THE DEITY OF CHRIST 3: THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

In our on-going chapter-by-chapter exploration of the book of John, we have previously been exploring the Deity of Christ. In part 1, we examined His warning. In part 2, we explored the Primeval Light and Jesus declaration that He is the “Light of the World.” Here, in part 3, we shall endeavor to continue to examine the first chapter of John’s Gospel with the introduction of John the Baptist and his witness to that very same “light” we explored previously – Christ’s Deity.

John the Baptist was no ordinary man. The Apostle John reveals him to be “sent from God.” His birth, though not on the order and same plain of Jesus’ incarnation, was, nevertheless, supernatural …

“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. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light” (John 1:6-8).

The Gospel of John (book of John) is primarily concerned with the introduction of Jesus and, therefore, does not give specifics on the birth of the Baptist. The Apostle John simply tells us that the Baptist John was “sent from God,” using the Greek preposition “para,” meaning that John had come “from beside” God, giving him more significance than if he had simply been sent “by” God. Luke gives us the particulars concerning the divine aspects of his birth. His father, Zacharias, was a priest from the lineage of Abijah, the eighth of 24 orders established among the Levites for the priesthood (1 Chronicles 24:1-18).

In the tradition of the Levites, each order (or curse) provided the liturgy for Temple worship throughout the year. It must have been around the last week of Iyar, or the first week of Sivan when Zacharias entered the Temple for the purpose of participating in the morning ritual. According to Luke 1:9, “… his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.” But on this occasion, he was startled by the appearance of the angel Gabriel, who told him that he and his aged wife would have a son. Furthermore, the archangel told Zacharias that John the Baptist would be “… filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb,” and that “… he shall go [before the Messiah] in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:15 & 17).

Since all 24 courses of the Priesthood participated during Passover week, it is possible that the order of Abijah served during the ninth week, instead of the eighth. If so, the Zacharias’ encounter with the archangel could have been during the week that included the day of Pentecost. It is entirely possible that Zacharias met the archangel on the morning of Pentecost!

Pardon the pun, but the old priest was dumbstruck at the news that he was to be a father. Because he questioned the very idea that his aged wife could bear a son, Gabriel told him that he would be unable to speak until after the baby was born.

When Zacharias returned home, he conveyed the message to his wife. There is no doubt that Elisabeth was astonished at the news. But because her husband could not speak, she must have been convinced that God could give her a son in her old age.

When Elisabeth was just over six months along, she received a visit from Mary. It is likely that Elisabeth had entered the seventh month of her pregnancy, making the visit somewhere around the Jewish month of Tevet (January). Therefore, John the Baptist was probably born on Passover on the full moon of Nisan.

According to Jewish tradition, Elijah is expected to come on a Passover. A special serving is reserved for Elijah at every Passover table in hopes that the prophet will join them. During the course of the meal, a child is sent to open the front door, hoping to find Elijah standing there. It is logical to assume, then, that John the Baptist was born on the very day that Elijah was expected to arrive.

Malachi had promised that the Lord would send Elijah to announce the coming of Israel’s Messiah …

“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” (Malachi 4:5-6).

On a side note, years ago, I heard it said from someone (do not remember who) that Elijah’s mantle and priestly leather girdle were preserved at the Temple in a special place just on the right side of the incense altar; awaiting the day when Elijah would return to use them once again. So, it is possible that Garbriel was standing on the right side of the altar in order to present Zacharias with Elijah’s vesture made from camel’s hair and his priestly leather girdle. Thirty years later, John the Baptist began his ministry (probably on Passover) at the banks of the Jordan River, where Elijah was last seen before he was raptured off the Earth. Mark describes the Baptist …

“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” (Mark 1:6),

It would seem that John the Baptist was wearing Elijah’s mantle and priestly leather girdle. If so, he was certainly in keeping with the details of the ancient prophecy. It is said that Elisha had used Elijah’s mantle, beginning with parting the waters at the crossing site of the Jordan River.

According to the Scriptures, Elijah had performed five miracles, and Elisha performed nine during his life. But some years after Elisha’s death, some soldiers were fleeing the battlefield with one of their dead comrades. Hastily, they opened a tomb and tossed their deceased friend inside – not knowing that Elisha was buried there. When the slain soldier touched the bones of Elisha, he revived – making a total of ten miracles for the prophet! Indeed, he was granted a double portion of Elijah’s power.

