JOHN THE BAPTIST. The forerunner of Jesus Christ. The sources on which we depend for our knowledge of the man and his work are: (I) The sections of the Gospels especially devot ed to a description of him and his ministry. Of these the accounts in the Synoptic Gospels relate chiefly to his career up to the baptism of Jesus, while the account of the fourth Gospel is con cerned mainly with John's relation to Jesus after the baptism of the latter. (2) The inci dental notices of the Baptist in the Gospels, either by the Evangelists themselves or in their reports of Jesus' words. (3) The account of Josephus (Ant.. xviii. 5, 2). From these various sources we learn that John the Baptist was born about six months before Jesus, in a town in the hill country of Judea. The name of the town is,. not given. The parents were of priestly stock, and full of anxious thought and earnest expectation concerning the future of Israel. To this only ehild. horn in their old age and looked upon as a gift of Jehovah, they gave the name John (Hebrew Johanan, `Jehovah is gracious'). Nat urally, he was well instructed in the religious literature of Israel. To what exent, if at all, he was initiated into the priestly life we are not told. It is noteworthy that the messengers sent to him by the Jerusalem authorities were certain priests and Levites. as though these were best fitted to examine him (John i. 19). The greater part of his early manhood was spent in retirement, in the quiet of the wilderness. lint at last, as in the ease of the prophets of old, the `Word of the Lord' (Luke iii. 2) came to him, and he issued front his retirement with a message such as Israel bad not heard for centuries. ( For the date, see NEW TEST-1311:NT ( .111:0NOLOGY.) The scene of his first public appearance was in the Lower Jordan Valley. and the wild slopes of Northeastern Judea (Matt. iii. 1; :Mark i. 4: Luke iii. 3). Here, clad in homely garb, eating the simplest diet, he began his public ministry, crying, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord" (Mark i. 2). Hearers soon began to throng about him, the whole country was agitated. and even from
Galilee the crowds gathered to hear the great preacher.
The message of the preacher was not a honeyed one. Like the prophets of old, his S11111111t111,4 was "Repent!" Righteousness was the one thing need ful. For it was a time of crisis. The axe was already laid to the tree; the chair of the thresh ing-floor was about to be burned. 'The Day of Jehovah' foretold by the prophets was at hand (Matt. iii. 2, 7, 10; Mark i. 4; Luke iii. 3. 7-9). Nothing but a thorough repentance. a new moral condition, could save Israel from doom. What made this message so startling was its stern ap plication to Israel, the chosen people. The Mes sianic age was not painted in glowing colors as a glorious triumph of Israel over her enemies. No false trust in the boasted descent from Abra ham was permitted to blind the ryes or dull the conscience. The Messianic age was to he ushered in by judgment—a judgment that was to sift Israel herself first of all. Only a new. purified, righteous Israel could hope to meet and greet that age with confidence. 'Phis coining dispensa tion held a large place in thought. To the many inquiries as to who lie claimed to he, his reply was: "I am only the herald, only the voice that prepares the way; the greater one is to follow; one tor whom I am unworthy even to do a slave's service" (Matt. iii. 11. 12; Slack i. 7; Luke iii. 15-1s). And it was doubtless with reference to this impending age that John in stituted the rite of baptism, which is not inaptly termed 'a baptism of repentance to the remis sion of sins.' The symbol was somewhat com mon in Jewish eireles. Ceremonial lustrations with water were frequently practiced. Put John's baptism was no ordinary lust ration. The requi site to receiving it was a confession of sin. and the baptized one arose from the water as a mem ber of the new Israel. repentant, hoping for for giveness. and thus ready to meet the Messianic age. which to such would be an age of blessing, not of judgment.