Notes on John the Baptist and Baptism

 

-John the Baptist immediately recognized his savior when he approached Him, as did other people who were baptized.  John 1:29 says, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the ^aLamb of God, which taketh away the ^bsin of the world.”  Would I be able to recognize the savior?

-John was beginning to teach a higher law.  For example, he said, “He that hath two ^acoats, let him ^bimpart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.” (Luke 3:11)

-I learned that Jesus baptizes with the Holy Ghost. St. John 1:32:  And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the ^aHoly Ghost.”

In the Bible Dictionary I learned that “the Aaronic Priesthood has the authority to baptize with water where as the Melchizedek Priesthood has the power to baptize not only with water but to confer the Holy Ghost.”

-I learned that John’s mission was to bear record of the Savior and to prepare people for the Savior.  He was only eight days old when an angel ordained him to do this.   I love these verses that describe John’s mission.  It’s his father Zacharias speaking and prophesying the role of his son.

Luke 76-79:

76And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to ^aprepare his ways

77To give ^aknowledge of salvation unto his people by the ^bremission of their sins,

78Through the ^atender mercy of our God; whereby the ^bdayspring from on high hath visited us,

79To give ^alight to them that sit in ^bdarkness and in the shadow of ^cdeath, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

- Messiah means anointed in Hebrew and Christ in Greek.