John the Baptist prepares us for the advent of the Messiah. How does he do this? He does this by telling us who the Messiah is. He tells us how the Messiah will come. He tells us when the Messiah will come. He does this by telling us to turn back to God.
Who is John the Baptist? John the Baptist never tells anyone that he is anything more than a precursor of the Messiah. Although he appears to do priest-like stuff (i.e., ceremonial washings, etc.), he is not a priest (as in, Jewish priest). He comes only to prepare the way for the Messiah (just like the prophet Isaiah says: “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God [40:3].’ ”). John the Baptist is only a prophet.
Who is the Messiah? The Messiah is a special servant of God. Certain Biblical interpretations say that he will suffer. Certain Biblical interpretations say that he will die. All Biblical interpretations say that he is sent by God to save His [God’s] people. Usually, the Messiah is interpreted as saving God’s people from physical enemies (i.e., the Babylonians, the Romans, etc.). Sometimes the Messiah is interpreted as saving God’s people from spiritual enemies (i.e., sin, death, etc.). Thus, the Messiah is a complicated Biblical character.
How does the Messiah come? Jewish legend says that the Messiah may come in several ways. He may come in power and majesty and do miraculous things, like leap from high places and survive (thus, the specific temptation of Jesus by the Devil). He may come in humility as a sign of the people’s unfaithfulness to God, like riding a donkey through Jerusalem’s streets (thus, the Palm Sunday episode of Jesus). Either way, he will come.
When does the Messiah come? No one knows. He could come early. He could come late. Since no one really knows when he will come, it is imperative to always be prepared for his arrival. This is the entire reason for John the Baptist’s appearance and ministry.
What form does the preparation for the advent of the Messiah take? John the Baptist preached one thing: repentance. Turn away from sin and turn back to God. Turn away from false gods and turn back to the one-true God. Is this an easy process? – Probably not. Is the outcome certain? – Maybe not. We may never turn away from sin completely. We may never turn away from false gods completely. Don’t worry, though. Why? – There is one outcome that is certain. When we turn back to God, He will take us back.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light … Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” Finally, they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ” Now the Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. – John 1:6-8, 19-28
