JOHN THE BAPTIZER DID NOT WAVER IN PRISON(Who's ready for more Bible truths?)
Posted : 31 Dec, 2021 01:35 PM
John the baptizer* was a prophet called by God to prepare the way for the Messiah. He spent much time separated from the larger Jewish society, in communion with God, increasing in spiritual discernment, being prepared as the forerunner of Christ, a ministry that lasted only six months before he was martyred. (John was 30 years old at that time.)
God told John how he would know for sure who the Christ was. When John saw Jesus He said, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world!" John was not acquainted with Jesus, nor did he know that Jesus was the Messiah prior to this occasion (Jn. 1:31), even though John and Jesus probably were second cousins (Lk. 1:36).
"John testified saying, I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He [God the Father] who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' I myself have seen, and have testified that THIS IS THE SON OF GOD" (Jn. 1:31-34).
Incidentally, the reason John came baptizing in water was to reveal Jesus to Israel (Jn. 1:31).
John had the discernment to "see" not only the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus, but he “saw” the Holy Spirit remaining upon Him. There was no doubt, whatsoever, in his mind concerning the identity of the Christ (the Anointed One). It was impossible for the prophet, about whom Christ said there was no man greater, to not know that Jesus was the Messiah. Not only did John see the Holy Spirit descend and remain on Jesus, but God the Father told him at that time, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased" (Mt. 3:17). When a prophet is given a supernatural view of anything and is spoken to by God, it is permanently engraved in his mind.
Concerning John being able to see Jesus' "anointing," there is good reason why some painters, especially those of antiquity, painted halos over the heads of some saints. At least, the concept was well-known, and is not altogether absent from some of God's people today (whom God sometimes enables others to see the halo above them). (Of course, the enemy can, apparently, mimic such a phenomenon, for example, occasionally over the head of a popular false prophet who was killed in a car wreck years ago. Even Satan himself can masquerade as an angel of light.)
John had absolutely no doubt that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One, the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world.
One of the ways a prophet ministers to others is to put them in a position to discover a truth for themselves, rather than for the prophet to tell them outright. (Jesus employed this effective teaching technique a number of times.) Even though John was 100% convinced of who Jesus was, after he realized that he must decrease in his ministry and Jesus should increase, some of John's disciples still were not sure that Jesus was the Messiah. (Please see John 3:25-36).
So, realizing that the end of his ministry was near (and probably realizing that the end of his physical life was near), the man about whom Jesus said there was none born of a woman who was greater, the wise prophet sent his unconvinced disciples to Jesus to find out for themselves who Jesus was. John sent them to ask Jesus, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for someone else?” (Lk. 7:19).
To show John's disciples that He (Jesus) was the Anointed One (John's disciples not having seen Jesus' anointing, probably like a halo, as John did), "at that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind [so they could see the physical realm, like John's disciples who could only see the physical realm, not the spiritual]". So He replied to John's disciples, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard" (Lk. 7:18-23). Jesus did not confirm that He was the Christ (which means "the Anointed One") by telling them outright, but rather by performing miracles as they watched, most certainly in awe.
John probably was grieved that some of his disciples had not yet started following Jesus. It would have been encouraging to John for those two disciples of his to tell him what they witnessed, (true prophets always grieve over saints who do not have a close walk with the Lord, and true prophets usually see very little fruit from their ministry and need all the encouragement they receive).
Jesus spoke to all the Jews who had been baptized by John (Lk. 7:29). He said to them, "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? [They did not see that]. But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? [They did not see that]...But what did you go out to see? A prophet? [That is what they DID see.] Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, 'Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.' [Malachi 3:1]. I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.** When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they acknowledged God's justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John" (Lk. 7:24-29).
John knew that he was the one about whom the prophet Malachi prophesied.
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* I refer to John "the Baptist" as “John the Baptizer” because that is what he was. There were no Baptists or Methodists or Lutherans or Catholics then, but indeed there was a baptizer named John.
John was referred to as “John the baptistes” (original Greek word), that literally means “a baptizer,” twelve times in the New Testament and three times as “the baptizo” that literally means “to dip.”
** Jesus was not saying that John wasn't in the kingdom of God. The phrase "kingdom of God" and "kingdom of heaven" are synonymous and are used interchangeably in the Scriptures. Every saint in heaven, unlike all those on earth, no longer has the sinful nature with which to contend and are in a continual blissful state of perfection, peace and joy, living outside the constraints of the fourth dimension of time.
JOHN THE BAPTIZER DID NOT WAVER IN PRISON(Who's ready for more Bible truths?)
Posted : 2 Jan, 2022 04:44 PM
Concerning John being able to see Jesus' "anointing," there is good reason why some painters, especially those of antiquity, painted halos over the heads of some saints. At least, the concept was well-known, and is not altogether absent from some of God's people today (whom God sometimes enables others to see the halo above them). (Of course, the enemy can, apparently, mimic such a phenomenon, for example, occasionally over the head of a popular false prophet who was killed in a car wreck years ago. Even Satan himself can masquerade as an angel of light.)
I wonder who was this false prophet killed in a car wreck who had a halo over his head?
