Bible Study Week 6
Part 2
Preparing the Way
The Old Testament prophets had predicted the coming of one who would prepare the way for the Messiah. "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. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it" (Isaiah 40:3-5).
"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of Host" (Malachi 3:1).
These predictions were fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist.
"The word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; as it is written in the book of words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God" (Luke 3:2-6).
"For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee" (Mathew 11:10).
John, the Forerunner of Jesus ChristJohn the Baptist was the messenger of Malachi 3:1 and the voice in the wilderness from Isaiah 40:3. John preached that he was not the Christ but that another would come, and He would be the One they should follow. "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 Holy Ghost, and with fire" (Mathew 3:11: see also Mark 1:7-8).
John Preaches Repentance and Baptism
John preached repentance and water baptism for the remission of sins ( Mathew 3:2; Mark 1:2-4; Luke 3:2-6). Many came to hear John and to be baptized.
John introduces Christ to the World
The one whom John predicted would come after him was none other than Jesus Christ. John introduced Him as "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he 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" (John 1:29-34).
John's statement not only identified Jesus as the Messiah but also described the foundation of His ministry: "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." This saving work had been revealed in advance to Joseph, Mary's husband: "The angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Mathew 1:20-21).
In Germany many years ago, a man was working high upon the steeple of a church. Suddenly he lost his footing and fell headlong to the ground beneath. Grazing on the grass was a lamb. The body of the man fell on the lamb, and thus his fall was broken. The lamb perished, but the man was saved. As a token of his gratitude, he carved in on of the stones over the doorway of the church the figure of a lamb. Every true church has that lamb as if it were carved in the stone of its wall. "Behold the Lamb of God."
>>> Why is it so important that Isaiah and Malachi predicted the coming of John the Baptist?
The coming of Jesus was so important that John the Baptist was used to herald Jesus' coming. Even that role was important enough for God to move on prophets to foretell the ministry of John. We can have confidence in the Word of God when we see prophecies of the Old Testament fulfilled over and over in the New Testament.