Introduction of John the Baptist

Introduction of John the Baptist; Matthew 3:1-4, Mark 1:1-4,6, Luke 3:1-6, John 1:6-8,19-23
Matthew 3:1 Now in those days1 John the Baptist2 [a]came, [b]preaching in the wilderness of Judea3, saying, 2 “Repent4, for the kingdom of heaven5 [c]is at hand.” 3 For this is the one referred to6 [d]by Isaiah the prophet when he said,
7“The voice of one [e]crying in the wilderness,
‘Make ready the way of the Lord8,
Make His paths straight!’”
4 Now John himself had [f]a garment of camel’s hair9 and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts10 and wild honey.

Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God11.
2 7As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
“12Behold, I send My messenger [a]ahead of You,
Who will prepare Your way;
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make ready the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight.’”
4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness [b]preaching a baptism of repentance13 for the forgiveness of sins14.
6 John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist9, and [a]his diet was locusts and wild honey.

Luke 3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate15 was governor of Judea, and Herod16 was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, 2 in the high priesthood of Annas17 and Caiaphas18, the word of God came to John1, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. 3 And he came into all the district around the Jordan19, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
7“The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make ready the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight.
5 20‘Every ravine will be filled,
And every mountain and hill will be [a]brought low;
The crooked will become straight,
And the rough roads smooth;
6 And all [b]flesh21 will see the salvation of God22.’”

John 1:6 There [a]came a man sent from God, whose name was John1. 7 [b]He came [c]as a witness23, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe24 through him. 8 [d]He was not25 the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
1:19 This is the testimony26 of John, when the Jews27 sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem28 to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not29 [a]the Christ.” 21 They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah2?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet30?” And he answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am 7a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Footnotes (Matthew)
a. Matthew 3:1 Or arrived, or appeared
b. Matthew 3:1 Or proclaiming as a herald
c. Matthew 3:2 Lit has come near
d. Matthew 3:3 Or through
e. Matthew 3:3 Or shouting
f. Matthew 3:4 Lit his garment
Footnotes (Mark)
a. Mark 1:2 Lit before your face
b. Mark 1:4 Or proclaiming
c. Mark 1:6 Lit he was eating
Footnotes (Luke)
a. Luke 3:5 Or leveled
b. Luke 3:6 Or mankind
Footnotes (John)
a. John 1:6 Or came into being
b. John 1:7 Lit This one
c. John 1:7 Lit for testimony
d. John 1:8 Lit That one
e. John 1:20 I.e. the Messiah

Commentary
I had to laugh as I started typing in all the scriptures referenced in my Bible because the passage from John references almost the entire rest of the book of John. It might have been easier if I would have just said, “read the book of John.” Because these passages are all so similar, they call upon one another extensively, and they also refer to many of the same passages in the Old Testament. I did my best to number the reference points in a way that would make it easy to see the scriptures which my NASB had said were relevant. However, as always, the best way to learn is to look these things up yourself, especially if my interpretation leaves you with questions. To reiterate, as I will do as often as possible, I am not an expert. I am studying with very little foundation and am merely sharing what I learn with you. You should pray for Godly discernment when reading any commentary about the Bible, whether it’s mine, a work in my bibliography, or any website or volume you come across. There are plenty of heretics being published as Christian authors, and the only way to identify the good teaching from the bad is to have an intimate knowledge of scripture and to pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit.

In the verses I chose this week, I tried to capture just the description of John, the timeline of his appearance, and the prophecy regarding his purpose. It may mean that we have to jump around somewhat in the actual text, but I didn’t want to get too far into his ministry because it would be too much to tackle in one week. Honestly, the passages I have are probably already too much for one week, but let’s dive in.

John’s location: The wilderness around Judea. We first saw mention of the wilderness in the last passage from Luke 1:80, where there is a brief mention of John growing in stature and living in the desert until the time came for him to begin his ministry. I wonder how early he began living in the wilderness. His parents were very elderly when he was born, and it is unlikely, in my opinion, that they lived into his adulthood. Given the fact that Jesus had to teach people to care for orphans and widows, we can assume that an orphan would have been financially destitute and often unable to find a caregiver or sponsor. The wilderness, where John chose to make his home, was considered “the wrong side of the tracks” and contributed to the bizarre nature of his magnetism (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1622), but it was also one of the similarities he shared with Elijah. The region where he lived outside Judea had come under the rule of a Syrian imperial governor, after Herod Archelaus had been stripped of power and banished to Rome in A.D. 6 (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1709). Josephus, a Jewish historian, “refers to [John] by name” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1167), which helps us place him in history and corroborates Luke’s account, which lists the political leaders at the time of John’s ministry.

