John the Baptist: Preaching of Repentance

John the Baptist: Preaching of Repentance

Matthew 3:1-10, Mark 1:2-6, Luke 3:1-14, John 1:19-23

Application - How can we help prepare people’s hearts to meet Jesus?

Introduction

Several years ago, the President of the USA came to Wilkes County to give a speech at a local high school. Before his arrival, many people came to prepare for the arrival of this important figure to our country. Secret Service men prepared the school and surrounding area to be secure when the president came into town. Others set up the venue to make sure it was ready for the speech. Why did this happen? When important people come into a town, extreme measurements are taken in the preparation, so people understand the importance of the event. God called John to preach to a people who were unprepared to receive the Lord. John was to call all mankind to repent and prepare for the kingdom of heaven. Making the pathways straight alluded to the preparations made for an earthly king. When a king traveled to a distant land, the roads were improved prior to his trip to make travel more comfortable. The crooked roads were straightened, the hills leveled, the valleys filled in, and the rough spots were made smooth.[1] John the Baptist was spiritually and morally preparing for a heavenly King by preaching a message of repentance to this sinful nation. It was a message of salvation for all mankind.

Lesson Background

This past week, we have read about the birth of Jesus, the shepherds who praised God for His birth, and His circumcision and presentation at the Temple. The wise men from the East, who followed a star, came to King Herod in search of the newborn King. After the wise men brought gifts to Jesus and worshiped Him, they departed, not returning to Herod, as the king had requested. Joseph was warned in a dream to flee into Egypt with Mary and the Child. He obeyed immediately, avoiding the death squads that would soon descend on Bethlehem. Feeling threatened by a new King, Herod dispatched soldiers to Bethlehem to kill all the male children 2 years and under. Matthew records the prophecy of Jeremiah reflecting the horror of the weeping and great mourning after the brutal killing of children.After the death of King Herod, Joseph safely returned to Nazareth with Mary and Jesus, where Jesus grew up, filled with the wisdom and favor of God. The world was not ready to receive the Messiah, but John would prepare the way. John had been born into a priestly family, destined to be a priest in temple robes, but he chose to live the simple life of a prophet, untouched by worldly influences.

The Bible tells us little about John after his birth until he receives his call to preach. “And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.”[2]We may have more questions about John the Baptist, than answers. The people lived mostly in Jerusalem and in small, scattered villages throughout Judea. Why would John preach a message of repentance to an unpopulated area of the wilderness?

At the end of the Old Testament, the words of God came to Malachi warning the people that the day of the Lord was coming.

Malachi 4:4-5: 4Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. 5See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes.

After Malachi, there was silence from God. Even during unfaithful times in Israel’s history, God had always brought warnings through prophets or miraculous deliverances from their enemies, but now there was nothing. The sacrifices and offerings continued; the Festivals were still celebrated, but God was still silent. Hundreds of years passed before the angel Gabriel appeared before an elderly priest while he was serving in the Temple, and gave him wonderful news. Zechariah and Elizabeth, an elderly couple, were to be blessed by God and would become the parents of a son, named John. He would grow up to be a man, devoted to God, with a special purpose for his life. John would be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He did not perform miracles as Elijah had done, but he would be filled with the Holy Spirit.[3]John was to be a messenger to prepare the way for the Lord. John 1:9 presents that Jesus is “the true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.“ His coming would take away all the shadows of despair and make their pathways clear. This Savior would be sent to redeem His people and rebuild the relationship between God and man. This true Light came into the world as Baby Jesus, born in Bethlehem. According to the Gospel of Matthew, the prophecy of Micah 5:2 was fulfilled. "But you, Bethlehem, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

While Mary was betrothed to Joseph, the angel Gabriel approached her and told her that the Holy Spirit would come upon her. She would be with child and give birth to a son, the Son of God. Mary questioned how this could happen. The angel reassured her and told her that Elizabeth, wife of Zechariah, would also give birth even at her advanced age; “For nothing was impossible with God. I am the Lord’s servant, Mary answered, May it be to me as you have said.”[4]The angel left her and she prepared for a visit with Elizabeth in the hill country of Judea. Elizabeth expressed great joy at seeing her unexpected visitor and Mary responded with a song of thanksgiving. She remained with Elizabeth for about three months before she returned to Nazareth. Since he and Mary were not married, Joseph, being a righteous man, did not want to expose Mary to public disgrace; he had planned to quietly divorce her. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream to reassure him that Mary was conceived from the Holy Spirit. She would give birth to a son, to be named Jesus because He will save His people from their sins. When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel commanded him. According to Matthew, this birth would fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”[5]Matthew often used history and the prophecies of the Old Testament in the writing of his gospel. The emphasis in the Gospel of Matthew is placed on proving that Jesus is the promised Messiah, foretold by Old Testament prophets. The Jews had been looking for the Messiah for a long time, hoping that He would come to relieve them of their current distress.

In 1947, not far from where John the Baptist began his ministry, a teenage shepherd found a cave, containing some of the oldest biblical texts ever found, the Dead Sea Scrolls. This cave is located about one mile northwest of the Dead Sea. This was considered the wilderness of Judea, but it was only about 20 miles from Jerusalem. Archaeologists have discovered numerous caves near the site of an ancient village of Qumran and have given us a peek into the life of the Essenes who lived there. Excavations revealed original biblical texts, fragments of scrolls on parchment or papyrus, Jewish ritual baths, cisterns, and cemeteries. The community, that was located here, is thought to have produced a library of over 800 manuscripts, many scriptural commentaries and interpretations.[6] The Essenes of Qumran were extremely devoted to God. They studied and copied original scriptural texts and wrote religious manuscripts, but did not travel to attend worship in the Temple. Qumran was a self-sufficient community known for ritual baptism, simple life, and manual labor. Marriage was allowed, but the outside world was avoided. In 70 AD, the Roman army threatened their way of life. It is thought that, as the Essenes were making a hasty escape, they hid their manuscripts in the surrounding caves. [7]

