John 3:22-36
John Testifies Again About Jesus
22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. 24 (This was before John was put in prison.) 25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”
27 To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.”
31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.
Matthew 11:1-19
John the Baptist Jailed
1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.
2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written:
“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’
11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15 Whoever has ears, let them hear.
16 “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
17 “‘We played the pipe for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not mourn.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”
Mark 6:14-29
John the Baptist Beheaded
14 King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
15 Others said, “He is Elijah.”
And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”
16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”
17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison.He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.
21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.
The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”
“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.
25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29 On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
John had baptized Jesus...They appear to be friends as I read the gospels...So why was John the Baptist, Jesus' personal messenger to earth, beheaded?...
Sometimes, if not many times, one wonders in life why we have to suffer...Sometimes we wonder why things are happening to us and to others...If we are close to Jesus and God, shouldn't only good things happen to me, my family, and my friends...Shouldn't life be comforting and easy for the true believers and followers of Jesus?...I find myself often thinking about this...And even when we study the Bible, we really are not given a detailed answer of why some things happen to us and the troubles we have...Sometimes we want (or at least I do) more answers...Without many (or all the) answers, I have doubt...When I do not get the answers I want or need, I know that Jesus wants me to draw on my faith...Then I wonder if this is fair to me, as a believer -shouldn't Jesus show me more things, more answers?...
The Bible and even Jesus tells us that John the Baptist was His messenger...John the Baptist is written about in all four gospels...He is an important apostle for Jesus...John was there when Jesus started His three year ministry...Jesus quoted the Prophet Malachi and said this about John the Baptist: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you." (Malachi 3:1)..Many thought John the Baptist was the Messiah to come -but he admits that ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of Him.’ ...John the Baptist was specifically sent ahead of Jesus by God to be His messenger...And a great messenger he was for Jesus...He drew attention by his most unusual ways and the way he dressed...And he was the great baptizer of many who believed in God...God would send John as the messenger -for the Messiah...John the Baptist would explain things about Jesus and the people could see the One that was to come -Jesus the Messiah...
So John was sent by God to be His Son's messenger...What a great and important job he had...Yet, the one who was to introduce Jesus and tell others about him was thrown in prison...No doubt John the Baptist had great faith...But (I think) John would wonder, why if he was sent by God and to introduce the One who would come from above and be above all why would he be in jail?...That is a very good question...If I come on behalf of God to introduce the One who comes from heaven -why am I suffering in jail...John, like many of us, since now he was in jail would question Jesus...So John sent some of his disciples to maybe ask the question and answer his doubts -did I get this wrong?...He must be thinking (was I wrong about You) are You the One?...I am in jail...Why am I in jail, if you were the One to come?...So while he was in jail the Baptist sends his disciples to Jesus to ask “Are You the One who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”...A very fair question...If You are divine, why in the world am I in this jail cell and in prison?...After all, I am out there spreading the good news about You and for You...
Jesus would tell John the Baptist's disciples, only what they had actually saw and had heard...Jesus did not answer John's question directly and to the point...Jesus told John's disciples “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: "The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor...Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”...Jesus adds as John's disciples start to leave "Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he...From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it...For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John...And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come...Whoever has ears, let them hear...“To what can I compare this generation?...They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: “‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’..For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’...The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ ...But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”...
This would be the answer John would receive from Jesus when his disciples returned to his prison...Was it enough?...We are not told...But John the Baptist had great faith...And Jesus did many miracles...Maybe John's faith increased when he heard that the good news is being proclaimed to the poor, and the blind were receiving their sight, the lame walk were walking, those who have leprosy were being cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised...Maybe John was encouraged when Jesus said the good things about him and Himself and adding that he was, in fact, the Elijah to come...Perhaps hearing that the dead were being raised, inspired John the Baptist's faith...
Now in a short while John the Baptist would lose his life...He would be beheaded...How tragic and unfair (and unfair does not even come close to what happened to this Great Saint)...John would die and become one of our Great Saints of Christianity...John suffered and suffered a lot, and this is one of Jesus' great followers -as well as Jesus' very own forerunner...John did not lead a life of comfort, nor did he not get through life in comfort, or have material things that made his life easy...What he had was his faith...He believed in Jesus and the One who sent Him...And that makes all the difference...
Jesus first came to earth to save us from our sins...That was His purpose of coming to earth, and He completed that purpose on the cross -with His death...John the Baptist would be saved by Jesus and His death on the cross...John is in heaven with Jesus and His Father...I think John got many of his answers at that time...What Jesus also told His disciples, but we are not told if He told John the Baptist, is that He will return again (Matthew 24)...Many more answers for both believers and non-believers will be given then...