How To Find Jesus’ Teaching In the Baptist’s Ministry
- Dr. J. S. Nadoli
- Jun 30
- 6 min read
“Don’t forget John had introduced himself as the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord.’ That was drawn from Isaiah 40. In other words, John the Baptist knew Isaiah. Now he may have known the whole Old Testament very well, but he certainly knew Isaiah. He quoted it more than once. So Jesus identifies Himself and His ministry in words taken from Isaiah, and John the Baptist, undoubtedly, when these words were quoted back at him, would have remembered the context.”
Don Carson
We can agree with Don Carson’s assessment about the Baptist’s opinion of Isaiah’s prophecies. I believe John’s contemporaries saw him as an expert on the prophet’s writing.
His ministry's popularity, and the Sanhedrin's increasing concern over it, coupled with John's public image, proves the Baptist’s message true. What else can we conclude?
Pharisees and Sadducees alike questioned where his authority came from. John’s lifestyle and message convinced others he was a voice in the wilderness, just like he claimed to be.
The people see him as their long-anticipated Messiah.
As we advance in our analysis, we’ll discover Jesus’ ministry revealed in John’s teaching. We’re going to learn how both John and Jesus fulfill Isaiah’s foreknowledge of the Messiah’s arrival through the prophet’s description of future events.
John would’ve interpreted Jesus healing the blind, lame, and deaf as alluding to Isaiah’s message of Messianic restoration of the people (Isa 35:5-6). He would also recognize Jesus’ proclamation of the Good News to the poor as a sign of His Messianic mission foretold by the prophet (Isa 61:1).
It’s not much of a stretch to imagine a prenatal agreement made between them confirming their predestined mission in the world, upon meeting in it.
This is not beyond the realm of possibility because of their supernatural births and recognition of each other while growing in separate wombs.
We’ll start with Isaiah’s bridge and how the Baptist’s voice in the wilderness tells us about Jesus’ arrival using Matthew’s Gospel. We’re going to look at the “already not yet concept” of judgement through Isaiah’s “axe and root” metaphor and how Jesus fulfills it.
No attempt to find Jesus’ teaching in John’s ministry can support its theory without diving into baptism and the Holy Spirit’s last things role. We’ll be using verses from Matthew and Luke’s Gospels to find whether they reveal Jesus’ ministry in the Baptist’s teaching.
Then we’ll get into wedding party roles—best man and bridegroom—and how they reflect humility and hierarchy. In our effort to identify the judge, we’ll close with the eschaton; you know, the last event in God’s salvific plan and His new heaven and earth.
Then we’ll talk about who chooses who, and how we know if we’re chosen or not. That’s not so bad, right? Let me know in the comments if you think we’re tryin to cover too much in these posts. I’ll reply to every message you leave me.
A Look Ahead
Let’s Get Into It:
A Voice In the Wilderness
Isaiah’s foretelling of comfort for God’s people sees fulfillment in the Baptist’s ministry. The desert prophet’s call to repentance hasn’t anything to do with feeling sorry for yourself or depression over past sins.
Judas felt terrible over his betrayal of God, the long-awaited Messiah, causing him to cry, act out, and hang himself.
That’s not repentance; it’s self-pity. John’s succinct message, repent, clears the way for the shepherd’s flock to turn away from their wayward path and back to their Savior.
Jesus’ call for repentance becomes the beacon that guides His sheep home; their turning glorifies God for all the world to see.
John’s proclamation alerts eager believers to their Savior’s arrival. Both the prophet and the Messiah command God’s Chosen to make immediate changes in their lives.
Stop cryin' and start obeyin' (nobody likes a crybaby; I know, because I used to be one). That means whatever we fill the void left by living a godless life with must stop.
This starts the Holy Spirit’s work in us, His transformation of our hearts and minds. In the Baptist’s ministry, we see God, the Christ, straightening the path for the one Isaiah said would come.
Already But Not Yet
Inaugurated eschatology provides a framework for understanding how God’s kingdom blessings started with Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection, but doesn’t see fulfillment until His return.
This is where most churches end the discussion, hoping nobody asks, “What does that mean?” We’re going to get into that, just not in this post. Forgive me for teasing a future post, but the subject demands special attention.
