Bible Characters · Gospels
John the Baptist
The prophet in the wilderness who prepared the way of the Lord, baptised the crowds and Jesus himself in the Jordan, pointed to him as the Lamb of God, and was beheaded by Herod.
The facts, as Scripture gives them
- Lived
- Dates not given in Scripture.
- Region
- The wilderness of Judea and the Jordan valley, including Bethany across the Jordan. (Matthew 3:1-6; John 1:28)
- Standing
- A prophet, and more than a prophet: the messenger sent before the face of the Lord to prepare his way. (Matthew 11:9-10)
Key verses
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:29 (BSB)
Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Matthew 11:11 (BSB)
What they did
- His birth was announced by Gabriel to his father Zechariah in the temple: he would go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah. (Luke 1:11-17)
- Leaped in his mother's womb at the sound of Mary's greeting. (Luke 1:41)
- Lived in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel. (Luke 1:80)
- Preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, wearing camel's hair and eating locusts and wild honey. (Matthew 3:1-6; Mark 1:6)
- Baptised Jesus, and saw the Spirit descend on him like a dove. (Matthew 3:13-17; John 1:32-34)
- Pointed his own disciples to Jesus: look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29; John 1:35-36)
- From prison sent messengers to ask Jesus whether he was the one to come, and received his answer with the signs. (Matthew 11:2-5)
- Rebuked Herod for taking Herodias, his brother's wife, and was beheaded in prison at her daughter's request. (Mark 6:17-28)
Family
- Father
- Zechariah (Luke 1:13)
- Mother
- Elizabeth (Luke 1:13)
Connected to
- Zechariah: His father, struck silent for unbelief until the naming (Luke 1:13-20)
- Elizabeth: His mother, who insisted: he shall be called John (Luke 1:13; Luke 1:59-60)
- Jesus: The one whose way he prepared, and whom he baptised (Matthew 3:13-17)
- Herod Antipas: The tetrarch who imprisoned and beheaded him (Mark 6:17-28)
- Andrew: His disciple, who left him to follow Jesus (John 1:35-40)
Mentioned in
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts.
Every reference (89)
Matthew 3:1 · Matthew 3:4 · Matthew 3:13 · Matthew 3:14 · Matthew 4:12 · Matthew 9:14 · Matthew 11:2 · Matthew 11:4 · Matthew 11:7 · Matthew 11:11 · Matthew 11:12 · Matthew 11:13 · Matthew 11:18 · Matthew 14:2 · Matthew 14:3 · Matthew 14:4 · Matthew 14:8 · Matthew 14:10 · Matthew 16:14 · Matthew 17:13 · Matthew 21:25 · Matthew 21:26 · Matthew 21:32 · Mark 1:4 · Mark 1:6 · Mark 1:9 · Mark 1:14 · Mark 2:18 · Mark 6:14 · Mark 6:16 · Mark 6:17 · Mark 6:18 · Mark 6:20 · Mark 6:24 · Mark 6:25 · Mark 8:28 · Mark 11:30 · Mark 11:32 · Luke 1:13 · Luke 1:60 · Luke 1:63 · Luke 3:2 · Luke 3:15 · Luke 3:16 · Luke 3:20 · Luke 5:33 · Luke 7:18 · Luke 7:19 · Luke 7:20 · Luke 7:22 · Luke 7:24 · Luke 7:28 · Luke 7:29 · Luke 7:33 · Luke 9:7 · Luke 9:9 · Luke 9:19 · Luke 11:1 · Luke 16:16 · Luke 20:4 · Luke 20:6 · John 1:6 · John 1:15 · John 1:19 · John 1:26 · John 1:28 · John 1:29 · John 1:32 · John 1:35 · John 1:40 · John 3:23 · John 3:24 · John 3:25 · John 3:26 · John 3:27 · John 4:1 · John 5:33 · John 5:36 · John 10:40 · John 10:41 · Acts 1:5 · Acts 1:22 · Acts 10:37 · Acts 11:16 · Acts 13:24 · Acts 13:25 · Acts 18:25 · Acts 19:3 · Acts 19:4
Review status: in-theological-review. Every Contend profile passes a human theological review against the Statement of Faith before it is published as approved teaching. This profile is in that queue. Sources: Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (public domain), verified verse by verse. Name and reference data: STEP Bible (TIPNR), Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0.