It is said that after Elisha’s death, the priesthood searched for someone worthy enough to wear Elijah’s mantle. Finding no one, they prepared a place for Elijah’s garments in the Holy Place, on the right side of the altar of incense.

Mark tells us that John the Baptist ate locusts and wild honey. Since locusts were not kosher, it is likely that John ate the fruit of the locust tree. Today, its fruit is called a “carob” bean, from which a chocolate flavored powder is made.

Furthermore, just because he ate “wild” honey, most movie makers portray him as a crazy man yelling his head off while eating bugs and mud and doing cartwheels and back-flips through the streets of Jerusalem while humming to himself – only to cap it off by aggressively licking the ground like a psycho. John the Baptist was nothing like that. He was a Levite – a priest after the order of Abijah, the eighth of twenty-four courses of the priesthood, just like his father, Zacharias. He was schooled by the best Jewish intellectuals of his day.

Also, he probably spent many visits with his cousin, Jesus. It is entirely possible that the two lived close enough for frequent contact over the course of thirty years.

As was the custom of a priest, John the Baptist began his ministry at the age of thirty years – well qualified for his office. He chose to spend his ministry at the very place where Elijah had crossed the Jordan River on the day of his departure. According to the second book of the Kings, Elijah and Elisha went down to the river …

“And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground” (2 Kings 2:7-8).

As they climbed Mt. Nebo, a heavenly chariot came for Elijah.

By the way, Mt. Nebo is the same place where Moses saw the Promised Land just before his disappearance.

After watching Elijah’s translation (rapture), Elisha picked up Elijah’s mantle (today called a tallit) and went back down to the Jordan River. He touched the bank of the river with the mantle, as Elijah had done before, and walked back across on dry ground – in the presence of the sons of the prophets …

“And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not” (2 Kings 2:15-17).

The last place Elijah was seen by the “sons of the prophets” was at the Jordan River. On his thirtieth birthday, John the Baptist returned to that place wearing Elijah’s attire. No wonder the Temple hierarchy sent a delegation to question him.

John the Baptist had ministered there for six months. It was now autumn, around the time of the High Holy Days. Since John the Baptist was six months older than Jesus, Jesus would have waited until He reached the age of thirty before going to John and experiencing the ritual of baptism and launching His own ministry.

Baptism in Bible days consisted of dipping oneself in the “living waters” (running rather than stagnant) of the Jewish mikvah (baptism pool). It was not unusual for Jewish men to perform the ritual before going to Jerusalem for worship at the Temple. John probably did not touch the candidate, but simply watched to make sure that no part of the person remained above water. It was a total emersion. This is the custom of the Jews to this very day.

It is likely that Jesus was born on Rosh Hashanah, the new moon of Tishri (September). Had Mary conceived some 280 days earlier (the number of days for human gestation), she would have experienced the heavenly incarnation around December 25th.

The Apostle John tells us that John the Baptist knew that Jesus was Deity. He wrote …

“John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1:15-18).

For six months, John the Baptist had preached that the Son of God was coming to Israel. He told the crowds that this “only begotten Son” had existed from eternity – “he was before me” – and that he would establish a covenant of Grace, something entirely different from the Mosaic Law. He preached that this special person was the very embodiment of God. No one could see God, but everyone could see His Son.

We should note that John the Baptist never referred to Jesus as the “Messiah.” Instead, John twice called him, “the Lamb of God.” We know that Jesus was the Messiah, so why didn’t John the Baptist use the term? It will help us to understand if we consider that John also denied being Elijah. The Apostle John writes …

“And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No” (John 1:19-21).

Out of what must have been a rather lengthy conversation, John gives us only a condensed synopsis. John told the delegation that he was not the Messiah. It is quite possible that they had heard stories of how his father had met Gabriel in the Temple. Over the years, the account may have been embellished, as stories often are, making John out to be the promised Messiah. John sets the story straight.

Was John the Promised Elijah?

They asked if he was Elijah, and John answered that he was not. This is a perplexing answer in light of the fact that Jesus said he was. We first read about that in the eleventh chapter of Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus had received a message from John, now in prison. The Baptist had sent two disciples to ask the Savior …

“And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me” (Matthew 11:3-6).

It seems that prison can cause one to doubt his calling. John must have been depressed and questioning why God would let him end up in prison. Perhaps he thought that Jesus should come and rescue him. His question, “Are you he that should come?” concerns the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. John’s question, however, was about the political aspects of the Messiah. John knew well that Jesus had come to die as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” There was no doubt about that. What he seemed to be questioning was whether Jesus was ready to fulfill the prophecies about the Messianic kingdom, which we now know will be fulfilled at the Savior’s Second Coming. John must have been hoping that Jesus would rescue him.

