John the Baptist (he was only referred to as such after he began to baptize) was born to a woman in her old age named Elizabeth. God, although she had been barren all her life, healed her so that she could produce a son (Luke 1:5 - 15, 36). Elizabeth was a descendant of Israel's first high priest named Aaron (Luke 1:5) and a cousin of Jesus' mother Mary (Luke 1:36). Zacharias, the father, was ...
For several reasons, it is significant that John the Baptist was preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2, ESV). Malachi 3:1 is a prophecy that a messenger would come who would prepare the way for Israel’s Messiah. When the Messiah came, that would signal the arrival of the King, with the Day of the Lord to follow and, when that was complete, the beginning ...
Why did John the Baptist proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven ...
John's Question Interestingly, John the Baptist himself wondered why Jesus came to him to be baptized! All four gospels record this momentous event (Matthew 3:13 - 17, Mark 1:9 - 11, Luke 3:21 - 22 and John 1:28 - 34), with both Matthew and John writing the most details. Before we directly answer this question, however, we need to cover the relationship between John and Christ. John and Jesus ...
What was the meaning and importance of the baptism of John the Baptist ...
John the Baptist John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod Antipas, early in 29 A.D., in Perea's fortress of Machaerus (Matthew 14:1 - 12). Tradition states his body was buried at Samaria. It is, however, unclear what happened to his head. It may have been simply buried near Machaerus or ultimately thrown away by Salome or her mother.