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December 8, 2013 |
| John the Baptist | ||
John the Baptist had a very important role to play but because his role ends soon after Jesus begins his ministry, not that much is said of him and his teachings in the Bible. But John's ministry had a big impact in his time. Many of Jesus' followers had been John's followers.
In this lesson we'll take a look at what he taught and who he was.
We'll begin by looking at Luke's account about John. Luke begins by establishing the time when John began his ministry. They didn't number years then like we do now. So when you wanted to describe the year when something happened you would describe it relative to well known people, people in positions of power and influence. And that is how Luke's account begins.
1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar-when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene - 2 during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Who was Tiberius? Was he the same Caesar who ruled when Jesus was born?
Who was Pontius Pilate? Where do we see him play an important role?
Who was Herod and what is a tetrarch? Is this the same Herod who ruled when Jesus was born?
Where do we see Annas and Caiaphas play an important role?
The verses above describe John's ministry covering the area around the Jordan River, which flows from the Sea of Galilee down to the Dead Sea. This gave him access to most of the population of Israel and this would have been especially true during the feasts when the people of Israel were required to be in Jerusalem.
Mathew 3:5 says "People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan." So John, while he spent his time in the desert areas around the Jordan, drew people from all over to hear him.
These verses also tell us a little about the nature of John's ministry. Josephus, a historian of that time, knew of John the Baptist and wrote about him. "John," he says, "enjoined upon the Jews first to cultivate virtue and to put in practice righteousness toward one another, and piety toward God, and then to come to his baptism, for thus only would the baptism be acceptable to God"1. Josephus does a fair job of summarizing the teachings of John. John wanted the people to repent. That is he wanted them to recognize that they had sinned and to be sorry for their sins and to change their ways. Then they were to be baptized in water. After that they were to, as Josephus says, cultivate virtue (doing what is good) and practice righteousness (living rightly)
Acts 13:24 says "Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel." And that was the role that God had given John to play. It was also what Isaiah prophesied of him years before.
4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all people will see God's salvation.'2"
John is serving in the role of a herald for a great king. When a king was traveling his herald would travel far ahead of him to make sure that the route was passable and the people were prepared for him. John was doing exactly this but in the spiritual sense. He was preparing the hearts of the people for Jesus.
Back in Luke 1 an angel announced to Zechariah what the role would be for the as yet unborn John. In Luke 1:16 the angel says "He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God."
John was a pretty fiery preacher. He had no problem telling the people to tear down those spiritual mountains and to fill in the spiritual valleys.
7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 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."
Here we see John doing exactly what he was supposed to be doing. In saying "Produce fruit" he is telling them to do good and live righteous lives. In discussing their wrongful attitude toward Abraham he is telling them to tear down their arrogance. The Jews had come to think very highly of themselves as God's chosen people. They thought they had been chosen because they were special. They had misunderstood that God had chosen them because they were the tool he needed to accomplish his purpose. If you have to screw in a slot head screw then you need a slot head screwdriver, but that doesn't mean the slot head screwdriver is better than a Philips head screwdriver.
John's preaching convicted the people. They knew that they had not been living righteous lives and that they had strayed away from living Godly lives.
10 "What should we do then?" the crowd asked. 11 John answered, "Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same."
12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?" 13 "Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them.
14 Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He replied, "[Do harm to no one] and don't accuse people falsely - be content with your pay."
We see various groups were asking John how to apply his teachings to their lives. To all people his message was to give to those in need. This is the essence of the love commandment - love your neighbor as yourself. To the tax collectors his message was to practice justice and fairness. To the soldiers his message comes out of the ten commandments, you shall not kill, you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor, and you shall not covet.
The people of Israel knew the writings of Daniel and the 70 weeks prophecy. So they knew the time was near and many of them were expecting the Messiah that the prophecy foretold.
15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.
John tells them right out that he is not the Messiah. He says that someone is coming behind him who has a greater baptism. Again we see that role of the herald being followed by the one who is greater. In the Gospel of John3 we see the Pharisees questioning him specifically about who he is and what he is doing. He tells them the same thing and he even refers to himself as the fulfillment of the Isaiah 40 prophecy.
These verses mention a winnowing fork. That was a tool used to separate the grain from the straw and chaff. After the piles of harvested wheat were beaten to release their seeds, the wheat, the winnowing fork was used to pick-up the straw but to leave the wheat behind on the floor. John's message about the different destinies of the wheat and the chaff is directed to us as well. The wheat will be gathered into his barn and treated as valuable; the chaff will be burned in unquenchable fire, a reference to the lake of fire.
We now change to Matthew's account of John the Baptist baptizing by the Jordan River. This comes from Matthew 3:13-15.
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?" 15 Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.
At this point Jesus' ministry begins. John continues for a while, teaching as he had before. There is no conflict between them because Jesus' message is no different. Jesus also says "the Kingdom of Heaven is near" just as John did. And he teaches righteousness as John did. And his disciples baptize.
"Baptism was not new to the Jews of Jesus time. We do not see the Pharisees surprised by what John is doing in Baptism. "Historically, we know that there were many ritual immersion baths on the Temple Mount […]. Josephus tells us that even during the years of war (66-73 A.D.) the laws of ritual immersion were strictly adhered to4. The Temple itself contained immersion baths in various places for the priests to use, even in the vaults beneath the court.5" Baptism?
In John's preaching he had been rebuking Herod the tetrarch for the evil things he had done. And Herod had been hearing about this. When John began to rebuke him for marrying his brother's wife, Herod considers this and all the other things John has said about him. He decides to throw John in jail6.
One thing is very different between John's ministry and the ministry of Jesus - Jesus is healing people and casting out evil spirits. These verses come from Matthew 11:2-15
2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?"
Despite the fact that John had recognized Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, here he appears to be questioning himself. The Jews had been expecting a very different Messiah - a conquering king. Perhaps it was this or perhaps it was that John found himself in prison that caused him to doubt like this. But he finds himself wondering if this is really the Messiah or just another messenger coming before the real Messiah.
4 Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me."
Jesus doesn't directly answer the question. Instead he asks, what do your eyes see? Who else do you know who can do this?
7 As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
Jesus seems to be implying here that John has been swayed by the wind. Many of the people around Jesus were baptized by John. He asks them why did you go out to see John back then? Was it because of who he was or the clothes that he wore? No, it was because he was bringing them God's message - a prophet.
10 This is the one about whom it is written: "'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'
Jesus says that John was not only a prophet but he was the fulfillment of prophecy. As such he was an important player. It's important to understand the trust that God puts in any man who knows he is the fulfillment of prophecy. Judas
11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Jesus message here is that no man has been greater than John, but as great as he is his works would never get him into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus continues on with that idea.
12 [From the days of John the Baptist until this hour the Kingdom of Heaven is led by force and the violent are seizing it].
Until John the Baptist the kingdom of heaven had not been announced to the people. Since the announcement, people were trying to enter it through good works, by force, when the only way to enter it would be through faith. But even at the time it was announced. It was only near, it would not be available until the Messiah would be sacrificed and rise again.
1 'Antiquities of the Jews 18:05, 2
2 Isaiah 40:3-5
3 John 1:19
4 Wars of the Jews 4:205
5 http://www.haydid.org/ronimmer.htm
6 Luke 3:19