JOHN THE BAPTIST
MEMORY VERSE
John 20:31a, ESV
...but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God...
DAY 1
MATTHEW 3:1-2, NIrV
1 In those days John the Baptist came and preached in the Desert of Judea. 2 He said, “Turn away from your sins! The kingdom of heaven has come near.”
BIBLE STUDY
When we last met John, he was just a baby, a miracle child given to old Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. Back then, an angel told them, “John will prepare people for the coming of the Lord.” About 30 years later, something amazing happened. The book of Luke says “the word of God came to John.” John would now be a prophet and speak God’s messages to the people. This was incredible news! God had not given a message to a prophet in over 400 years. So what main message did God give John to speak to his people? “Everyone, repent! Turn from your sins! God’s kingdom is coming soon!”
+ Where was John when he preached his message? (vs. 1)
+ About how many years had passed since God had sent a prophet to his people?
DAY 2
LUKE 3:2-6, NIrV
2 Annas and Caiaphas were high priests. At that time God’s word came to John, son of Zechariah, in the desert. 3 He went into all the countryside around the Jordan River. There he preached that people should be baptized and turn away from their sins. Then God would forgive them. 4 Here is what is written in the book of Isaiah the prophet. It says,
“A messenger is calling out in the desert,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
Make straight paths for him.
5 Every valley will be filled in.
Every mountain and hill will be made level.
The crooked roads will become straight.
The rough ways will become smooth.
6 And all people will see God’s salvation.’ ”
BIBLE STUDY
In this section of his book, Luke copied down 700-year-old words from the prophet Isaiah. What was Luke’s point? To show us that the words Isaiah wrote were actually talking about John! Isaiah spoke of a voice crying out in the wilderness. And where did John preach to people? In the wilderness! Isaiah said this messenger would make a straight path for God to come save his people. Isaiah described tall mountains being flattened, low valleys being raised up, and crooked roads being straightened. This was a picture poem of how God would use John to remove any obstacles in Jesus’ path.
+ Though he didn’t know it at the time, who was Isaiah writing about?
+ How could the prophet Isaiah know what John would do 700 years in the future?
DAY 3
MATTHEW 3:4-6, NIrV
4 John’s clothes were made out of camel’s hair. He had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea. They also came from the whole area around the Jordan River. 6 When they confessed their sins, John baptized them in the Jordan.
BIBLE STUDY
In this section of his book, Luke copied down 700-year-old words from the prophet Isaiah. What was Luke’s point? To show us that the words Isaiah wrote were actually talking about John! Isaiah spoke of a voice crying out in the wilderness. And where did John preach to people? In the wilderness! Isaiah said this messenger would make a straight path for God to come save his people. Isaiah described tall mountains being flattened, low valleys being raised up, and crooked roads being straightened. This was a picture poem of how God would use John to remove any obstacles in Jesus’ path.
+ Though he didn’t know it at the time, who was Isaiah writing about?
+ How could the prophet Isaiah know what John would do 700 years in the future?
DAY 4
MATTHEW 3:7-10, NIRV
7 John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing. He said to them, “You are like a nest of poisonous snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming of God’s anger? 8 Live in a way that shows you have turned away from your sins. 9 Don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘Abraham is our father.’ I tell you, God can raise up children for Abraham even from these stones. 10 The ax is ready to cut the roots of the trees. All the trees that don’t produce good fruit will be cut down. They will be thrown into the fire.
BIBLE STUDY
The Pharisees and Sadducees were two groups of Bible teachers. In different ways, these groups led God’s people away from the truth. So when they journeyed out to the wilderness to listen to John, he gave them an earful! He compared their sneaky ways and terrible teachings to the venomous bite of vipers. Because they were Jews who came from Abraham’s family, these groups thought, “We’ll certainly enter God’s coming kingdom.” But John let them know they were dead wrong! He warned them, “Repent! Turn from your sins or you’ll be like a fruitless tree tossed into the fire!”
