By Joseph Ametepe
Introduction:
Men of God have arisen in every generation and played their God-given roles in the service of the One True God, Yahweh, that is, the self-existing, the self-sufficient, the sustainer, the sovereign and supreme Deity of the universe. One can think of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Caleb, Othniel, Ehud, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, Samuel, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. These men all arose and played their roles in the Old Testament period.
In the New Testament period, men like Peter, James, John, Barnabas, Paul, Apollos, Titus, Timothy, Philemon, Epaphras, Epaphroditus, also served God’s purpose in their generations. There is so much we can learn from each of their lives. But the man of God I would like us to learn from to be challenged afresh to play our role as men of God in the Church of God in such a time as this; is John the Baptist. He is the link between the men of God in the Old Testament and the men of God in the New Testament. We know that Jesus’ conception by the Virgin Mary was the work of the Holy Spirit (see Luke 1:35). However, the only person the Bible speaks of being filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb is John the Baptist (see Luke 1:15). In fact, one could say that the most Holy Spirit-filled family in the Bible is John the Baptist’s family. His mother Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit (see Luke 1:41). His father, Zacharias, was also filled with the Holy Spirit (see Luke 1:67). What a Spirit-filed family John’s family was! What a truly blessed family! His parents had experienced years of disappointment. But God turned it all around – blessing them in ways beyond their wildest imaginations. They became the most Holy Spirit-filled family in the entire Bible.
It is from such a Spirit-filled man of God that God would want us to learn from. Because what God did through John the Baptist, a man from a humble and hardship-enduring family, He is able and willing to do in our lives in order to serve His purpose in our generation. So the crucial question is: “What role did John the Baptist played in his day that God would want us to learn from? The passage of Scripture we will be digging and delving into, to discover the role John the Baptist played in his time here on earth is Matthew 3:1-11. We will also delve in John 1:29-37 and 3:26, 29-31.
The first role John the Baptist arose and faithfully played in his day is:
1. Preaching Repentance for the Forgiveness of Sins (Matthew 3:1-2; cf. Luke 3:3).
Like the prophets of old, John confronted the Jewish people of his day with their need to repent. Matthew chapter 3:1-2 reveals the first significant role John courageously played in his day.
“Now in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, ‘Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”
Luke’s account of John the Baptist’s role of preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins reads:
“And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3; cf. Mark 1:2).
When John burst on the scenes, the nation of Israel was still under Roman rule and domination. But John did not get bogged down with the politics of his day. There was one pressing responsibility he was sent to fulfill. And that was preaching repentance to his countrymen for the forgiveness of their sins. Similarly, in our time, men of God in the Church of God, must not get bogged down with the politics of their day. Rather, they must arise and play the role of preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Now, an important question arises at this juncture. What does the Bible mean when it says “repent?” Please take careful note of this! Repentance is no mere academic change of mind, nor mere regret or remorse. John the Baptist spoke of repentance as a radical turning from sin to the Savior. In other words, it is a one hundred and eighty degree turn from the wrong way of living to the right way of living in the sight of God.
A brother-in-law of mine once told me his story of repentance. He used to be an alcoholic and a lotto addict and predictor. He was quite advanced in these vices. He spent much of his time, talents, and treasures in pursuing these vices. In fact, he became so advanced in predicting lotto numbers that he had a large following of other lotto addicts coming to his residence for his latest predictions. But one day, when he was confronted with the message of repentance, he received it and pondered it. It became clear to him that he cannot be a Christian and still continue in these vices. By the grace of God, a radical change occurred in him. He came home and collected his lotto forecasting books and papers and burned them. From that time, he would not go near a lotto vendor’s kiosk. In fact, he would turn and pass in the opposite direction when he noticed a lotto vendor’s kiosk. Also, he would not taste alcohol again even when offered by well-meaning friends. That is what godly and genuine repentance is all about. It’s a complete about turn from the wrong way of living to the right way of living. This is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit, whom God gives to those who obey Him (see Acts 5:32).
Actually, the Lord Jesus’ first sermon began with preaching repentance as recorded for us in Matthew 4:17.
