Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins (Luke 1:36). So they had a personal connection with each other. The Gospel writers report four encounters between Jesus and John the Baptist where Jesus taught about his cousin. We might learn what we might acquire from it by looking at what Jesus said about John the Baptist during these contacts with him.
We Dont Know How Jesus Viewed John The Baptist
One thing, though, is certain: Jesus regarded him as the greatest of all prophets and looked up to him.
Jesus’s words in Matthew 11:11-14 indicate that he was a man who practiced what he preached, and after his death, Jesus continued to hold John in high regard by not mentioning him as one of those who walked with God. However, we must remember that there were four people whom Jesus did not mention in this passage—and they were John’s disciples!
Jesus and John the Baptist’s Messages Were Similar.
Both individuals advocated turning away from sin, being baptized as a sign of that turning away, and receiving salvation via faith in God rather than by upholding the law (Matthew 3:2-12; John 3:23). They both believed that God would soon send a deliverer to eliminate evil on Earth (Matthew 11:3; Luke 1:76-79). Jesus was crucified at age 33, while John was beheaded at age 36. Both were finally executed about the same time (Mark 6:14).
There’s Some Evidence that John the Baptist Influenced Jesus.
There’s some evidence that John the Baptist influenced Jesus.
John’s preaching was the first time the Messiah was mentioned in the New Testament, and it’s no coincidence that he baptized Jesus. The fact that he baptized Jesus shows that he believed in him.
John the Baptist was also a prophet who preached about repentance and prepared people for Christ’s coming—the coming of “the Lamb of God who takes away our sins” (John 1:29). And we know from Matthew 3:14-15 and 3:17-19 that those who were listening to John were expecting another Elijah, not someone greater than him (as John said himself). Their expectations were shattered when they witnessed this man whom they knew as one of their own being baptized by someone else! Thus, through his baptism with water and Spirit as well as his subsequent ministry with power from above (Luke 4:14), this humble carpenter became recognized as Israel’s Messiah by an unlikely source—a man named John
Some Theologians Believe that John Was Sent to Confirm Jesus’ True Identity.
Some theologians believe that John was sent to confirm Jesus’ true identity. In the book of Mark, it says: “John appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4). The word “baptism” means “immersion,” so this was a symbol of cleansing from sin through repentance.
John said he was not worthy to carry Jesus’ sandals, showing how humbled he felt about his role as a servant helping others prepare for Christ’s arrival (see Luke 7:29-30). Because John recognized who Jesus was and what He would bring when He came, John knew his job was not just to cleanse individuals but also to prepare them by pointing them toward God’s plan for humanity as revealed through Christ’s life on earth.
When Did Jesus’ Ministry Start?
Jesus’ ministry officially started when he was about 30 years old. The New Testament tells us that John the Baptist was preparing the way for Jesus, who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. John the Baptist started his ministry around the same time as Jesus’ and before him, there were no prophets mentioned in the Bible. Therefore, John and Jesus could be considered prophets since they did what God told them to do: preach His word and tell people of His coming Messiah (Jesus).
The last prophet in the New Testament is Paul who performed miracles, wrote epistles (letters), taught other believers about Christ’s death on our behalf so that we would not have to pay for our sins when we died (Romans 6:23), fought for Christians against their Roman oppressors so that they could practice their faith freely without fear of persecution (Acts 18-20), etc.
The Angel Gabriel Identified Both Men as Special to God Before They Were Born.
Luke 1:11-17 and Luke 1:35 both say that John the Baptist was “filled with the Holy Spirit” while he was still in his mother’s womb.
Matthew 3:1-2 says that John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit while he was still in his mother’s womb.
Both Men Lived as Prophets in The Desert Before Embarking on Their Preachings.
Both men lived as prophets in the desert before embarking on their preachings. John’s life was spent in the wilderness, while Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights. He was celibate, ate what he could find (including locusts), and had a simple lifestyle.
John also wore rough clothing, similar to what he had been accustomed to when working as an artisan. The prophet Elijah also wore similar attire when being persecuted by King Ahab (1 King 19:19).
When comparing the messages of Jesus and John the Baptist, it’s easy to see that they both promoted repentance by living extremely simple lives. Both men were said to have been very charismatic and popular. They also preached about being humble and having compassion for others.
Both of Their Ministries Were Major Turning Points in Religious History.
We may never fully understand how these two great prophets viewed each other, but we do know that both of their ministries were major turning points in religious history. The teachings of Jesus and John the Baptist are similar in many ways, but they differ in many ways as well. John was an ascetic who lived almost entirely off locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4). He preached repentance by living a life of simple austerity. His message was one of imminent judgment and impending doom for those who did not heed his call to repentance (Matthew 3:7-10). Jesus’ ministry began with a baptism at which John officiated (Luke 3:21), but after this point, there is little evidence to suggest that the two men collaborated on any projects or shared common goals outside of their common concern for Israel’s spiritual health.
Despite this lack of collaboration between them, however, their lives undoubtedly intersected at various points throughout history—and today we can still see the evidence left behind by both prophets’ efforts toward restoring the kingdom’s glory through word and deed!
Conclusion
Our goal for this article has been to try and make some sense of this passage for our readers. We can see that a lot is going on here, and the fact that it may be referring to something entirely different from what most expect doesn’t help matters much. We hope we have succeeded in doing so with our explanation above.