+ What did John tell the Pharisees and Sadducees to do? (vs. 8)
+ What did John say God could do to make more children for Abraham’s family? (vs. 9)
DAY 5
LUKE 3:15-16, NIRV
15 The people were waiting. They were expecting something. They were all wondering in their hearts if John might be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I am will come. I’m not good enough to untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
BIBLE STUDY
John was a man on a mission from God: to prepare the way for the Lord. John's job was to get people ready for the coming of the Christ, the chosen man sent by God to save us from sin. But as John powerfully preached in the wilderness, some thought, “John’s a powerful preacher! Maybe he’s the Christ!” John quickly cleared up their Christ confusion. “Someone mightier than me is coming soon. I’m not even good enough to untie this guy’s stinky sandals! I baptize you with water in the Jordan River. But the one who comes will send fire from heaven. He’ll baptize you with God’s Spirit!”
+ Why do you think the people thought John could be the Christ?
+ Who was John talking about in verse 16, the one much greater than he was?
DAY 6
JOHN 3:22-30, NIRV
22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the countryside of Judea. There he spent some time with them. And he baptized people there. 23 John was also baptizing. He was at Aenon near Salim, where there was plenty of water. People were coming and being baptized. 24 This was before John was put in prison. 25 Some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew began to argue. They argued about special washings to make people “clean.” 26 They came to John and here is what they said to him. “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River is baptizing people. He is the one you told us about. Everyone is going to him.”
27 John replied, “A person can receive only what God gives them from heaven. 28 You yourselves are witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah. I was sent ahead of him.’ 29 The bride belongs to the groom. The friend who helps the groom waits and listens for him. He is full of joy when he hears the groom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become more important. I must become less important.
BIBLE STUDY
Though the Bible writers simply call him John, people who study the Bible have given him a nickname: "John the Baptist." And for a good reason! A “baptist” is a person who baptizes people. It was a perfect name for a man like John who spent his days baptizing people in the Jordan River!
One day, as John was doing what he always did (dunking people in the Jordan), someone came to give him some news. "Jesus and his disciples are nearby and they're doing exactly what you're doing: baptizing people. And the crowds that used to come hear you preach are leaving to listen to Jesus instead!"
Now, it would be perfectly understandable if John felt a little bummed out by this news. Nobody wants to feel like they are being left behind and forgotten. But to John, people leaving him to go see Jesus wasn't bad news; it was good news!
If you remember what we learned about John this week, it makes sense that John would feel this way. 700 years earlier, Isaiah the prophet had written that John would prepare a straight path for the Lord. Isaiah wrote that John would get people ready for the coming of the Christ, the promised Savior from God.
Because of his powerful preaching, some people had asked John if he was the Christ. But John told them, "Someone much greater than me is coming!" And that “someone” was Jesus. When people started leaving him to go listen to Jesus, John didn’t feel like a failure; he felt like a success! He probably thought, "Great! My messages have made a straight path for the people to walk right over to Jesus!"
John told the people to think of it like a wedding celebration. He compared himself to the best friend of the groom (the man who is getting married). At the start of the party, everyone pays attention to the groom's best friend. He’s the one who is in charge of getting the party going! But as soon as the bride and groom arrive, the party guests turn their attention towards the people they are there to celebrate: the newly-married couple!
That's how John thought about himself. For a while, everyone paid attention to him as he preached, "Get ready! God's kingdom is coming!" But when Jesus showed up, John knew it was time for his crowd to shrink and Jesus' crowd to grow. John was like the best friend announcing the arrival of the one we'd all been waiting for: Jesus. Jesus was the long-promised Christ sent to save us from our sins! If reading the story of John the Baptist makes you pay attention to Jesus, John would say, “Great! I did my job!”
+ Why were fewer people coming to hear John and be baptized by him? (vs. 26)
+ How did John feel about the crowds leaving him for Jesus? Why? (vs. 30)
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