Eld Goh Kee Tai

John, ‘the voice of one crying in the wilderness’ (Isa 40:3)

John as the forerunner of Jesus, the promised Messiah, was foretold by Isaiah (Isa 40:3-5): ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths  straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brougt 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: 4-6).

This was also a fulfilment of prophecy announced by Malachi: ‘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). The ‘messenger’ was confirmed by Jesus as John the Baptist (Mt 11:10;17:10-12; Lk 7:27; Jn 5:33). He came in the power and spirit of Elijah to ‘restore all things’, to make ready a people for Christ’s ministry to proclaim the gospel of eternal salvation in His first coming (Mt 11:14;17:10-12). John restored  many disobedient children of Israel once again to the just and holy God. ‘The Lord’ is the promised Messiah, and the ‘messenger of the covenant’ refers to the new covenant based on His ‘blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins’ (Mt 26:28).

His birth and life in the wilderness

John’s father, Zacharias, was a priest, and his mother Elisabeth, the cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus of Nazareth, was also of priestly descent. This elderly godly couple was righteous and blameless before God (Lk 1:5,6,36). Despite their fervent prayers, Elisabeth remained childless (Lk 1:7).

By divine appointment, while Zacharias was performing his priestly duty in burning incense at the golden altar in the temple in Jerusalem (Lk 1:8,9) (only once in the lifetime of a priest), God sent archangel Gabriel to announce the glad tiding that his wife who had already passed childbearing age, would conceive and bear him a son to be called John. Many would rejoice at his birth and he would be brought up as a Nazarite and filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. He would be called ‘the prophet of the Highest’ and great in the sight of God.  He would go in the power and spirit of Elijah to ‘make ready a people prepared for the Lord’, to give knowledge of salvation to the children of Israel, and to turn them to their God in repentance for the remission of sins (Lk 1:13-16,17,76,77). For his unbelief on the conception of John, Zacharias was unable to speak until the birth and circumcision of his only son (Lk 1:20, 57-64).

John was born six months before Jesus Christ (Lk 1:36). He was circumcised on the eighth day, grew and ‘waxed strong in spirit’  in the wilderness of Judaea (Lk1:59,80). He led a life of holiness and austerity, with single-minded devotion to his holy calling. Like Elijah, his garment was made of camel’s hair and he wore a leather girdle about his waist (Mt 3:4; 2 Ki 1:8). His food consisted of  locusts and wild honey. Being brought up as a Nazarite, he abstained from wine and strong drink (Lk 1:15;Num 6:2-8 ). Unlike Elijah, he did not perform any miracles.

His ministry

Before the ministry of John, the law and the prophets were the only lights leading the people of Israel  to God in Christ Jesus (Lk 16:16). The time had finally come for God to call out from the nation of Israel a remnant of faithful believers who would be ready for the imminent arrival of the promised Messiah to usher them into the kingdom of heaven.

John was commissioned by God as a prophet to begin his public ministry in the wilderness of Judaea at the age of 30 years at around AD 27, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judaea, Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, and Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests (Mk 3:1;Lk 3:1,2). His message emphasised the advent of the Messianic kingdom and the urgent need for personal and national repentance and reformation. He preached with authority, affection and earnestness: ‘Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’ (Mt 3:2). He exhorted his hearers to repent, assured them of forgiveness upon repentance, and  beseeched them to make ready the salvation of the Lord, and be baptised as proof of repentance (Mt 3:6; Lk 3:3). He greatly rejoiced in his calling in the advancement of the kingdom of God (John 3:29).

John provided a faithful witness of the divine origin of Jesus Christ who came from heaven above and had sovereign authority over all things and persons (Jn 3:35). His doctrine and knowledge far exceeded that of all the prophets God had raised (Jn 3:31). John publicly testified that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah whom the Father in heaven declared as the Son of God during His baptism: ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’ (Mt 3:17). Moreover, he saw the Spirit of God from heaven descending upon Him, and remaining on Him (Mt 3:16; Jn 1:32,33). He declared that Jesus is ‘the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world’ (Jn 1:29). 

Large crowds of common people from Judaea, Jerusalem and all the region round about River Jordan gathered to hear John’s preaching (Mt 3:6). He fearlessly reproved the people of their sins, impiety, impenitence, and infidelity. He warned them of God’s wrath to come and showed them the way of escape by repentance, conversion and reformation (Mt 17:11). He was evangelical in preaching the kingdom of God by directing the people to Christ who would shortly begin His ministry to show the will of God and the way to heaven. He elaborated that those who believe on Him, the object of their faith, will have everlasting life, but those who reject Him will face the wrath of God in judgment (Jn 3:31-36): ‘Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire’ (Mt 3:12).

The people were surprised by John’s preaching that the kingdom of God is to be inherited only by the righteous who have a right personal relationship with God through repentance and faith in the promised Messiah. They were commonly taught that as Abraham’s descendants, they would be assured of a share of God’s eternal kingdom (Mt 3:9).

