Everyone who has any Bible knowledge knows that John is the Old Testament fulfillment of the prophecy of the return of the prophet Elijah. In fact, he’s the last old testament prophet.
Malachi 4:5-6- Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Matthew 17:10-13- And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
Matthew 11:13- For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
But, he’s more than just a prophet. John baptized Jesus. And the more we ponder that, the more I realize how heavy it actually is.
John 1:6-7- There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
At first glance, it may seem so simple or even random. John was there. Jesus came. Jesus got baptized.
John 1:26,27,29,32-34 - John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 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. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
But when you slow down and look closer, you'll realize, this wasn’t random at all. John the Baptist wasn’t just some wild preacher who showed up in the wilderness. Luke tells us that he came from a priestly family.
Luke 1:5-6- There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
Luke 1:8,11-17- And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
His father, Zechariah, belonged to the line of priests. That means John grew up hearing stories
about the temple, sacrifices, cleansing, and how people were prepared to come before God.
This was his world as he was growing up.
So when John stood in the Jordan River, he wasn't standing there as a novice. He carries with him generations of priestly preparation.
This was his world as he was growing up.
So when John stood in the Jordan River, he wasn't standing there as a novice. He carries with him generations of priestly preparation.
Luke 3:3-6- And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
John is both a prophet and a priest. He came not wearing priestly robes, but camel’s hair. He was not standing at the altar, but in knee-deep in water. He wasn't offering animal sacrifices, but rather calling people to repent. He’s doing priestly work, but outside the temple. And perhaps, that’s the point. Something greater than the temple is about to show up.
John is both a prophet and a priest. He came not wearing priestly robes, but camel’s hair. He was not standing at the altar, but in knee-deep in water. He wasn't offering animal sacrifices, but rather calling people to repent. He’s doing priestly work, but outside the temple. And perhaps, that’s the point. Something greater than the temple is about to show up.
Mark 1:6-11- And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Priests didn’t just offer sacrifices. They check them first. The lamb had to be clean. I should contain no defects. It was to be set apart for that specific purpose and then declared acceptable.
So when John sees Jesus walking toward him and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, whic taketh away the sin of the world," that's not just a descriptive title. That’s priestly language.
John doesn’t call Jesus a teacher. He doesn’t call Him a prophet. He calls Him the Lamb. And then, he baptized Him.
Now we have to see that this isn’t Jesus confessing sin. Jesus had none. This moment is rather about identification. Preparation. It’s like John, a priest by birth, is publicly pointing out the true sacrifice, the final one.
John 3:27,28,30,33,36- John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He must increase, but I must decrease. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
The same man who prepared people through the baptism of repentance now prepares the One who will truly cleanse them.
I Peter 1:18-19- Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
In the Old Testament, whenever there was a ceremonial service, water always came first. Priests washed before serving in the temple. Objects were cleansed before being used. Preparation always came before sacrifice.
John’s baptism fits that pattern so beautifully.
Matthew 3:13-17- Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
When Jesus came up from the water, the heavens opened, the Spirit descended, and the Father spoke. The Lamb had been revealed. His ministry can now begin.
But what I really admire about John is that he never tries to hold onto the moment. He knows his role. “He must increase, but I must decrease.” That’s not insecurity; that’s faithfulness.
John, as the priest, prepares the way. John, as the prophet, points to the Messiah. Then John steps aside.
His greatness wasn’t in how long he preached or how many followers he had. It was in how clearly he prepared the way, and how willingly he gave the spotlight to Jesus.
John baptized Jesus.- a priest prepared the Lamb. And the Lamb willingly stepped into the water. From there, the story keeps moving, toward a hill outside Jerusalem, where water would no longer be enough, and blood would finally be poured out. And because of this sacrifice, we have a New Testament!
Hebrews 7:24,27- But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.
Hebrews 9:11-12,24- But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
What John began in the Jordan River Jesus finished at the cross.
Colossians 2:14-15- Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Colossians 1:14- In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Psalms 32:1- Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Romans 4:23-25- Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
Jesus died to not only redeem our souls from hell (the penalty that is meted out to those who sin) but also to justify us before God. Those who accept His sacrifice on the cross as payment for their sin will stand before God just as if they had never sinned.
