Matthew: John the Baptist

Matthew: John the Baptist

"In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!' For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.'" - Matthew 3:1-3

Matthew describes John the Baptist as a man "clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist". This seems like a pretty odd description of someone but there is great significance in this particular attire of John's. You see, 700 years before John's arrival the prophet Malachi had written that the prophet Elijah would be sent to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5). Elijah in his day was described as a "hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist" (2 Kings 1:8). The term used here for "hairy man" actually translates into "possessor of hair" meaning that Elijah wore a coarse wool garment with a belt around his waist. The prophet Zechariah actually describes "a robe of coarse hair" as the traditional clothing for prophets (Zechariah 13:4). Therefore, John the Baptist was the Elijah-like prophet who was to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah.

People from all around Jerusalem and Judea were coming to be baptized by John. Baptism, according to Old Testament purification rituals, was administered to Gentiles converting to Judaism. Therefore, John's baptisms were huge signs of repentance because Jews were basically admitting they were as unclean as Gentiles and needed to genuinely become true people of God. This is amazing considering how much hostility Jews held towards Gentiles.

John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus Christ our Savior by proclaiming the message of repentance. So what exactly does is mean to repent? Repenting is not simply changing your mind about what you believe to be true. True repentance is a radical turning away from sin that inevitably leads to the fruits of righteousness. It is a desire to turn from sin and restore your relationship with God because of a genuine sorrow over your sin (2 Corinthians 7:10). Repentance is at the very heart of and proves one's salvation. Unbelievers repent of their sin initially when they are saved, and then as believers, repent of their sins continually to keep their relationship with God growing. John preached that believers "bear fruits worthy of repentance" which is simply stating that true repentance will inevitably lead to good works which are clearly visible for all to see. John was demanding to see "fruits" of repentance which outwardly proves your true inner commitment.

-TEvans