John the Baptist: A Voice in the Wilderness

"A voice of one calling in the desert, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him" Matthew 3: 3, NIV). 

Zechariah and Elizabeth had no children, for she was barren. It is interesting to note that John the Baptist is associated with a wilderness. In Scripture the word "wilderness" is sometimes associated with the term "desert." Though Zechariah and Elizabeth were faithful to the Lord they still experienced barrenness like a dry desert in their lives. But that was to all change soon. For the Lord both made a promise to Zechariah and fulfilled that promised with the birth of their son, John the Baptist (see Luke 1: 11-20, 57-80). 

The name John the Baptist is mentioned in Scripture 14 times (see Matt. 3: 1;  11: 11;  [Luke 7: 28]; Matt. 11: 12;  14: 2, 8;  16: 14; [Mark 8: 28]; Matt. 17: 13; Mark 6: 14, 25; Luke 7: 20, 33; 9: 19). John the Baptist was the "voice of one calling; in the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God" as Isaiah the prophet prophesied in Isaiah 40: 3. Since John the Baptist was the last and the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, he considered himself "the friend who attends the Bridegroom" (John 3: 29; [22-36]).  

1. John the Baptist's Message (Matt. 3: 1-12). 

John's message he preached was one of repentance for the people. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matt. 3: 2). And as many as repented John baptized them in the Jordan River (see 3: 6). So what was this message of "repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" that John preached? The message John preached was obviously one of "repentance" meaning "to change one's mind, a change of heart, a turning away from sin." But what of the phrase "kingdom of heaven is near [or at hand]?" What does that mean? Well, since the Gospel of Matthew 3 is the first book of four that gives us the account of the life of Christ. We can be certain that the "kingdom of heaven is near" speaks of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ is that kingdom of heaven come in the flesh in the very presence of His people. This same truth is conveyed in Jesus' words, "For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst" (Luke 17: 21, NASB). The title given to Jesus at His birth, "Immanuel, which translated means, 'God with us'" (Matt. 1: 23) also conveys the same truth about the "kingdom of heaven is near" and "the kingdom of God is in your midst" as all referring to the first coming of Jesus as the "kingdom of heaven [or God]" come "in the flesh" in the presence of His people (see Isa. 9: 6; John 1: 14; Phil. 2: 7; 1 Tim. 3: 16). In regards Matthew 3: 2, "the kingdom of heaven is at hand" commentator and scholar Michael J. Wilkins has this to say: 

"The term kingdom of heaven is found only in Matthew's Gospel but is interchangeable with "kingdom of God," found in the other Gospels (cf. Matt. 19: 14 and Mark 10: 14). is at hand. The kingdom of heaven has come near to the people in the person of Jesus (the Messiah), who was soon to be revealed as the "beloved Son" of the Father (3: 17), and who himself was soon to begin proclaiming that message of repentance, because "the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (see note on 4: 17). Here John calls for the people to remove the obstacles from their lives that might hinder their reception of the Messiah and his kingdom"[1] 

2. John the Baptist in Prison (Matt. 11: 2-6). 

Here we read of John's imprisonment. While in prison, John sent some of his disciples who visited him to ask the Lord Jesus, "Are the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?" (11: 3). When John's disciples repeated this question to the Lord, "Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me" (11: 4-6). It is interesting to notice hear that when Jesus simply tells John about the miracles He worked, he believed; whereas, when Christ worked signs and wonders before the eyes of the Jews and religious leaders, they did not believe (see Matt. 16: 1; John 4: 48; 10: 25-27). In other words, how interesting! Jesus only had to give His "word" to John and that was sufficient for him to believe; whereas, for the Jews and religious leaders, Jesus said: "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe" (John 4: 48, KJV). (To be Continued...)

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[1] Michael J. Wilkins, ESV Study Bible, (Crossway Bibles, Wheaton, Illinois, 2008), pg. 1824.