John the Baptist

“Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There He stayed, and many people came to Him. They said, ‘Though John never performed a sign, all that John ever said about this man was true.’ And in that place many believed in Jesus.” — John 10:40–42

After dealing with the Jewish leaders and avoiding their attempts to seize Him at the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, Jesus returned with His disciples to the site of John’s ministry to rest. It was here that John had baptized Jesus. It seems reasonable to imagine that Jesus spent time there grieving the loss of His friend and relative, John the Baptist. John and Jesus were related through their mothers; while they lived in different regions as children—Jesus in Galilee and John in the Judean hill country—it is likely they met during the required annual family pilgrimages to Jerusalem.

Before John was even conceived, his path was defined by divine mandate. The angel Gabriel appeared to his father, Zechariah, in the temple and announced that John would be “great in the sight of the Lord.” Charged to be raised as a Nazirite, like Samson, John would never touch fermented drink and was destined to be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth. Gabriel’s prophecy made it clear: John was to go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah to “make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

While our “Sunday school imaginations” often cast John as merely a wild and eccentric religious zealot, Scripture reveals a man of significant stature and education. Born into the priesthood through Zechariah, John would have been trained in the Law and the Prophets from childhood. However, he was spared the stifling legalism of the religious establishment by being raised in the wilderness. This unique upbringing allowed his education to be rooted in the pure prophetic word rather than the religious politics of the day.

According to Luke, John remained in the desert until he emerged publicly around the age of thirty. Far from being an obscure hermit, he was a charismatic and respected leader whose authority was evidenced by the disciples who followed him. His message was one of repentance and baptism to prepare hearts for the Messiah, who would soon reveal Himself. His spiritual discernment was so keen that when Jesus finally arrived at the Jordan, John sensed immediately that Jesus should be the one baptizing him. Though he had been told to watch for a specific sign—the Spirit descending like a dove—his recognition of Jesus’ holiness was instantaneous. He ultimately yielded to the Savior’s assurance that the baptism was necessary to “fulfill all righteousness.”

John was eventually imprisoned for confronting Herod about his unlawful marriage to his brother’s wife. From prison, in a moment of frustration and doubt, John sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He was truly the Messiah. This occurred despite John having witnessed the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus like a dove and hearing the voice of God declare, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus sent the disciples back to encourage John with news of His preaching and miracles. Afterward, Jesus told the gathered crowd that John—who never performed a miraculous sign—was the greatest prophet who ever lived.

Father, Thank You for the voice of those who cry out in the wilderness, pointing the lost to the Light. Remind us daily that Christ must increase and we must decrease. Help us to let You be the Lord of our lives so those around us see You—not us—in all that we do. Above all else, guide us, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to be living examples of the joy found through the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Amen

(Originally published in LIFEGate – Richmond’s Christian Newspaper, 1996)

mgb