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Great people of the Bible - John the Baptist
John the
Baptist–A Burning and Shining Light
In John the Baptist we have the only Bible character in this study
about whom nothing negative can be said. Our Lord himself testified
regarding him that he was a “burning and a shining light” (John
5:35). He also said, “Among them that are born of women there
hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist” (Mt 11:11).
If praise may be measured by the worth of the one speaking, then
no man ever received such high acclaim as did John the Baptist.
Life and Times of John the Baptist Early life: We have but partial accounts of him
in the Gospels. His father Zacharias was a priest and
his mother Elisabeth was of the daughters of Aaron (Lk
1:5); both were beyond normal child-bearing years. It is said
of them that “they were both righteous before God, walking
in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless” (Lk
1:6). As the forerunner of Christ, the mission of John
was the subject of prophecy (Mt 3:3; Isa 40:3; Mal 3:1). An angel
foretold his birth, which took place six months before that of
Jesus. Zacharias doubted what the angel told him regarding John’s
birth and was thus unable to speak for a time. When his son was
born and given the name John, his speech was restored to him
again (Lk 1:64). Our definite information concerning his youth
is summed up in the angelic prophecy, “Many shall rejoice
at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord,
and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be
filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb”(Lk
1:14-16). After this no more is recorded of him for thirty years
than what is mentioned in Luke 1:80 – “So the child
grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till
the day of his manifestation to Israel.” He spent his early
years in the mountainous lands of Judah lying between Jerusalem
and the Dead Sea (Mt 3:1-12).
Ministry: John came forth into public life in
his early-30’s, and great multitudes from every quarter
were attracted to him. The sum of his preaching was the necessity
of repentance in preparation of the coming Messiah.
He announced himself as the herald voice preparing the way of
the Lord. He denounced the Sadducees and Pharisees as a “generation
of vipers,” and warned them of the folly of trusting to
external privileges (Lu 3:8). The publicans he cautioned against
extortion, the soldiers against crime and plunder. The coming
of the Messiah was to be a day of judgment for Israel
instead of the expected day of deliverance from the foreign oppressor.
It meant good for the penitent, but destruction for the ungodly. “He
will gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will
burn up with ... fire” (Mt 3:12). “The axe also lieth
at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth
not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire” (Lk
3:9). John’s repentance was a very real and radical thing.
It meant a complete change of heart and life. “Bring forth
... fruits worthy of repentance” (Lk 3:8). John proclaimed
that the kingdom was to be a rule of righteousness, inherited
only by those who exhibited righteousness by the way they lived.
His doctrine and manner of life roused the entire south of Palestine,
and the people from all parts flocked to the banks of the Jordan
(about 20 miles from Jerusalem) to hear him preach. There he baptized
thousands unto repentance. The fame of John reached the ears of
Jesus in Nazareth (Mt 3:5) and he came from Galilee to Jordan to
be baptized by John, saying that such a baptism was necessary “to
fulfill all righteousness” (Mt 3:15).
John’s dress and habits were rather out of the ordinary. “John
was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around
his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey” (Mk 1:6). It
was fitting that the one who called men to repentance and the beginning
of a self-denying life should show such self-denial in his own
life.
Further, John’s lifestyle and dress were strikingly suggestive
of Elijah, the old prophet of national judgment. Jesus said
of John, “And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah
who is to come” (Mt 11:14). The coming of Elijah prior to
the advent of the Messiah was prophesied many years before John
was born (Mal 4:5). Some thought this meant that Elijah the Tishbite
in person would come, but others held that some great prophet equal
to Elijah, and endued with the same spirit, was intended. John
came “in the Spirit” and “power” of Elijah
(Lk 1:17).
John was very bold and severe in his criticisms of the Pharisees
and Sadducees, doubtless to startle them from their complacency
and pride. They were blinded by their sense of security as the
children of Abraham and by their confidence in the merits
of the law. John vigorously and fearlessly proclaimed the
necessity of righteousness for those claiming God as their Father.
