John the Baptist

From: Concise Bible Dictionary: J By: George A. Morrish

• 4 min. read • grade level: 10

Son of Zacharias, priest of the order of Abia, or Abijah (1 Chron. 24:10¹⁰The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, (1 Chronicles 24:10)), and of Elizabeth, a descendant of Aaron, born when they were both old. The conception was foretold by the angel Gabriel, who announced that John was to be a Nazarite, and should be filled with the Holy Spirit from his birth. His mission was also foretold: in the spirit and power of Elias he would be the forerunner of Christ, and would call the people to repentance, according to the prophecy in Isaiah 40:3³The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3). All that is recorded of his early life is “the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel” (Luke 1:80⁸⁰And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel. (Luke 1:80)).

When he began his ministry he is described as having on “raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins: and his meat was locusts and wild honey.” He preached in the wilderness, calling on the people to repent, for the kingdom of heaven was at hand. The people went out to him, and were baptized of him in the Jordan, confessing their sins (Matt. 3:1-6¹In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ²And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ³For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. ⁴And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. ⁵Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, ⁶And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. (Matthew 3:1‑6)). A godly remnant morally apart from the nation was thus prepared in spirit for the Lord. With these (the excellent in the earth, Psalm 16) the Lord Jesus identified Himself.

To the Pharisees and the Sadducees he was especially severe, calling them a “generation of vipers” (Matt. 3:7⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (Matthew 3:7)), but in Luke the multitude are so designated, for all must flee from the wrath to come, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance. The ax was laid to the root of the tree. There was One coming with the winnowing fan, who would divide the wheat from the chaff.

When the religious authorities at Jerusalem sent to John to ask who he was, he declared that he was not the Christ, nor Elias, nor “that prophet” (Deut. 18:15,18¹⁵The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; (Deuteronomy 18:15)
¹⁸I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. (Deuteronomy 18:18)). He was “the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord,” as Isaiah had prophesied (John 1:19-23¹⁹And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? ²⁰And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. ²¹And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. ²²Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? ²³He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. (John 1:19‑23)). The Lord, in speaking of John, said, “Elias is indeed come” (Mark 9:13¹³But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him. (Mark 9:13)), which seems to clash with John 1:21²¹And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. (John 1:21); another passage however explains it: “If ye will receive it, this is Elias which was for to come” (Matt. 11:14¹⁴And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. (Matthew 11:14)). He had come in the spirit and power of Elias, as foretold by Gabriel; and he was Elias to those who received him and who afterward followed the Lord, as Andrew and another in John 1:40⁴⁰One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. (John 1:40).

So far we have considered John’s official place as the forerunner of Christ, but in John’s gospel the Baptist’s testimony is given to the Lamb of God. He also adds, “I knew him not,” but he had been told that He upon whom he saw the Holy Spirit descend and remain was the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit; and he adds, “I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.” He may have known Jesus in a natural way, but his knowing Him as Son of God was by a divinely-given testimony. John proclaimed Jesus as “the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world”; and in the hearing of two of his own disciples he said, “Behold the Lamb of God.” Jesus was to be the object of their hearts, and they followed Him. Afterward, when John was told that Jesus was baptizing, and that all the people were going to Him, he gave a remarkable answer: “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” John was the friend of the bridegroom. The Lord said that among those born of women no one was greater than John; but the least in the kingdom of heaven was greater than he, because the latter was in a new dispensation, John being connected with the law and the prophets of the old dispensation (Matt. 11:11-13¹¹Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹²And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. ¹³For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. (Matthew 11:11‑13)).

While in prison John’s faith or patience seems in measure to have failed him, and he sent two of his disciples to the Lord with the question, “Art thou He that should come, or do we look for another?” He evidently had not apprehended the humiliation and rejection of the Messiah, and expected to have been delivered from prison by the power which he knew had been exercised in grace by the Lord. The Lord wrought various miracles while John’s disciples were there, and bade them tell him what they had seen and heard, adding, “Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me” (Luke 7:19-23¹⁹And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? ²⁰When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? ²¹And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. ²²Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. ²³And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. (Luke 7:19‑23)).