Mark 1:4
King James Version
4 John did baptize in the wilderness,
and preach the baptism of repentance
for the remission of sins.
Ever heard of the man who prepared the way for CHRIST?
Do you know that John the Baptist was prophesied about?
Isaiah 40:3
King James Version
3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness,
Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Malachi 3:1-4
King James Version
3 Behold, I will send my messenger,
and he shall prepare the way before me:
and the Lord, whom ye seek,
shall suddenly come to his temple,
even the messenger of the covenant,
whom ye delight in:
behold,
he shall come,
saith the Lord of hosts.
2 But who may abide the day of his coming?
and who shall stand when he appeareth?
for he is like a refiner's fire,
and like fullers' soap:
3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver:
and he shall purify the sons of Levi,
and purge them as gold and silver,
that they may offer unto the Lord
an offering in righteousness.
4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
be pleasant unto the Lord,
as in the days of old,
and as in former years.
Do you also know that JESUS and John the Baptist were cousins?
And that John was older by six months?
Let Scripture tell you the details:
Luke 1:5-44
King James Version
5 There was in the days of Herod,
the king of Judaea,
a certain priest named Zacharias,
of the course of Abia:
and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elisabeth.
6 And they were both righteous before God,
walking in all the commandments and ordinances
of the Lord blameless.
7 And they had no child,
because that Elisabeth was barren,
and they both were now well stricken in years.
8 And it came to pass,
that while he executed the priest's office
before God in the order of his course,
9 According to the custom of the priest's office,
his lot was to burn incense when he went
into the temple of the Lord.
10 And the whole multitude of the people
were praying without at the time of incense.
11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord
standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 And when Zacharias saw him,
he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said unto him,
Fear not, Zacharias:
for thy prayer is heard;
and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son,
and thou shalt call his name John.
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness;
and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord,
and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink;
and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost,
even from his mother's womb.
16 And many of the children of Israel
shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 And he shall go before him
in the spirit and power of Elias,
to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,
and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just;
to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
18 And Zacharias said unto the angel,
Whereby shall I know this?
for I am an old man,
and my wife well stricken in years.
19 And the angel answering said unto him,
I am Gabriel,
that stand in the presence of God;
and am sent to speak unto thee,
and to shew thee these glad tidings.
20 And, behold,
thou shalt be dumb,
and not able to speak,
until the day that these things shall be performed,
because thou believest not my words,
which shall be fulfilled in their season.
21 And the people waited for Zacharias,
and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
22 And when he came out,
he could not speak unto them:
and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple:
for he beckoned unto them,
and remained speechless.
23 And it came to pass, that,
as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished,
he departed to his own house.
24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived,
and hid herself five months,
saying,
25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me
in the days wherein he looked on me,
to take away my reproach among men.
26 And in the sixth month
the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee,
named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph,
of the house of David;
and the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her,
and said,
Hail, thou that art highly favoured,
the Lord is with thee:
blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him,
she was troubled at his saying,
and cast in her mind
what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her,
Fear not, Mary:
for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold,
thou shalt conceive in thy womb,
and bring forth a son,
and shalt call his name Jesus.
32 He shall be great,
and shall be called the Son of the Highest:
and the Lord God shall give unto him
the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever;
and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel,
How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her,
The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,
and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:
therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee
shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold,
thy cousin Elisabeth,
she hath also conceived a son in her old age:
and this is the sixth month with her,
who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said,
Behold the handmaid of the Lord;
be it unto me according to thy word.
And the angel departed from her.
39 And Mary arose in those days,
and went into the hill country with haste,
into a city of Juda;
40 And entered into the house of Zacharias,
and saluted Elisabeth.
41 And it came to pass, that,
when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary,
the babe leaped in her womb;
and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice,
and said,
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo,
as soon as the voice of thy salutation
sounded in mine ears,
the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
The day came for John the Baptist to be born, six months ahead of JESUS.
Here's his family's story:
Luke 1:57-64
King James Version
57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered;
and she brought forth a son.
58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard
how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her;
and they rejoiced with her.
59 And it came to pass,
that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child;
and they called him Zacharias,
after the name of his father.
60 And his mother answered and said,
Not so; but he shall be called John.
61 And they said unto her,
There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
62 And they made signs to his father,
how he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing table,
and wrote,
saying,
His name is John.
And they marvelled all.
64 And his mouth was opened immediately,
and his tongue loosed,
and he spake,
and praised God.
The next post will tell us more about John the Baptist, the "voice in the wilderness".
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