Now, back to the topic at hand. We can be confident the already, already happened, and is happening now, through the suffering servant's rejection, punishment, and sacrifice.
Despised like John the Baptist, but unlike him, Jesus carries the sins of others to the cross, healing them through His crucifixion. Innocent, like a lamb without complaint, just like the Baptist before his execution, Jesus undeterred, completes His mission in the world.
The Baptist, while imprisoned, sends some of his disciples to question Jesus about who He is.
Jesus sends them back with His answer—the blind see, the crippled walk, and the poor receive enrichment from the Gospel—the Lord reassures John his work was not in vain.
Jesus continues with His mission after John’s death, replicating the Baptist’s persistence while condemning Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum for not repenting even though they witnessed Him perform miracles before them.
The Son thanks the father for concealing the truth from the wise while revealing it to children. John preached to the humble while condemning the proud (Pharisees/Sadducees).
Holy Spirit and Fire
John’s repentance baptism prepares the way for Jesus’ renewal baptism. The prophet’s is more ceremonial—focused on sinner confessions—where Jesus’ involves God’s indwelling, the Holy Spirit’s transformative work in a Believer’s life.
It goes beyond our justification; God’s grace received upon rebirth. It includes the Holy Spirit's ongoing renewal of us; His holiness training program that prepares Believers to stand in God’s presence.
The Holy Spirit’s fire burning in us cleanses our souls; it’s God’s supernatural intervention in our eternal lives. John’s water baptism symbolizes cleansing of sins we confess but has no connection to our growth toward holiness.
John recognizes the difference between his and Jesus’ baptism proven by the answer given when questioned about his own divinity.
John submits to the Lord’s holiness by demeaning his own kingdom role to that of a body servant. The Baptist compares his practice to the coming Lord’s, who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.
You can see the difference, right? Rabbinic students pay no tuition to their master for training they receive during John’s ministry. Instead, they work off the debt by performing various tasks for them.
These services include everything except losing their sandals, because 1st century people considered this task too demeaning.
Humilitiy and Hierarchy
John displays the humility his cousin, the Lord Jesus Christ, exemplifies after his disciples question the Lord’s growing ministry.
The Baptist describes himself as a friend of the bridegroom. You know you have a friend in the likeness of John the Baptist when that friend steps aside to watch you shine and enjoys it.
John didn’t just watch Jesus increase; he teaches disciples grace when called to do so. The Baptist acknowledged the source of Jesus’ divinity and origin, God.
I expect John learns this deep humility from Jesus, who exemplifies it for him during his own baptism (Matt 3:13-15). What do you think?
I’d like to hear how else you see John and Jesus showing genuine humility for us all to emulate. Leave it in the comments. You know I’ll reply. Don’t you?
The Eschaton
Both John and Jesus’ ministries stressed the imminence of the kingdom’s arrival
They both call for immediate repentance to prepare for coming judgment.
Both John and Jesus proclaimed God’s kingdom was at hand.
John’s Elijah-like role prepared the way for Jesus’ New Covenant.
Both practiced baptism; John’s preparing for the kingdom’s arrival and Jesus’ indwelling Spirit’s fulfillment of it.
Who Chooses?
Is it God's choice? The Bible tells us God chooses Believers before the foundation of the world for His glory.
Ephesians 1:4-5, “chose us in him before the creation of the world,” and “predestined us for adoption.”
Romans 8:29-30, “chain of salvation” where those God foreknew, He also predestined, called, justified, and glorified.
John 15:16, Jesus tells His disciples, “You did not choose me, but I chose you.”
Is it your choice? The Bible tells us salvation is a choice that you must make by responding to the gospel.
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world... that whoever believes in him should not perish.”
Romans 10:9-13, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Deuteronomy 30:19, “Choose life.”
How Do You Know?
Salvation is a controversial issue. This is clear from the verses highlighted above. As we know, truth, like God, is absolute. Truth has always been, is, and always will be the same. And is not subject to our opinions. So, my question for all of us is: Does God choose us, do we choose Him, is it both, neither, or any combination of some or all that is true? Support your answer in the comments below. This is another great conversation; be the first to get it started.
Love People | Do Kind Things | Teach Truth
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