Who was John the Baptist?
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John the Baptist was born to righteous and devout parents of priestly descent in a small village in Judea, traditionally identified as Ein Karem, a modern suburb of Jerusalem. He played a singular role at the beginning of Jesus Christ’s ministry. Each gospel provides insights into John’s ministry as a prophet, preacher, baptizer, and witness in the Judean wilderness east of Jerusalem, culminating with the baptism of Jesus at the River Jordan. Moreover, each gospel author emphasized certain aspects of John’s life, providing a context for each author’s particular witness of Jesus.
John the Baptist preached repentance and baptism, was sharply critical of the Pharisees and Sadducees, prophesied of one “mightier than [he], whose shoes [he was] not worthy to bear’ (Matthew 3:11), and identified Jesus Christ as the “Lamb of God” (John 1:36). Luke alone, however, provides details of John’s birth and childhood (see Luke 1 and 2).
Eventually, Herod Antipas arrested, imprisoned, and executed John the Baptist.
John is sometimes identified with Elias (the Greek form of Elijah) as one who prepares the way (see Malachi 4:5-6). Some of John’s followers later became disciples of Jesus Christ, and others seemed to continue following John (John 1:35-42; Matthew 11:2-6; Luke 7:18-23). After John’s death, those who had not accepted Jesus continued their activities. Paul may have encountered some of them in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-7).
John the Baptist symbolizes to us the final transition from the Old Testament (or old covenant) and the beginning of the New Testament (new covenant). The time of the Law and the prophets had passed, and the time of the Messiah had arrived. John the Baptist, the last legal administrator of the Mosaic covenant, had one foot in each dispensation. Nevertheless, Jesus Christ declared, “He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light” (John 5: 35).
