Steeped in idolatry, worshiping the creation instead of the Creator, the world in the first century CE was in darkness, the darkness of moral degradation and superstition. Having lived and labored in many of the major cities then existing, the Roman citizen Paul possessed firsthand knowledge about the greatness of that darkness and described humans who chose to suppress the voice of conscience. “They were filled with all [manner] of unrighteousness, depravity, covetousness, viciousness, envy, murder, discord, treachery, [being] ill-tempered, detractors, defamers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boasters, contrivers of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, faithless, devoid of natural affection, merciless.” (Romans 1:29-31)

Into this world of darkness, the “light,” in the person of God’s unique Son, was about to come, effecting liberation for all who chose to accept it. Among earth’s inhabitants, only the Jews and those who had come to believe the message contained in their sacred writings were acquainted with the true God. In keeping with the promises contained in those sacred writings, the Most High raised up a prophet to prepare his people for the arrival of the “light.” This prophet was John, the son of the priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. John testified concerning the light, leading others to respond in faith. The “true light” would impart “light” to all men or people everywhere, providing enlightenment about his Father and how to enter into an abiding relationship with him as his approved children. (John 1:6-9)

In the person of God’s Son, the “light” was about to make an entrance into the world of mankind, the world to which he was not new. Through him, the human family had come into existence. Therefore, humans should have recognized him as one with whom they had a relationship, but they did not. He came to his own people, the only people who professed belief in his Father, but the majority did not accept him. In the case of those who did respond in faith, he made it possible for them to become God’s children. Their newness of life or new birth could not be attributed to “blood” (a particular line of descent), “flesh” (natural procreation), or the “will of man” (adoption). They were born “from God.” (John 1:9-13)

John, after having spent some time in the wilderness, began his public activity in the vicinity of the Jordan River. (Luke 1:80) At the end of the third decade of the first century CE, during the reign of Tiberius, he called upon his fellow Israelites to repent of their sins and, in expression of their repentance, to be baptized by him. (See the Notes section for the names of other ruling authorities at that time.) In keeping with the seriousness of his message, John lived an austere life in the wilderness. His diet consisted of wild honey and locusts (insects that were clean according to the terms of the Mosaic law and provided him with food high in protein). John’s garment probably consisted of camel hide still covered with the hair, and his belt likely was just a strip of leather. (Matthew 3:1-4; Mark 1:4, 6; Luke 3:1-4) Another possibility is that the garment was made from rough cloth woven from long camel’s hair.

John’s preparatory activity for the arrival of God’s Son fulfilled the words recorded in Malachi (3:1) and Isaiah (40:3-5): “Look! I am sending my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.” (Matthew 11:10; Mark 1:2; Luke 7:27; see the Commentary section for Malachi 3:1.) “A voice of one crying in the wilderness. Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.” (Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4) “Every ravine will be filled, and every mountain and hill leveled, and curves will be straightened and uneven places [made] into smooth ways. And all flesh will behold the salvation of God.” (Luke 3:5, 6)

As the foretold messenger, John cleared the way before God’s Son by preparing fellow Israelites to accept him. Initially, John appears to have proclaimed the message about “baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins” in settlements along the Jordan. (Luke 3:3) Emphasizing that the promised Messiah, the king in the royal line of David, was about to appear on the scene, John declared, “Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.” (Matthew 3:2) Then as news about his activity began to spread, people from Judea, the region along the Jordan, and the city of Jerusalem started coming to him in increasing numbers and were baptized after confessing their sins. (Matthew 3:5, 6; Mark 1:5; Luke 3:7) This suggests that John remained in a specific area for a time.

Among those who came were Pharisees and Sadducees to whom John directed strong denunciatory words, as they were not rightly motivated. “Offspring of vipers, who has shown you how to escape from the wrath to come? Then produce fruit befitting repentance. And do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham [as our] father.’ For I say to you, From these stones [the ones they could see and to which John may have pointed], God is able to raise up children for Abraham. Already the ax lies at the root of the trees [to cut them down]. Therefore, every tree not producing good fruit will be cut down and tossed into the fire.” (Matthew 3:7-10; Luke 3:7-9) While they imagined that the merits of Abraham guaranteed God’s favor, John made it clear that this was not the case. What counted was genuine repentance and not natural descent from the patriarch. The Most High did not depend on natural descent for there to be offspring for Abraham.