“From that time Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins was important to our Lord Jesus. On one occasion, when it was reported to Him that Pilate had mingled the blood of certain Galileans with their sacrifices (see Luke 13:1), the Lord Jesus made the most of that delicate and difficult moment to preach repentance.
“And He answered and said, ‘Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed them, were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish’” (Luke 13:2-5).
Twice, in the above passage, the Lord Jesus passionately challenged and called the people to repentance: “unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” The repetition emphasizes the importance of our Lord’s passion for preaching repentance. It was always at the heart of His ministry. Bible teacher and preacher John MacArthur comments on these verses. He writes:
“It was the belief of many that disaster and sudden death always signified divine displeasure over particular sins (cf. Job 4:7). Those who suffered in uncommon ways were therefore assumed to be guilty of some more severe immorality (cf. John 9:2). Jesus did not deny the connection between catastrophe and human evil, for all such afflictions ultimately stem from the curse of human fallenness (Gen. 3:17-19). Furthermore, specific calamities may indeed be the fruit of certain iniquities (Prov. 24:16). But Christ challenged the people’s notion that they were morally superior to those who suffered in such catastrophes. He called all to repent, for all were in danger of sudden destruction. No one is guaranteed time to prepare for death, so now is the time for repentance for all (cf. 2 Cor. 6:2).”
After His resurrection, just before His ascension into heaven, He charged His disciples to preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins in His name.
“And He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem’” (Luke 24:46-47).
Finally, after ascending into heaven and sitting at the right hand of the Majesty on High, the Risen and Glorified Christ, preached repentance to His Church. Jesus’ preaching of repentance to His Church in His glorified state is vividly captured in His message to the seven churches that are in Asia, which is now modern Turkey.
His message of repentance to the church of Ephesus reads: “Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out of its place-unless you repent” (Revelation 2:5).
His message of repentance to the church of Pergamum reads: “Repent therefore; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth” (Revelation 2:16).
To the church of Thyatira, the glorified Christ minces no words in His preaching of repentance. He solemnly declares: “And I gave her time to repent; and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will cast her upon a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds” (Revelation 2:21-22).
To the church in Sardis, the Risen and Glorified Lord calls believers to repentance with these strong words: “Remember therefore what you have received and heard; and keep it and repent. If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you” (Revelation 3:3).
Our Lord’s final preaching of repentance to His Church was to the believers at the lukewarm church in Laodicea: “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, be zealous therefore, and repent” (Revelation 3:19).
Two out of the seven churches in Asia, namely the church in Smyrna and the church in Philadelphia; were not called to repentance. Why were they not called to repentance by our Lord? Well, that’s not the focus of this message. The focus here is seeing how important preaching repentance was in Christ’s life. He preached it while ministering on earth to the masses of people. He preached it after His resurrection, just before His ascension into heaven to His disciples. Finally, He preached repentance in His glorified state to the five of the seven churches in Asia. That’s how important preaching repentance was to our Lord and it must be important to believers today.
You see, because Jesus died and rose again, the door for the forgiveness of sins had been swung wide open to repentant sinners in all the nations. This message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins must therefore be proclaimed with all earnestness and expectation. The apostle Peter, and later Paul, took this charge seriously and fully committed themselves to preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins (see Acts 2:38; 10:43; 11:18; 13:38; 14:15; 17:30-31; 26:19-20). John the Baptist, the Lord Jesus Himself, Peter and Paul, all experienced how rewarding preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins was. You see, when people truly repent, making an about turn from the wrong way of living to the right way of living, God graciously and gladly forgives and promises to no longer remember the sins forsaken. The Lord Himself declares: “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12). But the question is:
Who is going to preach repentance for forgiveness of sins to children in our schools who are watching pornography and sharing lewd photos of themselves on their smart phones?
Who is going to call criminals and crooks in society to repentance?
Who is going to call corrupt and crooked politicians to repentance?
Who is going to call on celebrities in our society today to repent of their flamboyant and frivolous ways of life?
Who is going to call church people who are robbing God to repentance?
Men of God, in the Church of God, arise and play your role of preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John the Baptist, Peter, and Paul courageously did it in their generation. It is now your turn and my turn. Let’s arise, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, play the role of preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins to people in our spheres of influence!
