fulfilment of OT prophecy, in preparation for the ministry of Jesus Christ. He was executed by Herod.
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John’s birth and early years
John’s birth and early years
His birth and naming
His birth and naming
Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, “No; he is to be called John.”
See also Lk 1:5–13; Lk 1:61–66
Prophetic words over his life
Prophetic words over his life
You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
See also Lk 1:76–79
He was related to Jesus Christ
He was related to Jesus Christ
And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.
His early years
His early years
The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.
John’s ministry
John’s ministry
His simple lifestyle
His simple lifestyle
Mt 3:4; Mt 11:18; Lk 7:24–25
His call for repentance
His call for repentance
He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
He fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy
He fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy
Mt 3:3 Just as roads were improved in the ancient world in preparation for the visit of a king, so John calls for people to prepare spiritually and morally for the imminent coming of the Messiah.
See also Is 40:3; Jn 1:23
His practice of baptism
His practice of baptism
so John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And the whole Judean region and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins.
See also Jn 3:23; Jn 10:40
His challenge to established religion
His challenge to established religion
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore, bear fruit worthy of repentance, and do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
See also Lk 3:10–14
The contrast of his own baptism with that which the Messiah would bring
The contrast of his own baptism with that which the Messiah would bring
As the people were filled with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
His testimony to Jesus Christ
His testimony to Jesus Christ
(John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ ”)
See also Jn 1:6–8; Jn 1:21–27; Jn 10:41
He recognises that his own ministry must decrease, while that of Jesus Christ will increase
He recognises that his own ministry must decrease, while that of Jesus Christ will increase
John answered, “No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.”
John’s baptising of Jesus Christ
John’s baptising of Jesus Christ
Mt 3:13–15 John’s reluctance to baptise Jesus Christ lay in his recognition of who Jesus was and the apparent inappropriateness of such a baptism; Jn 1:29–34
John and his disciples
John and his disciples
John had disciples
John had disciples
Jn 1:35–37; Jn 3:25; Jn 4:1
He taught them to pray
He taught them to pray
He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”
His disciples become envious of Jesus Christ
His disciples become envious of Jesus Christ
Now a discussion about purification arose between John’s disciples and a Jew. They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”
He sends his disciples to question Jesus Christ
He sends his disciples to question Jesus Christ
Mt 11:2–6 Locked up in prison, John needed reassurance that his expectations about Jesus Christ had been well-founded.
John’s disciples and the first Christians
John’s disciples and the first Christians
Now there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos from Alexandria. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord, and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately. And when he wished to cross over to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. On his arrival he greatly helped those who through grace had become believers, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Messiah is Jesus.
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They replied, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” Then he said, “Into what, then, were you baptized?” They answered, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied, altogether there were about twelve of them.
John’s imprisonment and death
John’s imprisonment and death
His confrontation with Herod leads to his imprisonment
His confrontation with Herod leads to his imprisonment
But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, added to them all by shutting up John in prison.
See also Mt 14:3–5
His execution
His execution
But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and she pleased Herod so much that he promised on oath to grant her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” The king was grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he commanded it to be given; he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother. His disciples came and took the body and buried him; then they went and told Jesus.
Some thought Jesus Christ to be John risen from the dead
Some thought Jesus Christ to be John risen from the dead
Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
See also Mt 14:1–2
Jesus Christ’s estimation of John
Jesus Christ’s estimation of John
Jesus Christ honours him
Jesus Christ honours him
“Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Jesus Christ sees him as marking the end of the old covenant and the arrival of the kingdom
Jesus Christ sees him as marking the end of the old covenant and the arrival of the kingdom
“The Law and the Prophets were until John came; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is being proclaimed, and everyone tries to enter it by force.
See also Mt 11:12–13
Jesus Christ sees him as the promised Elijah
Jesus Christ sees him as the promised Elijah
Mt 11:14 On the basis of Malachi’s prophecy (Mal 4:5), it was widely accepted that Elijah must come before the Messiah could appear. This identification would have been reinforced by John dressing like Elijah (see 2Ki 1:8).
See also Mt 11:10; Mal 3:1; Mt 17:11–13