John’s clothes: camel hair and a leather belt. John’s choice of garment was also important because it is similar to that of Elijah (2 Ki 1:8). “Everything about him recalled the prophet Elijah – his mantle, existing in the wilderness, his message – and people flocked to hear him” (The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol 3 pg. 642). Elijah did not die a natural death, but was taken to Heaven in a chariot of fire, as witnessed by Elisha, and we’ll see more about the expectation of his return as we explore John’s purpose, below.

John’s diet: locusts and wild honey. I have often wondered, with regard to John’s diet, about the dietary restrictions the Jewish people observed. I had thought bugs were off-limits, but I never took the time to look it up. I got my answer in the verse referenced below: Leviticus 11:22. It still didn’t mean it wasn’t strange, though. Despite the fact the Jews could eat certain bugs if they wanted to, it does not appear they were inclined to do so. “His food and clothing indicated his rejection of official Israel of the time and his conviction of a prophetic calling” (The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol 3 pg. 642).

John’s purpose: preparing the way of the Lord. Paving the way for the Lord meant delivering a divinely-received message and also to bear witness, or testify, to the deity of Jesus. “John is presented as the prophet sent in the spirit of Elijah ‘before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord’ (Mal 4:5)” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1167). This is consistent with the angel’s message to Zechariah, that his son John would have the spirit and power of Elijah. Matthew’s gospel assumes the reader (or hearer) is already awaiting the return of Elijah, per the OT prophecies. We see another clue that Elijah’s return was widely anticipated in John 1:25, when priests imply that the only reason John should have the authority to baptize is if he is the Christ or Elijah, and they ask him directly if he is Elijah. His pugnacious and scathing style were similar to Elijah’s (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1167). The way he indicates his message from God also uses the same formula as Elijah (1 Kings 18:1), Jeremiah (Jer 1:4), and Ezekiel (Ezk 1:3), among others. However, despite the fact that people were awaiting Elijah to precede the Messiah, and that Jesus later metaphorically calls John Elijah, John confirms to the Sanhedrin’s delegation that he is not literally Elijah (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1299). This does not discredit his ministry, since the angel Gabriel was clear that John would embody the ‘spirit’ of Elijah, which by all accounts, he did.

John’s message: baptism of repentance for forgiveness from sin. I’m going to focus on baptism next week, so this week, I’ll focus on repentance. Repent was, at one time, a military term to mean essentially “about face” (https://www.christianity.com/jesus/following-jesus/repentance-faith-and-salvation/what-does-it-mean-to-repent.html). The original Greek work metanoia “is basically ‘a change of mind’ which results in a change of conduct. Repentance is not sorrow. It involves a complete change of attitude regarding God and sin and is often accompanied by a sense of sorrow and a corresponding change in conduct” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1168). John’s exhortation to repent is immediately followed by the reason which would compel his listeners to do so: the kingdom of God at hand. So his message of repentance ties directly with his purpose to pave the way for the Lord.

To add just a few more notes I found about the study passages this week, “The phrase ‘kingdom of heaven’ is used only in the Gospel of Matthew and seems to be based on similar references in the book of Daniel. The phrase ‘the kingdom of God’ is used more frequently by Mark and Luke. The change is perhaps due to Matthew’s Jewish background and outlook. Since the Jews regarded it as blasphemous to refer to God by name, it is possible that Matthew substituted the word heaven for that reason” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1168).

John “epitomized all the OT saints who stood at the threshold of the new order without entering in (Heb 11:39b). He does not deserve the neglect the Church often accords him. His great importance lies in the fact that he bridged the old era and the new and was the link between the two” (The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol 3 pg. 642).

