JOHN THE BAPTIST

#796a                                            JOHN THE BAPTIST

Scripture  Luke 1:5-15                                                                                                 Orig. 3/1983

Passage: 5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.

Timeline/Series:         Personality Profiles

Introduction

            Strange man, dress, diet, clothing; manner was abrasive and abrupt.  “The Greatest Man Who Ever Took Second Place.”

I.          Who He Was

·         Son of a priest named Zacharias, and wife Elizabeth, Luke 1:5

·         Related to Jesus through Mary/Elizabeth, Luke 1:35

·         Parents were much older, v7

·         His name from Gabriel means Yahweh gives grace

·         To be a Nazarite, v15—refer to Numbers 15:2-8

·         Little is known of childhood, 1:80

·         Other traditions hold that he was reared in one of the Essene communities

II.         His Preaching, Luke 3:3, Matthew 3:1

·         The coming kingdom, Matthew 3:2,3

·         Repentance, Luke 3:3, Matthew 3:2

·         Show a change of life, Luke 3:8,10,11, Matthew 3:8

·         Even the authorities interested in who [he was], John 1:19

III.       Baptism Was the Result of Repentance

·         Jesus was baptized, Mark 1:9

·         Others as an expression of repentance

IV.       Imprisoned at Fortress of Machaerus for preaching, Luke 3:19-20

·         Sent his disciples to Jesus, Matthew 11:2-6 (profound), wanted some assurance—Messiah or just another John the Baptist

·         Herod had him beheaded, Matthew 14:1-11

V.        His Life in the  Wilderness (Hebrew midhbar)—limited grazing

·         Matthew 3:1, Wilderness of Judea—west of Dead Sea

·         W.F. Albright, John 3:23 in Samaria

·         Essenes—“adopt other men’s children”

·         Priesthood—division and disunity

·         Final—Matthew 21:26, Mark 11:30, Luke 20:6—the baptism of John