The second role John arose and passionately played in his time is:
2. Preparing the Way of the Lord (Matthew 3:3).
John’s mission of preparing the way of the Lord had long ago been described in Isaiah 40:3-5, 700 years before he was born. In fact, all four of the Gospels quote Isaiah 40:3-5 as a prophecy pointing to John the Baptist (Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:2-4; Luke 3:4-6; John 1:23). Of the four Gospels’ quotation of Isaiah 40:3-5, Luke’s quotation was more comprehensive. The other three Gospels only quoted portions of the Isaiah prophecy to fit their purpose for writing. The Isaiah’s prophecy for John the Baptist’s appointed mission reads:
“A voice is calling, ‘Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley; then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken’” (Isaiah 40:3-5).
Matthew’s quotation focused on John’s divine assignment of preparing the way of the Lord.
“For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the LORD, make His paths straight!’” (Matthew 3:3).
Please understand that in those days, when a king was traveling in the wilderness regions, he would have a crew of workmen go ahead of him to make sure the road was clear of rubbish, obstructions, potholes and hazards that made the journey difficult and dangerous. Today, when the President of the United States is scheduled to travel by road, the secret service agents are sent ahead of him to check for potential danger and its removal. This preparation is done to ensure his safe passage and the success of his trip.
In a spiritual sense, John the Baptist was calling the people of Israel to prepare their hearts for the coming of their Messiah. He prepared the way for the Messiah’s ministry by preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins. In other words, John played the role of preparing the hearts of the people of Israel for Christ’s first coming by calling them to repent of their sins. Guess what? The Messiah is coming again to take His Church, that is, all true born again believers and to judge the living and the dead. The question is: Who is going to prepare the hearts of men and women, boys and girls, for the second coming of Jesus? It’s you and it’s me! Men of God, arise today, and play your role of preparing the hearts of people for the second coming of Jesus!
The third role John arose and courageously played in his generation is:
3. Presenting Prophetic Warning to People (Matthew 3:7-10).
Being a true prophet of God, John solemnly presented prophetic warning to the people of his day. His role of presenting prophetic warning to the people of his day is vividly captured in these solemn words recorded by Matthew in Matthew 3:7-10.
“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping in repentance; and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father;’ for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire”” (Matthew 3:7-10).
Before highlighting John’s role of presenting prophetic warning to the people of his day, the Bible shed light on what John wore and ate and the results of his ministry.
“Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair, and a leather belt about his waist; and his food was locust and wild honey. Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea, and all the district around the Jordan; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins” (Matthew 3:4-6).
John’s clothing was far from being comfortable and fashionable. According the dietary law (see Leviticus 11:22), locusts were an allowed food. In other words, they were kosher food. So there was nothing wrong with them. Did John boil the locusts? Did he bake them over a wilderness camp fire? Did he make them into a broth? Or did he eat them raw with the wild honey? The Bible doesn’t tell us. All I know is that I don’t ever remember eating locusts in the past. And I don’t have a craving for them now. Perhaps, you have a craving for them. That’s okay. I respect you for that.
John’s food of locusts and wild honey may be simple and weird to some us today. Yet they nourished and sustained him in fulfilling God’s call upon him. John saw great results in his ministry. Not only Jerusalem, but all Judea was going out to him to be baptized. Furthermore, people in the entire district around the Jordan were also going out to him to be baptized. What a tremendous ministry John had! His life made an eternal difference in the lives of many in Jerusalem, in all Judea and in the entire region around the Jordan. In other words, despite being on a low carb physical diet, John’s service in the kingdom of God brought much spiritual blessing to many.
