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The Life of Christ (4). John The Baptist And Jesus’ Baptism. Scriptures Matthew 3:1-17 Mark 1:1-11 Luke 1:5-25, 36-80 John 1:6-15; 19-37; 3:22-4.2 Vocabulary
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The Life of Christ (4) John The Baptist And Jesus’ Baptism Scriptures Matthew 3:1-17Mark 1:1-11 Luke 1:5-25, 36-80 John 1:6-15; 19-37; 3:22-4.2 Vocabulary Baptism: identification of one object with another. A believer’s baptism is a ritual (ceremony) that identifies the believer with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. Repent: to change one’s mind. The Life of Christ (4)
The Life of Christ (4) John The Baptist The Birth of John The Baptist Luke 1:5-25, 36-80 • John the Baptist mother was Elizabeth and Zacharias was his father. • Zacharias was a priest and Elizabeth was from the daughters of Aaron (priests). V 5 • They were both righteous in the sight of God. V 6 • But they had no child as Elizabeth was barren and they were both very old. V 7 • Zacharias was performing his priestly service before God. He had been chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. V 8,9 • The whole multitude was outside the temple in prayer. V 10 • While Zacharias was in the temple an angel of the Lord appeared to him standing to the right of the incense offering. V 11 The Life of Christ (4)
The Life of Christ (4) John The Baptist The Birth of John The Baptist Luke 1:5-25, 36-80 • Zacharias was afraid when he saw him and “fear gripped him”. Luke 1:12 • The angel told him not to be afraid, as God had heard his prayer and that Elizabeth would bear a son. • The angel told Zacharias that he would name the son John. • The angel also told Zacharias that John’s purpose would be to turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord by being a forerunner proclaiming the arrival of Christ, the long awaited Messiah. • The angel told Zacharias that John would “drink no wine or liquor, and he would be filledwith the Holy Spirit.” Luke 1:15 • Zacharias did not immediately grasp the truth of what the angel was telling him and asked, “how can I know this for certain?” The Life of Christ (4)
The Life of Christ (4) John The Baptist The Birth of John The Baptist Luke 1:5-25, 36-80 • Because of his lack of faith (he implied that he could not trust Gabriel) Gabriel told him that he would be mute until the day the baby was born. Luke 1:20 • When the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, everyone rejoiced and they were going to call him Zacharias after his father. Luke 1:58,59 • But Elizabeth said, no he shall be called John. Luke 1:60 • They argued with her as Elizabeth and Zacharias had no family relative named John and it was tradition to name the son after the father or relative. Luke 1:61 • They asked Zacharias by making signs to him, as he was still unable to speak. Luke 1:62 The Life of Christ (4)
The Life of Christ (4) John The Baptist The Birth of John The Baptist Luke 1:5-25, 36-80 • Zacharias asked for a tablet and wrote on it that his son’s name would indeed be John. Luke 1:63 • The crowd was astonished, but at that moment Zacharias was able to speak and he immediately began to speak in praise of God. Luke 1:63,64 • He no doubt told them about the angel of God appearing to him and what had happened. • Then Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit (emphasize that this means controlled by the Holy Spirit) and also praised God with a “praise poem”. Luke 1:68-79 • John lived in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel. Luke 1:80 The Life of Christ (4)
The Life of Christ (4) John The Baptist John The Baptist’s Ministry • John began his ministry in the Spring of 29 AD at the age of 31 or 32. His ministry preceded that of Jesus by about 6 months. • All four gospels record the ministry of John The Baptist. • Matthew 3:1-17; • Mark 1:1-11; • Luke 1:5-25,36-80, 3:1-22; • John 1:6-15,19-37, 3:22-4:2 • John was the first bona fide (real, legitimate) prophet since Malachi, 400 years before, and was the one man who was to herald (declare the news) the Messiah. • His ministry is foretold (prophesied) in Isa. 40:3. (See also Matthew 3:3). • A prophet could come from any tribe of Israel, any family, or any walk of life. The Life of Christ (4)
The Life of Christ (4) John The Baptist John The Baptist’s Ministry • John’s outward appearance served to emphasize the sternness of his message and to show that the materialistic things man deems important do not orient him to God. Matt. 3:4 • John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist • His food was locusts and wild honey. • John’s ministry was designed to prepare the way for the ministry of Christ and it generated a lot of interest in the general population of Israel. • Since the people and their leaders were mostly unbelievers seeking to work their way to Heaven by obeying the Law, they are called on by John to repent (change their minds) and believe (salvation by faith in Messiah, not works). • Water baptism was an overt sign of their repentance (change of mind) and belief. The Life of Christ (4)
The Life of Christ (4) John The Baptist John The Baptist’s Ministry • Luke 3:10-18 gives an example of what John taught the people in general. • Because they were largely unsaved, his primary thrust was the gospel. V18 • John was especially forceful in his dealings with the religious leaders, as seen in Matt. 3:7 and Luke 3:7. • The two principle sects of Judaism at that time were the Pharisees and Sadducees. • The Pharisees were the self-righteous defenders of strict Jewish orthodoxy and attempted to put a hedge around the Law so the people would not fall back into idolatry as they had in the past. • They were the majority party and were guilty of deviation to the right (legalism), i.e. they added many rules not found in the Bible. The Life of Christ (4)