In the spirit and power of Elijah, John’s preaching reached the hearts of many people, including publicans and soldiers, who were known to abuse the people with their malpractices and had the bad reputation for corruption and extortion. They were convicted of their sins by his teaching and turned to the holy, wise and just God (Lk 1:16,17). They asked John what they should do when they came for his water baptism (Lk 3:3). He instructed them to be charitable, to do good, and to show love and mercy to those in need of food and clothing (Lk 3:11). He exhorted the publicans to be just and honest, and not to oppress the people and enrich themselves by exacting additional taxes (Lk 3:13). To the soldiers, he urged them not to be brutal to civilians, nor threaten them with false charges and be contented with their wages (Lk 3:14).

However, the  affection and esteem of many of his followers for him and the impact of his preaching on them were transient; they rejoiced in walking in the light only for a season (Jn 5:35). 

John was a fervent and powerful prayer warrior. He taught his disciples how to pray and fast (Lk 11:1, Mt 9:14).

His preaching and baptismal ministry was not confined to Bethabara at the Jordan valley (Jn 1:28). He was away for a short duration in Aenon near Salim (John 3:23), believed to be a Samaritan territory where there were many streams of water.

John and the religious leaders

The Jewish religious leaders, the Sanhedrin, were envious and concerned with John’s widespread recognition shortly after he began his ministry. They had the authority to check all religious teachers (Deu 13:1-5; 18:20-22 ) and sent representatives from Jerusalem to find out his identity (Jn 1:19). They rejected the counsel of God through his preaching and treated him with contempt and prejudice (Lk 7:30). Some even accused him to be devil-possessed (Mt 11:18).

The Jews had been looking forward to the long-awaited blessedness for all Israel, with the promised Messiah sitting on the throne of David ruling over His kingdom. They understood that Elijah must first come and had this popular belief that the prophet would personally return to earth before the time of the Lord’s judgment (Mt 17:10-13; Mal 4:5). John denied that he was the Elijah of Mal 4:5, but only preached in his spirit and power, or the Prophet (the promised Messiah) of Deu 18:15. He identified himself as the forerunner and witness for Christ (Jn 1:20-25;3:28), the ‘voice of one crying in the wilderness’ of Isa 40:3.

John boldly condemned the Pharisees and Sadducees by calling them ‘a generation of vipers’ (Mt 3:7) with their formalism, hypocrisy, self-righteousness and corrupt legalistic religious system. He warned that the unfaithful nation of Israel would face divine  judgment: ‘the axe is laid upon the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire’ (Mt 3:10). The way of salvation was for them to bring forth fruits meet for repentance by a radical, inward personal repentance and reformation of life (Mt 3:8).

John was surprised that many of the Pharisees and  Sadducees were convicted and came to him for baptism, confessing their sins. He asked them: ‘who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?’ (Mt 3:7).

John’s water baptism

John’s ministry was characterised by baptism with water. He preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sin (Mk 1:4). The Jews who rejected his teaching, took issue with some of John’s disciples (Jn 3:25). John’s baptism was an identification of his followers who associated themselves with his message on the need of personal repentance for the remission of sin. It was a symbolic token for the inward cleansing of sin upon confession and  repentance, as well as an eschatological act preparing an individual for admission into the Messianic kingdom through faith in Christ. John’s baptism superseded the Jewish religious washing of uncleanness with water or ceremonial purification. He proclaimed that Christ is the One who baptises believers with the Holy Spirit, and executes judgment on unbelievers with fire (Lk 3:16).

Among those who came to John for baptism was the sinless Jesus of Nazareth. He submitted to John’s baptism as a sign of His humility. John was hesitant as he felt so unworthy to perform it (Mt 3:14). The Lord convinced him that it was to fulfil all righteousness (Mt 3:15) and thus gave His seal of approval to his ministry of baptism and his message of righteousness and the proper approach to God’s kingdom (Lk 3:7-14).

John and Christ

John was mindful that he was merely the forerunner of Christ, preparing the hearts of the people for His ministry. He highly honoured Him, humbled and abased himself when compared to His great excellency, being unworthy even to perform the lowest service of the Messiah, whose shoe’s latchet he was not worthy to unloose (Jn 1:27). He repeatedly declared that he was not the promised Messiah (Jn 3:28;Act 13:25). He considered himself as the friend of the true Bridegroom (Jn 3:29). Whatever he had done to prepare the hearts of the people to come to Christ in love and faith, the name of the Lord must be greatly exalted and magnified: ‘He must increase, but I must decrease’ (Jn 3:30). He was pleased to be nothing so that Christ may be all in all.

When Jesus began His ministry, John continued to preach and baptise until he was imprisoned, as the Lord had generally not been known by the people as the promised Messiah and their hearts were not well prepared to receive Him. But God gave the increase and the Lord’s disciples were soon baptising more followers than John. John’s disciples were envious and grieved (Jn 3:26,27). When Jesus came to know that the Pharisees were taking advantage of this situation, He left Judaea for Galilee to preach the gospel there (Mk 1:14;Jn 4:1-3).

