The multitudes that came to hear the Baptist were of two opinions. Some refused to admit the reality of his mission, and would have noth ing to do with Lis baptism. Of such a mind were the higher classes. The humbler classes, on the other hand, welcomed him as a true prophet: and many of them, even those most despised and sin ful, took his message to heart and were bap tized (Luke vii. 29, 30, 33; Matt. xxi. 31, 32). For months, possibly a year, ,John eontinued tlds work, not always in the same place, but never tar front the Jordan. Ile organized a body of disciples, and prescribed for them certain regu lations touching prayer and fasting (Matt. xi. 1 sqq.; Luke rill. IS sqq., xi, 1; v. 33; Slack ii. IS sqq., vi. 29). In the course of his ministry— under what circumstances it is not stated—Irt rebuked Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, for his adulterous marriage with Ilerodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For this Il•od. under the pretext that John's large following made hint a menace to the public welfare, im prisoned hint. During his captivity his dis ciples had free access to him, and even Herod delighted to hear his teachings. Finally. at the definite request of lIerodias, lie was beheaded at the castle of Sla•haerus (Mark vi. 17-29; Matt. aiv. 3-12; Luke ii. 19, 20; cf. the of Joseph its). It seems likely that John's disciples continued their organization for some years at least. Twenty or more years later were found even in Asia Minor who had been baptized according to John's institution, not in the more specifically Christian way (Acts NVIII. 25 ; xix. 3, 4). In other words, they had been baptized simply in reference to repentance from sin. but not with the emphasis on the Messianic era as already ushered in and partly realized in the Messianic work of Jesus (cf. .Nets i. 5: xi. 16).
As to the relation of ,John to Jesus, it is not likely that there was any intimate acquaintance between them before their public work began (John i. 31). thought their mothers were related (Luke i. 36). Put the report of the great excite ment in the Lower Jordan Valley reached Naza reth, and in due time among those presenting themselves for baptism was .10,411A of Nazareth. The work of Jan had summoned Him to Ilk life work. The Baptist discerned that there stood before him no ordinary person, and he was miwilling to baptize the candidate; but yielded at Jesus' reasoning that "so it is becoming to its to fulfill all righteousness" (Matt. iii. 14. 15). Possibly only to John and Jesus was the baptism of Jesus with the Spirit visible (Mark i. 10, II; Slatt. iii. 16. 17; Luke iii. 21, 22; cf. John i. 32-34). Though thus ushered into His public ministry by .folui. Jesus seents to have had little eonvcrse with him subsequently (yet ef. John
iii. 26). Nevertheless, Jesus ever recognized the greatness of John's work and diameter. In his opinion John was no 'reed shaken with the wind.' but a prophet. the last in the great site eession. ile w is the greatest of mortals (Matt. xi. 7-15: Luke vii. 24-2S; xvi. 1(1). He eame in tins ;way of righteousness' (Matt. xxi. 32), and the result of hi: work was that many were seek ing to enter the kingdom of heaven as by force (Matt. xi. 32). This witness was a witness to the truth. for lie was a 'burning and shining light' (.John I-. 33 35). Store than all this. lie was the one definitely predicted in Mal. iii. I as the Elias who was to come (Mark ix. 13; Matt. xvii. 12). These Aatements show conclusively that ,Tesns recognized in 'John This forerunner. whose duty it was to prepare for His greater ministry. Such preparation was accomplished in two ways. On the one hand the general awakening of the moral sense of Israel by the Baptist's preaching made Jesus' profouuder and higher message more readily and easily apprehended. On the other hand, the definite designation of Jesus as the Messiah--the Lamb who takes away the world's sin—to a few choice spirits among his followers led these to Jesus as the first and truest of His disciples (John i. 29 sqq.). Notwithstand ing Jesus' testimony to John's greatness and recognition of him as His forerunner. He taught that John's conception of His mission was not altogether adequate. The 'least in the kingdom' —i.e. the humblest one of those who entered the kingdom along the lines of Jesus' message of the Heavenly Father and His love—was on a higher plane than John the Baptist (Matt. xi. 11; Luke vii. 28). John's prophetic gift and calling did not make him infallible. His view of the Messianic age saw it mainly as one of judgment, sifting, and punishment. Jesus, with just as great an insistence on righteousness, pro claimed it in a. gospel of glad tidings as an epoch of release from bondage, an era of comfort to the weary, a welcome to the Father's house. To .John the judgment was in the foreground, to .Tesits it was still in the distant future. John did not advance beyond the old doctrine; Jesus fulfilled this and opened a new era (Matt. ix. 11-17; Mark ii. 21, 22). Jesus trusted the spir itual discernment of John to discover these truths when He sent back his messengers with His reply to their master in prison (Matt. xi. 1-6; Luke xi. IS-231. John baptized with water to repentance, but Jesus' work led to the baptism with the Spirit (Acts i. 5; xi. I6). Consult the various lives of Christ, and Kohler, Johannes dor Fouler (Halle, 13S4) ; Reynolds, John the Baptist (London, ISS8).