John the Baptist
John's Birth
Luke 1: 5 - 25
Luke 1: 39 - 44
Luke 1: 57 - 80
John was the long-awaited son of Elizabeth and Zechariah. Elizabeth was the cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
John's Ministry
Mark 1: 2 - 8
John began his ministry of preaching and baptizing before Jesus began teaching. He baptized hundreds of people in the River Jordan.
Until that time, ritual washing and cleansing had been an important part of Jewish religious observance, but it had always taken place in the home or in the Temple. John took this observance into the countryside, into a natural setting at the river.
When we talk about John's ministry, we like to sing (LBW 36) On Jordan's Banks the Baptist's Cry.
Jesus' Baptism
Mark 3: 13 - 17
Jesus came to John to be baptized. We observe this experience on the Baptism of Our Lord.
Matthew 11: 7 - 19
Jesus praised John and his ministry.
John's Death
Mark 6: 14 - 29
John was arrested and executed by Herod, the Roman tetrarch, during Jesus' lifetime.