Although John preached Christ and the kingdom of heaven, and was certain that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah, yet he needed reassurance from the Lord Himself. While imprisoned, he sent two of his disciples to Jesus to enquire. The Lord confirmed His Messiahship, as evidenced by His miraculous works which precisely fulfilled the predictions of the prophets of old (Mt 11:2-6; Isa 35:4-6).

His martyrdom

The fearless preaching of John marked the beginning of Satan’s violent opposition to the preaching of the kingdom of God (Mt 11:12).

After his ministry in Samaria, John could have returned to the territory (probably Peraea) ruled by Herod Antipas. Herod was suspicious of John’s large following and he was concerned that it might threaten peace and security in the land. However, he enjoyed listening to his preaching (Mk 6:20). Like Elijah who was bold to rebuke the wicked idolatrous king Ahab (1 Ki 21:17-24), John, the stern prophet, stood before Herod to reprove him for all the evils which he had done, in particular, his heinous sin of incest by marrying Herodias, his brother Philip’s former wife (Lk 3:19,20).

This incurred the wrath of the royal couple, especially Herodias. She  was furious and demanded that John be executed. However, Herod feared John, a holy and just man,  revered by the people as a prophet, and had him imprisoned instead. The vengeful Herodias then devised a wicked plot to get rid of John. By satisfying the lust of Herod and his high-ranking officials in his birthday feast with a sensual dance by her beautiful daughter, Herod was so charmed and pleased that he vowed that he would give whatever the step-daughter requested. At the instigation of Herodias, she demanded John’s head on a platter. John was beheaded in the prison and his disciples took the body and buried him (Mt 14:3-12; Mk 6:17-29). Herod was deeply troubled and his conscience plagued him; he thought that John had risen from the dead in the person of Jesus Christ (Mt 14:2; Mk 6:14-16).

Commendations from Jesus

Jesus commended John as  ‘a burning and a shining light’, preaching the kingdom of heaven with zeal and sincerity (Jn 5:35). He was the man sent by God to bear witness for the Light (Jn 1:6,7;5:32,33), the promised Messiah, the Saviour of the world (Jn 4:42).

Jesus testified that John was a hardy, courageous and unwavering Nazarite prophet of conviction and determination, not ‘A reed shaken with the wind’, bending in whatever direction the wind blows (Lk 7:24; Mt 11:7).

He was highly regarded by Christ as the last and greatest of the prophets: ‘more than a prophet’, ‘Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist’ (Mt 11:9,11), John was unsurpassed in his stature in preaching the kingdom of God

Jesus also acknowledged the ground prepared by John for His preaching ministry in Samaria. The harvest which Jesus and His disciples reaped there had been sown by John with the Samaritan woman of Sychar and many more in the city brought to eternal life in Christ (Jn 4:39,41). Jesus reminded His disciples: ‘other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours’(Jn 4:38).

Impact of John’s ministry

Andrew, an Apostle of Jesus Christ and the younger brother of Peter, was originally one of the disciples of John the Baptist who directed them to Christ. When he heard John calling Jesus the Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world, he followed the Lord  and later introduced Peter to Him (Jn 1:35-42).

The gospel preached by the Apostles traditionally began with the baptism of John (Act 10:37; 13:24).

The disciples of John continued with his ministry for at least 25 years after his death. Apollos, an eloquent Jew born in Alexandria, mighty in the scriptures and fervent in spirit, preached diligently the baptism of repentance and the kingdom of God.  But he knew only the preaching and water baptism of John. He had only some general notions of the gospel of Christ, and the way of salvation through Him. He had himself been baptised with the baptism of John, but was not baptised with the Holy Spirit. When Paul’s co-labourers, Aquila and Priscilla, heard his preaching in a synagogue at Ephesus defective in the knowledge on the death, burial,  resurrection and ascension of Jesus, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, they discreetly expounded to him privately the whole truth to equip him well in declaring the word of everlasting life (Act 18:24-26; Rm 6:3,4).

In his third missionary journey at Ephesus, Paul encountered about 12 of John’s disciples who had been baptised with the baptism of repentance. They had not been baptised with the Christian baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Mt 28:19) and did not receive the Holy Spirit. On believing the truth taught, and confessing their faith in Christ as the Son of God, Paul solemnly prayed to God, laid his hands upon each of them and the Lord baptised them with the Holy Spirit and their salvation was sealed (Act 19:1-7; Eph 1:13,14).

Conclusion

In his short ministry lasting two to three years characterised by his love of God, great piety and holiness, self-denial, self-control, humility, zeal, endurance and courage, John had accomplished much in preparing the hearts of the Jews to receive  the promised Messiah in His first coming. He was the instrument used by God to bring the Jews together as a people ‘of one heart and one soul’ to turn to Him in Christ and to walk in all His ways (Act 4:32) to the blessings of the Messianic kingdom. He was highly commended by the Lord. How will the Lord commend you, dear reader when your life ends? Amen.