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Wednesday, July 2 2008
There were two men named "John" who provided testimony of the coming of the Christ, both of whom were cousins of Jesus of Nazareth, through His mother Mary: the apostle John (see Aunt Mary), who wrote the Gospel book of John and the Book of Revelation, and John the Baptist (Jesus' mother Mary and John the Baptist's mother Elizabeth were related i.e. "thy cousin Elizabeth" Luke 1:36 KJV), who was The Elijah To Come before the Messiah "11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 11:14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come" (Matthew 11:13-14 KJV).
"3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 3:4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. 3:5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, 3:6 And were baptized [see also The Origin of Baptism] of him in Jordan, confessing their sins." (Matthew 3:1-6 KJV)
"John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world"
It was from John the Baptist that the widely-misunderstood "baptism of fire" term originated. It was a warning to repent - or burn (see Baptism Of Fire).
"3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of Vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.3:10 And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with The Holy Ghost [i.e. for those who repent], and with fire [for those who refuse to repent - see They Shall Be Ashes]: 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:7-12 KJV)
John the Baptist had a very popular ministry at the time when Jesus was almost unknown. Some even thought that John may have been the long-awaited Messiah. But John explained plainly that he was merely to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah; Jesus' ministry began when John's ministry ended (see John's Last Days).
"3:15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were The Christ, or not; 3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: 3:17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. 3:18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.3:19 But Herod the tetrarch [see The Herods], being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 3:20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison." (Luke 3:15-20 KJV)
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were independent witnesses; each saw for himself, and each wrote for himself. The four Gospel books are not merely four copies of the same thing. Very often one will provide details to a specific event that the others may not have recorded. A good example of that is the apostle John's account, below, of the same incident recorded in the verses above by Luke. John gives finer detail as to what was said between John the Baptist and those who questioned him about who he was and Who it was that he was serving.
"1:19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 1:20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.1:21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias?
And he saith, I am not [John did not realize it, but he was in fact The Elijah To Come for that time].
Art thou that prophet?
And he answered, No.
1:22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
1:23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias [.e. Isaiah].
1:24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. 1:25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
1:26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 1:27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
1:28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing." (John 1:19-28 KJV)
John the Baptist was given to know, and to preach, just enough to fulfill what he was given to do. It was a common trait of Prophets from the earliest times.
"1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world [see Why Blood?]. 1:30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. 1:31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.1:32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove [see also Christian Doves], and it abode upon him. 1:33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 1:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God." (John 1:29-34 KJV)
Fact Finder: John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth were born a few months apart. Jesus was born of a virgin. Was there anything miraculous about John's birth?
See The Other Miraculous Birth
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This Day In History, July 2
1298: An army under Albert of Austria defeated and killed Adolf of Nassua near Worms, Germany.
1625: The Spanish army took Breda, Spain, after nearly a year of siege.
1644: The Battle of Marston Moor near York brought the first major Royalist defeat in the English Civil War.
1752: The first Bible in America printed in English was published, in Boston.
1819: The Factory Act was passed in Britain, prohibiting employment of children under nine in textile factories, and children under 16 could only work for 12 hours a day.
1853: The Russian army crossed the Pruth River, invading Turkey and beginning the Crimean War.
1871: Rome officially became capital of a united Italy; after 1,500 years, Rome again the capital of Italy.
1881: U.S. President James Garfield, who was sworn-in only 3 months earlier, was shot by Charles Guiteau; he died from the injuries September 19.
1900: Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin flew his first airship in Germany.
1937: Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while trying to fly around the world.
1940: The liner Arandora Star was torpedoed by a German submarine while transporting German and Italian prisoners to Canada; over 750 prisoners and crew died.
1961: Ernest Hemingway, U.S. novelist best known for "A Farewell to Arms" and "For Whom the Bell Tolls," died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
1976: Following Vietnam War, North and South Vietnam were reunited as one country with Hanoi as the capital. It had been divided since 1954