Disciples: The Gospels make frequent mention of the disciples
of John. Many whom John baptized apparently stayed with him and learned his
teachings. Jesus drew his own disciples from this group with John’s own
consent (John 1:29-44). John’s special office ceased with the baptism of
Jesus. He continued, however, for a while to bear testimony to the Messiahship
of Jesus. He pointed him out to his disciples, saying, “Behold the Lamb
of God.” John’s work was extensive and his influence long-lasting.
Twenty years after his death, Paul found in far-off Ephesus certain disciples,
including Apollos, the learned Alexandrian Jew, who knew no other baptism than
that of John (Acts 19:1-7).
John and Jesus: We infer from Luke’s account that John was born
about six months before the birth of Jesus. They were second cousins–Jesus’ mother
Mary and John’s mother Elizabeth were first cousins (Lk 1:36). John was
well aware of his subordinate relation to the Messiah (Mk 1:7) and of the temporary
character of his mission (John 3:30). He formally announced and bore frequent
personal testimony to Jesus as the Messiah.
Death: John’s public ministry was suddenly brought to
a close by his being cast into prison by Herod, whom he had rebuked
for the sin of having taken to himself Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip
(Lu 3:19). Herod ordered his beheading when his step-daughter (perhaps Salome)
asked for John’s head on a platter (Mk 6:24f). John’s disciples,
after burying the headless body, went and told Jesus all that had occurred
(Mt 14:3-12).
A Note on John’s Baptism
John understood that his baptism was a preparation for the
Messianic baptism anticipated by the prophets. His baptism was
at once a preparation and a promise of the spiritual cleansing
which the Messiah would bestow. “I indeed baptize you with
water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier
than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you
with the Holy Ghost, and with fire”(Mt 3:11). In its fullest
sense, John’s baptism was an eschatological act preparing
one for admission into the Messianic kingdom. Thus when the Pharisees
and Sadducees came for baptism, John said, “Who warned you
to flee from the wrath to come?” (Mt 3:7).*1
John’s baptism was a “baptism of repentance” – it
meant a renunciation of the past life; as a cleansing it symbolized
the forgiveness of sins (Mk 1:4), and as preparation it implied
a promise of loyalty to the kingdom of the Messiah. This act fit
within the context of the OT law which was then in force.
Jesus paid high tribute to the divine character and worth of John’s
baptism by submitting to it himself as a step in the fulfillment
of all righteousness (Mt 3:15) and by adopting baptism as a symbol of
Christian discipleship. Why did Jesus submit to baptism? We have
no reason to believe that Jesus experienced any sense of sin or
felt any need of repentance or forgiveness; but as a divinely appointed
preparation for the Messianic kingdom his submission to it was
appropriate. Jesus’ submission to baptism was an act identifying
himself with mankind in the proper approach to God’s kingdom.
Christian baptism does not have the same meaning as John’s
baptism. John’s baptism was for those who were repentant
over their sins as they looked forward to the coming of the Messiah.
It was primarily aimed at bringing a revival of true religion
to the nation of Israel. Christian baptism is for those
who have been saved regardless of their national origins. Christian
baptism is symbolic of one’s identification with Christ and
is the initiatory rite that brings the believer into the fellowship
of a local church. There was no church when John was baptizing.
The mode of baptism is the same as John’s (immersion),
but the meaning is significantly different.
Lessons from the Life of John the Baptist
Be bold and fearless in your proclamation of
the gospel. John preached about the coming of the Messiah
and what that would mean to the nation. He also boldly rebuked
those whose religion was purely external, formal and empty. He
was not afraid to criticize King Herod, which ultimately cost
him his life. He endured severe criticism from both political
and religious authorities, but he didn’t let criticism
stop his ministry. He didn’t seem to care about what other
people thought of him.
