What Does the Bible Say About John the Baptizer #4?

In this fourth episode, Arnie and Glenn continue their discussion about John the Baptizer. The discussion begins with a look at the prophesy that John's father Zacharias stated about him which first appeared in the Old Testament. Johns' youth was spent in the desert, and he continued this life up until the time he came to the public. We note this. An Old Testament prophecy by Malachi said one like Elijah would return at some point. We look at numerous occasions in the New Testament that people discussed this prophecy and how it relates to John the Baptizer. John and Jesus were related. They were cousins, John being 6 months older than Jesus. But there was a more important relationship which we discuss next. We also look at what the religious leaders were trying to do relating to John's disciples and Jesus. John was aware of this and had much to say about the issue being raised. We note what John had to say. We run out of time for this episode before completing this subject. We'll start here next week. Take about 30-minutes to listen in on our discussion. Have your Bible handy so you can verify what is being said. There is a transcript of this Buzzsprout episode provided for your convenience.

Transcript

Fred Gosnell: 0:00

This is a presentation of the Woodland church of Christ, meeting at 3370 Broad Street in Sumter, South Carolina. We meet for worship on Sunday at ten thirty am and five thirty pm. We meet for bible study at nine thirty am on Sunday and seven pm on Wednesday. If you have questions or comments on this lesson, you may email them to Fred Gosnell at fgosnell@ftc-i.net or to Arnie Granke at agranke440718@twc.com or to Glenn Landrum at

Arnie: 0:41

Good afternoon. This is Arnie Granke, and Glenn Landrum scbamaboy2003@yahoo.com. is with us again this afternoon. And Fred Gosnell is also here, and he's available to answer any questions or anything of that sort there. We're glad to be able to be speaking with you about Bible things. We hope that you'll find the these things informative. And then, if you have an opportunity, whenever you're in the Sumter, South Carolina area, we would love to have you stop by at Woodland church of Christ, about two miles west of the, or rather east of the Shaw Air Force Base main gate. And we'd love to have you and study with us on the Lord's day morning and Wednesday evenings, and then also worship on Lord's day morning, and then Lord's day evening. Glenn and I have been talking about John the Baptist, and we've we've looked at several things with regard to his ministry. He was a special servant of of God's. And we've discussed his ministry and and message a little bit, and then we've we've also talked about John's baptism. John. John was an Immerser. He was never a Baptist. The word Baptist is not is not used in in the Bible, as a as the name of a religious, religion, or anything of that sort. He was in an immerser. He immersed people in in water. And so we've talked about his his baptism, and we began last week to speak about his background, his birth, his early life, and things of of that, of that nature. Uh, so we had been looking,Glenn, I think, at how it came that he was named John, which was kind of an unusual thing for boys to be named by some name that's not a family family name, but God had selected that for him. And so we've spoken a little bit about that and and we've still got a little bit more to say. I think, don't we, Glenn?

Glenn: 3:26

Yes we do. We ended up reading Luke 1, 57, yo 66 about John and about his father, Zacharias. And speaking about John's name being given to Zacharias, it was by the Holy Spirit that that Zacharias got John's name, and that was the name that he would give John once he was born. But as soon as Zacharias received that from the Holy Spirit, he was struck dumb. He couldn't speak. So when he was given info, given the infam, information about John's name, until after John's birth, he couldn't speak. Of course, we saw that Zacharias' voice came back just just after John was born, and Zacharias had written John's name on a tablet. So now we learn that Zacharias, being filled with the Holy Spirit, made an important prophecy about John's mission and some information referring to Jesus Christ as well, and that's in Luke 1, 67, to 69 does following verses from what we live I read last week. So those read, And his father, Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Spirit. And a prophet prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord. God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David, as he spoke, as he spake by by mouth of His Holy Prophets, which have been since the world began, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us, to perform the mercies promise to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he swear to our father, Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. And thou shall child, shall be called the Prophet of the highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins through the tender mercy of God, whereby the dayspring from on high have visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Arnie: 6:13

