Bible Question: If Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, why did John the baptist have to come before Him? Why was John the baptist so important? |
Bible Answer: John the Baptist came to announce the coming of our Lord, and God saw fit to use Isaiah to deliver His prophetic words years earlier, in order to show that this was truly from God, as no man could have choreographed such a scenario. Think of John as our heavenly Father "rolling out a red carpet" for His Son, the Savior of the world -John faithfully bore witness that Jesus “is the Son of God” (Jn. 1:34). John was not just another illustration of God's step-by-step Plan. Because he was not only a prophet, but was also the fulfillment of prophecy. Isaiah spoke of John over 700 years earlier, see (Isaiah 40:3-5) - The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." And, In the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi prophesied: “Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, who ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye desire, behold, he comes, saith Jehovah” (3:1). The work of John the Baptist became so popular that many wondered if He was the Messiah, to which he answered, "I am not the Christ, but I am sent ahead of Him." (John 3:28). As the ministry of Jesus Christ began, John recognized that his own mission was nearing its end: "He must become greater; I must become less." (John 3:30) He was imprisoned after his admonishment of King Herod and was beheaded at Machaerus, a fortress about 9 miles (15 kilometers) east of the Dead Sea. After he was killed, John's disciples came and buried his body, and then went and told Jesus all that had happened (Matthew 14:12). Jesus responded to the news of John's death by saying, "John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light." (John 5:35) |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Bible general Archive 4 | Author | ||
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praveen | ||
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feather | ||
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KcabmI4 | ||
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Val | ||
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humility | ||
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hopalong | ||
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keliy | ||
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aherbert | ||
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Insearchof | ||
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Lissamz |