Perhaps John was raised from the dead along with the others who came out of their graves on the morning of Jesus’ resurrection. But for now, Jesus sent a message back, asking the Baptist not to be offended, since no rescue was planned.

Jesus then began to extol the imprisoned prophet …

“But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee (Matthew 11:9-10).

“For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (verses 13-15).

In this passage, Jesus expounds upon two Old Testament prophecies – Isaiah 42 and Malachi 3 & 4. First, let’s look at Isaiah’s prophecy. Isaiah clearly discusses the political work of the Messiah, including a rescue of prisoners …

“I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images” (Isaiah 42:6-8).

We are told that the Messiah will open blinded eyes and release prisoners. John has heard about healing the blind. Now he wants to know if Jesus will release prisoners. Jesus asked John’s messengers to tell him:

“The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Matthew 11:5).

Jesus was saying, “Don’t worry John, I am fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy. However, you will not be rescued. In verses 19-22, Isaiah talks about you, John.” Isaiah wrote: “

“Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord’s servant? Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not. The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable. But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore” (Isaiah 42:19-22).

Sorry, Johnny, but there will be no rescue. Jesus uses Isaiah’s prophecy about “my messenger,” but explains that John exhibits the spiritual blindness spoken of in Isaiah 42:19: “Who is blind, but my servant? Or deaf, as my messenger that I sent?” Jesus also referred to this when He said: “He that has hears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15).

We should also observe that Isaiah 42 is still talking about the one who, three chapters earlier, was described as a “voice … in the wilderness” (Isaiah 40:3). As we shall see, John the Baptist actually quotes that passage in the chapter before us – in John 1:23.

The second Old Testament prophecy to which Jesus referred, is given in the prophecy of Malachi …

“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:1).

And who is this “my messenger?” In his next chapter, Malachi tells us that he is Elijah …

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” (Malachi 4:5).

Returning to the Matthew account, we hear Jesus say: “And if you will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come” (Matthew 11:14). Jesus tells us that John the Baptist fulfilled the prophecy about “my messenger” who is Elijah. Then, why is there no rescue? Well, even when Elijah returns for another task just prior to the Savior’s Second Coming/Second Advent during the Tribulation, he still will not be spared death at the hands of the government (Revelation 11). However, both witnesses – the one who turns water to blood and the one who shuts up Heaven that it does not rain for 42 months – both will be raised from the dead after lying in the streets of Jerusalem for three-and-a-half days. They will ascend into Heaven in the sight of men …

“And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

Some time later, Jesus takes Peter, James and the Apostle John up to a high mountain for a visit with those two witnesses – Moses and Elijah. Just a side note here: Upon what mountain was Moses last seen? It was Mt. Nebo. Upon what mountain was Elijah last seen? It was Mt. Nebo. Now, we are told that the Mount of Transfiguration was a “high mountain apart” (Matthew 17:1), meaning “out of the land” – across the border in a neighboring country. It is likely, therefore, that the mountain upon which Jesus visited with Moses and Elijah was the same mountain upon which they were last seen. Mount Nebo lies far to the south of Mount Hermon – which is a six-days journey, in fact.

After the heavenly encounter, Jesus and the disciples descend the mountain. On the way down, Jesus discussed the vision with Peter, James and John …

“And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. 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 17:9-13).

How then was John the Baptist connected to the prophet Elijah when he himself denied it? It is because he knew that he was not there to do the work required of Elijah during the Second Advent. That particular Elijah must yet come in the future. The Baptist knew that the question posed by the Temple delegation concerned the prophecies that will be fulfilled at the Second Advent (Second Coming) rather than the prophecies of the “messenger” during the First Advent. John was simply telling them that he had not come to fulfill the role expected of the future Elijah. Though John the Baptist was both the “messenger” and “Elijah,” the “great and dreadful day of the LORD” (Malachi 4:5), was a prophecy set for another time.

John the Baptist was well aware that Jesus had come for the purpose of being a sacrificial Lamb, rather than the Lion of Judah. He was that Lion, but during His First Advent, He was not fulfilling the role of Messiah/King. The fulfillment of the role of “Messiah” must await the Savior’s Second Advent. Jesus came the first time to fulfill the role of the Lamb. He will return to fulfill the role of the Lion.

