JOHN THE BAPTIST PREPARES THE WAY

JJOHN THE BAPTIST PREPARES THE WAY

John the Baptist by Leonardo da Vinci, 1513-16

Judea spring of 26 A.D.

Matthew 3:1-6, Mark 1:1-6, Luke 3:1-6 and John 1:6-8

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar [Tiberius Claudius Nero born November 16, 42 BC – Died March 16, 37 AD, age 77], Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, [AD 26-36 Died AD39], Herod [Antipas] being tetrarch of Galilee [BC 4-AD 39 Died AD39], and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, [BC 4-AD 34 Died AD34], and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene [AD 29 – see Note 1]. Annas [AD 6-15, President Sanhedrin AD15-66] and [Joseph, son of Annas, see note 2]and Caiaphas [AD18-37] being the high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

Note 1.  An inscription was found on a temple from the time of Tiberius (the Roman emperor from 14 - 37 AD), which named Lysanias as the Tetrarch of Abila near Damascus, just as Luke has written.

The temple inscription reads:

Huper tes ton kurion Se[baston] soterias kai tou sum[pantos] auton oikou, Numphaios Ae[tou] Lusianiou tetrarchou apele[utheors] ten odon ktisas k.t.l

Translation:

"For the salvation of the August lords and of all their household, Nymphaeus, freedman of Eagle Lysanias tetrarch established this street and other things."

The reference to August lords is a joint title given only to the emperor Tiberius (son of Augustus) and his mother Livia (widow of Augustus). This reference establishes the date of the inscription to between A.D. 14 and 29. The year 14 was the year of Tiberius' accession and the year 29 was the year of Livia's death.

Therefore the 15th year of Tiberius is the year 29 A.D., and it lies within the reign of the August lords. This evidence supports Luke's reference that Lysanias was a tetrarch around the time of John the Baptist (29 A.D.).

Note 2.  Annas, who’s name means "The grace of Jehovah" was the son of Seth and appointed high priest of the Jews in 6 A.D in his 37th year. He was high priest from 6 to 15 A.D. but as long as he lived he was the virtual head of the priestly party in Jerusalem. He was chosen to the high priesthood by Quirinius, the imperial governor of Syria; obliged to give way to Ismael by Valerius Gratus, procurator of Judaea, in the beginning of Tiberius' reign, 14 A.D. Eleazar, the son of Annas, followed Ismael; then Simon; then Joseph Caiaphas, son-in-law of Annas (John 18:13).

In the time of Christ high priests were appointed and removed at the command of the Roman governors. Although removed from office, Annas' power and influence was so great that five of his sons, as well as his son-in-law Caiaphas and his grandson Matthias, also became high priests. Years afterward he lost the high priesthood, but even then he was popularly considered as still in office and was called "high priest"; even after Pentecost his name appears first in the list of priestly leaders:

Acts 4:5-7 "And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. " 

In John 18:19, 22 the high priest is undoubtedly Annas, although in vs. 13 and 24 Caiaphas is mentioned as the high priest. Annas is referred to in connection with the beginning of John the Baptist's ministry, which took place "in the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas" (Luke 3:2 ), as though father and son-in-law were joint holders of the office.

It seems clear that due to his ability and force of character he was virtually high priest, although Caiaphas had the title. When Jesus was arrested, He was first brought before Annas (John 18:13). It was apparently Annas who questioned Him about His disciples and His teaching, and who gave orders to one of the officers standing by to strike Jesus with his hand (18:19-22). After the questioning, he sent Jesus "bound" to Caiaphas.

John 18:19-24 "The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine. Jesus answered him, "I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said." And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, "Do You answer the high priest like that?" Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?" Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest." 

He was undoubtedly the ruling voice in the council that condemned Jesus, although nothing is said about his part in the proceedings that followed the preliminary questioning. He was present at the meeting of the Sanhedrin before which Peter and John defended themselves for preaching the Gospel of the Resurrection (Acts 4:6).

