John Begins to Preach and Baptize 

When John the Baptist was thirty-two years old, he was convinced that his mission in life was to become the herald of the expected Messiah and the kingdom of God. One day early in March of 25 CE, John left Engedi to inaugurate his work as a public preacher. Although his career was short, it was brilliant.

John was an admirer of Elijah of old; he had adopted Elijah’s way of dressing – a hairy shirt with a leather belt – and with his long hair and impressive height of six feet, he certainly attracted attention. He did resemble Elijah and he tried to emulate Elijah in his manner of preaching righteousness, too. Although a bit rough around the edges, John was well-educated in Scripture and was a clear-headed and powerful public speaker. He was a passionate critic of sin and unrighteousness.

John established his camp at Bethany ford, on the eastern side of the Jordan, opposite Jericho. This was the most well-traveled ford across the river, notable as the crossing that the Israelites used upon entering the promised land. John preached to those passing to and from Jericho from his camp near the entrance to the ford. For four months, John carried on his ministry of preaching and baptizing at the Bethany ford before heading north. Tens of thousands of people – the curious, the earnest, and the serious – came through his camp from all parts of Judea, Samaria, Perea, and even Galilee.

The Jews were longing for the restoration of the kingdom and the “consolation of Israel,” i.e., the promised Messiah. When John declared that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” these words were deeply meaningful to those expectant Jews who heeded what John said. John was clearly more than a mere preacher. John possessed the voice of authority; those who listened to him speak felt that they had heard the words of a prophet and they were stirred in their very souls. In his herdsman persona, dressed like Elijah, and with his thunderous voice, John’s fame quickly grew throughout Palestine as those who heard him speak carried the news of this strange preacher with them as they traveled through his camp.

In addition to John’s imposing appearance and manner of preaching, his ministry included the water baptism of his believers in the Jordan for “the remission of sins.” Jews had never before been expected to submit to baptism, never outside the temple of Jerusalem, and never for the purpose of repentance. Nevertheless, in a short fifteen months – the length of John’s ministry before his arrest by Herod Antipas – John managed to baptize over one hundred thousand believers.

In early May, John was approached by a group representing Jewish priests and Levites who demanded to know if he was claiming to be the Messiah, and they wanted to know why he felt he had the authority to speak as he did. John answered: “Go tell your masters that you have heard the voice of one crying in the wilderness, as spoken by the prophet, saying, 'make ready the way of the Lord, make straight a highway for our God. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; the uneven ground shall become a plain, while the rough places shall become a smooth valley; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'”

John was a fiery preacher, and he was single-pointed with his message of repentance; he did not mince words. One day, John was approached by some Pharisees and Sadducees who desired baptism. Before he took them down to the water, John spoke to them, saying: “Who warned you to flee, as vipers before the fire, from the wrath to come? I will baptize you, but I warn you to bring forth fruit worthy of sincere repentance if you would receive the remission of your sins. Tell me not that Abraham is your father. I declare that God is able of these twelve stones here before you to raise up worthy children for Abraham. And even now is the ax laid to the very roots of the trees. Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is destined to be cut down and cast into the fire.” John was unsparing of those who presented themselves for baptism, exhorting them to repent sincerely, whether common people or Pharisees.

As he gathered disciples, John conducted classes for them, instructing them to not only teach the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law. For example, he told the rich to feed the poor, and the tax collectors to take only what was owed to them. He told the soldiers to “do no violence” and to be content with their wages. And to everyone, he preached: “Make ready for the end of the age—the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Although John was certain in his spirit about the imminent reality of the coming kingdom, he still harbored some confusion in his mind about the nature of the kingdom. Most importantly, he was not yet certain that Jesus was going to be the ruler of that kingdom. His parents had instilled in him the idea that Jesus was the long-awaited Deliverer. He looked for the restoration of the throne of David and Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the city of David. These ideas were consistent in his mind. But John also thought about the spiritual meaning of such a kingdom and wondered about the end of an age that was to come. Ultimately, he was in doubt as to whether Jesus would play a part in these events.

John thought deeply about Jesus and harbored doubts, but not for very long. Most of all, he wanted to be able to talk these things over with Jesus. But they had mutually agreed when they met in Nazareth at eighteen years old that they would not meet again until they had both been called into public service.

As he traveled north up the Jordan, John stopped at numerous places, including a town called Adam, where someone asked him directly whether he was the Messiah. And it was here that John made his first reference to “another one who is to come after me.” He said: "There will come after me one who is greater than I, whose sandal straps I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. And his shovel is in his hand thoroughly to cleanse his threshing floor; he will gather the wheat into his garner, but the chaff will he burn up with the judgment fire.”

John’s initial message of “repent and be baptized” was modified and expanded as he continued to instruct his disciples and followers; and as they continued asking questions his message became ever more helpful and comforting to the multitudes that were arriving from Galilee and the Decapolis. Hundreds of adoring followers accompanied their beloved teacher day after day.