John ministered to all kinds of people. Pharisees, Sadducees, tax collectors (see Luke 3:12), crowds of people (see Luke 3:10) and soldiers (see Luke 3:14), where among those John ministered to. He ministered to them without fear or favor. Looking ahead to the wrath of God to come upon unbelievers and unrepentant sinners in the Day of the Lord, John gave them a solemn, strong and serious prophetic warning. You see, the people John was warning, believed that merely being the descendants of Abraham, members of God’s chosen race, made them automatically spiritually secure and safe from the wrath of God to come on the Day of Judgment. In effect, John says to his audience of Pharisees, Sadducees, tax collectors, soldiers and crowds of people: “Don’t fool yourselves! Don’t deceive yourselves! Don’t make this mistake! Abraham’s real descendants are those who share his faith in the one true God, the God of Israel, and bear fruit befitting repentance. Should you remain in your unbelieving and unrepentant state, God’s wrath, to be revealed in His righteous judgment; will suddenly and swiftly sweep you away into eternity of being separated from the presence of the loving and living God.” John says: “Be warned; judgment is coming soon. It will be sudden and swift. Indeed, it is fast approaching. Let it be known to you today that cheap repentance cannot save you from the coming wrath of God!”
John effectively played his role of presenting prophetic warning to the people of his generation regarding the coming wrath of God upon the unbelieving and unrepentant. It’s now our turn. Men of God, in the Church of God, let’s arise and play our role of presenting prophetic warning to the people of our generation – solemnly warning them of the coming wrath of God upon them, should they continue in their unbelieving and unrepentant state.
The fourth role John arose and played in his day is:
4. Promoting Jesus (Matthew 3:11).
John was all about promoting Jesus to people. He did not seek to promote himself. He didn’t minister to people with the goal of making a name for himself. His honest and heartfelt desire was simply to promote Jesus his Lord and Master. John’s gospel vividly presents John’s role of promoting Jesus to the people of his day. As the Lord Jesus launched His own public ministry, many of John’s followers drifted away to follow the new prophet, Christ. Christ’s ministry would grow leaps and bounds than John’s. In fact, it was John’s disciples who told him about Jesus’ expanding ministry. “And they came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness, behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him” (John 3:26).
Rather than feeling jealousy at Jesus’ growing popularity, while his ministry was fading away, John was filled with joy. He expressed great joy over this. Why? John was ready to slip into the background to promote Christ. This is how the Bible records John’s joy: “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. And so this joy of mine has been made full” (John 3:29). What a wonderful attitude demonstrated by John! He was truly glad that Jesus’ ministry was growing leaps and bounds than his.
After expressing great joy, John could not help but promote Christ with these solemn and special words: “He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all” John 3:30-31). This was John the Baptist’s last testimony in the Gospel of John regarding Jesus Christ. And what a testimony it was! A testimony of promoting Christ above all others! John confidently and convincingly affirmed the superiority of Christ by saying twice in the above passage that “Jesus is above all.” John was therefore content for Jesus to increase while he became less. In an age of self-promotion, John joyfully and jubilantly set his heart on promoting Jesus Christ. He would not promote himself. He was satisfied that his ministry was fading away while Jesus’ ministry took center stage and moved to the forefront.
Matthew also vividly and visually captures John the Baptist’s ministry of promoting Christ. It reads: “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11).
In promoting Jesus, John spoke with so much humility and honesty of heart. He gladly and genuinely spoke of how far superior Christ is compared to himself. Christ, he said, was mightier than him. But that was not enough. John went on to humbly and heartily confess that he was not at all worthy or qualified to carry the sandals of Christ. As far as John was concerned, Christ is above all and overall. He is in a distinguished class all by Himself. John focuses on speaking about the preeminence of Christ rather than putting himself on a pedestal – so as to make a name for himself. In fact, each time an opportunity presented itself for John to focus on himself and promote himself, he quickly and wisely shifted the focus on to the person of Christ. That is why John went so far as to honestly and humbly confess that he, unlike a servant whose duty it was to remove his master’s shoes, was not at all worthy of performing this menial task in relationship to Christ. What extraordinary humility demonstrated by John in promoting Christ. To gladly and genuinely promote Christ requires true humility of the kind demonstrated by John the Baptist. Pride, even a hint of it, in the believer, will hinder him from truly promoting Christ.
