What do you know about John the Baptist? Have you ever thought what his life might have been like? How do you think he grew into an adult? What kind of teaching did he receive? What did his mother and father think of him? Why did he go into the wilderness?
John’s father was a priest in the temple. Though both his mother and father were older when he was born, his father likely taught him the Scriptures from an early age. John was chosen before he was born and probably soaked up the teaching his father gave him.
Zechariah, John’s father, was told by the angel Gabriel that John would have the Holy Spirit within him before he was born, and he would turn many hearts in Israel back to God. He was told John would go with the spirit of Elijah to prepare the way for the Messiah. This knowledge would have influenced Zechariah to be thorough in teaching John. He would have covered the law but may very well have spent more time on the prophets. For the prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah.
As foretold, John went into the wilderness and cried out. He baptized people for the remission of their sins. He turned people back to God. He may have even quoted the prophets while doing so. Though John was only six months older than Jesus, his ministry started well before Jesus’ did. He knew his job was to prepare the way. John was a man with a single focus. His dedication was beyond reproach. Perhaps our focus should be more on Jesus and telling others about Him.
I pray we seek to learn more about Jesus. I pray we seek to learn the prophecies about Jesus. I pray each one of us will learn to be more like John and tell others about Jesus. Learn about the prophecies. Learn more about Jesus. Be more like John. Tell others about Jesus.
Luke 3:3-4 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’ ”
Marty Pressey 