Annas is called "high priest," Caiaphas, John, and Alexander are called "of his kindred." He lived to old age, and he had five sons appointed as high priests.

Source: http://www.bible-history.com/HighPriests/NTHIGHPRIESTSAnnas.htm

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias [Isaiah], saying, as it is written in the book of the words of Esaias [Isaiah] the prophet, as it is written in the prophets, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth. And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her 
that her hard service has been completed, 
that her sin has been paid for, 
that she has received from the LORD's hand 
double for all her sins.

A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare 
the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.

And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, 
and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." Isaiah 40: 1-5 (NIV)

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John and he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

 And John was clothed with his raiment of camel's hair, and with a leather girdle of a skin about his loins; and his meat he did eat locusts and wild honey.

And then there went out to him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem and all the whole Judean countryside, and all the region round about Jordan, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

JOHN FACES DOWN THE PHARISEES AND PROCLAIMS THE COMING MESSIAH

JOHN FACES DOWN THE PHARISEES AND PROCLAIMS THE COMING MESSIAH

John and the Pharisees, Public Domain

Matthew 3:7-12, Mark 1:7-8 and Luke 3:7-18

We Christians have learned of Baptism in the church and some have heard about it all their life. Most people in America are familiar with the practice, even if they don’t go to church. And we tend to think of it as very Christian. It is easy to grow up thinking of John the Baptist doing some new radical thing of his own design. But it was actually a very old, and very Jewish, practice by the time Yochanon ben Zechariah (John son of Zechariah) came along.

It had its roots in the purification and cleansing rituals given in the Law of Moses (Exodus 19:10; Leviticus 8:6; Leviticus 16:4; Numbers Chaper19 and Numbers 31:21-24). Beyond the Scriptures, baptism as a practice became part of Jewish tradition long before the New Testament and was a key ingredient of the Mikveh, the conversion rites to become a Jew. This was tevillah, the complete immersion of the convert’s body in a pool of water. Contemporary with the times of Jesus were arguments over the importance of Baptism recorded between the rabbinic schools of Shammai and Hillel. (The Hillelites prevailed in the end.)

In the 12^th century, the Jewish Scholar Maimonides, wrote of the Talmudic tradition:

"By three things did Israel enter into the Covenant: by circumcision, and baptism and sacrifice. Circumcision was in Egypt, as it is written: 'No uncircumcised person shall eat thereof' (Exodus 12:48) (NIV). Baptism was in the wilderness, just before giving of the Law, as it is written: 'Sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes' (Exodus 19:10) (NIV). And sacrifice, as it is said: 'And he sent young men of the children of Israel which offered burnt offerings' (Exodus 24:5) (NIV). …When a gentile is willing to enter the covenant…He must be circumcised and be baptized and bring a sacrifice…And at this time when there is no sacrifice, they must be circumcised and be baptized; and when the Temple shall be built, they are to bring a sacrifice…The gentile that is made a proselyte and the slave that is made free, behold he is like a child new born. [Emphasis mine –LEM]"

Therefore, what John was doing wasn’t entirely strange to the Jews. Submersion in water represented a change of soul and rebirth to the Jew. It was a commitment to a new life and a preparation for life with a reborn spirit and fresh eyes. It was a step toward reaching a higher plane toward God, purification, a cleansing away of the sins and old life. This was just what John was offering, much as great evangelists offer the Gospel in the present age. John the Baptist was the Billy Graham of his day.

It isn’t surprising Pharisees and Sadducees would come out to see the phenomena. Note that they did not condemn John or claim he was breaking any of the Law or traditions, as they were to accuse Jesus of doing on several occasions. They must have been somewhat taken back by his greeting (“You brood of vipers!)”, though.