The Gospels tells us that John was wearing clothes of camel’s hair and a leather belt and eating a diet of locusts and wild honey. Since woven garments, made from camel’s hair, were relatively expensive, this may have been “dressed camel’s skin.” Such garments are still being used in the Near East.[8]Some insects, including locusts, katydids, crickets, and grasshoppers were considered ceremonially clean foods for the Jewish people.[9]Wild honey was apparently plentiful in Canaan, a nation described as a land flowing with milk and honey. With this simplistic “life in the wilderness, his priestly background, his preaching of repentance to Israel, and his practice of baptism, it is often suggested that John grew up among the Essenes of Qumran. This theory is attractive, but it cannot be confirmed.”[10]

What are some other reasons John acted and dressed like he did? Could he have been part of the Nazirite code found in Numbers 6:1-21?

Lesson Outline

1. John’s Calling – Luke 3:2-3; Matt. 3:1-3
2. The People’s Response – Mark 1:5; Matt. 3:7-8
3. The Jewish Leaders’ Questions - John 1:19-23
4. John Demands and Answers - Luke 3:8-14

John’s Calling

Luke 3:2-3 - 2During the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Matthew 3:1-3 - 1In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight paths for him.’ ”

At this time in history, Tiberius Caesar was the Roman emperor, Herod was the tetrarch of Galilee, often referred to as King Herod, and Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea.High priests were supposed to be appointed for life, but under Roman power, they were often deposed for political purposes. Both Caiaphas and Annas were high priests, with Annas being the father-in-law of Caiaphas, but the elder priest continued to exercise significant Jewish influence. Later, in our reading, we will see that Caiaphas was the leader in the plot against Jesus, but when Jesus was arrested, He was taken to Annas.[11]

Our world today is not so different from the time of John the Baptist. Every day the news brings stories from around the world that show the sinful nature of man. People are looking for solutions for today’s problems, but are often led on crooked pathways, away from God. God warns us to beware of false teachers and those who lead astray.[12]We live in a world that is spiritually and morally decaying quickly. Some Christians turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to actions in the world that, just a few years ago, would not have been condoned, even by unbelievers.

Discussion

What task did God send John to do?

John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for Jesus. How did he accomplish this?

God is still calling Believers today to prepare the way for the King of Kings, His second coming.

How is our task similar to or different from John’s?

How can a Believer who has not been called to preach still support and encourage one who has been called?

Is our world today any more ready to receive Him than it was in John’s time? Give an example.

What is repentance? Why is it necessary?

The People’s Response

Mark 1:5 – The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

Matthew 3:7-8 - 7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

John did not carry his message into Jerusalem or the surrounding villages, but the people came to him. It appears that a multitude of people was coming from Jerusalem and the Judean countryside to hear John preach. They were spiritually responsive to this uncommon prophet and his surprising message. God was working in the hearts of these people.

Why would the people respond now?

As John preached his message for repentance, many responded, confessing their sins, and as a sign of repentance, were baptized by John in the Jordan River. The entire region was being prepared to receive the promise of the coming Messiah.[13] If there were only a few people traveling into the wilderness to hear John preach, it probably would not have drawn so much attention. It would have been of little concern to the Jewish leaders, but many Jews were gathering to hear John’s message; that was a matter for concern.

The Pharisees were favored by the people in the synagogues with their strict adherence to the Law of Moses. The Sadducees were wealthy individuals influenced by the Temple priests and the Roman government.[14]When John saw many of these Jewish leaders coming to where he was baptizing the people, John’s greeting was less than courteous to these dignified men of such status and wealth. He scolded them and said, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” Both Matthew and Luke give this account of the religious leaders coming to the river for baptism. Vipers were well known for their quick moves and deadly strikes. John was accusing these wicked religious leaders of being snakes, leading the people astray. The coming wrath referred to the Coming Messiah who would bring punishment to all those who did not repent.

Today, repentance is a decisive act that changes the lives of individuals and is required before baptism. After repentance and confession, baptism is a meaningful ritual for the sinner, but it is not the means of forgiveness. Repentant individuals need to trust God to forgive them of their sins.

Discussion

What do you think drew the people to John?

How did the people respond to John’s teachings?

John preached repentance and the people confessed their sins. What is the difference between confession and repentance? Why are both important?

What did John mean when he scolded the religious leaders and said, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance?”

What do you think it means to repent?

The Jewish Leaders’ Questions

John 1:19-23 - 19Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”21They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”He said, “I am not.”“Are you the Prophet?”He answered, “No.”22Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”23John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ”

John continued to disturb the Jewish leaders by attracting large crowds of people, both Jews and Gentiles, preaching and baptizing. With strict adherence to traditions and rituals, the representatives of Jewish leadership doubted anyone’s right to baptize, except by God’s authority.

The Gospel writer of John mentions John the Baptist for the first time in these verses when he is questioned regarding his identity and purpose for his coming. John emphatically denies being the Christ or Elijah. He simply identifies himself as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord,’" So, John the Baptist says he is “the voice.” In John 1:14, Jesus is identified as “the Word.” The most important message from John the Baptist was the promise of the One who was coming after him. John did not draw attention to himself, but his preparation for Christ was most significant. All the gospel writers record the Messianic preaching by John, baptizing with water for repentance, and humbling himself by saying that he was not worthy to untie or carry His sandals. Matthew, Mark, and Luke wrote that the One coming after John would baptize them with the Holy Spirit.

Discussion

Who questioned John and what did they ask?

What questions were asked of John? How did John reply?