Application: Be bold and courageous in your evangelism.
Don’t worry about what others think about you. Take a strong
stand for the Lord. Don’t be afraid to rebuke people for
their sins. Don’t be a people-pleaser. Care about what
God thinks, not what others think.
Let your light shine. John was a “burning and
shining light.” Such a testimony both attracts attention
and dispels darkness. Jesus tells us, “Let your light so
shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify
your Father in heaven” (Mt 5:16). Paul tells us to be “blameless
and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of
a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights
in the world; holding forth the word of life” (Phil 2:15-16).
Application: Let your Christianity show. Seek to be
a good testimony.
Appreciate godly parents. God chose John’s parents
to prepare him for his ministry. They likely had a major influence
on his development and theology.
Application: God chose your parents for you. They are
trying to bring you up in the nurture and training of the Lord.
You should appreciate their efforts.
Repentance is a necessary aspect of salvation. John’s
was a baptism of repentance. Those who were sorrowful over their
sin sought baptism as an expression of their repentance. Christian
baptism is for those who have repented of sin and trusted in
Christ. The message of both John and Jesus was “repent” (Mt
3:2; Mk 1:15).
Application: Don’t leave out the necessity of
repentance when you tell people how to be saved.
A changed lifestyle is a necessary aspect of the Christian
life. John clearly told his audience what he expected from a
repentant believer–a righteous lifestyle. He said, “Bear
fruits worthy of repentance” (Mt 3:8). Like the OT prophets,
he exhorted the people to live a life of justice and mercy (Lk
3:10-14).
Application: Christians should display the fruit of
the Spirit in their lives. We should seek to live a righteous
lifestyle.
Baptism is necessary to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus
submitted to John’s baptism as an expression of his commitment
to the truth of John’s message. While John’s baptism
is not equivalent to Christian baptism, the importance of the
ordinance remains. All believers ought to submit to baptism shortly
after their profession of faith.
Application: If you are a believer but have not been
baptized, you should get baptized. Don’t dismiss baptism
as an optional ritual. It’s important.
Give credit to whom it is due. Once Jesus appeared on
the scene, John directed his disciples to follow him, the “Lamb
of God.” He didn’t try to keep his ministry going
after it had run its course. He was humble and recognized when
someone greater came on the scene. He magnified Christ and minimized
himself – “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John
3:30).
Application: Be humble in your service to God. If someone
with greater abilities comes along, let him/her replace you if
necessary. Give credit to others.
Appreciate your position in the church age. Jesus
said that no one was greater than John, “but he who is
least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Mt
11:11). How can this be? John was still under the Old Covenant
and the Mosaic Law. Those in the church enjoy far more privileges
than people like John did.
Application: Appreciate all the benefits of life under
the New Covenant and the church rather than Israel.
Conclusion: John the Baptist is a Bible
character whose example we can follow wholeheartedly. One need
not dwell in the desert, eat bugs, or wear camel’s hair clothes
to do so. Follow John’s example: be bold and fearless in
your testimony. Tell others of their need to repent. Don’t
be afraid to rebuke those who need it. Don’t compromise the
message of salvation and do call people to live a righteous life.
Point others to the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of
the world.”
Discussion:
Was John performing Christian baptism? No. His was
a baptism of repentance in recognition of the coming of the
Messiah.
What OT prophet characterized John’s ministry? Elijah
What was John’s message? The necessity of repentance,
the fact that the Messiah would soon arrive.
How do we know that John was very influential? Many
of the Jews went to be baptized, King Herod arrested him because
of his rebuke, John’s disciples persisted for over 20
years after his death.
What did Jesus mean when he said “he who is least in
the kingdom of heaven is greater than [John]”? Those
who are in the church age enjoy greater benefits than those under
the OT economy, like John.
What are some lessons we learn from the life of John? See
list.
*1 R. B. Laurin, “John
the Baptist” in the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (Baker,
1984).
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