But when he [John] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, he said unto them. “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say and think not to say within yourselves, ‘We have Abraham to our father’: for I say to you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

“And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”

It is worthy of note here that many of these allusions will reappear in parables and talks given by Jesus in his own ministry: brood of vipers, producing fruit, stones, cutting down of nonproductive trees to be thrown in the fire. The same as with John’s answer ("The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.") to their question, with prefigures part of the Sermon on the Mount.

And the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”

He answered and said to them, “He that has two coats, let him impart to him that has none; and he that has meat, let him do likewise.”

Then came also publicans [contractors who hired out to Rome as tax collectors, suppliers to the military, overseers of public building projects and collectors of port fees] to be baptized, and said to him, “Master, what shall we do?”

And he said to them, “Exact no more than that which is appointed you.”

And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, “And what shall we do?”

And he said to them, “Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.”

And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he was the Christ, or not.

This too was not unexpected. People knew the prophesies of a coming messiah, and because of certain prophesies, especially those of Daniel, they were looking for the Messiah at this particular time. There were a number of false Messiahs in and about all ready. What they failed to understand was the two rolls of the Messiah and the two comings. John was here to prepare the way for the first coming.

John answered, saying to them all and this was his message, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance”. And preached, saying “But one that comes after is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire, and whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather his wheat into his garner, but he will burn up the chaff with fire unquenchable.”

And many other things in his exhortation preached he to the people.

 What is John talking about when he says, “whose fan is in his hand…etc.”?

His illustration would have been under stood as it was a common practice of those times in the process of harvested grain. Some translation use “winnowing fork” in place of fan, but it could be a basket, such as the one in the illustration that has a fan like shape. This was used for wind winnowing. The winnower would toss the wheat into the air and the wind would blow away the lighter chaff or non-edible grain away from the good wheat. Chaff, the worthless grain, would become a synonym for anything useless or worthless. This worthless chaff would be swept up and burned. 

(Painting: “The Winnower”, 1847-48 by Jean-Francois Millet).

JESUS IS BAPTIZED

The Baptism of Christ by Jan van Scorel, circa 1530

Autumn 26 A.D

The Jordan River

Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11 and Luke 3:21-23a

And it came to pass in those days, then that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him saying, “I have need to be baptized of you, and come you to me?”

And Jesus answering said to him, “Suffer it to be so now for thus it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness.”

Then [John] suffered him and [Jesus] was baptized of John in Jordan.

This is a very interesting statement by John the Baptist, "I have need to be baptized of you, and come you to me?" [The NIV reads, “I need to be baptized by you…”] John testifies later that “I myself did not know him…” except he was told it would be the one the Dove descended upon. My personal opinion is when John saw the Holy Spirit descend; it confirmed what he knew intuitively when Jesus appeared for baptism. Remember as a baby in the womb, John leapt with joy at the approach of Mary. When John says, “I need to be baptized by you”, he wasn’t referring to being washed in the river, but to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He needed to be Saved like any other sinner.

But why would Jesus require baptism? He was without sin, He neither had to repent nor be purified from wrongdoing. 

Go read my previous information about Baptism in Jewish tradition. One thing noted was how the Jews entered into the Covenant with God: "By three things did Israel enter into the Covenant: by circumcision, and baptism and sacrifice.”  Jesus is the New Covenant with God and we see the three conditions exemplified in his life. On the eighth day after his birth, at the beginning of his human life, Jesus was circumcised as required by the Law. 

And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.” Genesis 17:9-14

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If a woman conceives and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days. As at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying. She shall not touch anything holy, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed. But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation. And she shall continue in the blood of her purifying for sixty-six days. Leviticus 12:1-5. 

[NOTE: Is there anything special about the eigthth day?  Yes, according to Holt Pediatrics, a

classic study by Dr. L. Emmett Holt (pictured right). Vitamin K is essential for the liver to produce a substance called prothrombin, these two being necessary for blood coagulation. It is in the fifth to seventh day of a newborn male that adequate Vitamin K is present. On the eighth day the prothrombin elevates to over 100 percent of normal, and the eighth day of a male is the only day when both Vitamin K and prothrombin are at this high a peak, making it the perfect day for any surgery to be performed.]