In Revelation 5:5-6, the Apostle John sees a heavenly vision of end time events. He sees God’s throne, and one upon the throne holding a scroll.

A search is made for someone worthy enough to receive and open the scroll. Everyone weeps. One of the elders tells John not to be sorrowful …

“And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth” (Revelation 5:5-6).

Apostle John is told that the worthy One is the Lion. But when he looks to see the Lion, John sees that he is the One previously introduced in his Gospel as the Lamb!

Since Jesus did not fulfill the role of Lion at His first Advent, the Baptist did not call Him “Messiah,” nor did he envision himself in the role of “Elijah” – even though Jesus was the Lion and John was Elijah. Those titles must await the Second Advent.

While we are on the subject, it should be observed that the Apostle John declines to record that John the Baptist was Elijah. Neither does he record the identity of the two witnesses in Revelation 11 as Moses and Elijah, though one witness will turn water into blood, and the other witness will shut up the heavens so that no rain will fall during the course of their ministry.

The delegation from the Jerusalem Temple asks the Baptist if he was the Messiah; and if not, was he Elijah; and if not, was he “that prophet?” They were referring to a prophecy given by Moses, who wrote …

“The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken” (Deuteronomy 18:15).

While Christians and some Jews identify “that prophet” as the Messiah, apparently other Jews, including these questioning John, saw the prophet as another forerunner of the Messiah.

In the book of Acts, Peter explains that Moses was talking about Jesus when he spoke about the prophet who would be like himself. In the third chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, Peter and John encountered a lame man at the Gate Beautiful. After healing him, Peter preached to the amazed crowd. He said that they had ignorantly “… delivered up, and denied him [Jesus] in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go” (Acts 3:13). He went on to say that Jesus was the One of whom Moses was referring when he said …

“A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you” (Acts 3:22).

However, the Apostle John, who stood there with Peter that day, may have alluded to this alternative view when writing about the two witnesses (Revelation 11). John includes an associate to the witnesses who will fulfill the characteristics of Elijah. This associate is also called a witness and, furthermore, will fulfill the characteristics of Moses. Though John does not name these two witnesses, it seems apparent that he is answering the question of the Temple delegation, given in the chapter before us.

Also, Malachi’s prophecy about Elijah was preceded by a mention of Moses …

“Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” (Malachi 4:4-5).

Malachi actually references both men in this short, concluding chapter of the Old Testament. Perhaps this is what prompted the Temple delegation to pose their questions to John the Baptist. And perhaps this is the reason why the Apostle John pointed out the Baptist’s denial in his Gospel and added an extra witness in Revelation 11.

The Apostle John was also present when Jesus met with Moses and Elijah atop the Mount of Transfiguration. Let us not forget that the Transfiguration had been foretold as an example of Jesus’ Second Advent …

“For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom” (Matthew 16:27-28).

With such a powerful prophecy about the Second Advent attached to the Transfiguration, we can only conclude that the two witnesses will be Moses and Elijah. It is also remarkable that “two men in white apparel” (Acts 1:10) stood by the disciples at the ascension of the Savior and promised that He would return someday.

Could these two men have been Moses and Elijah? We are not told who they were, only that they were men rather than angels. If anybody had been chosen for that occasion, it seems likely that it would have been the two that represented the “Law” and the “Prophets.” Only Moses and Elijah hold that kind of esteem in the minds of the Jewish sages.

The Testimony of John the Baptist

The Temple delegation was impressed with their esteemed colleague. They knew that he was no ordinary Levite. There was something about the Baptist that caused them to feel that he might have been predicted in the scrolls of the prophets …

“And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias” (John 1:21-23).

This answer is a quote from Isaiah 40:3 …

“The voice of Him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

With this chapter, Isaiah begins an altogether different section of his book. There were 39 chapters in the first section, comparable to the 39 books of the Old Testament. But Isaiah 40-66 (27 chapters) corresponds to the 27 books of the New Testament. Chapters 40 and following introduce the Messiah and the promise of a great future for Israel and the world.

We have already discussed verses from Isaiah 42. Now, John the Baptist quotes from Isaiah 40. This should have been sufficient for the Temple delegation, but since he denied being the Messiah, or Elijah, or “that prophet,” these Pharisees were confused. Those were the only three prophecies they were prepared to consider …

“And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? 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. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing” (John 1:24-28).

