#25 Jesus
and John the Baptist
Please first read: John 3:22-36; JST John 3: 27, 32, 34, 36
President
J.
Rueben Clark. Jr.:
It
is now summertime, AD 27. Two of John’s disciples, Andrew and Simon hear
Jesus and follow him. Jesus finds Philip, who finds Nathaniel, and they
follow Jesus. When Jesus tells Nathaniel that he previously saw him under a fig
tree, he believes him. (This is the first recorded evidence of Jesus using
his divine power of over mind, matter, and elements of Space.) At least these
four disciples go with Jesus into Judea. Jesus now begins teaching and
baptizing individuals in the same area where John has been laboring and doing
this. John’s disciples show evidence of concern about this and report to
him that Jesus is receiving all who come to him, and baptizing them. The
Baptist promptly reminds them He is the Christ and, as he has told them before,
he (John) is the Elias, the forerunner called by God to prepare the way for He
who is now come, the Messiah. John’s service will now wind down as Jesus, the
Son, steps forward with all power from the Father. John has performed his
calling well; the Father and the Son are highly pleased. The time will
come when John will seal his testimony with his blood … a foreboding of
that which also awaits the Savior. As their work goes on we find Jesus
testifying to the multitudes that John is indeed a mighty prophet and confirming
that his teachings are true.
Bruce
R. McConkie:
For
a time in their ministries Jesus and John overlap each other, but there is no competition. Much
of their preaching efforts continue to be in the geographic area that John has
prepared. John baptizes with water only, after which he tells his disciples to
follow Jesus who will baptize them with fire and the Holy Ghost. Jesus is
baptizing after repentance with water, but also with the promise that in due
time they will be baptized by/with the spirit of the Holy Ghost.
John
is now telling the people that his work and calling is about done; Jesus is the
one to follow. John continues to bear great testimony of the divinity of
Christ, who has the fullness of the Gospel and the Priesthood power. Those
who believe on the Son, and the words of God which he speaketh, shall have
everlasting life. John does know that few men receive and believe his
testimony, and warns that those who do not believe will have the wrath of God
upon them.
James
E. Talmage:
When
John came out of the wilderness preaching his message there was great concern
among all levels of the people, even among the ruling Roman counsels. Who
is this new “prophet?” As they heard his message ‘make strait the way of the
Lord,’ who is now coming, the concern for many deepened into fear. His
reference that the one coming was the “Lamb of God” told the Jewish people that
it was the long hoped for Messiah, the One appointed for sacrifice.
Richard
Holzapfel and Thomas
Wayment:
Some
other things John seems to have concentrated on accomplishing were the
following:
·
Awaken the general public to how far
many of them had strayed from the teachings of Moses.
·
Warn them of the corruption existing
in their chosen leaders.
·
Prepare a group of disciples ready
to receive and follow Jesus as their Messiah, and an inner circle from which
Jesus would choose some of the Twelve.
The
scriptures we have of John indicate he was very forceful and allowed for little
if any challenging of his demanding and accusing message. His personality,
fiery nature, and single focus on his calling and mission to prepare a people
for the Messiah leaves very little patience, or tolerance for those refusing to
believe what is about to come to pass. We can only assume that any words
of testimony about Jesus (and there were many instances of this) would be
similarly expressed. John was not only a nuisance, but a threat to king
Herod and his supporters, and of course to the Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes,
the Sanhedrin, and other Jewish leaders.
Glenn
R. McGettigan
May
2014; Revised October 2014
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