THE WORK OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Mark 1:4-8

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. "I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.''

Good evening.

INTRO: I’d like you to open your Bibles to the gospel of Mark chapter 1 and the text for this lesson will be verses 4 through 8. I’m going to read this text and I’d ask you to take note of the points expressed here in Mark. (read text)

Among the people of whom we read in the New Testament, few can be more colorful and interesting than John the Baptist. Just as an aside I wonder how many of you here know the name of a well known opera in which John the Baptist figures prominently? Just for curiosity how many know, raise your hands. Oh my. The name of the opera is Salome.

And in God’s scheme of things no one occupied a more unique place than does this strange, courageous man. So little is really known about him. He came, we know, from Godly parentage ... a descendent of Aaron, for his father was a priest. Luke 1:5,6 – “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” We read next in Luke 1 how the angel appeared to Zacharias and told him he would have a son who would go fourth in the spirit and power of Elijah and he was to be named John.

Beyond that, until he burst upon the scene in the wilderness near the Jordan River, we have no information. There have been all sorts of speculation about John the Baptist ... much of it having to do with the Jewish sect of the Essenes. All of that speculation, however, is just that ... unfounded speculation. Biblically speaking, historically speaking, we do not have that much information about John except for the time of his ministry on this earth.

John the Baptist came for the very specific purpose of preparing the way for the Lord. Mark’s gospel begins with what he calls “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” and the preparatory work of John the Baptist.
I. HE PREPARED THE WAY OF THE LORD
A. For many many years the prophetic voices had been stilled in Israel.
1. The last of prophetic voice had been that of Malachi – and Malachi spoke so scathingly of the Jewish people’s neglect of holy things.
2. Almost the last thing Malachi speaks of was the coming of “Elijah the prophet” (4:5) 5. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
3. Yet the years passed ... and there was no prophet heard in Israel.
B. Suddenly, this “Elijah like” prophet appears preaching repentance and “the Kingdom of God is at hand” – his coming aroused a religious fervor among the people of that day.
1. I’d like you to turn to Matthew the 3rd chapter – and beginning in verse 7 we are going to read just something of nature of this man’s ministry. “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” And then he goes on. And we read from Mark’s gospel and Matthews’s gospel and Luke’s gospel, that his coming intrigues that religious world. People are going out to see him. For example in verse 5 of Matthew 3 ... “Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him” People everywhere when they heard of John the Baptist were drawn to hear his message and to be baptized by him.
2. They wondered who he was, they wondered if he was the Messiah or was he Elijah or was he the prophet of whom Moses spoke. - John 1:19-23 19. Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?'' 20. He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ.'' 21. And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?'' He said, "I am not.'' "Are you the Prophet?'' And he answered, "No.'' 22. Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?'' 23. He said: "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the Lord,'' ' as the prophet Isaiah said.''
3. Isaiah 40:3 tells us “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” The wilderness was a strip of waste land lying west of the Dead Sea near the mouth of the Jordan. This wilderness platform of John's preaching served to identify him as "the voice of one crying in the wilderness." That John the Baptist was most certainly the person spoken of by the prophet, Isaiah, "is evident from the fact that he alone, of all the great preachers known to history, chose a wilderness as his place of preaching."
4. John was none of the “identities” about whom they asked. Never did he accept any of those titles.
C. He was the “preparer of the way” for the Savior! That was his mission, his ministry, and that is what he did.
1. He was like the heralds who went before the king shouting “the king is coming!” In other words be prepared for the king. That was his ministry.
2. John aroused great interest and spiritual interest. Everywhere people were wondering what is this?, of whom is he speaking? What is it we are to expect? People were very curious. That curiosity caused them to question and to wonder. On occasion even to send people to him wondering are you the messiah?
3. His was a ministry of preparation so, Jesus did not arrive in a vacuum of spiritual disinterest and lethargy
II. HE PREACHED A MESSAGE OF REPENTANCE
A. He preached a message which included repentance, a message that was so needed in that time. You will see that as Mark opens his gospel he begins “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ” and immediately begins to refer to the work of John the Baptist. John is preaching toward the coming of Christ and the message that Christ will preach.
1. The priesthood was corrupt; truth was compromised; temple was den of thieves; the faith was divided into sects; that which was spiritual had given way to that which was ritual.
2. In Matthew’s gospel again in chapter 23, there are here a great many scathing words of Jesus towards the religious establishment of the day. But I want you to look particularly at verses 25 and 26. Matthew 23, 25-26 25. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26. "Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. These words so well described much of the religion of that day into which John the Baptist came. A time of wide spread hypocrisy.
3. Oh certainly there were good, honest, faithful people - but John was calling for dramatic change of thought in preparation of Christ’s coming.
B. His message was not a particularly pleasant message for some of those people.
