What happened to John the Baptist?
Luke the man, the physician • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 6 viewsThe beginning of His ministry
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What happened to John the Baptist? I realize that’s a leading question because most of us know but I’m going to suggest God’s sovereignty gives room for allowing choices in what we do when He calls us into ministry.
I do not believe it’s cut and dried, if so, we’d all be robots and we’re already seeing using AI to make us hybrids!!
Elon Musk has successfully implanted Neuralink, a coin-sized implant with ultra-thin wires that are threaded into the brain with the purpose of potentially restoring movement in paralyzed individuals, aiding the blind, and even impacting mental health. Yet we all know what it’s actually leading to. But Luke is writing a dear friend named Theophilus. Luke’s gospel is one of three synoptic gospels along with. Matthew, and Mark. Synoptic means they have a similar content and order yet they come from different vantage points. We’ve already read some unique testimonies found only in Luke’s gospel concerning John’s prophetic birth as forerunner to the Jewish Messiah and Mary’s witness of her sister Elizabeth, the census to Bethlehem, the visitation of the shepherds, the circumcision ceremonies of John [God has graciously given] and Yeshua meaning [God is salvation]. Both names were not chosen by the parents but given by the angel Gabriel sent by YHWH to give them the message that the power and spirit of Elijah was coming as the forerunner to the Jewish Messiah.
“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of Yahweh. “And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land, devoting it to destruction.”
While many understand that the scripture referred to two comings. They didn’t realize it would be the same Messiah! 1] as the suffering servant, 2] as the Conquering King. So John came in the spirit and power of Elijah but the actual Elijah will come before Jesus returns physically to earth. Perhaps He is one of the two witnesses in Revelation 11. And all because of John, the mission was fulfilled in Christ, thus we are are able to receive our new birth through the Holy Spirit who operates in the believer today. As Paul said in:
Or do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
So we left off with both John and Jesus being 12 years old. Fast forward 18 years. It’s likely John’s parents died within this time frame and as a young man John may have joined with the Essene community.
Keep in mind, Essenes were a splinter group of the Pharisees who they felt sold out to power so the Essenes got even more radical living in the desert completely isolated from society.
When we visited Israel, we looked at the ancient ruins in Qumran where some lived in a community near the caves where the dead sea scrolls were discovered. Keep in mind in Luke 1.80 it states where he may have grown up.
And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the desolate regions until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
No doubt, as long as his father Zechariah lived, he reminded John constantly that he had a purpose for God - TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN! Referring to a spiritual restoration of family relationships in the Jewish community and finally.... that day has come.
1-2 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, [Antipas] and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Itoo-rea and Treko-nitis, and Ly-sane-yus was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.
So this list of leaders gives us a general idea that it happened somewhere between 26-29 A.D. Tiberius succeeded Augustus as sole emperor in 14 A.D. but he had been a joint emperor for two years prior. So Luke's reference could be counting from the start of this joint rule, which would place the fifteenth year in A.D. 26-27
Pontius Pilate was appointed as governor over Israel from 26-36 A.D. He was part of Rome's strategy to maintain direct control over Judea, to maintain peace, collect taxes, and manage the threat of Jewish revolts which were constant. Groups like the zealots were waiting for another Judas Maccabees to rise up. Simon, the zealot probably thought Yeshua was that man because he followed Him.
Herod the great was corrupt like most but oddly his father was the one who converted him to Judaism, making Herod a Jew by conversion. But with all his faults, he was an amazing stonemason and was indeed a prolific builder who restored and expanded not only the second temple in Jerusalem
The incredible palace in Masada, and
The Caesarea Mara-teema seaport. Incredible stone work!
