John the Baptist, a voice in the wilderness

by Gwen Herat

A few months before the annunciation of the Virgin Mary, the angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias and said his wife Elizabeth would be blessed with a child. He did not believe the angel and for this he was punished. He would remain dumb until their child was born. Zacharias and Elizabeth were in their eighties. Elizabeth was Mary's cousin. When their son was born, everyone around them thought he would be named after his father.

But Elizabeth said ‘no’ and Zacharias wrote in a piece of paper that the child would be called, John. Immediately Zacharias was able to talk and he was filled with the Holy Spirit.

John the Baptist in the waters of the Jordan river.

In the 15 year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius Caesar, a message from God reached John as he was living out in the desert. Then John went from place to place on both sides of the River Jordan, preaching that the people should be baptised to reveal that they had turned to God, and away from sins to be forgiven. Isaiah the prophet said John was a voice shouting from the barren wilderness and who prepared a road for the Lord to travel on; widen the pathway before him, level the mountains; fill up the valleys; straighten the curves, smooth out the ruts and then all mankind shall see the Saviour sent from God. John preached to the crowds and called some of them snakes that are trying to escape hell without truly turning to God.

He urged them to go and repent. He advised them not to be deceived just because they are descendents of Abraham. That is not enough he said as God can produce children of Abraham from these desert stones.

‘The axe of his judgement is poised over you ready to sever your roots and cut you down. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.’

People were amazed and asked what they should do. He said, ‘If you have two coats give one to the poor. If you have extra food, give it away to those who are hungry.’

Honesty

Even the notorious tax-collectors, came to be baptised and asked John how they could prove their worth? And John replied, ‘By your honesty.’ Make sure you collect no more than what the Roman Government requires you to. John also advised the soldiers not to extort money by threats and violence. Do not accuse anyone who has not committed wrong and to be content with their pay. Seventeen years had passed since Jesus was a child of 12 when he questioned the teachers and elders at the temple. It was spring in 29 C.E. And everybody seemed talking about Jesus’ cousin, John who was preaching around the River Jordan. It was after he came to the Judean desert and started preaching. He told one and all: “Turn away from your sins because the Kingdom of Heaven is near! John was the man prophet Isaiah was talking about. ‘Someone is shouting in the desert. Prepare a road for the Lord. Make straight paths for him to travel.

(Mathew 3, 1-4)

John was a very impressive and imposing man in appearance and speech. His clothes were made of camel hair and he wore a leather girdle around his loins. He ate insects and locusts and drank wild honey.

Excitement

His message excited the people who listened to him and they realised the need to repent and to change their attitude. They changed the undesirable life they led. As his message travelled far and wide, people all around the territory of Jordan River and also from Jerusalem came in great numbers to be baptised by him. John dipped them in the waters of the river in a symbolic gesture.

Why?

They acknowledged and repented how they had treated the Lord's Covenant. Because of all the attention John was receiving, Jews sent out priests and Levites to him. They asked who he was.

“I am not Christ,” John confessed.
“What then?” they inquired, “Are you Elijah”?
“I am not;” he answered.
“Are you the prophet?”
“No.”

So, they became irritable and insistent. “What are you?” We may give an answer to those who sent us. What have you to say about yourself?

John explained to them; I am a voice of someone crying out in the wilderness,
“Make the way for the Lord straight just as Isaiah the prophet said;
“Why then do you baptise, if you yourself are not Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”

“I baptise in water,” he answered. “In the midst of you one is standing whom you do not know, the one coming behind me.”

John prepared the way by getting people in a proper state on accept the Messiah who will become King. John said.

“The one coming after me is stronger than I am whose sandles I am not fit to take off.” In fact, John even said “The one coming behind me has advanced in front of me because he existed before me.” “The kingdoms of the heavens drawn near and serves as a message that the ministry of Jesus Christ is about to begin.”

The Lamb of God

The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Here is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I was talking about when I said, “A man is coming after me but he is greater than I am because he existed before I was born.” I did not know who he would be but I came baptising with water to make him known to the people of Israel.”

And John gave this testimony.

“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and rest on him. I still did not know that he was the one. But God who sent me to baptise with water, had said to me, “You will see the Spirit come down and stay on a man; he is the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit. I have seen it,” said John, “and I tell you He is the Son of God.” (John 1, 29-34)

The Baptism of Jesus

About six months after John began preaching, Jesus who by then was 30 years old came to him at the Jordan. Jesus asked John to baptise him. Right away John refused and said, “I am the one needing to be baptised by you and you are coming to me.” John knew that Jesus was his cousin and God's chosen child.

When his mother Mary who was pregnant with Jesus, came to see his mother, Elizabeth, John had moved in his mother's womb. Elizabeth no doubt told John about the incident. She also told him about Gabriels’ appearance to Mary. Elizabeth was also told by the angel about John's birth and because his father had not believed the angel, God punished him by making him dumb until John was born. So, when Jesus came to be baptised by him,

John was aware that they were cousins. His reluctance to baptise Jesus was that it was meant only for sinners. Jesus insisted and told him, “Let it be this time for in that way it is suitable for us to carry out all that is righteous.”