At this point, John’s answer seemed unsatisfactory. Their superiors in Jerusalem would be confused as well. He told them that one stood among them who was so important that he did not feel worthy to even remove his shoes (a custom used to welcome a guest into one’s home).

The Lamb of God

Now we come to the second day of this account related by the Apostle John. An appropriate day for this scene might be Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It would be on that day that the scapegoat was brought to a high cliff overlooking the Jordan valley and driven over to its death.

Imagine that it is late afternoon. John and the Temple delegation are among several gathered on the banks of the Jordan River. Perhaps hundreds have been making their way down into the River and dipping themselves in a ritual cleansing. Suddenly, on the horizon atop a nearby hill, a priest appears with the scapegoat. As if on cue, Jesus steps out of the crowd and approaches the Baptist …

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water” (John 1:29-31).

The Apostle John has given us a view of Deity – The Word of Creation, The Light of the World, and the giver of all life. But now, he gives us the most profound introduction of all. From the lips of the Baptist comes, “Behold the Lamb!” It seems important that John tells us about the Lamb in the opening chapter of his Gospel, because this title becomes the great theme of his latter work, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (book of Revelation).

The “Revelation” that John wishes to emphasize is that Jesus be revealed as the Lamb. There are 28 references to Christ as the “Lamb” throughout the book of Revelation.

As the Word, Jesus was the Creator of all things. As the Light, He could illuminate all things. But as the Lamb, He can forgive all who believe. He died to take away our sins – just as the scapegoat was chosen to do every year. The concept of the scapegoat was that it would carry Israel’s sins into the wilderness, never to return. In Jesus, our sins are removed as far as the East is from the West (Psalm 103:12) – not Israel’s only, but the “sin” of the whole world. The term “sin” is singular, and suggests that it represents the “sin principle.”

The Baptism of Jesus

The Apostle John does not give the details of the baptism, as do Matthew, Mark and Luke, but records the descent of the Holy Spirit following the ritual …

“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” (John 1:32-34).

The testimony of John the Baptist concerning the Savior’s baptism is somewhat strange. First, he only mentions seeing the Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove upon Jesus.

He says nothing here about the heavenly voice that came from above upon his immersion into the water by John …

“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” (Matthew 3:16-17).

Then, the Baptist says that he did not know Jesus. Since he must have been acquainted with his own cousin from childhood, and since he had earlier explained that Jesus was so important that John felt unworthy to even loose the latchets of His shoes, there must have been a greater meaning to this statement. Perhaps John meant that what he had known about the Savior seemed as nothing compared to the incomprehensible complexity of His divine nature.

John the Baptist now reveals something about his past. He tells us that he had a divine calling to his ministry, and that the … shall we say, angel … told him that someday he would see the Holy Spirit descend upon the Messiah, and by that, he would know that he had just baptized the Son of God. John the Baptist always knew that his ministry was to be short-lived. He was born for the purpose of introducing the Lamb of God, after which, his own ministry would diminish. Little did he know, that he would die by decapitation.

Flavius Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian in the servitude of Rome’s royal family, gives us a secular historian’s view of John the Baptist. The paragraph about John the Baptist is written in a section devoted to Herod the Great and his marital dilemmas. Josephus records that the defeat of Herod’s army, at the hands of his former father-in-law, was thought to be a divine punishment for what he did to John:

“Now, some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod’s army came from God, and that very justly, as a punishment of what he did against John, that was called the Baptist; for Herod slew him, who was a good man, and commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness towards one another, and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism; for that the washing [with water] would be acceptable to him, if they made use of it, not in order to the putting away [or the remission] of some sins [only], but for the purification of the body; supposing still that the soul was thoroughly purified beforehand by righteousness.

“Now, when [many] others came in crowds about him, for they were greatly moved [or pleased] by hearing his words, Herod, who feared lest the great influence John had over the people might put it into his power and inclination to raise a rebellion (for they seemed ready to do anything he should advise), thought it best, by putting him to death, to prevent any mischief he might cause, and not bring himself into difficulties, by sparing a man who might make him repent of it when it should be too late.

“Accordingly he was sent a prisoner, out of Herod’s suspicious temper, to Macherus, the castle I before mentioned, and was there put to death. Now the Jews had an opinion that the destruction of this army was sent as a punishment upon Herod, and a mark of God’s displeasure against him” (Antiquities of the Jews, XVII, Volume 2).