Notice that three types of baptism are mentioned in Matthew 3:11. First, is the baptism with water for repentance. This is the ministry of John the Baptist. This baptism symbolizes cleansing. Second, is the baptism with the Holy Spirit. This is the first of seven times the New Testament specifically mentioned the baptism in the Spirit. The other six times are mentioned in Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; 11:15; 11:16; and 1 Corinthians 12:13. All true born again believers in Christ are baptized in the Spirit by Christ into His body. Third, is the baptism with fire. Baptism “with fire” is usually taken as a reference to the final judgment of those who will not believe. In other words, since fire is used throughout this context as a means of judgment (see Matthew 3:10, 12), this must refer to a baptism of judgment upon the unbelieving and unrepentant sinners.
In promoting Christ, John says, my ministry of baptism with water only symbolizes cleansing. But Christ’s ministry of baptism with the Spirit, is not only something Jesus did once and for all in joining all believers, Jews and Gentiles alike, into His body, but will also extend to the final judgment of the unrepentant!
John the Baptist humbly and honestly played his role of promoting Jesus to people. It’s now your turn and my turn to promote Jesus to people in this age of self-promotion. We must, in reliance upon the Holy Spirit, in all true humility, promote Jesus to people. Why? Because, it’s all about Him! He is superior to all. He is over all. He is above all. He is the Savior of sinners. And He is the Judge of all! Men, I respectfully urge you; arise and play your role of promoting Jesus to people.
The fifth role John arose to play in his day is:
5. Pointing People to Jesus (John 1:29-37).
John the Baptist, not only humbly and honestly played his role of promoting Jesus to people, but he also deliberately and decisively pointed people to Jesus. Although, John had plenty of opportunities to point people to himself all throughout his life and ministry, yet John made a deliberate decision to spend his life in pointing people to Jesus, even if that meant some of his own followers would leave him to follow Jesus.
John’s ministry of pointing people to Jesus is glowingly and gracefully described in the Gospel of John. John the Baptist was at the height of his ministry. Masses were coming to him to be baptized. Even the religious leaders of Israel took notice of his rising popularity and sent their envoys to him from Jerusalem; asking who he was (see John 1:19). John humbly acknowledged to them that he was not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet (see John 1:20-22). But he asserted; ‘I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord’ (John 1:23). A day after these events, John’s Gospel gives its glowing and graceful description of John the Baptist’s role of pointing people to Jesus.
“The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ And I did not recognize Him, but in order that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water. And John bore witness saying, ‘I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.’ And I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God. Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked upon Jesus as He walked and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus” (John 1:29-37).
These events which vividly reveals John’s role of pointing people to Jesus occurred after John’s encounter with the envoys sent from the religious leaders in Jerusalem. Consistent with John’s character and humility, he focuses the attention of his audience and his own disciples onto Jesus Christ. John pointed others to Jesus, including his own disciples in five specific ways.
First, John directs the attention of others to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes the sin of the world. Jews were familiar to the use of a lamb for sacrifice. For example, a lamb was used as a sacrifice during the Passover (see Exodus 12:1-36). In the prophetic book of Isaiah, a lamb was led to the slaughter (see Isaiah 53:7). In the daily sacrifices of Israel, instituted by God, two male lambs one year old without defect were offered as a continual burnt offering. One was offered in the morning, and the second at twilight (see Deuteronomy 28:3-6). In pointing Jesus to people as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, John was directing people’s eyes to Christ as God’s perfect and ultimate sacrifice for the sin of the world. John looked forward to the cross where our Lord would atone for the sins of the world. His death on the cross would reach all human beings. However, it would only benefit those who believe in Him to become the children of God (see John 1:11-12).
Second, John points to people to Jesus as the “Coming One.” The expression, “After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I” (John 1:30), points to Jesus as “the Coming One” or the Messiah. In fact, according to the Gospel of John, this is how John the Baptist began his ministry of bearing witness to Jesus. John, the apostle writes: “John bore witness of Him, and cried out, saying, ‘This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me’” (John 1:15). Although John was Jesus’ cousin, he did not recognize Jesus as the “Coming One” or the Messiah. But God gave John a clear and convincing sign to help him identify Jesus as the “Coming One,” or the Messiah. At an undisclosed time, God had previously spoken to John the Baptist that the Holy Spirit would descend from heaven like a dove and remain on Christ (John 1:32). This specific and supernatural sign indicated to John that his cousin, Jesus, was no ordinary person, but the Promised Messiah of Israel. Upon witnessing this definitive and divine sign, John was able to, without any doubt; identify the “Coming One” as Jesus.