We, we also know a little bit after after his circumcision there and and naming. We know a little bit about his his childhood, but not a tremendous amount of of information. Uh, Luke one and and verse 80 tells us that the child grew and waxed strong in spirit, was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel. So John spent a good bit of his youth there in the in the wilderness. I think he that he was apparently developing his close relationship to to God, and as he is, becoming accustomed to being in rugged living and as a man the rest of his life, living in a, or most of his life there, living in a in a rugged way. Mark speaks of that as well, where his really, his ascetic life and and rugged being is is mentioned In Mark one and in verse six, John was clothed with camel's hair, with a girdle of skin about his loins, and he did eat locusts and and wild honey. And then, of course, we we find in Luke chapter chapter seven, that he was a lot like Elijah. As a matter of fact, he was actually spoken of as as being Elijah, not that that's who he was. It wasn't, he didn't have Elijah's spirit within him. He had his own that God gave him, but he was Elijah, like, as as the Old Testament Scriptures had had said. So, Luke, chapter seven, beginning in verse 33 John, the Baptist, came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and ye say, he hath a demon. This is Jesus speaking here, in this case. And he says, The Son of Man has come eating and drinking. You say, Behold, a gluttonous man and a wine bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But just wisdom is justified of all her children. So So Jesus, of course, is speaking about the people's fickleness, really, as far as their their thinking, with regard to to people that were that were religiously oriented. Not many of the priests and and Jewish officials of Jesus' da,y John's day, were truly religious individuals. They they liked the command that they had over other people more than they seemed to love the Lord and and that certainly was a tragic thing, and, and it resulted, not only in in many people being led away from Christ and from from John. But there were still those who who recognized the truth and and followed both John and Jesus and and other righteous men.

Glenn: 10:13

Yes, and following that, we would learn that that John's mission, and what he did, and him coming on the scene, when he did, would actually fulfill the promise of the return of Elijah. Luke, one, verse 17, it says, And he shall go before him. And that's before Jesus, saying he John would go before Jesus in the spirit and power of Elias. That's Elijah, Yo turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. So we'd already talked about his mission being to prepare the way for for Jesus, and that's what this is saying, and that he would fulfill that prophecy of Elijah. And what Elijah would do to prepare the way. Also in Malachi, in the Old Testament, Malachi, four verses, five and six is, Behold, I will send you Elijah, the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord, and He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. And then there's another passage we need to look at, and it'll be in Matthew 17, 10, through 13, similar to Elijah in message manner and dress. John was thought to be Elijah. So Matthew, 17 goes along with the other two that we just read, And his disciples asked Him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must come first. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall come first and restore all things. But I say unto you, now pay attention to this. He says, Now I say unto you that Elias is already come. And they they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall the Son of man suffer them. Then the disciples understood, and he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

Arnie: 12:32

So let me, let me just mention there, that's actually Matthew 17, verse 10 through 13, right? That that we were, that we were looking at. And this is Jesus speaking about John the Baptist and and once again, he wasn't really Eli Elijah, but he was the one that was so much like Elijah, that it was as if Elijah had had come again, back to back to the earth. So, there is, there's a similar, you know, there's, he's similar to Elijah in the message that he delivered, in in his manner, the the way he lived and and acted, and all of all of that, and and even as the way that he dressed. And so it appeared to many people that that was Elijah, and he was certainly thought by many to to be that. John, John chapter one, and in in verse 19, John says, This is the record of John when the Jews, and by the way, this John is John the Apostle, and he's writing about John the Baptist there. Don't get them confused there. This is the record of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed and denied not, but confessed, I'm not the Christ. They asked him, What then, art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Now notice that's not a conflict with the passages that that speak of him as being Elias. Remember he's like him, but he it's not as if Elias, Elijah has risen from the dead or anything of of that, of that sort. He said, I am not. Art thou that prophet? He answered, No. They said unto him, Who art thou that we may give answer to them that sent us? What sayest, thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Elijah.

Glenn: 15:19

Well, and that is part of that is a quote from isaiah 40, 1 through five. I'm not going to read that, but you can read isaiah 40, 1 through five, and you'll see that a very a good portion of that, what was just read is a direct quote from Isaiah. So it was a prophecy by Isaiah that that John would be that person. Now the Jews. Now we're talking now about John and Jesus. John being the the harbinger and and Jesus being the savior. A harbinger is one who announces, brings, brings forth a message to let you know that something is about to happen. And so that's what John was. His mission was to prepare the way for Jesus, the Savior. But the Jews instigated a dispute with John's disciples and and it's recorded in John three verses, 25 to 36. Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou bearest witness behold the same baptiseth all men and come to Him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing except to be given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness that I said I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This is my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all. He that is of the earth is earthly. And speaking of the earth, He that cometh from Heaven is above all. And what he has seen and heard that he testifieth, and no man receiveth this testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set His seal that God is true. For he whom God has sent, speaketh the words of God. For God speaketh not the spirit by the measure unto him, The Father loveth the son and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not, the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. So John had mentioned that he was of the earth, that Jesus was of heaven, that so he's letting them know what, who he's talking of that is the Christ that's coming that will will forgive sins and provide everlasting life.

