1. The Life of Christ Lesson 3
The Ministry of John the Baptist
The baptism of Jesus by john
Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness
John the Baptist’S Testimony of Jesus

2. The Ministry of John the Baptist – Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-20
His purpose –
Fulfill prophecy. Mark 1:2; Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1; 4:5- 6 (Matthew 17:10-13); (Matthew 11:10).
He was “crying in the wilderness” – “to break forth and shout”; “speak with a high, strong voice” – a sense of urgency and boldness.
Prepare (“make ready”) the way of the Lord and make His paths straight. Isaiah 40:3 (John 1:23).
What was needed to be made ready for “the way of the Lord”?
Answer: Hearts and minds - Luke 1:16-17.
Do preparations need to be made today?

3. The Ministry of John the Baptist – Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-20
Description of John –
Remember who his parents are.
“The Baptist” – literally the one baptizing; not a title, sect or denomination.
Clothing and diet described – garment of camel’s hair and leather belt – diet of locust and wild honey – why mentioned? Used to describe Elijah. 2 Kings 1:8; Zechariah 13:4
What image does this create in your mind? Of a “polished” and professional preacher - someone who “looked the part”? Or of someone who didn’t “look the part” – perhaps considered odd or eccentric?
Some said of John that he had a demon. Matthew 11:18
“John's lifestyle reflected the seriousness and sternness of his message” (Erdman)
In the Hebrew language, the word for “hairy” in 2 Kings can refer to either the body or a garment as in Zechariah.
Matthew 3:7 – baptism for repentance.
CAMEL'S HAIR - In Matt 3:4 and Mark 1:6 the description of John's raiment is explicit to the extent of telling the kind of hair of which his raiment was made. It is probable that his garment was made of a tawed camel skin, for the more expensive woven camel's hair garment would not be in keeping with the rest of the description. It is still common among the poor in some parts of Syria, when a camel or other animal dies, to remove its skin and, after treating the inner surface to stop decomposition, to make it up into various domestic articles. (Int’l Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
CAMEL'S HAIR
CAMEL'S HAIR. The long hair of the camel, which is somewhat woolly in texture, becomes toward the close of spring loose and is easily pulled away from the skin. The modern Arabs still weave it into a coarse sort of cloth for tent covers and coats for shepherds and camel drivers. Garments of this material were worn by John the Baptist in the wilderness (Matt 3:4).
Figurative. It was an outward mark of that deadness to carnal enjoyment and mortification that marked John's mission as God's prophet in the apostasy of Israel. In this he imitated his great predecessor and type, Elijah (2 Kings 1:8), in a time of similar degeneracy (see Zech 13:4). (The New Unger's Bible Dictionary)

4. The Ministry of John the Baptist – Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-20
Description of John –
Would we receive John’s preaching today?
One who “Dressed and ate like an eccentric hermit” (Copeland) Matthew 11:7-8; Luke 7:25
Do we judge based on appearance or heart? James 2:1-4; John 7:24; 1 Samuel 16:7
One who strongly rebuked his audience. 2 Timothy 4:1-3
One who didn’t make it convenient for me to attend? Matthew 12:42; Acts 8:27
In the Hebrew language, the word for “hairy” in 2 Kings can refer to either the body or a garment as in Zechariah.
Matthew 3:7 – baptism for repentance.
CAMEL'S HAIR - In Matt 3:4 and Mark 1:6 the description of John's raiment is explicit to the extent of telling the kind of hair of which his raiment was made. It is probable that his garment was made of a tawed camel skin, for the more expensive woven camel's hair garment would not be in keeping with the rest of the description. It is still common among the poor in some parts of Syria, when a camel or other animal dies, to remove its skin and, after treating the inner surface to stop decomposition, to make it up into various domestic articles. (Int’l Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
CAMEL'S HAIR
CAMEL'S HAIR. The long hair of the camel, which is somewhat woolly in texture, becomes toward the close of spring loose and is easily pulled away from the skin. The modern Arabs still weave it into a coarse sort of cloth for tent covers and coats for shepherds and camel drivers. Garments of this material were worn by John the Baptist in the wilderness (Matt 3:4).
Figurative. It was an outward mark of that deadness to carnal enjoyment and mortification that marked John's mission as God's prophet in the apostasy of Israel. In this he imitated his great predecessor and type, Elijah (2 Kings 1:8), in a time of similar degeneracy (see Zech 13:4). (The New Unger's Bible Dictionary)

5. The Ministry of John the Baptist – Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-20
His work and message –
Make ready the way of the Lord. Make His paths straight.
Preparation and warning:
Repent –
for four hundred years, the authority of man had reigned.
The nearness of the kingdom: Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 3:2)
Warning – challenged why some (Pharisees and Sadducees) as to why they came. Matthew 3:7
Called “brood (offspring) of vipers” – referring to the deadly poison (that would spread like leaven; Matthew 16:11) of their teaching and leadership. (Matthew 12:34; 23:33)
Foretell of the work of Jesus Christ –
Jesus’ baptism – with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’ judgement and separation – Matthew 3:12; John 12:48; Luke 2:34; Mark 10:34-39
In the Hebrew language, the word for “hairy” in 2 Kings can refer to either the body or a garment as in Zechariah.
Matthew 3:7 – baptism for repentance.