John’s ministry was widely accepted throughout Israel. He was not just a rural preacher with a small congregation. He built his national ministry on the banks of the Jordan River where Joshua had led the nation to cross over into their Promised Land – where the Ark of the Covenant had parted the waters as a sign of God’s covenant blessing. John’s message was for the people to remember where they came from, and for them to seize the promise … “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” What better place could be chosen for such a message than the very place where their forefathers had crossed over with the divine hope beating in their chests – that their land was destined for Heaven’s Kingdom?

Throughout the centuries, the hope in a promised Messiah never waned. Now, with a Roman garrison occupying the country and an Edomite king hovering upon the throne, they wanted the Messiah more than ever. John the Baptist was not a societal aberration – a madman licking the ground and doing back-flips down the streets of Jerusalem while eating mud sandwhiches as the blasphemous twits in Hollywood and elsewhere portray him to be. He was not someone to be rejected, but for the people, he was a dream come true. Some think that John chose his simple dress and diet as a rejection of Israel’s decadent society. I think not. His ministry at the banks of the Jordan River had a greater purpose than merely rejecting the secularization of society or the abominations of Herod’s Temple hierarchy. John the Baptist was a national treasure. Jesus said …

“Among them that are born of women there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11).

The Next Day

John the Baptist repeats his introduction of the Lamb of God in the following verses:

“Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour” (John 1:35-39).

The Apostle John tells us that this event took place on “the next day after.” This chapter began with John telling us that the “Word was made flesh” (verse 14). If we consider that to be Rosh Hashanah, Tishri 1, then, perhaps, 30 years later, on that very day, the delegation from Jerusalem came to investigate John the Baptist’s ministry. Since the Apostle John’s entire ministry is written about things that occurred on feast days, perhaps we should start in chapter 1 with a feast day – the 30th birthday of Jesus. When the Apostle John tells us, “The next day John [the Baptist] saw Jesus coming unto him …” (verse 29), he might have meant the “next” Holy Day, i.e., Yom Kippur on Tishri 10. Now, in the verse before us, the Apostle writes: “Again the next day after …” (verse 35). For the sake of investigation, could this day have been at the beginning of the Feat of Tabernacles on Tishri 15? In the context of this passage, John’s disciples ask the Savior, “where do you dwell?” (verse 38). Jesus invited them to stay with Him, in the place where He dwelt. Since this could not have been His permanent home, perhaps it was His sukkah, or booth for the observance of Sukkot – the festival of Tabernacles.

Two of John’s disciples leave the ministry of the Baptist to follow Jesus. The following verses tell us about Andrew, but who was the other disciple? Was it John the Apostle, the author of this Gospel? John is careful to speak of himself only in obscure terms. It is likely, therefore, that John includes himself among the two. Here, the Apostle John is anxious to tell us about soul-winning – using Andrew as the perfect example …

“One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.  And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone” (John 1:40-42).

Here is a most inspiring statement … “And he brought him to Jesus.” No greater compliment can be given to a believer. Though Peter went on to become a great minister, Andrew, of whom we read little, will participate in Peter’s rewards in Heaven. Personal soul-winning is far more important than being rich or famous. The best thing one can do in this life is exactly what Andrew did. He brought his brother to Jesus. May we all be encouraged by Andrew.

Now, we come to “the day following.” Could this actually be the day following the week of Sukkot? If it is only the next day, then it seems as if Jesus is traveling during the times of the autumn festivals. John is normally quite specific with dates and times. Here, his dating is unusually obscure. It may be that John does not tell about the autumn festivals of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot because he wants to emphasize the Spring festivals of Passover, which he names in the next chapter. This entire Gospel presents Jesus as the Passover Lamb. But, John begins his book on “Revelation” with Rosh Hashanah, so why not this one as well?

Jesus Travels North To Galilee

“The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see” (John 1:43-46).

It is just over 60 miles from Jericho to Cana in Galilee. They could travel 30 miles by foot in a day, if they hurried. They didn’t have three days. They had to get there in two. There was a wedding to attend on the third day.

They could walk about three miles in an hour if they stayed with it, but they wouldn’t have time to travel up to Bethsaida on the northern shore of Galilee, then turn west and go over to Cana, a small community a few miles north of Nazareth.

If this is the plan, then Jesus probably found Philip among the crowds that came to John’s evangelistic meetings at the Jordan, just east of Jericho. Perhaps the Savior invited him to travel with his small group as they prepared to head north.

