John the Baptist
John the Baptist
Old Testament Expectations
Isaiah 40:1-5 Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:2-3,
1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
Malachi 3:1-5 Matt 11:10, Luke 1:76
1 "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years. 5 "So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the LORD Almighty.
Malachi 4:5-6 Matt 11:14, 17:12-13, Mark 9:13, Luke 1:17, 76
5 "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."
The Story of His Birth/Childhood
Luke 1:13-17, 41, 57-63, 67, 76-80
13But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. 16Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
57When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. 59On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John." 61They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name." 62Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John."
67His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied…76And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, 77to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, 78because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 79to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." 80And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.
His Lifestyle
He was a joy & delight to his parents (Luke 1:14)
He never drank wine or fermented drink (Luke 1:14)
He grew & became strong in spirit (Luke 1:80)
He lived in the desert (Matthew 3:1, 11:7, Mark 1:4, Luke 1:80, 3:2)
His wardrobe was camel’s hair & a leather belt (Matthew 3:4, Mark 1:6)
He ate locusts & wild honey (Matthew 3:4, Mark 1:6)
His Preaching
* Remember, John preached in the wilderness. His ministry was an anti-type of the Exodus. He was preparing the way for the Promised Land.
Repent! Be baptized (Matthew 3:6)
Repent! Judgment is coming (Matthew 3:7+10)
Repent! Real Repentance (Matthew 3:8)
Repent! Lineage doesn’t matter (Matthew 3:9)
Repent! Live righteously (Luke 3:10-14)
Repent! The Lamb of God (John 1:29)
Extra Biblical Sources
Josephus
“But to some of the Jews, Herod’s disaster seemed to be divine vengeance for is treatment of John, surnamed the Baptist. Although John was a good man and exhorted the Jews to lead righteous lives and practice justice toward their colleagues and piety to God, Herod had put him to death. John taught that baptism must not be employed to obtain pardon for sins committed, but as a consecration of the body, implying that the soul was already purified by proper behavior. When others also joined the crowds around John and were greatly aroused by his preaching, Herod grew alarmed that such eloquence could lead to rebellion. Therefore, he decided that it would be better to strike first and get rid of him, rather than wait for an uprising.”
Early Church Fathers
“John was a prophet among your nation. After him, no other prophet appeared among you.” (Justin Martyr)
“The blessed John, despising the locks of sheep as savoring of luxury, chose camel’s hair, and was clad in it. So he became an example of frugality and simplicity of life.” (Clement of Alexanderia)
“It was on account of the spirit that he was called ‘Elijah who was to come.’ (Origen)
Hallmarks of His Humility
Recognized the true source of power (“more powerful than I” Matt 3:11-12)
Recognized that it takes God to change people (“better baptism” Matt 3:11-15)
Recognized he was merely a witnesses (“only a witness to the light” John 1:6-8)
Recognized what he was not (“I am not…” John 1:20-21)
Recognized he was unworthy (“not worthy to…” John 1:27)
Recognized Who deserved the glory (“He must increase” (John 3:26-36)
“A true mark of humility is not so much how you handle compliments, but how you handle not being complemented for a job well done.”
The Decreasing Ministry of John
He continued to minister even after Jesus’ ministry began (John 3:23-35)
He was imprisoned for rebuking Herod (Luke 3:19-20, Mark 6:17-20)
He had doubts about Jesus (Matthew 11:1-6)
He was beheaded at the request of Herodias (Matthew 14:6-13)
He left as the end of the law & prophets (Luke 16:16) and more (Matt 11:7-15)
Old Testament Expectations
Isaiah 40:1-5 Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:2-3,
1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
Malachi 3:1-5 Matt 11:10, Luke 1:76
1 "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years. 5 "So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the LORD Almighty.
Malachi 4:5-6 Matt 11:14, 17:12-13, Mark 9:13, Luke 1:17, 76
5 "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."
The Story of His Birth/Childhood
Luke 1:13-17, 41, 57-63, 67, 76-80
13But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. 16Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
57When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. 59On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John." 61They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name." 62Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John."
67His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied…76And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, 77to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, 78because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 79to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." 80And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.
His Lifestyle
He was a joy & delight to his parents (Luke 1:14)
He never drank wine or fermented drink (Luke 1:14)
He grew & became strong in spirit (Luke 1:80)
He lived in the desert (Matthew 3:1, 11:7, Mark 1:4, Luke 1:80, 3:2)
His wardrobe was camel’s hair & a leather belt (Matthew 3:4, Mark 1:6)
He ate locusts & wild honey (Matthew 3:4, Mark 1:6)
His Preaching
* Remember, John preached in the wilderness. His ministry was an anti-type of the Exodus. He was preparing the way for the Promised Land.
Repent! Be baptized (Matthew 3:6)
Repent! Judgment is coming (Matthew 3:7+10)
Repent! Real Repentance (Matthew 3:8)
Repent! Lineage doesn’t matter (Matthew 3:9)
Repent! Live righteously (Luke 3:10-14)
Repent! The Lamb of God (John 1:29)
Extra Biblical Sources
Josephus
“But to some of the Jews, Herod’s disaster seemed to be divine vengeance for is treatment of John, surnamed the Baptist. Although John was a good man and exhorted the Jews to lead righteous lives and practice justice toward their colleagues and piety to God, Herod had put him to death. John taught that baptism must not be employed to obtain pardon for sins committed, but as a consecration of the body, implying that the soul was already purified by proper behavior. When others also joined the crowds around John and were greatly aroused by his preaching, Herod grew alarmed that such eloquence could lead to rebellion. Therefore, he decided that it would be better to strike first and get rid of him, rather than wait for an uprising.”
Early Church Fathers
“John was a prophet among your nation. After him, no other prophet appeared among you.” (Justin Martyr)
“The blessed John, despising the locks of sheep as savoring of luxury, chose camel’s hair, and was clad in it. So he became an example of frugality and simplicity of life.” (Clement of Alexanderia)
“It was on account of the spirit that he was called ‘Elijah who was to come.’ (Origen)
Hallmarks of His Humility
Recognized the true source of power (“more powerful than I” Matt 3:11-12)
Recognized that it takes God to change people (“better baptism” Matt 3:11-15)
Recognized he was merely a witnesses (“only a witness to the light” John 1:6-8)
Recognized what he was not (“I am not…” John 1:20-21)
Recognized he was unworthy (“not worthy to…” John 1:27)
Recognized Who deserved the glory (“He must increase” (John 3:26-36)
“A true mark of humility is not so much how you handle compliments, but how you handle not being complemented for a job well done.”
The Decreasing Ministry of John
He continued to minister even after Jesus’ ministry began (John 3:23-35)
He was imprisoned for rebuking Herod (Luke 3:19-20, Mark 6:17-20)
He had doubts about Jesus (Matthew 11:1-6)
He was beheaded at the request of Herodias (Matthew 14:6-13)
He left as the end of the law & prophets (Luke 16:16) and more (Matt 11:7-15)
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