## John the Baptist

## Luke 1:5

I. THE MEANING OF THE NAME: John means "whom Jehovah loves."

II. Historical Background:

John the Baptist was born to Zacharias and Elisabeth, both being descendants of Aaron.

He was of full priestly descent. Look at Luke 1:5 They lived in the hill country of Judea (Luke 1:39).

John’s mother, Elisabeth, was a cousin to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

John the Baptist was born into a godly home and was nurtured in an atmosphere of love for the Lord God. (Luke l:6).

III. The Angel Gabriel, Divinely Proclaimed His Birth (Luke 1:11-19).

While Zacharias the priest was in the temple at Jerusalem fulfilling his priestly duties by offering incense upon the altar, the angel Gabriel appeared at his side. v11

The angel announced to Zacharias that he would have a son and even told him what to name the child. v13

Elisabeth was barren and both she and Zacharias were old. v7

Doubting what he had heard, Zacharias asked the angel,

"Whereby shall I know this? I am old and my wife stricken in years". v18

Then the angel identified himself to Zacharias. v19

IV. Zacharias Doubted the Words of Gabriel (Luke 1:20).

Because Zacharias doubted, he was stricken dumb and did not speak again until John was born and named.

With Gabriel pronouncing the birth of John, it would seem that Zacharias would have believed that God would divinely perform all that was promised.

The lack of faith on the part of Zacharias caused him to suffer some nine months of speechlessness.

When Zacharias came out of me temple, he could not speak to the people.

He departed to his own house. (Luke 1:23)

V. Elisabeth Conceived (Luke 1:24).

After conception, Elisabeth hid herself for five months.

God had removed the reproach (barren condition).

Her cousin, Mary, the mother of Jesus, visited with Elisabeth.

Mary had been told by Gabriel about her cousin’s conception in v36.

VI. The Birth of John the Baptist. (Lk. 1:57-59)

John was one of the miracle babies of the Bible.

As with Sarah in the Old Testament, God reversed the natural aging process of the bodies of both Zacharias and Elisabeth.

The time had come and Elisabeth gave birth to a son. v57

As usual, neighbors and relatives rejoiced with her and at the circumcision on the eighth day, they tried to name the boy after his father. v59

Zacharias Named the Son, John. v60-64

Elisabeth would not accept the suggestion of friends to name the child after his father.

She said, "His name shall be called John" v60

Signs were made to Zacharias as to what the name should be.

He wrote on a writing table exactly what Gabriel had told him. v63

After this Zacharias began to speak again. He praised God and began to prophesy . v67-79

John grew up in seclusion in the wilderness west of the Dead Sea. v80

Notice, be was there "until the day of his showing to Israel."

VII. John the Baptist began to preach. Lk. 3:2-3; Mt. 3:1

A. John preached fearlessly.

1. He was the first authentic prophet to appear in Israel for about four centuries.

2. He identified himself along with a call to repentance. cf. Mt. 3:2-3

B. He proclaimed a new era, a new age called the kingdom of heaven.

1. He came to prepare the people for the reception of Christ.

2. And to point out Christ in the person of Jesus. cf Mt. 3:2,6 and Jn. 1:15.

C. He announced Jesus as the manifest- ation of God. cf Jn. 1:16-18.

1. At the same time the people asked if John were the Messiah.

2. John answers courageously in John 1:19-23.

3. He was to bear witness to the Light.

4. He was not that Light. cf Jn. 1:7-8

VIII. John Baptized Jesus in the River Jordan. Mt. 3:13-17

A. Jesus came to the river Jordan and John recognized Jesus.

1. How did John recognize Him?

2. He was one of the crowd.

3. There is a key to this when all four Gospel writers are compared on the subject.

B. In an unrecorded encounter, John was told of the sign which would distinguish Jesus as the Messiah.

1. Note: John 1:33-34

2. John said, "And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God."

C. With this word in his heart, John went about denouncing the Scribes and Pharisees as a generation of vipers and baptizing unto repentance the ones who would believe .

