John the Baptist

The life and ministry of John the Baptist was important to Jesus’ life and ministry. He was the promised forerunner of the Messiah spoken of in Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me.” Isaiah also spoke of John as “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of Yehovah, make straight in the desert a highway for our God!” (Isaiah 40:3). Note in both of these passages it is Yehovah God speaking yet the verses describe events in the life of Jesus. This indicates that Jesus is God in human form. Jesus told His disciples, “I and the Father are one” (John10:30).

There are many parallels between John and Jesus. First, they were cousins through Mary’s family. Both had miraculous circumstances surrounding their births. Zacharias (John’s father) asked how this could happen since John’s mother (Elizabeth) was beyond her reproductive years (Luke 1:18). Mary asked how this could happen since she was a virgin (Luke 1:34). Both sets of parents were subjects of shame. John’s because people believed a couple had no children as a punishment from God for sin. Mary was accused of adultery as bringing about her pregnancy.

An angel individually announced the upcoming births of the boys. Gabriel appeared to Zacharias and separately to both Mary and Joseph. After learning that they were pregnant, both Elizabeth and Mary went into seclusion. Elizabeth’s pregnancy took her from the disgrace of barrenness to evidence of God’s favor. The opposite fate awaited Mary. She was announced by the angel Gabriel to be highly favored by God but her pregnancy brought her public disgrace.

In both cases Gabriel announced the name of the child. John (Johanan) means “God is gracious.” Jesus (Yeshua) means “God is salvation.” Gabriel also spoke of God’s favor towards the children to be born. He said that John would be “great in the sight of the Lord” (Luke 3:15). Jesus would be “great” and in addition Gabriel twice Mary is told He will be called the “Son of God” (Luke 1:32-34). In this passage Mary was also promised that Jesus would sit on the throne of David and reign forever. The fulfillment of this promise will be realized at His second coming.

John did serve as the forerunner and twice announced to his disciples that Jesus was the “Lamb of God” who would be sacrificed for the sins of the world. This is a reference to the Passover lamb that was killed and the blood applied to the doorposts of the homes of those that believed so that the angel of death would “pass over” them. The blood Jesus shed saves us from eternal death – separation from God. Both men preached repentance. John called the people to repent and to embrace the newly come Messiah. Jesus calls us to repent of our sins, accept His work on the cross and enter into a relationship with Him, the Father and the Holy Spirit.