John The Baptist (Easton)

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The 'forerunner of our Lord.' We have but fragmentary and imperfect accounts of him in the Gospels. He was of priestly descent. His father, Zacharias, was a priest of the course of Abia (1 Chronicles 24:10 ), and his mother, Elisabeth, was of the daughters of Aaron (Luke 1:5 ). The mission of John"> StudyL ı ght .org Plug in, Turn on and Be En light ened! Not Yet a Member? Click to Sign Up Now! --> --> Bible Study Tools Lang uage Tools Study Lib rary Hist orical Writings Pas toral Resources Per sonal Resources Site Resources Lectionary Calendar Saturday, June 6th, 2026 the Week of Proper 4 / Ordinary 9 video advertismenet advertisement advertisement advertisement Attention! Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda. Click here to join the effort! Home » Bible Dictionaries » Easton's Bible Dictionary » Letter J Bible Dictionaries John the Baptist Easton's Bible Dictionary Search for… Enter query below: or A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z Prev Entry John Next Entry John, First Epistle of Resource Toolbox Print Article Additional Links Concordances Scofield Reference Index John the Baptist Thompson Chain Reference John the Baptist Baptist, John the The Topic Concordance John the Baptist Treasury of Biblical Knowledge John the Baptist: & Hairy Man, Head Brought, Clean, Locusts Dictionaries American Church Dictionary John Baptist, Saint Bridgeway Bible Dictionary John the Baptist Baker's Evangelical Dictionary John the Baptist Easton's Bible Dictionary John the Baptist Baptism, John's Fausset Bible Dictionary John the Baptist Hastings' BibleDictionary John the Baptist Hastings' NT Dictionary John the Baptist Morrish Bible Dictionary John the Baptist 1910 New Catholic Dictionary Vianney, John Baptist Mary, Saint John the Baptist, Saint John Baptist Mary Vianney, Saint (only first 3 shown) Smith Bible Dictionary John The Baptist Whyte's Bible Characters John the Baptist Watson's Theological Dictionary John the Baptist Encyclopedias 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica John Baptist Vanloo John the Baptist John Trumbull (Artist) Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia John, the Baptize International Standard Bible Encyclopedia John the Baptist Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia John the Baptist McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Baptist John the. David, John Baptist John Baptist (only first 3 shown) The Nuttall Encyclopedia John the Baptist The Catholic Encyclopedia John Bannister Tabb John Bapst John Baptist Albertrandi (only first 3 shown) The Jewish Encyclopedia John the Baptist Lexicons Ἰωάννης , Ἰωνάθας The "forerunner of our Lord." We have but fragmentary and imperfect accounts of him in the Gospels. He was of priestly descent. His father, Zacharias, was a priest of the course of Abia ( 1 Chronicles 24:10 ), and his mother, Elisabeth, was of the daughters of Aaron ( Luke 1:5 ). The mission of John was the subject of prophecy ( Matthew 3:3 ; Isaiah 40:3 ; Malachi 3:1 ). His birth, which took place six months before that of Jesus, was foretold by an angel. Zacharias, deprived of the power of speech as a token of God's truth and a reproof of his own incredulity with reference to the birth of his son, had the power of speech restored to him on the occasion of his circumcision ( Luke 1:64 ). After this no more is recorded of him for thirty years than what is mentioned in Luke 1:80 . John was a Nazarite from his birth ( Luke 1:15 ; Numbers 6:1-12 ). He spent his early years in the mountainous tract of Judah lying between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea ( Matthew 3:1-12 ). At length he came forth into public life, and great multitudes from "every quarter" were attracted to him. The sum of his preaching was the necessity of repentance. He denounced the Sadducees and Pharisees as a "generation of vipers," and warned them of the folly of trusting to external privileges ( Luke 3:8 ). "As a preacher, John was eminently practical and discriminating. Self-love and covetousness were the prevalent sins of the people at large. On them, therefore, he enjoined charity and consideration for others. The publicans he cautioned against extortion, the soldiers against crime and plunder." His doctrine and manner of life roused the entire south of Palestine, and the people from all parts flocked to the place where he was, on the banks of the Jordan. There he baptized thousands unto repentance. The fame of John reached the ears of Jesus in Nazareth ( Matthew 3:5 ), and he came from Galilee to Jordan to be baptized of John, on the special ground that it became him to "fulfil all righteousness" (3:15). John's special office ceased with the baptism of Jesus, who must now "increase" as the King come to his kingdom. He continued, however, for a while to bear testimony to the Messiahship of Jesus. He pointed him out to his disciples, saying, "Behold the Lamb of God." His public ministry was suddenly (after about six months probably) brought to a close by his being cast into prison by Herod, whom he had reproved for the sin of having taken to himself the wife of his brother Philip ( Luke 3:19 ). He was shut up in the castle of Machaerus (q.v.), a fortress on the southern extremity of Peraea, 9 miles east of the Dead Sea, and here he was beheaded. His disciples, having consigned the headless body to the grave, went and told Jesus all that had occurred ( Matthew 14:3-12 ). John's death occurred apparently just before the third Passover of our Lord's ministry. Our Lord himself testified regarding him that he was a "burning and a shining light" ( John 5:35 ).

Source

• part_of source-manifest/easton — Easton's Bible Dictionary (PD)