Matthew 2 tells us when the Magi found little Yeshua, he was not a baby as we often see at the Nativity scenes but a child around 2 years of age. We’re not even sure if it was three Kings, we only know that there were three gifts! But years earlier Herod the Great, the father of these tetrarchs, wanted to kill the Messiah because he was the appointed King of the Jews at the time, and wanted to have Yeshua killed and you recall Herod was enraged when the wise men didn’t return to him and he had soldiers go and slay all male children “under the age of two” which is why the angel of the Lord warned Joseph and Mary to flee to Egypt and they remained there until King Herod’s death in 4 BC.
So now about 28 years later, Herod’s three sons are tetrarchs meaning a 1/4 part. Herod Antipas ruled in Galilee and later has John the Baptist killed and sadly Antipas liked John’s preaching.
Herod Phillip was just south of Syria,
Ly-sane-yus of Abilene and Salome, Herod's sister, was not a tetrarch but she was given Ashdod [beachfront property] or much of Gaza today as part of her brother’s will!
But why two high priests?
Annas served as high priest from AD 6-15 before being removed by the Romans and replaced with Caiaphas, his son in-law officially appointed as high priest. However Annas remained influential as the legitimate high priest. By this time, it was no longer a “holy priesthood” but a political position of wealth and power in every sense of the word!
So here comes a 30 year old John finally doing what he was meant to do.
Verse 3
And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;
John's baptism was the first stage of Israel’s repentance back to YHWH. And just as his father Zechariah was told by the angel Gabriel, John’s call was to prepare the way of the Lord. Thus John’s baptism is different than ours today. It was repenting and looking forward to the arrival of Messiah while our Christian baptism today is associated with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit. But imagine being the very voice Isaiah spoke of!
Verses 4-6 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, [Is 42]
“THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT. ‘EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED, AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE BROUGHT LOW; THE CROOKED WILL BE STRAIGHT AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH. AND ALL FLESH WILL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD.’”
So John is boldly preaching and the people are reacting with repentant hearts. And as word spread to Jerusalem, Matthew 3:7 says it was the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to see what was going on with the crazy Baptist so while Luke generalizes John’s message to the crowd, he’s probably looking at the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Verses 7-9
So he was saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, [you snakes!] who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? {key word is wrath because it refers to the Day of the Lord -[so John is thinking the Millennial kingdom is coming].“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. “But indeed 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.” [Jesus will offer the same kind of rebuke as the multitudes praised Him at the triumphal entry in Luke 19:39-40
And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But Jesus answered and said, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would cry out!!
John doesn’t mince words! You see, these religious men thought they were “heaven bound” just by being related to Abraham. It’s the same argument Jesus will have with them in John 8:33-40 as well as Paul in Romans 9. These religious men thought they were “heaven bound” just by being related to Abraham. And many go to churches today assuming as long as they move up the church hierarchy, do good deeds, give to their church, and to charity at public events they are earning their way to heaven. But John said “bear fruits in keeping with repentance”. Same applies to us. Our walk for God begins with godly sorrow leading to “repentance” not to be regretted! 2 Cor 7:10
Yet to those who wanted to respond, listen to what he says: Verse 10-11
And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “Then what should we do?” 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.”
What are the fruits of repentance? John offers three actions but please notice that it’s not a cookie cutter answer. It’s different for evrybody.
1] Share with others - don’t be selfish with clothing or food.
Verse 12-13
And tax collectors also came to be baptized, & they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.”
2] Be honest with your job.
Now tax collectors were hated by everyone and for good reason! They were notorious for corruption and abuse. Tax collectors could take advantage of people who owed taxes and ask for more than the government required with threats of jail or flagellation if they didn’t pay up! This kind of thing has become a standard for centuries. The threat may not be a whipping but false charges where you are forced to pay up or go bankrupt! Just like USAid today which has provided ample opportunities for undercover fraud and extortion using our tax dollars in the millions or even billions to get grants or donate to scam charities globally and get a kick back.
Verse 14
And soldiers were also questioning him, saying, “What should we also do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or extort anyone, and be content with your wages.”