Third, John pointed Jesus people to as the Eternal One. At the end of verse 30, John testifies: “for He existed before me.” By this testimony, John is affirming the eternality of Jesus. In other words, he speaks of the eternal existence of Christ. Physically, John was older than Jesus. John was conceived six months earlier before the Virgin Mary’s conception of Christ through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit (see Luke 1:26, 35-36). But John asserted that Jesus existed before him. How could this be? Being fully God before becoming fully Man, Jesus, in truth, existed before John. He is eternal. He is the Eternal One.
Fourth, John pointed Christ to the people of his day as the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit. Having witnessed the specific and supernatural sign of the Holy Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven and remaining on Christ, John confidently pointed Jesus to the Jewish people as the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit: “this is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit” (John 1:33). All the four Gospels wrote of John’s role of pointing Jesus to people as the One who baptizes with or in the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16 and John 1:33). These “all refer to the baptism in or with the Holy Spirit in distinction from the baptism in water. The distinction is very clear between physical water and the spiritual baptism, “in the Spirit.” …The agent of baptism in each instance is John the Baptist baptizing in water and Jesus Christ baptizing in the Spirit. Neither water nor the Spirit is the baptizer” – The Hebrew –Greek Key Study Bible, p. 1434
Simply put, John was pointing Jesus to the people of his day as the Baptizer in the Spirit.
Fifth, John pointed Jesus to people as the Son of God, that is, Jesus is equal with God. “I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God” (John 1:34). With great confidence and conviction of heart, John asserts the deity of Jesus. He is God. The expression, “the Son of God” implies the deity of Jesus. In other words, the full force of this title points to the unique oneness and intimacy that Jesus sustains in relation to the Father. John is testifying that Jesus is equal with God. In fact, the Jews understood Jesus’ “calling of God as His own Father,” to mean, “making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18). Jesus would be repeatedly persecuted by the Jews for this. But unperturbed by their persecution, Jesus proceeded to make five claims to equality with God which would further provoke unbelieving Jews. First, He is equal with God in His person (see John 5:17-18). Second, He is equal with God in His works (see John 5:19-20). Third, He is equal with God in exercising supernatural power and sovereignty in giving life to whom He wishes (see John 5:21). Fourth, He is equal with God in executing righteous judgment (see John 5:22). Fifth, He is equal with God in honor (see John 5:23). All this is to say that when John pointed people to Jesus as the Son of God, he was confidently asserting that Jesus is equal with God.
John began pointing Jesus to people as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). John would end his testimony to Jesus in John 1:29-37, the same way he began. He would now point Jesus to two of his own disciples as the Lamb of God. In all humility of heart, John now focuses the attention of his own followers onto Jesus, as the Lamb of God. Upon hearing this, the two disciples of John, “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother” (John 1:40) and John, the apostle and writer of the Gospel of John, left John the Baptist and followed Jesus, the Lamb of God. The Greek verb translated “follow” is “akoloutheo.” The first thing involved in following Jesus is a cleaving to Him in believing trust and obedience, those cleaving to Him also following His leading, acting according to His example. It denotes a fellowship of faith as well as a fellowship of life, sharing in His sufferings not only inwardly but outwardly if necessary. ~Adapted from the Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible
But here the use of the verb implies that the two disciples went after Jesus to examine Him more closely because of John’s ministry of pointing Him to them. Their following after Jesus constituted a preliminary exposure of John the Baptist’s disciples to Jesus. They would eventually dedicate their lives to Him as true followers and apostles when Jesus called them to permanent fellowship and service after these events. But the main point here is that as a result of John’s ministry of focusing his followers’ attention onto Jesus, they left him to follow Him. And John was gladly and genuinely content to see his two followers become the followers of the Messiah, the Lamb of God.
John effectively played his role of pointing Jesus to people. He pointed Jesus to the people of his day, as the Lamb of God who takes the sin of the world, as the Coming One or the Messiah, as the Eternal One, as the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, and as the Son of God, that is, He is equal with God.
