When you think about the prophets of God, how often do you think of John the Baptist? John is indeed one of the great prophets of God. He is described as “the voice crying the wilderness.”
Unfortunately, John is often misunderstood by people today. Many know little about his life and work. In this lesson, we want to consider some important things that God wants us to understand about him.
Ten facts about John
- His work was foretold in the Old Testament (Mark 1:2-3). Isaiah spoke of it (Isaiah 40:3). Malachi also spoke of it (Malachi 3:1).
- He had an extraordinary birth (Luke 1:5-7). John was born to Zacharias and Elizabeth in their old age. He would be devoted to God and full of the Spirit (Luke 1:15).
- He had a strange appearance (Matthew 3:4).
- He preached a message of repentance (Matthew 3:1-2; Mark 1:14-15).
- He was the Elijah to come (Malachi 4:5-6; Matthew 11:12-15). John was bold and zealous in his ministry, like Elijah (Luke 1:17).
- He was a baptizer (Mark 1:4-5). John immersed people in the water for the forgiveness of sins (John 3:23-24; Mark 1:4).
- He was more than a prophet (Luke 7:26). John prepared the way for the Messiah (Luke 7:27).
- He testified of Jesus (John 1:29-34). John was able to do this because of what he witnessed after baptizing Jesus!
- He was killed because of his preaching (Mark 6:14-29).
- He was commended by Jesus (Luke 7:28). Can you imagine Jesus saying this about you?
Lessons we can learn from John
- He teaches us about humility (John 3:30; Matthew 3:11). John always exalted Jesus. He never exalted himself.
- He teaches us about how to respond to the Lord when discouraged (Luke 7:18-23). While we will get discouraged at times, we must never get offended by Jesus.
- He teaches us about greatness in the eyes of God (Luke 7:28). While John was a great prophet, those who are least in the kingdom of God are greater than him!
Conclusion:
Just like people needed to follow Jesus in John’s day, we need to follow Him today!
