John the Baptist God’s Messenger
John the forerunner of Jesus introduces Jesus.
Announcement of the birth of John the Baptist the last prophet in the Old Testament.
Gabriel the Angel of the Lord announces to the priest Zacharias: Thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son and thou shall call his name John. Zacharias doubted the Angel and was made speechless. Luke 1:5-7,13-20.
He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb and many of the children of Israel shall he turn unto the Lord their God…to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for Him. Luke 1:16-17.
Elizabeth his wife that had been baren conceived. When she was 6 months pregnant, Gabriel appears to Mary the mother of Jesus and tells her she will conceive and bear a Son and call His name Jesus…Son of the Most High. Luke 1:25-32.
Gabriel tells Mary that her kinswoman Elizabeth who was barren has conceived a son, this is the 6th month.
Mary goes to visit Elizabeth. Statement of Elizabeth, a woman of faith, regarding Mary. Luke 1:39-45.
The birth and naming of John the Baptist.
Elizabeth gives birth to her son.
Her kinsfolk wanted to name him Zachariah after the name of his father..
Elizabeth says he is to be called John.
Zacharias his father who had been speechless since the Angel appeard to him names him John and makes an amazing statement about God’s Plan of Redemption. Luke 1:66-79.
The early life of John the Baptist.
The child grew, waxed strong in spirit.
He was in the deserts till the day of his showing to Israel. Luke 1:80.
The beginning of John the Baptist’s ministry.
The word of God came unto John the son of Zachariah in the wilderness and he came into all the regions round about Jordan preaching the baptism of repentance unto the remission of sins as it is written in the book of Isaiah the prophet, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ye ready the way of the Lord…and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Luke 3:3-6. Isaiah 40:4-5.
A multitude went out to be baptised of him including Pharisees and Sadducees. Matt.3:7.
And he preached saying “There cometh after me He that is mightier than I, the latches whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose. I baptise you with water; but He shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost”. Mark 1:7-8.
The beginning of Jesus’s ministry. Matt. 3:13-17
Jesus goes from Nazareth to the Jordan unto John to be Baptised.
John is reluctant to Baptise Jesus and says: “I have need to be baptised of Thee” John recognises and declares who Jesus is.
Jesus insists on John baptising Him and says “Suffer it now for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.”
Jesus declares baptism as a seal of righteousness.
After Jesus was baptised, the heavens were opened to Him, and the Spirit of God descended on Him and a voice from heaven saying “This ia my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
The parallel ministry of Jesus and John. John 3:22-36.
Jesus and his disciples also began baptising.
The Jews report this to John.
John’s response: “I am not the Christ, I was sent before Him”.
John’s analogy of the Bride & the Bridegroom. “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
John’s declaration: “The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand. He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
Imprisonment and death of John the Baptist. Matt. 14:1-12
John imprisoned by Herod the Tetrach after John told Harod it was not lawful for him to take his brother’s wife Herodias.
Herod did not put him to death because he feared the multitude who counted John as a prophet.
Herod’s birthday party. Herodias’s daughter danced & pleased Herod. He promised her with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. She was instructed by her mother to ask for John’s head in a charger.
Herod sent and beheaded John in prison and brought it to the daughter who gave it to her mother.
John’s desciples took the body and buried it and told Jesus.
Below is the message audio
below is the underlined link for the typed notes.