TEXT: LUKE 3:1-17
John was the son of the priest Zachariah and Elizabeth. He was a miracle child because the parents got him in old age. He was called the Baptist because his practice was to baptize those who responded to the message he proclaimed and sincerely repented their sins. He was the last prophet- a firely prophet of the Old Testament and also the link between the Old and the New Testaments. His ministry marked the end of the law and the prophets but signified the in-breaking of the kingdom of God- Luke 16:16.
More about John the Baptist:-
HE WAS ALSO KNOWN AS “THE ELIJAH TO COME”
- God had promised to send Elijah the prophet before the Messiah/ Christ comes. The Elijah prophesied by Malachi was John the Baptist.
- Prophet Isaiah also referred to him as “The voice crying in the wilderness” in Isaiah 40:3. He pinpointed that John’s ministry would be in the wilderness and it turned out exactly as prophesied.
- He was filled with the Holy Ghost in his mothers’ womb and his name John came from God.
- Of all patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah e.t.c. John the Baptist is greater than all of them. Jesus said Matt. 11:11- He is possibly one of the 24 elders apostle John saw in Heaven- Rev. 4:10.
- He’s the one who baptized his Savoir. Our Lord Jesus Christ was not baptized as a sign of repentance from sin, He had no sin. He was just baptized to identify with the people and show us an example.
HIS MESSAGE- REPENTANCE
- He prepared the hearts of the people for Jesus. Jesus Christ was to bring in everlasting righteousness- Daniel 9:24, because there was no such through the Law of Moses.
- There was no righteousness, mankind lived in sin and before God sin could only be covered but not taken away. John declared to people about not covering sin anymore but taking it away, removing it, erasing it completely so that it cannot be found anymore- John 1:29.
- He pinpointed sin. He called sin-sin.
- He reminded people of the judgement to come- Luke 3:7-9.
- He preached compassion, a ministry much ignored today- Luke 3:10.
JOHN POINTED PEOPLE TO CHRIST
- He adorned Jesus, he spoke greatly of Him, he magnified Him before the crowd.
- He humbled himself before Jesus almost refusing to baptize Him- Matt.3:14, 15.
- He told the crowd he was not worthy to untie the shoes of the Lord- Luke 3:16.
- When his disciples left his ministry and joined Jesus ministry he said, “Jesus must increase, he himself must decrease”- John 3:30.
CONCLUSION
- John baptized in much water. If you did not get baptized after getting saved, do so.
- John pointed people to Jesus our Lord. May we do so this year to point those around us to Jesus and prepare a way for the Lord to save them.
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