1. Look in the book of Matthew 3:7-10 – 7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8. "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9. "and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10. "And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. You will notice here John is a bit harsh to some of those coming to hear him.
2. Remember in Mark 1:4 a stipulation involving baptism and repentance for the remission of sins. John knew these religious leaders were not coming out to him for the purpose of genuine penitence for their sin. Look back at verse 9 of Matthew 3 and you get an impression, an idea of where the confidence of the Pharisees and Sadducees was. The hope of these people was not in a messiah, certainly not the kind of messiah that came. The hope of these people was in their physical decent from Abraham. That was their confidence. John’s message of repentance was not popular with them. That message insisted of both a sense and acknowledgement of sin.- John knew that the Pharisees & Sadducees were not coming in repentance for sin!
C. “Repentance” required sense & acknowledgment of sin
1. It says in Mark the people came out confessing their sins. How different that was from the Pharisees and Sadducees.
2. “Baptism” in this way was something very new for Jewish people - and connecting it with remission of sins was “dramatic” (remember, sacrifices had been their place of forgiveness under the law) Historically there are those that suggest immersion in water was part of a rite which permitted one entry into the Mosaic Covenant for one who was not of the Covenant. Notice here what John does is to connect baptism to the remission of sins. Certainly this was different. Jewish people had understood that forgiveness was in the sacrifices under the law. They had come bringing their offerings from time to time. They came to Jerusalem for the day of atonement.
3. What a different message, but John did not come to continue the status quo. John came with a preparatory mission. And his preaching prepared the way not only for the coming of Christ but for the message of Christ.
D. One more thing to say about this “Repentance”, it required change!!!!
1. In Luke 3:7,8 – this is very similar to the words in Matthew. “Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.” Notice these words “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance...” In other words change was expected. It wasn’t enough to just come and be dunked in water,
2. Now look at verse 10 Luke 3:10 - 10. So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?'' they needed to know the practical nature of repentance “what is it we are to do?” - and so John explained to them how true repentance would produce change in their lives. “He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.'' To the tax collectors he said, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you.'' To the soldiers he said, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.''”
3. Lets look back in the book of Ezekiel 18:30b – part way through the verse read 30. …. "Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. John came preaching a message of repentance. This was not a new message ... but it had been a message that had been seldom preached and so often ignored. So here is John, this strange man, dressed in strange clothing, out in the wilderness, telling people you have got to change your lives. The ritual, the ceremony, the hypocrisy so much a part of that age had to change. He came prophesying of the coming of the Messiah.
III. HE PROPHESIED OF CHRIST’S COMING
A. As I mentioned awhile ago there were those who wondered if John might have been Messiah
1. but John rejected any such ideas ... never gave “wings” to them
2. Rather, listen to how John viewed himself in; Mark 1:7 - “And he preached, saying, There comes One after me who is mightier than I, (that identifies he is not the messiah) whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose”
3. John the Baptist saw himself as the lowliest of servants ... not worthy to perform even the lowliest of household tasks! (see also John 3:25-30) 25. Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification. 26. And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!'' 27. John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28. "You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.' 29. "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30. "He must increase, but I must decrease.
B. Let’s turn back to Matthew 3 for a minute. Matthew 3:11,12 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12. "His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.'' – The one whom John came to proclaim was going to come in hope and in judgment.
1. Now the reference in verse 11 to the baptism with the Holy Spirit takes us over to Acts 1:5 Where we discover in that verse and the context that this particular baptism was specifically intended for the apostles. And ushered in what we might call the gospel dispensation. 5. "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
2. But it is that next verse, Matthew 3:12 that I would like us to refer to for just a minute. The gathering of the wheat and the burning of the chaff. The message of the gospel would be a message of hope for those who would believe. For ultimately they are the wheat which would be gathered.
3. For those, however, who rejected the gospel message, the message of Christ, all that remains for them is to be burned in the fire of judgment of which John so profoundly spoke.

CLOSE: As John came preaching there was one more thing in his message which would have stirred the excitement of all of the Jewish minds and that was this. “the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. Oh for so many years simple and good people have looked forward to that time. Did they understand the nature of the kingdom? Not at this point. But to hear those words would be exciting to those people. Who has anticipated for so long the coming of the king, the king who would sit upon the throne of David and reign for ever and ever.

We learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins… If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.

Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.

Taken from sermon by Cecil A. Hutson
5 Feb 2006