The Life of Christ (4) John The Baptist John The Baptist’s Ministry • The Sadducees were the theological liberals who opposed the Pharisees and associated with the priests. They did not believe in angels, miracles, or resurrection of the dead. • They were skeptics and often were not very moral people. • Both the Sadducees and Pharisees enjoyed the overt ritualistic trappings of religion; they did not mix with the people, who they tended to despise. • John regarded the Pharisees and Sadducees both as vipers. • Matthew 3:7 (NASB95) • 7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? • They came forward because the ritual appealed to them and they wanted the people’s approbation (for the people to think highly of them). The Life of Christ (4)
The Life of Christ (4) John The Baptist John The Baptist’s Ministry • John’s harsh words are not sinful name calling, but are designed to awaken them to the reality of their situation. • John’s analogy is to snakes fleeing a brush fire. He refers to the final disposition of unbelievers. “wrath to come”, the Lake of Fire. • John had to constantly tell the people that he was not the Messiah, but only his herald (messenger for the Messiah). • Luke 3:15-16 • John 1:20 • John 3:27-36 The Life of Christ (4)
The Life of Christ (4) John The Baptist Jesus Is Baptized By John The Baptist • Jesus comes to John for baptism. Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:29-34 • John, recognizing who Jesus was, tells Jesus that He does not need to be baptized. • The baptism that John performed on those that came to him represented the forgiveness of their sins (ritual cleansing). It was also an outward display of their repentance. • Since there was no sin in Jesus, John correctly asserts there is no need for him to baptize Jesus. • In fact, John states that as a sinner, he should be baptized by Jesus. The Life of Christ (4)
The Life of Christ (4) John The Baptist Jesus Is Baptized By John The Baptist Matthew 3:13–17 (NASB95) 13Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. 14But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” 15But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him. 16After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” Mark 1:9–11 (NASB95) 9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; 11and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” The Life of Christ (4)
The Life of Christ (4) John The Baptist Jesus Is Baptized By John The Baptist Luke 3:21–22 (NASB95) 21Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” John 1:29–34 (NASB95) 29The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30“This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ 31“I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” 32John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33“I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ 34“I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.” The Life of Christ (4)
The Life of Christ (4) John The Baptist Jesus Is Baptized By John The Baptist • John, recognizing who Jesus was, tells Jesus that He does not need to be baptized. Matthew 3:14 • The baptism that John performed on those that came to him represented the forgiveness of their sins (ritual cleansing). It was also an outward display of their repentance (changing their minds). • Since there was no sin in Jesus, John correctly asserts there is no need for him to baptize Jesus. • In fact, John states that as a sinner, he should be baptized by Jesus. V 14 • Jesus does not dispute the truth of John’s statement, but tells John that this is the right thing to do at this time. Matthew 3:15. • John himself does not appear to have been baptized, a proof that those today who insist that baptism is necessary for salvation are adding to the grace gift of salvation by saying that belief is not enough, one also has to perform the “work” of baptism. The Life of Christ (4)
The Life of Christ (4) John The Baptist Jesus Is Baptized By John The Baptist • Jesus’ baptism is a way of making a statement about His submission to the plan of God. It was also a picture of His future identification with sins on the cross. • Luke 12:50 (NASB95) • 50“But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! • Our adherence (observance) to this ritual says that we also submit to God and His plan. We do this because we want to show our love to God, but it is not required for salvation. (Ephesians 2:8-9) • For Jesus the ritual portrays His identification with the sins of the people. • The miracle in Matthew 3:16-17 (Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:32-34) serves to validate Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God. The Life of Christ (4)
The Life of Christ (4) John The Baptist Jesus Is Baptized By John The Baptist • In this miracle a “window” was opened, revealing the glory of heaven and the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. • There is some question as to whether or not those present at the baptism of Jesus could see this miracle; however, John the Baptist clearly did and testified about it. • Matthew 3:16 (NASB95) • 16After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, • Mark 1:10 (NASB95) • 10Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; • John 1:32 (NASB95) • 32John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. • At this time Christ begins to visibly present Himself as Israel’s Messiah. The Life of Christ (4)
