The prophets had predicted the coming of John the Baptist as a forerunner of the Jesus the Messiah. John the Baptist; mission was to make straight the path for the coming King.

 

PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD

 

Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

 

I WILL SEND YOU ELIJAH

 

 

Mal 4:5,6    Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:  And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

 

 

Matthew 3:1-3    In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
 
 

 

 Matthew 3:5-8    Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

 

 

Matthew 3:10-12    And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and [with] fire: Whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

 

 

John the Baptist perched repent; turn from your sins, and bring forth good fruit. True repentance is not just being sorry; giving lip service, it is a complete change of heart, mind and direction. Many times people are sorry but do not change; do not have proper evidence that they are sincere. If fruit worthy of repentance has not shown it’s self then that was not a Godly repentance that leads away from sin not to be repented of.   

 

 

 

 

Ezekiel 18:30-32  Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn [yourselves] from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn [yourselves], and live ye.

 

THE RECORD OF JOHN

 

Mat 11:10 - 14 (NLT)  John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say, 'Look, I am sending my messenger before you, and he will prepare your way before you.'  "I assure you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the most insignificant person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!  from the time John the Baptist began preaching and baptizing until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people attack it.  For before John came, all the teachings of the Scriptures looked forward to this present time.  And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophets said would come.

 

 

John the Baptist was the Elijah that was to come he came preaching the Kingdome is arrived make way for the King; the Messiah, Jesus the Anointed One. From the time of John the Baptist the Kingdom has been forcefully advancing. The Kingdom is here and it is at war with the kingdom of Satan, the Kingdom of God is advancing by force.

 

 

John 1:19 - 34  And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?  And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.  And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.  Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?  He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

v.24  And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.  And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?  John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;  He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.  These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.  This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.  And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.  And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.  And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.  And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

 

 

God established the sacrifices system in the Old Testament to teach the people that they needed a deliver to deliver them from their sins. The sacrifices system pointed them to the Messiah; the Lamb of God, to restore them to a right relationship with God the Father. God sent John to prepare the way for Jesus and bear witness about Him. John was baptizing with water in the Jordan River, but the One to come would baptize with the Holy Spirit. He sent Jesus to complete what the sacrificial system introduced.

 

 

V.29   Behold the Lamb of God

 

 Isa 53:7  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

 

 

 

v.32  JOHN BARE RECORD

 

Mat 3:11  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

 
 

Rev 22:16   I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, [and] the bright and morning star.

 

Rev 22:20   He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

 

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