But the question now is: who is pointing people to Jesus in our day? Who is pointing lost sinners to Jesus as the Savior of sinners? Who is going to point Jesus to those who are living a defeated life as the Victor and Conqueror? Who is going to point Jesus to the helpless and hopeless as the Giver of Hope and the Hope of Glory? Who is going to focus the attention of the depressed and discouraged to Jesus as the Healer and Comforter? Who is going to tell those are walking in darkness that Jesus is the Light of the world? Who is going to point Jesus to people who are wandering in life that He is the Good Shepherd? Who is going to focus the attention of those who are living in deception that Jesus is the Truth and that if He, the Son, sets them free, they will be free indeed (see John 8:36)?
Sadly, some of us believers, like to point people to ourselves for them to see how successful we are in life and ministry. We like others to speak of how significant our teaching and ministries are. We like people to talk about us and the great things we are doing for God. We like to draw attention to ourselves as if we are indispensable. But such self-important attitude must be repented of. We must be like John the Baptist, who gladly and genuinely drew other’s attention to Jesus and was wholly and heartily content to see them leave him to follow Jesus. Men of God, arise; and be about the blessed business of pointing Jesus to people! Let us not fail in drawing people’s attention to Jesus in an age in which many are drawing attention to themselves.
The sixth role John arose and effectively played in his generation is:
6. Proclaiming God’s Truth to a Corrupt Political Leader without Fear or Favor (Matthew 14:3-4; Mark 6:17-18; Luke 3:19-20).
John was bold, yet humble. He fearlessly confronted rulers and religious leaders as well as ordinary men with the truth of God. Yes, as stated earlier, John was not bogged down with the politics of his day. But that did not mean that he completely shied away from proclaiming God’s truth to a morally corrupt political leader. John stood up for righteousness and it would cost him his life. The first three gospels all briefly but blessedly describe John’s role of proclaiming God’s truth to a morally corrupt political leader of his day.
“For when Herod had John arrested, he bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had been saying to him, ‘It is not lawful for you to have her’” (Matthew 14:3-4).
“For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife’” (Mark 6:17-18).
“But when Herod the tetrarch was reproved by him on account of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and on account of all the wicked things which Herod had done, he added this also to them all, that he locked John up in prison” (Luke 3:19-20).
The Holy Spirit led Matthew, Mark, and Luke to record for us John’s role of standing up for righteousness and proclaiming God’s unadulterated truth to Herod the tetrarch. Herod the tetrarch was Herod Antipas. The term “tetrarch” refers to one of four rulers of a divided region. After the death of Herod the Great, who achieved kingship over all of Palestine and ruled from 37-4 B.C.; Israel was divided among his sons, namely Archelaus who ruled Judea, Samaria, and Idumea; Herod Philip II who ruled the regions north of Galilee (Luke 3:1); and Herod Antipas who ruled Galilee and Perea (Luke 3:1). Herod the tetrarch is also known as Herod Antipas. He is the main Herod in the Gospel accounts. He was the one who put John the Baptist to death.
John confronted Herod Antipas with God’s truth without fear or favor. Herod had married Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. In other words, Herod Philip I was the first husband of Herodias. The expression in Matthew and Mark; “for John had been saying to him,” indicates that John had repeatedly rebuked Herod Antipas in their private confrontation that his marriage to Herodias was contrary to the Law of Moses. It clearly and categorically states: “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness” (Leviticus 18:16). It further adds: “If there is a man who takes his brother’s wife, it is abhorrent; he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless” (Leviticus 20:21). Knowing this clear instruction and the curse associated with its violation, John repeatedly reprimanded Herod the tetrarch to break off the marriage. History tells us that Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus, another son of Herod the Great. So when she married, she married Philip I, another son of Herod, she was marrying her own father’s brother. At some point, Herod Antipas sweet-talked Herodias into leaving her first husband (his brother) in order to marry him. This actually worsened the incest, and violated Leviticus 18:16. John was righteously angered that a ruler in Israel would commit such a sin brazenly and blatantly. As such, without fear or favor, John repeatedly reproved Herod Antipas. In Luke’s account, we are told that John’s repeated reproof of Herod didn’t stop at his moral corruption. He also censured Herod for all his wicked or evil things he had done. This means John was bold in proclaiming God’s truth to a morally corrupt and an evil political leader of his day. For this, John was imprisoned and later put to death. Teaching us that standing up for righteousness is sometimes costly. John paid the ultimate price for proclaiming God’s truth. But it was a price worth to pay. The Lord Jesus Himself paid the ultimate price for standing up for righteousness and proclaiming God’s truth to stubborn and self-seeking and proud religious leaders of His day.