So to the common people, share with others, to the tax collectors, be honest collecting no more than required and #3] Don’t abuse your power.
These Roman soldiers lived under brutal schedules and gave up their youth to serve in the military up to 20 years in hopes of freedom and land to retire on. Soldiers earned 225 denarii or $9000 annually which was pretty decent for the time, though they had to buy their own food and clothing!
Yet when conquering a city, they could loot, rape, and slaughter civilians, they could tap any person on the shoulder with their sword and command them to carry his effects for a mile, they could intimidate people to extort money by force or threats. In other words, they could intimidate people with the sword! So John says "the fruit of true repentance is not abusing your power”!
So the fruits of true repentance may apply differently to you. Romans 12:9-17 is a good list to run through to see what applies for you.
Verse 15
Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were reasoning in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ,
You recall the wise men searching for the King of the Jews? How did they know about the sign, that the King of the Jews was born by seeing the star in the east? I can only think that Daniel was faithful to leave many scrolls of the Torah behind such as Numbers 24:17
“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, a scepter [sign of a king’s authority] shall rise from Israel...
At this time, many Jews who also studied these prophecies were anticipating a messiah to liberate them from the Roman oppressors and establish God's kingdom. And John was one of those who thought the millennial kingdom was on the horizon but “not like they thought!”
Christ’s first coming would disappoint them when He died on a cross and even after His resurrection, his own disciples assumed God’s kingdom was arriving but Jesus said “not yet”.
Many of us are in that same state of expectation since the rebirth of Israel in 1948, and we’ve had many predictions but so far we see the signs as they did, perhaps not as we may think. But everyone is assuming John must be the Messiah and he has to say “let me stop you right there”.
Verse 16-18
John answered, saying 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 strap of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. “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.” So with many other exhortations he proclaimed the gospel to the people.
John uses very clear metaphors between Messiah and himself. Whatever reason at this time, John was no doubt following his father’s advice and may be unaware that his cousin Josh is the promised One or maybe He’s just holding off for the right time to say something. Scripture doesn’t say. But I’m going to suggest something as we read verses 19-20
But when Herod [Antipas] the tetrarch was reproved by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the wicked things which Herod had done, Herod also added this to them all: he locked John up in prison.
It’s interesting that Luke mentions this before the baptism of Jesus even though it happened much later. Let’s finish with verses 21-22
Now it happened that when all the people were being baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, [doesn’t say an actual dove but “like a dove” - a symbol of the Holy Spirit - Gen 8:11-12] and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
So we have God the Holy Spirit coming upon God the Son and God the Father affirming pleasure in His Son at the beginning of His ministry. And God the Father will say it again at His transfiguration.
But the chapter ends with Jesus at age 30 and verse 23 as the “supposed” son of Joseph and a genealogy that goes all the way back to Abraham, Noah, and Adam “son of God”. Matthew's genealogy begins with Abraham and moves forward. Matthew emphasizes Yeshua’s Jewish heritage while Luke's focus is on the humanity of Jesus, as the Son of Man. And Savior of humanity as the last Adam, son of God. As Paul wrote in 1 Cor 15:45
So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
Next week I want to investigate how John ended up in prison and ask why Jesus did nothing to get him out even though they were family.
Was this God’s destiny for John to die in prison and be beheaded?
It’s something I always wondered about and I think we have enough information given by the other gospel writers to answer the question.
So read ahead these passages this week and see what you can come up with.
These should be in chronological order
Matthew 3.13-17 - Baptism of Jesus - John’s moment of glory
John 1.29-36 - John comments after baptizing Jesus -
John 3:22-36 - John’s final witness
Mark 6.17 - John’s arrest.
Matthew 11.1-15 - John’s disillusion, His offense and defense.
Matthew 14:1-13 - John’s demise, was it meant to be?
We can leave this up after service so you can take a picture
Let’s pray and ask the worship team to come up so we can have Communion