There is no accounting for the six months that will transpire before we come to the Passover celebration that follows the wedding in chapter two. In fact, we are told that the Passover “was at hand.”

Sometimes during these days, perhaps after the wedding, Jesus must spend forty days in the wilderness. The fact that He will tell His mother, “my hour is not yet come” (John 2:4), may mean that He is not yet been to the wilderness for His encounter with Satan.

The Conversion of Nathanael

The concluding verses in this chapter contains a remarkable story …

“Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man” (John 1: 47-51).

What was Nathanael doing under the fig tree? Whatever it was, the fact that Jesus knew about it was enough to convince Nathaniel that Jesus is the Son of God and their expected One. The fact that Jesus knew about it implies that Jesus is the One who listens to our prayers – all of them. Not only the One that would listen to our prayers, but that he is the all-knowing God who is looking upon the hearts and minds of every single individual on Planet Earth and knows all about that individual. He is God.

Jesus’ acknowledgment and revelation to Nathaniel that He saw him under that fig tree seems to be about the only thing that would so quickly convince him. On a personal note, Nathanael’s experience is something similar to mine – except of course I wasn’t talking to Jesus face to face like Nathanael obviously, but through another person who told me of thoughts I was thinking at a specific point of time in my life. I personally sometimes think of that experience and think of the story of Nathanael because it is similar to mine. Of course, I didn’t need convincing as I was already on a spiritual search concerning the Bible and the afterlife – but that is another story for another time.

Nathanael was skeptical at first. He had already told philip, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Perhaps Nathanael was praying for God to show him the Messiah. Surely, he had heard John the Baptist preach, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 

Perhaps he had seen many pretenders to the office of Messiah fail to follow through with their promises. History records a few Galilean failures during that time. He was skeptical. But in a moment’s time, the Savior changed him. Once again, the Apostle John demonstrates his theme for the book: Believe and Live!

Jesus told Nathanael that he would someday see Heaven open and the angels ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. This does not mean that they will be climbing all over Him. It means that Jesus is the means by which angels travel from Heaven to Earth and back again – in the same way that we get to Heaven through the Savior. This was a figure of speech, but powerful, nevertheless. Without Jesus, there could be no travel for the angels or for us. Jesus could read Nathanael’s mind, and control the dimensional gate between Heaven and Earth.

 

Jesus is the Son of God – indeed, he is God. He is Deity in all its aspects – and John the Baptist was a powerful witness to that fact. As such, He is our only way to Heaven. Without personally receiving Him, no individual will pass through that interdimensional gate and enter God’s Paradise. The choice is yours. How do you receive him and ensure your entrance through that interdimensional gate to Heaven? To find out, keep reading below – time is of the essence. You only have but a limited supply of it left.

YOUR ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN – THE REQUIREMENT FOR YOUR ENTRANCE

In order to accept the offer of God’s grace and his salvation, you must take the crucial three steps of …

1. Agreeing – A belief and agreeing with God in all that he says in his word, the Bible, about the fact that you are separated from God, as every man and woman on the face of the earth are befoe accepting his salvation.  The Bible reveals that all are separated from him in a spiritual state of death, or said another way that the Bible reveals it, in a state of sin, that will result in damnation in the afterlife.  Agreeing with God in your heart that you are in need of his salvation.  The Bible reveals that God looks upon the heart of a man or woman, and thus, responds accordingly to the person who comes to him for salvation in recognition of his inability to save himself.  The Bible makes these facts very clear – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).  The Bible describes these three kinds of death:  

• physical death (the state experienced when life leaves our bodies).
• spiritual death (spiritual separation from God caused by our state of spiritual death inherited from the first man Adam – the state of sin that results in our daily outward acts of sin, whether deliberate or not, whether omissive or not; and finally …
• the second death (the fixed state entered into by the individual who dies physically while he or she is dead spiritually). This state is entered into after the death of the body which results in punishment in the afterlife until the event of the Great White Throne Judgment occurs wherein the damned are resurrected from Hades, or Hell, and are judged according to their works and finally destroyed and cease to exist after being cast into the Lake of Fire. Revelation 14 refers to this tragic end of the unsaved as the “Second Death” (verse 14). It is this state of suffering entered into after physical death and then final destruction at the Great White Throne Judgment in particular which is the horrible result of receiving the wages of sin (unforgiven due to unbelief and rejection of Christ). The Lord Jesus Christ frequently described such a death as being irrevocable in a destiny which he called Hell.  He described Hell as a literal place of judgment (Matthew 13:42); a place of everlasting fire (Matthew 18:8); a place of torment (Luke 16:24,28); a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:50); a place of remorse (Mark 9:44-48); of bitter memory (Luke 16:25), and a place originally prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).  In fact, Jesus more often warned about Hell than he spoke about Heaven.

