John the Baptist was born with a specific mission that shook an entire nation. John the Baptist’s birth was announced by an angel, and his life was predicted centuries before he existed and his death was ordered by a king because John refused to compromise truth. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus. He lived in the wilderness eating locusts and honey and understood God’s plan and purpose for his life of uncompromising faith in his Creator God.
In first century, Judea under Roman occupation, the Jewish people had not heard from a prophet in over 400 years of silence. The Jews longed for a Messiah to restore Israel. In the hills of Judea lived Zechariah and Elizabeth who walked blamelessly in the site of God, advanced in age when one day as Zechariah was in the temple burning incense in the sanctuary when an angel of God appeared to Zechariah from the right side of the altar when the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid Zechariah for your prayer has been heard and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you shall call him John and you will have joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his birth for he will be great before the Lord and he must not drink wine or strong drink and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb and he will turn many from the children of Israel to the Lord their God and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (Luke 1:11-20) The angel Gabriel who was sent from the presence of God with the message announcing the birth of John the Baptist. John was set aside from birth, a Nazarite abstaining from wine and strong drink, filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb of Elizabeth, his mother, and called to prepare the way for the Lord Jesus. The prophecy specifically connected John to Elijah, the great prophet who had confronted kings and called Israel back to God centuries ago, but they did not recognize him. The angel Gabriel who also stood before the Prophet Daniel now told Zechariah you will be kept silent until these things take place; Zechariah although in the presence of an angel questioned the angel having doubts. Then Zachariah returned home and John was conceived.
Six months into the pregnancy of Elizabeth the Angel Gabriel appeared to the virgin Mary and announced that she would conceive and bear a son, “the son of Almighty God, the long-awaited Messiah.” (Luke 1:26-38) Mary went to visit her relative Elizabeth in the hill country and when Elizabeth heard her greeting the baby in her womb leaped and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and Elizabeth proclaimed, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Even before birth John responded to the presence of Jesus. The two recognized the Messiah and his calling before John’s first breath and Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months until Elizabeth bore a son and called him John. On the eighth day they circumcised John. There was a dispute among their neighbors to call the child Zechariah, but Elizabeth insisted the child shall be called John. Then Zechariah wrote on a tablet John’s name and his voice returned. Zechariah then filled with the Holy Spirit prophesied about his son in all Judea saying, “For you child will be called the prophet of the Most High for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways to give knowledge of salvation to His people to give forgiveness for their sins from the tender mercies of our God whereas sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light for those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:76) John was separated in the wilderness, in a place of isolation, of testing with God alone; not the populated city of Jerusalem or the temple. John’s public appearance to the people of Israel after waiting 400 years of silence John filled with the Holy Spirit of God declared throughout all of Israel written in the Book of Isaiah chapter 40 verse 3, “A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the Way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” John was the voice crying in the wilderness. John’s message was clear, repent, turn from your sins, prepare for the coming of the Lord, the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, an example of “fulfilling all righteousness.” (Matthew 3:13-17) The apostle Philip baptized an Ethiopian official on a desert road immediately after the man professes his faith in Jesus. (Acts 8:26-38) In Acts 16:15 and Acts 16:33, the conversions of Lydia and the Philippian jailer result in the baptism of their entire household. Baptism is an outward declaration of repentance, an identification with the death and resurrection of Christ, and a public entry into the Christian faith. A dedication to Jesus putting past sins behind and following Him. Following Jesus through to everlasting life in heaven. (John 17:16-17)
Today, 2026 approximately 1,990 to 1,997 years since John the Baptist was beheaded shortly after the start of Jesus’ ministry around 29 or 30 C.E. following Herod Antipas marriage to Herodias following a political fallout. Today, in 2026 the current Nation of Israel is in utter turmoil with their prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has not recognized the Messiah, the Lord Jesus of Nazareth, the God of love and peace; the son of King David, the descendant of the Prophet Abraham as spelled out clearly and written in the Book of Matthew chapter one through seventeen, the lineage of Abraham to Jesus, the book of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham tracing the family tree through the generations.
Netanyahu who is massacring the Palestinians of Islam in Israel. The Zionist, and their Sanctuary of Satan controlling banks media education and more worldwide, who do not know God or recognize His Son, the Savior and Messiah Christ Jesus about to appear on the Mount of Olives where He once was resurrected after His crucifixion in Israel and descended into heaven; and again, soon to return because He promised in these ungodly prophesied ‘last days’ before Jesus returns and crushes and puts an end to the wicked-on earth and Satan, and the demons who they follow. (Matthew chapter 24) All knees will bend to Jesus our Savior God as the greatest prophet who ever lived, John proclaimed. Repent!
Always Christian with love from Anne Fisher Foundation.