1. Suddenly, John saw Jesus and said, "...I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" cf Mt. 3:14

2. At the insistence of Jesus, John baptized Him and immediately the predicted sign was given.

3. John saw "... the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Mat 3:16b-17)

4. John had said, "I knew Him not," (v31), but now, he knew "saw, and bore record that this was the Son of God" (v34).

D. At the baptism of Jesus, the Trinity is manifested clearly. (Mt. 3:16-17).

1. Jesus the Son is present in the water.

2. The Holy Spirit descended like a dove.

3. God the Father spoke from heaven.

IX. John’s Message Before and After His Encounter With Jesus.

A. Before, John preached, "Repent and be baptized" (Mt.3:2).

B. After, John preached, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world’- (John 1:29).

1. To a devout Jew, this term "Lamb of God" would bring to mind the entire sacrificial system.

2. Thousands of lambs had been slain and their blood had only "covered " the sin.

3. John used the familiar wording to get the Jew’s attention.

4. The "Lamb of God", in His shedding blood, would settle the forgiveness of sin and atonement once and for all.

5. John had one supreme conviction. "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)

X. His Motives. (John 3:31-34).

A. John did not desire glory for himself: this Scripture is factual in reference to that question.

B. John performed no miracles (John 10:41).

C. All he said about Jesus was true.

D. John was an ordinary man made extraordinary by his willingness to be led by the Spirit of God.

1. Yes, he was ordained before his birth to be the forerunner of Jesus Christ.

2. Yet he was every inch a man, rugged, fearless, with a one- track mind.

3. He never sealed his lips in reference to the Messiah.

4. His life matched his message.

XI. The Supreme Tribute to John the Baptist (Matthew 11:9-13).

A. Note: Mt. 11:11

B. Jesus selected John the Baptist from all who had preceded him by giving to John such a great honor.

C. Then Jesus paid tribute to his prophetic ministry in verse 9.

D. Jesus said of John the Baptist, "But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.

XII. His Death. (Mark 6:14-29).

A. The vindictiveness of Herodias caused John's death.

1. Herod had taken his brother's wife and John the Baptist spoke to the subject in Mark 6: 18.

2. Herodias had persuaded her daughter, who had pleased Herod by her dancing, to ask for the head of John the Baptist.

3. Note: Mark 6:26

"And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath’s sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her."

4. Being sorry is not enough.

B. Herod granted her request.

1. The head of John the Baptist was brought and presented to the daughter.

2. She in turn gave it to Herodias (Mark 6:28).

3. In verse 27, note that John was in prison and there was killed.

4. In verse 29, John’s followers took his body and buried it in a tomb.

C. When one remembers that John's public ministry was confined to less than one year, the extraordinary influence of the man can be realized.

1. His ministry touched every part of society, from king to peasant.

2. Never had a prophet had such influence as John.

3. Jesus honored him as the greatest born of woman.

XIII. The Use of the Old Testament in Reference to John the Baptist.

A. Luke 1:17 is a reference to Malachi 4:5

"And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Luke 1:17)

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:" (Mal 4:5)

B. Compare Mt. 17:10-13, and Mal. 3:1.

"And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed.

Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist."(Mt 17:10-13)

"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts." (Mal 3:1)

C. Mt. 3:3 is a fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3.

"For 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." (Mat 3:3)

"The 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." (Isa 40:3)

D. Luke 3:5-6 is a fulfillment of Isaiah 40:4-5.

"Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God." (Lk. 3:5-6)

E. John 1:29 refers back to Isaiah 53:7.

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29)

"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." (Isa 53:7)

F. John 1:21, "Art thou that prophet?" His answer goes back to Dt. 18:15.

"The 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;" (De. 18:15)

XIV. Lessons We Should Learn from John the Baptist.

John, rough and rugged in appearance, had convictions of such depth as to command the attention of the nation.

He supported and preached the Messiah: The greatest thing a Christian can do is support the cause of Christ and stay true to His teaching.

He must increase and I must decrease should be our soul’s desire.

1. The role of the Christian and the role of the church should be attracting the lost to Jesus, not to ourselves.

2. If they can see Christ in us, in our church, they will respond.

The greatness of John the Baptist was in his message.

1. He prepared people to meet Jesus.

2. The lesson is plain.

John was sincere.

1. He had that quality.

2. His motives rang true.

3. The world can quickly spot a phony.