It is not God’s will or desire that any person should be consigned to perish in Hell (2 Peter 3:9), but rather that all should come to repentance of unbelief toward him and believe on him for the salvation of the individual’s soul.  But God’s justice requires that the “soul who sins” (remains in it’s state of death or state of sin) is the one who will die a second time after a long period of torment (Ezekiel 18:4).  So, agree with God, admitting that you are unable to save yourself and in a state of sin under God’s just condemnation for that sin and that you are in need of his salvation.

2. Believing – Then, believe that God does not want you to suffer this fate because of your sin.  Believe that God loves you so much that he provided a way whereby he could still be a just, holy and righteous God, and yet pardon you.  Believe that God did not just overlook sin, but that he sent his only begotten son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to provide salvation by personally paying the penalty for sin.  Believe that Jesus Christ, whose life, death, burial and resurrection is the best-attested fact of antiquity, did come to earth to live, die, rise again and ascend to Heaven in order to provide justification and salvation for all who trust him.  Believe that he, and he alone, can save you because he has fully satisfied the just demands of God.  Believe that you can’t become righteous in God’s sight by your own effort.  Believe that he wants to save you and that he will save you.  The Bible provides a solid basis for such belief …

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17). 

“But God demonstrates his love toward us in this:  while we were yet sinners,  Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). 

God presented him (Jesus Christ) as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood.  He did this to demonstrate his justice because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies the man or woman who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:25-26). 

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures … ” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). 

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). 

“Jesus answered, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).  “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out [drive away]” (John 6:37).

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

3. Calling – It is not enough to agree with God, admit your need, and believe that Christ can and will save you.  You must act upon those facts. God’s requirement is that you repent of your unbelief toward him and actively call upon him for the salvation of your soul based on the fact that you cannot save yourself. It is unbelief in particular that damns the soul to its horrible fate …

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).

“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” (John 3:36).

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

You must be willing to completely turn from your own efforts to save yourself or from any other hope.  You must come to Christ, calling upon him for salvation and counting on the fact that he will do what he has promised.  This means simply taking the gift of pardon and eternal life which he offers.  Merely believing about Jesus Christ without coming to him makes as much sense and is as effective as believing that a medication can successfully treat a fatal disease, but failing to take it.  Yet again, the Bible emphatically and authoritatively provides the basis for such statements.

The word translated “believe” here means to “rest one’s entire weight and trust on the object or person in which the belief is placed.”  It requires action in keeping with the intellectual assent of that belief.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

” … but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

The logical question you may be asking at this point is:  “how do I come to Christ and call upon him?”  The answer is that “calling upon the Lord” is just another term for praying, or talking to God.  To talk to God is not a complicated process, dependent upon some special rituals.  God has invited people to approach him through his Son in simple, straightforward terms.  In fact, Jesus approved of the dishonest, despised tax collector who simply prayed, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.”  While the exact words of your prayer to God are not of vital importance (since God sees and knows the attitude of your heart), the following is the kind of prayer that you could pray in calling upon God for salvation …

“Dear Lord Jesus:  I realize that I need you.  I admit that I have sinned and that I deserve your just, eternal punishment for that sin.  But I am sorry for my sin and I am turning to you and asking for forgiveness.  I believe that you died and rose again to pay sin’s penalty on my behalf.  I come to you and open my heart to you.  I ask you to come into my life, forgive me for all of my sin and make me your child.  I invite you to take control of my life and to cause me to be the kind of person you would have me to be.  I thank you for doing this because you have promised that whosoever calls upon you, as I am doing now, shall be saved.  I pray this in the name of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.”

If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, I urge you to sincerely and genuinely express it to God as your prayer.  The Bible makes clear that when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in our heart, God forgives our sins and counts us righteous, and that when we openly confess with our mouth what we have done in our heart,  God gives us assurance of that salvation (Romans 10:9-10).

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:3-7).

 

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The next article in this book of John study series can be read in the link below:
BREAKING PROPHECY ALERT: THE THIRD DAY – SIX STONE WATER POTS AND THE PHILADELPHIA “41” VINEYARD RAPTURE SIGN