At the end of his human life he became the final sacrifice for man’s sins, thus completing the cycle of the Covenant. If the circumcision and the sacrifice were required for all righteousness, then so was Baptism. 

But there is more.  Jesus is also the Priest of Priests. Priests were required to a Baptism of cleansing and an anointing of oil. Jesus would be anointed later, but here he is receiving that washing.  (And Moses said unto the congregation, “This is the thing which the LORD commanded to be done.” And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water. Leviticus 8:5-6)

But wait, there is still more. Jesus was setting the example for what we should do when we accept God’s Word (Jesus), that we should be baptized as an outer symbol of our change. He was also identifying Himself with the crowds who had come to be baptized and not with the old ways of the Pharisees and Sadducees who had only come to gawk at John and question. These Jewish leaders didn’t submit themselves to John’s baptism. Jesus was the exemplar putting his imprimatur on the work of John and He was showing his obedience to God the father. 

But wait, there is still even more. Baptism was used for conversion. It was more than just purification or a symbolic washing away of sin. “It was a commitment to a new life and a preparation for life with a reborn spirit and fresh eyes. It was a step toward reaching a higher plane toward God.” It symbolized a change in the person. Jesus had not yet started his ministry. He had lived for thirty years as a common man. Now he was making a change and a commitment to what He had come to do. It may seem strange to think of Jesus receiving the Holy Spirit from God the Father, since all three persons are one God, but this is what we see in Jesus’ Baptism.

Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized and praying, the heaven was opened. And straightway coming up out of the water, and, lo he [Jesus] saw the heavens opened, and he saw the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, in a bodily shape like a dove descending and lighting upon him.

And lo there came a voice from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age,

Here is one of the passages where we see the Trinity: the Holy Spirit descending and the Father speaking from heaven declaring the Son. This is also an anointing, done by the Father on the Son by the Holy Spirit. Jesus will receive at least two physical anointing during His ministry, but this is the one that counts.

I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said to me, You are my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 

Ask of me, and I shall give you the heathen for your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

Be wise now therefore, O you kings: be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. Psalm 2:7-11

JOHN THE BAPTIST DENIES BEING THE CHRIST

John the Baptist, an iconic painting from the Monastery of St. Catherine at Mt. Sinai and dated to the 6th Century.

Autumn 26 A.D

Bethany Beyond the Jordan

No one knows exactly where this “Bethany beyond the Jordan” was. There are strong arguments for two proposed sites. One places it closer to the Sea of Galilee while the other places it closer to the Dead Sea opposite Jericho. I favor the location nearer the Dead Sea for several reasons. One is the proximity to Jerusalem. It would seem more logical that John the Baptist was baptizing in this area. It also places the site of this “Bethany beyond the Jordan” at the place where Elijah ascended to Heaven in a whirlwind. This would have ties to the statement that John the Baptist was in the spirit of the Elijah to come. Another reason is the timing of Jesus’ movements at the death of Lazarus. Messengers came to Jesus with news of Lazarus’s illness. Jesus tarried two days before saying to his disciples they would travel to the Bethany of Mary and Martha, which is about two miles from Jerusalem. When Jesus arrives in the Bethany of Mary and Martha, he is told Lazarus has been dead four days. It is a day’s journey from the alleged Bethany beyond the Jordan site to the Bethany of Martha and Mary.  Thus, a massager took a day to arrive and inform Jesus that Lazarus was ill. Jesus waited two days and then took a day to travel to the grave – four days. 