See the next post here https://onthepath.online/2019/03/14/john-the-baptizer/

Scripture References
1, 19 Mt 3:1 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!’” 4 Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; 6 and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; 9 and do not suppose that you can 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. 10 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. 11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

1, 9 Mk 1:2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way; 3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight.’” 4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and [c]his diet was locusts and wild honey. 7 And he was preaching, and saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. 8 I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

1, 29 Lk 3:2 in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. 3 And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight. 5 ‘Every ravine will be filled, And every mountain and hill will be brought low; The crooked will become straight, And the rough roads smooth;6 And all flesh will see the salvation of God.’” 7 So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 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. 9 Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” 10 And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “Then what shall we do?” 11 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.” 12 And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” 14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.” 15 Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ, 16 John answered and said 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 thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 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.”

1, 26 Jn 1:6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

1,8, 25 Jn 1:19 This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” 24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. 27 It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

2 Mt 11:11 Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.

2 Mt 16:14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”

3 Jos 15:61 In the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin and Secacah,

3 Jdg 1:16 The descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up from the city of palms with the sons of Judah, to the wilderness of Judah which is in the south of Arad; and they went and lived with the people.

4,5 Mt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

5 Da 2:44 In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.

5 Mt 4:23 Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.

5 Mt 6:10 ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

5 Mt 10:7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

5 Mk 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

5 Lk 10:9 and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say,

5 Lk 11:20 But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

5 Lk 21:31 So you also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.

6 Lk 1:17 It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

6 Lk 1:76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways;

7 Is 40:3 A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

9 2 Ki 1:8 They answered him, “He was a hairy man with a leather girdle bound about his loins.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

9 Zec 13:4 Also it will come about in that day that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies, and they will not put on a hairy robe in order to deceive;

9 Mt 11:8 But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces!

10 Lv 11:22 These of them you may eat: the locust in its kinds, and the devastating locust in its kinds, and the cricket in its kinds, and the grasshopper in its kinds.

11 Mt 4:3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

12 Mal 3:1 “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts.

12 Mt 11:10 This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way before You.’

12 Lk 7:27 This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way before You.’

13 Ac 13:24 after John had proclaimed before His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

14 Lk 1:77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins,

15 Mt 27:2 and they bound Him, and led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate the governor.

16 Mt 14:1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the news about Jesus,

17 Jn 18:13 and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.

17 Jn 18:24 So Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

17 Ac 4:6 and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent.

18 Mt 26:3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas;

20 Is 40:4 “Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley;

21 Is 40:5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

22 Lk 2:30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation,

23 Jn 1:15 John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’”

23 Jn 1:19 This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

23 Jn 1:32 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.

23 Jn 3:26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him.”

23 Jn 5:33 You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.

24 Jn 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

24 Ac 19:4 Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”

24 Gal 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

27 Jn 2:18 The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?”

27 Jn 2:20 The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”

27 Jn 5:10 So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.”

27 Jn 5:15 The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.

27 Jn 5:18 For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

27 Jn 6:41 Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, “I am the bread that came down out of heaven.”

27 Jn 6:52 Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”

27 Jn 7:1 After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.

27 Jn 7:11 So the Jews were seeking Him at the feast and were saying, “Where is He?”

27 Jn 7:13 Yet no one was speaking openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

27 Jn 7:15 The Jews then were astonished, saying, “How has this man become learned, having never been educated?”

27 Jn 7:35 The Jews then said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find Him? He is not intending to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks, is He?

27 Jn 8:22 So the Jews were saying, “Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”

27 Jn 8:48 The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”

27 Jn 8:52 The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death.’

27 Jn 8:57 So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

27 Jn 9:18 The Jews then did not believe it of him, that he had been blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight,

27 Jn 9:22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.

27 Jn 10:24 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

27 Jn 10:31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him.

27 Jn 10:33 The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”

28 Mt 15:1 Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,

29 Jn 3:28 You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’

30 Dt 18:15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.

30 Dt 18:18 I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.

30 Mt 21:11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”

30 Jn 1:25 They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

Lk 1:80 And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Mal 4:5 Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.

1 Ki 18:1 Now it happened after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.”

Jer 1:4 Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,

Ezk 1:3 the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there the hand of the Lord came upon him.)

Heb 11:39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,