John’s Baptism

The Time of John’s Baptism

There were four tetrarchs (a tetrarchy is government by four persons ruling jointly) in the region of Israel during the reign of Tiberius Caesar.  They were:

• Pontius Pilate – governor of Judea, south of the valley of Meggido
• Herod – tetrarch of Galilee, north of Judea and west of the sea of Galilee
• Philip – tetrarch of Iturea, north of Galilee, and the region of Trachonitus, east of the sea of Galilee
• Lysanias – tetrarch of Abilene, east of Iturea and north of Trachonitus

Also, while these four were ruling in their regions, Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests.  Annas was Caiaphas’s father-in-law, Jn 18:13.

John’s Baptism of Repentance

John’s baptism was “the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins”, Lk 3:3.  In other words, to prepare for the coming of Jesus, their Messiah, the people came to John to repent and be baptized.  John preached, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”, Matt 3:2.

John didn’t remit (to remit is to release from the guilt or penalty of sin) their sins by his baptism.  If he had, the scribes would have condemned him, Mk 2:5-7.  He baptized people who confessed their sins and repented, Matt 3:6.

This is why John’s baptism is called “the baptism of repentance”.  And this prepared them for Jesus, who would remit their sins.  It is only through his shed blood that we have forgiveness of sins, Eph 1:7, and remission, Heb 9:22.  It’s not through baptism.

John’s Preaching

Isaiah prophesied of one who would come “crying in the wilderness” to prepare the way of the Lord, Is 40:3-5.  When the Lord, whose way he prepared, would come, John said, “all flesh shall see the salvation of God”, Lk 3:4-6.  Of course, the salvation of God is a reference to Jesus.

When people came to John’s baptism, he preached hard against sinners and sin.  He preached against that generation, calling them a “generation of vipers”, Lk 3:7, and Jesus did, too, Matt 23:33.

John preached against them claiming religious righteousness as descendants of Abraham, Lk 3:8, and Paul did too, Rom 2:28-29; 9:7-8.

He preached against their covetousness and lack of concern for the poor, Lk 3:10-11.  And he preached against their abuses of authority, Lk 3:12-14.

Furthermore, he preached about the “wrath to come”, Lk 3:7.  And indeed it came and will come, 1 Thes 2:14-16.  Jesus Christ saves us from wrath, Rom 5:9.  And he was preparing them for their Saviour who would save them from wrath.

He preached about hell fire, Lk 3:9, 17.  He told them about trees that don’t bring forth good fruit that are “cast into the fire”, and about chaff that “he will burn with fire unquenchable”.

When he preached repentance, he expected them to “bring forth …fruits worthy of repentance”, Lk 3:8.  Paul was the same way.  He wanted to see evidence that they had truly repented.  He said, “that they should repent, and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance”, Acts 26:20.

When given the opportunity, Mk 6:20, John even preached to Herod that it was unlawful for him to have Herodias, his brother’s wife, Matt 13:3-4.  And he reproved him “for all the evils which Herod had done”, Lk 3:19.  For this, Herod put him in prison.

Contrasting John, the Messenger, and Jesus, the Christ

The people wondered whether John was their Messiah, Lk 3:15.  And when he was questioned about this, he denied being the Christ, Jn 1:19-20.  He mentioned several major differences between him and Jesus.

• Jesus was “before me”, even though John was born six months before Jesus, Jn 1:30.
• Jesus is the bridegroom and John is the friend of the bridegroom, Jn 3:3:28-29.
• Jesus is from heaven, and John was from earth, Jn 3:31.
• John baptized with water and Jesus baptized with the Holy Ghost, Lk 3:16. Jesus never baptized with water, Jn 4:2.  He baptized them with the Holy Ghost in Acts 1:4-5; 2:1-4.

John said that Jesus would also baptize people with “fire unquenchable”.  This fire is a reference to hell.  Notice, he “will gather the wheat (saved) into his garner; but the chaff (lost) will he burn with fire unquenchable”, Lk 3:17.  Compare Matt 13:30.  The tares that are gathered and burned in Matt 13:40-42.  They are like the trees that are “cast into the fire”, Lk 3:9.  Somehow, the charismatics and Methodists get the idea that the unquenchable fire is connected to the “cloven tongues LIKE AS of fire” in Acts 2:3.  This is clearly not the case.

John Baptized Jesus

When God was ready for Jesus to begin his ministry, Jesus came to John to be baptized, Lk 3:21.  He did this for several reasons:

• To fulfill all righteousness, Matt 3:15.
• To be manifested to Israel, Jn 1:31
• To confirm to John that he is the Son of God, Jn 1:32-34

God the Father used Jesus’s baptism as the opportunity to proclaim from heaven, “Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased”, Lk 3:22.

To study the previous lesson, see Jesus in Adolescence.  To study the next lesson, see Mary’s Genealogy.