Now another difficulty with places here is in the King James Version it is not translated as Bethany, but as Bethabara. No one knows where Bethabara was either. Ancient villages, towns and cities have ways of disappearing from history. They could disappear because of some disaster or, in many cases, because different peoples occupied the area over time and the names changed. Therefore, if we accept the King James translation, it is possible that Bethabara is not a place, but a location. Bethabara means “house of the ford, a place on the east”.  So when it is said John was baptizing at “Bethabara beyond the Jordan” it is possible it means John was baptizing at a place east beyond the Jordan or at a ford of the Jordan, it may be there were multiple such locations where John plied his trade.

However, the oldest extent manuscripts have the name Bethany, not Bethabara and the statement “at Bethany beyond the Jordan” would indicate the author did not want this place confused with the Bethany of Martha and Mary. As a result, we have had many arguments over the centuries of where this Bethany is and whether the name Bethany was a corruption of some other name of similar sound. I think we need to be careful not to get too absorbed in trying to figure out where a place was located when no one knows rather than concentrating on the events and their import. 

John the Baptist was six months older than his cousin Jesus, but this does not mean John started his own ministry when he was thirty years old too. John could have begun his preparing of the way several years before Jesus came to be Baptized and he could have moved up and down along the Jordan during that time to reach more people. 

(We will discuss locations and distances a bit more when we come to the Wedding at Cana passage.)

John 1:15-34

John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, “This was he of whom I spoke, He that comes after me is preferred before me for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man has seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.” (Reference Luke 3:16, Matthew 3:11 and Mark 1:7.) And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?”

And he said, “I am not.” 

“Are you that prophet?”

And he answered, “No.”

Then said they to him, “Who are you that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What say you of yourself?”

He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah.” (Isaiah 40:3--“A voice of one calling in the desert, prepare 
the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.”)

And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said to him, “Why baptize you then, if you be not that Christ, nor Elijah, neither that prophet?”

John answered them saying, “I baptize with water: but there stands one among you, whom you know not. He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.”

These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

There is an interesting, and perhaps confusing, exchange between John and the groups who came to question him. First, it is not clear how many different groups came or how often. The opening of this passage would indicate it was a recurring dialogue. John has not been shy in crying out that Jesus was the one he had meant would come after him. It would then appear that some priests and members of the priestly tribe came and questioned him on at least one occasion.  It is also clear a higher authority, probably the Sanhedrin, sent them.

Why did they come? I would think for two reasons. One, they were curious about this fellow who was drawing such crowds and two, they knew the Scriptures and were looking for the Messiah, perhaps John was he. (Remember the Scripture told us the people were already asking that question.) John pretty quickly put it to rest that he was not the Messiah.

So why did they ask him if he was Elijah?

Because they knew Malachi had prophesied that God would send Elijah back before the Messiah. 

"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse." Malachi 4:5-6 (NIV)

Perhaps then John was actually Elijah, but John says he isn’t. This is true. John came in “the spirit of Elijah”. He is a type of Elijah and he was preparing the way for the Messiah, but for the first coming, not the ”great and dreadful day of the Lord”, which refer to the second coming. However, the prophesy in Malachi does apply to both. 

In the latter days, Elijah will return and Israel’s sons will have their hearts turned to God the Father and to Jesus as the Messiah at last. But John came as Elijah preparing the hearts to receive Jesus as the Messiah and they did not receive. As a result, God did strike the land with a curse and the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD and the Jews were scattered to the four corners of the world.

Yet, they didn’t stop with that question. They asked a third, “Are you The Prophet?” John was indeed a prophet, the last Old Testament style prophet, but he was not The Prophet. So, who was The Prophet?

The Muslims will tell you this was Mohammad. I will tell you it was not. The Prophet was Christ. Now, how can that be? Why would they ask if he was The Christ and then ask if he was The Prophet when he denied being Christ? This is because they didn’t understand the prophesy of The Prophet anymore than they understood there would be two appearances of the Messiah. 

