Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 11.djvu/264

* JOHN. 238 JOHN. (Hebrew Johancn, 'Jeliovali is gracious'). Nat- urally, he was veil instructed in the religious literature of Israel. To what exent, if at all, he was initiated into the priestly life we are not told. It is noteworthy that the messengers sent to him by the Jerusalem authorities were certain priests and Lcvites. as though these were best fitted to camine him (.lolin i. 19). The greater part of his early manhood was spent in retirement, in the quiet of tlic wilderiips>. liut at last, as in the case of the propliels of old, the 'Word of the Lord' (Luke iii. 2) came to him, and he issued from his retirement with a message such as Israel had not heard for centuiies. ( For the date, sec New Testa.me.xt Chro.nology.) The scene of his tirst public njipearance was in the Lower .Jordan Valley, and the wild slopes of Northeastern Judea (Matt. iii. 1: Mark i. 4; Luke iii. 3). Here, clad in lidmcly garli. eating the simplest diet, he began his public ministry, crying, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord" (Mark i. 2). Hearers soon began to throng about him, the whole country was agitated, and even from Galilee the crowds gathered to bear the great preacher. The message of the preacher was not a honeyed one. Like the prophets of old, his summons was "Repent!" Righteousness was the one thing need- ful. For it was a time of crisis. The axe was already laid to the tree: the chalF of the tliresh- ing-lloor was aliout to be burned. 'The Day of Jehovah' foretold by the prophets was at hand (Matt. iii. 2, 7, 10; Mark i. 4; Luke iii. 3, 7-9). Nothing but a thorough repentance, a new moral condition, could save Israel from doom. What made this message so startling was its stern ap- plication to Israel, the chosen people. The Mes- sianic age was not painted in glowing colors as a glorious triumph of Israel over her enemies. No false trust in the boasted descent irom Abra- ham was jjcrmitled to bliiul the eyes or dull the conscience. .The Messianic age was to be ushered in by judgment — a judgment that was to sift Israel herself first of all. Only a new, purified, righteous Israel could hope to meet and greet that age with confidence. This coming dispensa- tion held a large place in .lohn's thought. To the many inquiries as to who lie claimed to be. his reply was: "[ am only the herald, only the voice that prpp:ire3 the way; the greater one is to follow ; one lor wlioni I am luiworthy even to do a slave's service" (Matt. iii. 11. 12; Mark i. 7: Luke iii. 1.5-lS). And it was doubtless with reference to this impending age that .John in- stituted the rite of baptism, which is not inaptly termed 'a baptism of re|)entance to the remis- sion of sins.' The symbol was somewliat com- mon in .Jewish circles. Ceremonial lustrations with water wer.'; frequently practiced. But .John's baptism was no ordinary lustration. The requi- site to receiving it was a confession of sin. and the baptized one arose from the water as a mem- ber of the new Israel, repentant, hoping for for- giveness, and thus ready to meet the Messianic age, which to such would be an age of blessing, not of judgment. The multitudes that came to hear the Baptist were of two opinions. Some refused to admit the reality of his mission, and would have noth- ing to do with lis baptism. Of such a mind were the higher classes. The humbler classes, on the other hand, welcomed him as a true prophet; and many of them, even those most despised and sin- ful, took his message to heart and were bap- tized (Luke vii. 29, 30, 33; Matt. .xi. 31, 32). For months, possibly a yeai', John continued this work, not always in the same place, but never far from the Jordan, lie organized a bo<ly of disciples, and prescribed for them certain regu- lations touching prayer and fasting (ilatt. xi. 1 sqq. ; Luke viii. 18 scjq., xi. 1; v. 33; Jlark ii. IS si|q., vi. 2'J). In the course of his ministry — uiuli'r what circumstances it is not stated — li"^ rebuked Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of (Jalilce and Perca, for his adulterous marriage with llciodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For this Herod, under the pretext that John's large following made him a menace to the public welfare, iiii- prisoned him. During his captivity his dis- ciples had free access to him, and even Herod delighted to hear his teachings. Fiiiall,v. at the defiiiile request of llerodias, he was beheaded at the castle of Maclucrus (ilark vi. 17-2!); Matt. xiv. 3-12; Luke ii. 19, 20; cf. the accounts of Joscphus). It seems likely that John's disciples continued their organization for some years at least. Twenty or more years later Christians were found even in Asia Jlinor who had been baptized according to John's institution, not in the more specifically Christian way (.cts xviii. 25; xix. 3, 4). In other words, they had been baptized simply in refi'icnce to repentance froin sin, but lint with the ciiipliasis on the Messi:iiiic era as already ushered in and partly realizeil in the ^lessianic work of Jesus (cf. Acts i. 5: xi. 16). As to the relation cf .John to .Jesus, it is not likely that there was any intimate acquaintance between them before their |niblic work began (.John i. 31), though their mothers were related (Luke i. 30). liut the report of the gre:it excite- meiit in the Lower .Jordan ViiUey readied Naz;i- reth. and in due time among those presentiii;.; themselves for l)aptisni was Jesus of Nazareth. The work of .John had summoned Him to His life work. The Baptist discerned that there stood before him no ordinary person, and he was unwilling to baptize the candidate; but yielded at .Jesus' reasoning that "so it is becoming to us to fulfill all righteousness" (Matt. iii. 14. ). Possiblv oiilv to .John and .Jesus was the baptism of .Jesus with the Spirit visible (Mark i. 10, 11 ; Matt. iii. Ifl. 17; Luke iii. 21, '22; cf. John i. 32-34). Though thus ushered into His public ministry by .John, .Jesus seems to have had little converse with him subsequently (yet cf. John iii. 20). Nevertheless, .Jesus ever recognized the greatness of John's work and character. In his opinion .lohn was no 'reed shaken with the wind,' but a prophet, the last in the great suc- cession. He WIS the greatest of mortals (!M;itt. xi. 7-1.5; Luke vii. 24-2S ; xvi. 10). He came in the '.way of righteousness' (Matt. xxi. 32), and the result of his work was that m;iny were seek- ing to enter the kingdom of heaven as by force (Matt. xi. 32). His -witness was a witness to the truth, for he was a 'burning and shining light' (.John v. 33-35). More than all this, he was the one definitely predicted in Mai. iii. 1 as the Elias who was to come (ifark ix. 13; Matt. xvii. 12). These statements show conclusively that .Jesus recognized in .John His forenmnor. whose duty it was tn prepare for His greater ministry. Such preparation was accomplished in two ways. On the one hand the general awakening of the moral sense of Israel by the Baptist's preaching