In response to John’s proclamation, people asked, “What should we do?” His replies indicated that fruit befitting repentance involved treating others in a compassionate and just manner. “Let the one who has two garments share with the one who has none, and the one with food let him do likewise.” To tax collectors, he said, “Do not ask for more than the required rate.” They were not to enrich themselves by dishonest means. He admonished soldiers serving in the Jewish force not to resort to extortion or to accuse others falsely, but to be satisfied with their provisions. They were not to use their position to exact payment under false pretenses and thus procure unjust gain for themselves. (Luke 3:10-14)

The people were in expectation of Messiah’s coming and wondered whether John might not possibly be the one. He made it clear to them that he was not the Messiah, identifying this coming one as being stronger than he was. John revealed that the coming one would possess such greatness that he would not consider himself deserving of rendering the menial task reserved for slaves — stooping down to loosen the strap of his sandal. While he baptized with water, the coming one would baptize with “holy spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:7, 8; Luke 3:15, 16)

Persons whom John baptized with water were immersed in that element, as were utensils for cleansing purposes. (Mark 7:4) Similarly, those whom the Messiah would baptize with holy spirit would experience the powerful working of God as persons immersed in the element of the spirit. They would be “clothed” with power from the Most High, being energized or motivated to conduct themselves in a divinely approved manner and to carry out God’s will. (Luke 24:49)

Baptism with “fire” appears to denote a fiery judgment to befall those who refused to repent, for John added, “The winnowing shovel [is] in his hand to clear his threshing floor and gather the wheat into his storehouse, but the chaff he will burn in unquenchable fire.” Also in other ways, John exhorted those who came to him as he proclaimed the glad tidings about the coming Messiah. (Luke 3:17, 18; Matthew 3:12)

Notes:

Mark’s account starts with John’s activity as a prophet, linking it to the beginning of the glad tidings about Jesus Christ, God’s Son. (Mark 1:1) This is appropriate, for it was then that the preparation for Messiah’s arrival began, and the opportunity opened up for repentant ones to share in the privileges and blessings that would follow.

Pilate, an appointee of Tiberius, governed Judea for ten years. Herod (Antipas) held the position of tetrarch of Galilee. His brother Philip (whom Josephus calls Herod; the son of Herod the Great and Cleopatra of Jerusalem) was tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitus. Both regions were located northeast of the Sea of Galilee. Lysanias the tetrarch ruled Abilene. An inscription found at Abila (anciently the principal city of Abilene) appears to mention this Lysanias and identifies him as a tetrarch. Abilene designated a territory to the northwest of Damascus. Caiaphas, the son-in-law of Annas, held the actual office of high priest, which years earlier Annas had occupied and who as ex-high priest continued to wield great authority. (Luke 3:1, 2)

The extant text of Isaiah 40:3-5 in the Septuagint differs somewhat from the quotations in Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3 and Luke 3:4-6. Where Matthew’s, Mark’s, and Luke’s quotations say “his paths,” the Septuagint reading is, “the paths of our God.” The Septuagint adds “all” before “the curves” (Luke 3:5) and then continues, “and the uneven places into level places [pedía, also meaning ‘plains’ or ‘fields’]. And the glory of the Lord will be seen, and all flesh will behold the salvation of God.”

The Isaiah passage appears in a setting of comfort for Jerusalem, with the way being prepared for the Most High to lead his people back from exile. As then, return to divine favor required that the Israelites repent. Accordingly, John’s proclamation in the wilderness of Judea proved to be the very message conveyed by the voice of one crying in the wilderness (mentioned in Isaiah’s prophecy). In connection with the return from Babylonian exile, no literal voice was heard in the wilderness. So, in a more complete sense, John fulfilled the role of the one crying out.

It may be noted that the Hebrew words for “stone” (’éven) and “son” or “child” (ben) suggest a play on words in John’s statement about raising up children for Abraham from stones. (Matthew 3:9; Luke 3:8)