Not to be confused with John the gospel writer, who wrote 5
books of the New Testament? John the Baptist was born into the
priesthood, his father was Zacarias.
3)
This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A
voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the
Lord, make straight paths for him.' "
4) John’s clothes were made of camel's hair, and he
had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and
wild honey.
His identity: John's purpose was
to prepare hearts for the Messiah, to bring knowledge of sin
among Israel, so they could received the salvation from sin
offered by the Messiah. (Matthew 1:12)
Even as a herald would prepare
the way for a king, so John the Baptist prepared the "road"
Jesus would travel on.
John's distinctive clothing and
diet not only shows him to be a man separated from the softness
and luxury of the world, but it also helps to connect him with
another prophet: Elijah – 2Kings 1:8
2 Kings 1:8 we find that Elijah
also dressed like John. John ate locusts and wild honey, may
have been eating actual locusts or pods from the Locust tree
(carob-like fruit).
John 1:15: John the Baptist was
three months older than Jesus Christ. He was Jesus’ cousin. John
is testifying to Jesus’ pre-existence before birth. John had an
unyielding stand against iniquity (Mt 14:4). He was chosen as a
Herald (John 1:29-31; Luke 1:15-17). “To open the door of the
sheepfold” (John 10:2,3).
Jewish leaders upset at lack of
attendance to their rituals, find out that many are going to
hear John preach in the desert. Judaism is expecting three
different people: the Messiah (in a generic sense), Elijah
(prophesied to return) and “that prophet” (Deut 18, prophecy of
Moses). Mt 17 shows that Elijah and Moses have a peculiar role
outside their earthly ministry. (Some believe these will also be
the two witnesses in Revelation 11.)
John denies being any of the
three expected. John quotes from Isaiah 40:3-5 in reference to
who he is.
Pharisees = “separatists,” the
legalists, the ritualists, out of them come the traditions of
the Talmudic Jew.
Sadducees = liberalists,
rationalists = “reformed” (modernists, humanists) denied the
inspiration of the Word. They didn’t believe in the
resurrection. (That’s why they are “sad-u-see.”)
Shoes:
Many incidents where shoes are
significant:
• Moses and the burning bush,
told to take off his shoes.
• Tabernacle covered in
badger/porpoise skins, which is what they were shoed with during
the 40 years in the wilderness that never wore out!
• Boaz redeems the land to Naomi
and takes a Gentile bride to wife; the symbol of the contract is
a shoe;
• John comments of the Messiah,
“his shoes I’m not worthy to unloose...”
John 1:28: Beth
bara = House of Passage, where Joshua crossed the
Jordan River
to enter the land. John’s baptism did not take away sins,
repentance only. Only the Lamb of God can take away sins (John
1:29).
5)
People went out to him from Jerusalem and all
Judea and
the whole region of the Jordan. 6) Confessing their
sins, they were baptized by him in the
Jordan River.
The success of his ministry
Two things point to a remarkable
work of the Holy Spirit: the great response (Jerusalem and
all Judea, not meaning every last person, but a significant
portion), and their striking repentance in submitting to
baptism, because Jews were never baptized; only Gentile converts
to Judaism. This type of awareness of sin is a typical
foundation for most revivals and awakenings; before we can gain
the kingdom of heaven, we must recognize our poverty of spirit
(Matthew 5:3). As the people confessed their sins, the baptism
was an emblem of cleansing that went along with their repentance
and confession.
7) But when he saw
many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was
baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you
to flee from the coming wrath? 8) Produce fruit in
keeping with repentance. 9) And do not think you can
say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you
that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
10) The ax is already at the root of the trees, and
every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and
thrown into the fire. 11) "I baptize you with water
for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful
than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12) His winnowing
fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor,
gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with
unquenchable fire."
John's confrontation with the
Pharisees and Saducees
John accuses them of wanting to
appear anxious for the Messiah, but not truly repenting
and preparing their hearts; John will demand fruits worthy of
repentance. Real repentance will show itself in the
life; it can't merely be spoken of with words.
John warns them
to stop trusting in their Jewish heritage; they must truly
repent, not simply trust in Abraham's merits. It was widely
taught that Abraham's merits were plenty for any Jew's salvation
- they couldn't go to hell; but John points out that
these Pharisees and Scribes are of a different family; they are
a brood of vipers - meaning a family associated with
serpents! “Generation
of vipers”: To a Pharisee this refers to Gen 3:15, the seed of
the serpent. He is calling them the sons of Satan!