Moral corruption and evil machinations characterize government officials, rulers, and politicians of our nations. Many of them have no respect for God and His Word. They brashly and blatantly ignore God’s principles for leadership. They operate with the mentality that they are above the law. They are accountable only to themselves, not to the law of the land. They fear no one and do what they want. They call good evil and evil good. They abhor him who speaks with integrity. They distress the righteous and accept bribes, and turn aside the poor in the gate (Amos 5:11-12). They trust in confusion and speak lies. They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity. Their works are works of iniquity. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity (Isaiah 59:4, 6-7). The list goes on. But the crucial question is: who is going to stand up for righteousness and proclaim God’s truth to the corrupt leaders and rulers of our nations without fear or favor? John the Baptist is no longer with us. He boldly stood up for righteousness and proclaimed God’s truth to Herod Antipas without fear and favor. It’s now our turn, men of God in the Church of God! The hymn writer says; “where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there.” Men of God, let’s arise; and be about our Heavenly Father’s business of proclaiming God’s truth to corrupt government officials, rulers and politicians of our nations. Let’s redeem the time, for the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16)!
The seventh role John arose and effectively played in his generation is:
7. Preaching the Gospel to the People (Luke 3:18).
John not only preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins, but he also preached the gospel.
“So with many other exhortations also he preached the gospel to the people” (Luke 3:18).
Is preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins, not the same as preaching the gospel? No! There is a slight difference. In the original language, in Matthew 3:3, the verb from which “preaching” derives is “kerusso.” It means to be a herald, to proclaim. According to Matthew, John was a herald proclaiming repentance for forgiveness of sins to the people of his day. The verb “preached,” in Luke 3:18, is “euangelizo.” It means to evangelize, proclaim the good news, always concerning the Son of God. In the contexts in which “kerusso” and “euangelizo” are used, the former focuses on repentance for forgiveness of sins, while the latter focuses on the whole gospel, the full gospel. What is the gospel? It’s the good news. It is all that God has done, is doing, and will do in His risen Son. In other words, it is the saving message of life and redemption in Jesus Christ. It is therefore always centered on the Person of the Lord Jesus, who He is, and what He has done for the salvation of sinners in every nation. For more a thorough teaching on what the gospel is, please click this link: https://yesuli.org/the-gospel-of-god.
Preaching the gospel, the full gospel involves proclaiming Jesus’ life, His works of power, His death for sinners, His burial, His resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven, and His return to judge the living and the dead. John did not proclaim all these elements of the gospel. But he proclaimed what had been revealed to him by the Father, especially that Jesus is the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). We are so privileged to be enlightened on all the various aspects of the gospel message. We therefore have greater responsibility of preaching the full gospel to the people of our day. Now someone says, we are not trained as preachers how can we reach the full gospel you are talking about? I understand your point. But please understand my point too. You don’t need a formal training to preach the full gospel. All you need is a humble and honest heart that is willing to submit to the Holy Spirit and learn the truths of the gospel and share them with whoever He directs you. It’s that simple! So let’s not hide behind the excuse that we are not formally trained to preach the full gospel. Rather, let’s arise and preach the full gospel in such a time as this. For “night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4b).
John left a wonderful legacy of preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins, preparing the hearts of people, presenting prophetic warning to people, promoting Jesus, pointing people to Jesus, proclaiming God’s truth to a morally corrupt and evil political leader, and preaching the full gospel. What legacy are we going to leave behind for the next generation, should the Lord tarry? Would it be one of pointing people to Jesus? Would it be one of promoting Jesus in an age of self-promotion? Would it be one of proclaiming God’s truth to morally corrupt politicians and government officials of our time?