John the Baptist was a remarkable figure in the Bible. Jesus says about him: “Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Matthew 11:11) Who was this man and what can we learn from his life story?
A miracle baby
John was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. At the time of his birth, his parents were already very old and had lost the hope of getting children. However, an angel told Zechariah: “Your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.” (Luke 1:13-15) The angel also told Zechariah that his son was called for a special task: “He will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17)
John prepared people for the arrival of the Messiah
When John was about thirty years old, he began his public ministry. He called people to turn from their sinful ways and seek God’s forgiveness. Those who responded to his message were baptized by him as an outward expression of their repentance. For this reason, John became known as “the Baptist.”
John’s preaching drew large crowds, and many people repented. Some even wondered whether he might be the long-awaited Messiah. However, John made it clear that he was not the One they were expecting. He described himself as “a voice of one crying out in the wilderness,” sent to announce that the Messiah was coming soon and to urge people to prepare for His arrival: “After me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.” (Matthew 3:11 NIV)
John pointed people to Jesus
One day, Jesus came to the Jordan River to be baptized by John — not because He needed to repent from sin, but “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). As soon as Jesus was baptized, the Spirit of God descended like a dove and rested upon Him. Then a voice from heaven declared, “This is My Son, Whom I love; with Him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).
On several occasions, when John saw Jesus approaching, he pointed Him out to the crowd, saying, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who ranks before me, because He was before me’” (John 1:29–30; 1:36).
As a result, several of John’s disciples left him and began following Jesus instead. Some even came to John with the concern that “all are going to Him!” Yet John was not troubled by this at all. Rather, he rejoiced, saying, “Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:29–30).
John understood that his mission was to point people to Jesus. Therefore, he was delighted when people left him to follow the One he had come to announce.
John was arrested and killed
Not everybody was pleased by John’s radical and confronting message. When John confronted King Herod with some serious missteps, he was locked up in prison.
From prison, John continued to hear about the things Jesus was doing. Yet Jesus was not (yet) doing what John had foretold: judging the world, pouring out the Holy Spirit, inaugurating the Messianic kingdom of peace, and establishing a new world order (see Matthew 3:11–12). Therefore, John sent messengers to ask Him whether He truly was the Messiah, or if they should expect another (Matthew 11:2–3).
To remove John’s confusion, Jesus pointed to the very signs that the prophet Isaiah had foretold: the blind received their sight, the lame walked, lepers were cleansed, the deaf heard, the dead were raised, and the good news was preached (Matthew 11:5). These signs assured John that Jesus truly was the promised Savior and that the age of salvation had indeed begun with Him—even though it was unfolding differently from what John had expected.
Some time later, King Herod had John beheaded at the urging of his wife, Herodias.
The greatest prophet
In Matthew 11:11, Jesus says that John the Baptist is the greatest person born up to that point in history. Why? Because John, as a prophet, witnessed and testified directly to Jesus—the very Messiah whom all the previous prophets had anticipated but never saw. John’s role is the climax of all the prophets.
Jesus also says that even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. The reason is that those who enter God’s kingdom after the death and resurrection of Jesus have experienced the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan. John saw the Messiah arrive, but he did not live to see the completed work of Christ. In this sense, believers who live under the new covenant possess a fuller understanding of God’s salvation than John did, since he was still looking forward to its completion, just as the earlier prophets were (see 1 Peter 1:10–11).
Some lessons from John’s life story
- John’s miraculous birth is a powerful testimony to God’s faithfulness and mercy.
- John’s message is still relevant today: Repent from your sins and turn to Jesus! He is the Savior of humanity and the only Way to God.
- John’s ministry was not about him, but about Jesus. The same is true for all of us!