John the Baptist and the Old Testament

During Advent we spend a large amount of time with John the Baptist. We know that he is the forerunner of Christ (John 1) and the Elijah who is to come (Matthew 11). However, there are several other Old Testament figures that foreshadow John and his service to Jesus Christ. There are three that we will discuss today. Interestingly, these three fit the offices of prophet, priest, and king.

Let us start our discussion with the most obvious, the one who fills the office of prophet. This refers to Elijah the Tishbite, the “troubler of Israel.” You will find Elijah’s story in 1st Kings 17 – 2nd Kings 2. Elijah certainly occupies a large roll in the history of Israel. He is sent to Ahab, one of the many wicked kings of Israel, the one that has perhaps, the longest lasting effects on God’s people in Judah, through the idolatry during his life and the intermarriage of his family to the royal line in Judah. The wives of both kings hate these prophets and seek to end their lives. There is even a resemblance in their physical descriptions. 2nd Kings 1:8 So [the messengers of the king of Samaria] answered [Ahaziah, king of Samaria], "A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite." Mark 1:6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. Elijah was driven out into the wilderness during many periods of his ministry, after delivering God’s judgment against Ahab and his wicked practices. Elijah and John share the theme of a voice crying out in the wilderness. Both cry out to their people to repent. Both share God’s message of judgment to the kings. Elijah was sent to call the wayward people of Israel back to the true worship of Jesus Christ that they had abandoned when the kingdom split in Jeroboam’s day. John was sent to call a people back to repentance for the true son of David had arisen.

Next let us consider the man whose office is that of priest: Aaron, the brother of Moses and the high priest established by God Himself. John is related to Aaron by blood, both through his father and mother. Zechariah is of the order of Abijah (Luke 1:5), and Abjiah himself was descended from Aaron through his son Eleazar (1st Chronicles 24). Elizabeth also was called a wife from the daughters of Aaron (Luke 1:5). But if this is only a genealogical connection, why should this matter as more than a footnote. What does this have to do with John the Baptist and his duties as the forerunner of Jesus? We know that Jesus is the one who is the prophet to arise that will finally be greater than Moses. Who will not just see God face to face, but will be God who sees us face to face. Moses had Aaron to help him (Exodus 4:14 – 16) because he claimed he was slow of speech. Jesus doesn’t have the same faults as Moses did, being the sinless Son of God. Jesus didn’t need someone to speak for Him because of His speech, but He did have those who spoke to draw others to Him. John the Baptist was one of those, and John knew it. Unlike Aaron who thought himself equal with Moses (Numbers 12), John publicly recognized his subordiante role. He said, “He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) It was time for the Aaronic priesthood to end, for there was now a new high priest, a priest born from the line of Judah and David. A priest who would enter into the holy of holies not by the blood of beasts, but by the shedding of His own blood (Hebrews 9). And it is John, the descendant of Aaron, who prepares the way for this new high priest, who declares “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29b)”

Finally, what about the man who occupies the office of king? This one may seem like a stretch to many, as this man was never actually a king. I’m speaking of John the Baptist’s name sake, Jonathan, son of Saul. The name John (Ιωαννης) is a shortened and hellenized form of Jonathan (יונתן). This name is a combination of the shortened personal name of God with the verb to give/receive. Many sites will say that this name therefore means, “The Lord is gracious.” But that is slightly abstract. The simpler definition would be “God gives”, or perhaps, “the gift of God”, or even “the one given by God”. In John the Baptist’s case, this certainly fits, as his parents were so long without a child and it was only by the gift of God that they were given a son (Luke 1).

All this has been about the name so far, what about Jonathan, son of Saul? What does he have to do with John the Baptist? Jonathan, son of Saul, was Saul’s heir to the throne, and Saul fully intended for him to rule after his death. But that was not God’s plan. God had taken the throne from Saul’s line and had given it to David instead (1st Samuel 15). Most people in Jonathan’s place here would become resentful of David, or even hated him for taking what should have been his. But Jonathan doesn’t. He accepts what God has done, and instead of summoning David so that Saul could kill him, he warns David and sends him away with peace between the two of them (1st Samuel 20). In other words, Jonathan willingly stepped aside, was willing to decrease so that David could increase. That should sound familiar, as we have already discussed John speaking those exact words (John 3:30). Jesus’ coming means an end to how things were running under the old covenant. It means an end to the sacrifice of the temple, an end to the sacrifices of the priesthood. But John doesn’t resent Jesus for this, John welcomes it. John is happy to see the sacrifice to end all sacrifices, ready to step away so that Jesus can come and take the throne that was meant for Him all along.

John the Baptist is the one who came to fulfill the prophecy that declared, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3)” But even as John prepared the way for Jesus Christ, God had prepared the way for John. The forerunner was prophesied about and foreshadowed. And that forerunner and all who foreshadowed him would gladly tell us that their part was not the important part. That they were not worthy to untie the sandal strap of Jesus Christ, the savior of the world. Yet, for us, it is wonderful to see God’s hand through the lives of these men. To see God’s plan, put in place so long ago, before any of us had yet been formed, God’s plan of salvation was there. So let us marvel at the complexity of God’s design, and give thanks to Him. In Jesus’ name, Amen.