John, the Forerunner
All four gospels apply the same passage from the Book of Isaiah to John the Baptist. He summoned all Israel to repent “for the remission of sins” in preparation for the arrival of the Messiah and the Kingdom of God. And that passage identifies him as the forerunner who was expected before the “Day of Yahweh,” the one who would call the faithful “to prepare the way of the Lord.”
Moreover, many
of John’s activities parallel aspects of the prophetic ministry of the prophet Elijah - (Malachi 3:1-3,
4:5, Mark 9:12-13, Luke
1:17):
- (Isaiah 40:3-5) – “A voice of one crying, in the desert PREPARE THE WAY OF YAHWEH, make smooth in the waste plain a highway for our God: Let every valley be exalted, and every mountain and hill be made low, and the steep ground become level, and the chain of hills a plain: Then will be revealed the glory of Yahweh, and all flesh will see it together, for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken!” – (Mark 1:4-8).
IN THE WILDERNESS
John’s ministry
is associated with the “wilderness” areas in and around the Jordan River
valley to the east and north of Jerusalem. There, John proclaimed the “baptism
for the remission of sins.”
The Greek
noun rendered “repentance” denotes a “change of mind.” The call was for
more than just remorse. The “remission of sins” required a deliberate
change of mind and the direction of one’s life.
The Greek
word rendered “remission” means “to release, discharge, liberate; to
remit” something - (Strong’s - #G859). Elsewhere in Scripture, it is applied
to the “discharge” of debt and to “divorce” decrees. Thus, repentance discharges
the stain of sin and releases the penitent from its dominion and obligations.
And John
summoned the entire nation to repent. The Gospel of Matthew adds Pharisees and Sadducees to the mix of people that came to hear John, and the Gospel of John
also includes “priests and Levites.” Hence, representatives from all levels of Jewish
society were addressed by John and called to repent, including the religious leaders from Jerusalem - (Matthew
3:6, John 1:19).
The
description of John as being “clothed with camel hair and a leather belt”
echoes the story of Elijah. He
also “wore a garment of hair
with a girdle of leather” - (2 Kings 1:1-8).
John’s preaching and actions pointed to the coming Messiah, but it was Jesus who brought the good news of the Kingdom. John’s baptism prepared hearts for the arrival of that kingdom and its King.
And the Baptist
contrasted himself with this “Coming One” in three ways - Might, Worth,
and Mode of Baptism. The Greek adjective rendered “mightier” is used
later to describe Jesus as the “mighty one” who was binding the “strong
man,” namely, Satan - (Mark
3:22-30).
As John
said of himself, “I am not worthy to unloose the strap of his sandals.”
In first-century society, removing another man’s footwear was a menial task normally
assigned to slaves and domestic servants.
BAPTISM OF THE SPIRIT
In such
ways, John portrayed himself as less than worthy to be even the lowliest slave
of the “Coming One.” Even his baptism in water was preparatory, not
final. He baptized repentant sinners in water, but the Messiah would “baptize
in the Holy Spirit.”
In the
Hebrew Bible, the gift of the Spirit is an expectation of the “last days,”
the prophesied “promise of the Father” and one of the “blessings of
Abraham.” It is the cornerstone of the predicted New Covenant - (Acts
2:38-39, Galatians 2:14, Isaiah 44:3, Ezekiel 36:26-27).
John
declared that the Coming One would “baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” In
the gospel accounts, Jesus does not abandon water baptism. But his baptism adds
something new and significant - The baptism
in the Spirit. Thus, his baptism was unique and vastly superior to
anything previously experienced, including the baptism for repentance
administered by John.
With
John’s announcement and ministry, the stage was set for the public unveiling of
the Messiah, the Son of God, the Herald of the Kingdom, and the one who would baptize
his followers in the Holy Spirit.