Moses in Deuteronomy 17 and 18 speaks of the King, the priests and the prophet, the three-in-one posts fulfilled in Christ. Moses says:

The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so. The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, "Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die." Deuteronomy 18:14-16 (NIV)

What did the Israelites ask? Well, they feared if they heard the voice of God speaking to them they would die and so they asked Moses to be a mediator between God and them. This Prophet who Moses speaks of will be a mediator between God and us, another position fulfilled in Christ.

The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, ‘After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me’. And I knew him not, but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.”

And John bare record, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said to me, ‘Upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost’. And I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God.”

(See my comments in the section on Jesus’ Baptism regarding John’s comment, “I myself did not know him…etc.”)

JOHN THE BAPTIST'S TESTIMONY ABOUT JESUS

Ecce Agnus Dei by Dieric Bouts the Elder, 1464

John 3: 22-36

After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea and there he tarried with them, and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there and they came, and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison.

Here are two more location that no one any longer knows where they were, Aenon and Salim. Since it says Aenon near to Salim, Salim was probably the better-known town. Despite the similarity in spelling, this most likely isn’t the Salem over which Melchizedak ruled (See Genesis 14 and Hebrews 7). That Salem is almost universally agreed to be Jerusalem. A small minority, following the opinion of St. Jerome, a priest and early Christian apologist (circa 347 to 420 AD), disagree and places Salem eight miles from Scythopolis, part of the Decapolis, and the only one located in Israel. Still, this is only speculative and there has been so much speculation about where Salim actually was that it isn’t worth reviewing the theories. What we can know is this, John moved there because there was a lot of water.

We aren’t told why he chose to move. It is quite possible, even logical, that John moved around to different places over the course of his ministry to reach more people, so maybe this was just one more time.

At this time Jesus has left Jerusalem for elsewhere in Judea, so both men have moved from their previous location. We aren’t certain who made the move first. It says John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, so perhaps they were not far apart. Why else would it say “also”? John has been baptizing all along, but Jesus wasn’t. The way it is put sounds as if John had moved to Aenon and Jesus came later and was baptizing in the same general region. This seems even more plausible because the next part is a discussion about who’s baptizing is to be accepted.

Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying and they came to John, and said to him, “Rabbi, he that was with you beyond Jordan, to whom you bore witness, behold, the same baptizes, and all men come to him.”

John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing, except it 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 has the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice, this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.”

It would seem John and Jesus are baptizing not to distant from each other. A question arose about this from the Jews, who I take to mean the usual Jewish religious leaders. Notice how it John’s disciples who come to John, not these Jews. This sounds like a kind of rivalry or jealously developing with these disciples, especially when they say “all men come to him”.  

This does not perturb John. He explained he had all ready told them this was going to happen. He was to prepare the way for Messiah and then was to get out of the way. We have an allusion to the Best man at a wedding, part of a recurring theme of Christ as the bridegroom we will see throughout the Gospels.

“He that comes from above is above all; he that is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He that comes from heaven is above all. And what he has seen and heard, that he testifies; and no man receives his testimony. He that has received his testimony has set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God: for God gives not the Spirit by measure to him.”

This statement by John is a bit difficult to follow. Essentially, John starts off by comparing the Messiah [he that comes from above) to ordinary men (he that is of the earth). The man from heaven is far superior (is above all) to anyone on earth and he tells the truth about God’s kingdom because he is from it (what he has seen and heard). He has come to tell mankind about the Kingdom (that he testifies), but people don’t want to hear it or believe it (no man receives his testimony. Yet, some people do listen and believe (he that has received his testimony…sets his seal that God is true). The man from Heaven speaks for God (whom God sent speaks the words of God) and God hasn’t limited him (God gives not the Spirit by measure), Jesus is filled with the Spirit.

“The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. He that believes on the Son has everlasting life and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Finally, John the Baptist reaffirms that Jesus is the only way to God and Salvation. There is no way to everlasting life with God except through belief in the Son, Jesus Christ.