24. John Baptizes Jesus
What the Story Says
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Where did John live?
He lived in the wilderness, apart from other people (#24-01).
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What was the message that John reached to the people?
John told the people to repent, for the kingdom of God is near (#24-02).
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How did people respond when they heard John’s message?
Some of the people repented from their sins and John baptized them. However, many of the religious leaders who came to john did not repent (#24-03).
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To what did John compare the religious leaders who did not repent?
He compared them to poisonous snakes (#24-04).
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How did John respond when the religious leaders asked him if he was the Messiah?
John told them that he was not the Messiah, but that the Messiah was coming after John (#24-05).
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What was the title that John called Jesus when Jesus came to John?
John called Jesus the Lamb of God who will take away the sin of the world (#24-06).
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Why did John not want to baptize Jesus?
John said he was not worthy to baptize Jesus, but that Jesus should baptize John instead (#24-07).
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What came down and landed on Jesus after John baptized him?
After John baptized Jesus, the Spirit of God came down in the form of a dove and rested on Jesus (#24-08).
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What did God say about Jesus when he spoke from heaven?
God said, “You are my Son. I love you, and I am very pleased with you. (#24-08)”
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What had God told John about the person on whom the Holy Spirit would stay?
God told John that the person on whom the Holy Spirit would stay would be the Son of God (#24-09).
What the Story Means to Us
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Why do you think John preached in the wilderness instead of in a city?
Perhaps John wanted to preach God’s message to people who wanted to listen. Few people lived in the wilderness, so people had to make an effort to go there in order to hear John. Most of the people who came to John were serious about listening to his message.
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John told people to repent, for the kingdom of God was near. Why was his message so simple?
John’s message was indeed very simple. However, he told the people everything they needed to know at that time. That is, the Messiah was coming soon to establish his kingdom. People must repent about their sins if they wanted to participate in that kingdom.
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Why do you think the religious rulers came to John?
The religious rulers did not come to John to repent of their sins. Perhaps they were curious about why other people were coming to see him. Or, perhaps they were jealous that people were coming to John instead of coming to them. We know John did not think the leaders came for good reasons, because he called them poisonous snakes. Even today, some people come to hear preaching for evil reasons.
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How did John show that he was a humble man?
John openly said that he was not the Messiah, and that he was not worthy to untie the sandals of the Messiah. He also told Jesus that he was not worthy to baptize him. John is an example for us. He was a great prophet, but he knew the Messiah was greater than he was.
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How can Jesus be both the Messiah and the Lamb of God?
The Messiah is the only person who did not sin. Therefore, he was the only one who could be a perfect sacrifice to God. In that way, he was punished for the sins of everyone in the world who believes in him.
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Why did the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit appear together when Jesus was baptized?
When Jesus was baptized, he was doing what God the Father wanted him to do. The Holy Spirit guided Jesus to prepare him to do the work of the Messiah and to become the Lamb of God. In this way, God was working together to save people from their sins so they could be with God in his kingdom.
Summary
John told people to repent and prepare for the kingdom of God. Many people came to him and repented that they had sinned. Jesus also came so John could baptize him, even though Jesus never sinned. God the Father spoke from heaven to say that Jesus, his Son, pleased him. And the Holy Spirit came in the form of a dove to show that he was with Jesus.