Arnie: 18:36

This passage that that Glenn has been reading, mentions purifying and just kind of to clarify something on that. The Old Testament ceremonial cleansing commonly required a a bathing, fully, often in in preparing to make a a sin offering and and so there's an obvious connection with baptism by John and and Jesus. And there were in places like Jerusalem, there were a number of pools around the city, there, places like like Siloam or Bethesda and others as well. And and these pools, these were not swimming holes or something for recreational, these were these for were for making preparation, bathing the the body in preparation, for making a sin offering, usually at the temple, almost immediately after, after the. the bath. And so there's an obvious connection with baptism by both John and Jesus. And there are a number of incidents that occurred that Jesus spoke with people and actually assisted them, took their took their disabilities and and afflictions and so forth away, that he met at Bethesda or Siloam or one of those other mitvahs and that was, that was, that was why they had come originally, but they also were, were hoping for some kind of a healing, and fortunately for them, that worked out that way. I said enough.

Glenn: 21:00

Well, you know, the the Jews, particularly the Pharisees and the priests, they were always trying to to trip Jesus up, and they were always trying to cause a problem. In John 3, 26, is an example of that. And they came unto John and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, Jordan, to whom thou bearest witness, behold the same baptizes. And all men come to him. Well, this is kind of reverse there. They're they're speaking to John here, and they're trying to confuse him, saying that that Jesus is doing the same thing, but doing it more than he is. So they're trying to cause a problem. And basically, I kind of seems like a jealousy, trying to create a jealousy with John of Jesus. I don't think it worked, no. But Jesus was immersing in Judea, Judea and John was working in Aenon. John, 23, 23 and 24 says, After these things, came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea, and there he tarried with them and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salem, because there was much water there, and they came and were baptized, for John was not yet cast into prison.

Arnie: 22:31

So, of course, this was probably less than two years time before he was cast into prison. He only lived during Jesus lifetime and during his ministry and Jesus ministry, only lived about two years during that. So a very short period of of being able to do what the Lord sent him to to to do. So here he's, he's affirming his mission, John,John is. And and he reaffirms and speaks about his relation to Christ. He's not the Messiah, but he's, he's a forerunner, if you will, of of the Messiah, John, chapter three, and verse 27 he says, You yourselves, bear me witness. Then I said, I'm not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. And then, then the next verse as well, he that said, He that hath the bride is the bridegroom, a friend of the bridegroom which standeth and heareth him rejoiceth greatly because of the bride groom's voice. This my joy therefore, is fulfilled. So here again you have John the Apostle writing what John the Baptist said here. So be careful as you read these passages. Don't confuse the the different John's as you're as you keep seeing the name appear.

Glenn: 24:20

So John was also was to exalt Christ, uh, he must abase himself, or he he needed to mention that Christ, or show that Christ was greater than he was. So he had to abase himself. John three, verse 30 says, He must increase, but I must decrease. Uh Christ, as he is just getting his ministry started, he's going to continue to get get stronger, have more followers and and do even more than John had done as John was starting to be on the downside of His ministry. So that would be him and showing that that he was doing, that he was decreasing as Christ was, was increasing. Now Christ's preeminence was, was shown in John 3, 31 He that cometh from above is above all. He that is of the earth is earthly. And speaking of the earth, He that cometh from heaven, is above all. So, so it says, talking of Christ being from heaven, but John, he's, he's earthly. Christ, being from Heaven is greater than John, being of the earth. When you have an opportunity, I think it would be worth taking, taking the time to look at a few other passages in Acts two verses 21 to 36 Peter was preaching the first gospel sermon, and he explains this about how Jesus had been crucified, buried, raised and ascended to heaven, and then was sitting on the right hand of God. So this would be, after the fact, what happened with Christ, how great he was, and so great that that he was raised to sit on the right hand of God. So John indeed, was showing that Christ was greater than he and would continue to increase in preeminence.

Arnie: 26:47

So, so here, here he is and and John 3, 31, is, is speaking about about Christ. He that cometh from above is above all. He that is of the earth is earthy and speaketh of the earth. He that cometh from Heaven is is above all. So he's speaking, speaking about Christ's preeminence there and and the Colossian letter in Colossians, chapter one and verse 18 goes on to say, He's the head of the body, the church. It's the church that's the body that's under consideration there. He's the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning of the firstborn from the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the the preeminence. And then, and then John, chapter three, again, verse, verse, 32 and and 30, 33, And what he had seen and heard that he testified no man receive it his testimony. He that receiveth his testimony has set to his seal that that God is is true. And so it's important for us to understand that tragically, so many people don't recognize that these pass, New Testament passages and Old Testament passages are actually predicting the the Messiah and was were recognized as being during their own generation, there, when Jesus was was born. And and tragically, very few of the Jews actually became disciples of Jesus and followed him and and recognized him as as the one who could take away their sins. And we hope that we can talk a little bit more about this next Lord's Day. Use your Bible. Look at some of these passages once again, and we'll look forward to being with you again next Lord's Day. Have a good week.