John's baptism was one of
repentance; in this regard, it was not identical to
Christian baptism or baptism into Christ (Romans 6:3),
which includes a demonstration of repentance and cleansing, but
also recognizes the believer's identification with Jesus' death,
burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4)
John warns them to prepare for
the Messiah's coming, because He is coming with judgment.
Baptize with the Holy Spirit: this is the promised out-pouring
of the Holy Spirit promised with the New Covenant (Ezekiel
37:14). To baptize with fire means to bring the fires of
judgment, which will purify the pure, but destroy the wicked
like chaff - the worthless residue of a wheat stalk after the
kernel of grain has been removed; these proud and unrepentant
leaders are just as useless to God. The Jewish leaders thought
that the Messiah would come with judgment, but only against
Israel's enemies; they were blind in their self-righteous
confidence that only others needed to get right with God.
God’s promise to Noah was that
never again would He flood the entire earth. 2Peter 3:10 notes
that next time it’s not with water, it’s with fire. “Baptize the
world with fire” may have a double meaning, maybe meaning
Pentecost. Fire also idiomatically speaks of judgment, so fire
might also refer to the Second Coming and the climax of the End
times (a different type of baptism).
John recognizes his own place
before Jesus; as one not worthy to carry the sandals
of Jesus; he does not consider himself far above those whom he
is calling to repentance, and he knows where he stands in
relation to Jesus (instead of getting a big head at the crowds
he is drawing).
The Baptism of Jesus
13) Then Jesus
came from
Galilee
to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14) But John
tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and
do you come to me?"
Jesus comes to John for baptism
This is a significant emergence
of Jesus from his many years of obscurity; these first actions
carry much meaning in understanding the rest of His ministry.
No one sought Jesus ought to be
baptized; He came to John of His own accord.
John recognizes the inherent
irony in this situation; Jesus has nothing to repent of, and it
would be more appropriate for Jesus to baptize John!
15) Jesus
replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to
fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.
Jesus allows Himself to be
baptized by John
Why did Jesus need to be
baptized? The words it is fitting for us to fulfill all
righteousness implies that it was a necessity in the plan of
God, but why?
The purpose was for Jesus to
completely identify Himself with sinful man; even as He did in
His birth, His upbringing, and His death - here is Jesus again
standing in the place of sinful man.
16) As soon as
Jesus was baptized; he went up out of the water. At that moment
heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like
a dove and lighting on him. 17) And a voice from
heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well
pleased."
The Divine witness to Jesus'
Sonship
It was important for the Father
to publicly demonstrate that Jesus' baptism was not just like
anyone else's, in the sense of being a display of repentance -
instead, the righteous identification with sinners, motivated by
love, was well pleasing to the Father.
Significantly, this is an
occasion when the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all
manifested at the same time.
This marks the beginning of
Jesus' public ministry!
Jesus’ Baptism
Why did Jesus
insist upon being baptized? Baptism usually associated with the
confession of sins. Did Jesus have any sins to confess? He was
sinless (2 Cor 5:21; 1 Pet 2:22; 1 John 3:5; John
14:30).
See Isaiah 53:12: numbered with the transgressors and He made
intercession for the transgressors. At John’s baptism, Jesus is
declaring publicly His identity with the sinner.
This is His formal opening for
His ministry. Appropriate that this event is commemorated by the
trinity, Father through the voice, Holy Spirit through the
dove-like descending and the Son being baptized.
John 1:29: Lamb of God:
Gen 4 - Abel
Gen 22 - Isaac
Ex 12 - offered: Passover
Isaiah 53 - person
Rev 5 - Kinsman-Redeemer
Rev 22:1 - Glorified
Dove
Jonah- son of Amittai (which
means dove, or son of the truth). The dove was a sacrificial
bird (In Lev. one would sacrifice a lamb, if you were poor you
could substitute a dove.) The dove was the animal of sacrifice
for the very poor.
Mary and Joseph
offered a sacrifice of two doves on Christ’s behalf at the
Temple. A dove is appointed unto death. The last time a voice
from heaven was heard was at Mt Sinai when the Law was given.
How interesting it is that the same voice which gave the law, is
now announcing the remedy for breaking the law, namely, His Son.
Ps 2: There are three people talking. Elohim - plural
noun - Name of God. (Yet always used with a singular verb)
Hidden in the grammar is a hint of the trinity. Gal 4:6:
“Whereby we cry Abba, Father...”
