The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.” “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.'” John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea and those from Jerusalem went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. (Mark 1:1-5)

John And The Remission Of Sins

During the short ministry of John the Baptist, the message of repentance was central to turning the hearts of Israel back to the Lord. The nation of Israel had never fully recovered from the captivity and return five hundred years before. When the Babylonians marched into Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple, the people of God began a downward destruction they would never recover from. First, the Babylonians submitted them to their rule, followed by the Persians, Greeks, and finally, the Romans. In the days of John the Baptist, the Romans held the Jews under their domain and, in 70 A.D., destroyed all hope of the Jewish nation. This was the fulfillment of the word of the Lord.

John was the forerunner of Jesus Christ. The angel of the Lord told Zacharias, father of John, that his son would turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah. John’s work would be to turn the hearts of the people back to the Lord, preparing the way for the Christ. Like Jesus, John lived and served under the Law of Moses. The Law would not be taken out of the way until after the resurrection of the Christ. John’s ministry was during the Law of Moses, and his preaching prepared the people for the teachings of Jesus. One of the striking parts of John’s ministry is defined by his name. He was called John the Baptizer, so called from his principal work of baptizing.

John’s message was clear and definitive: repent! Israel had struggled for centuries since it stood united as the nation of God. Jesus was coming to bring salvation to the Jews and Gentiles, beginning with the people of God. John’s work was preparing the way for the preaching of Jesus. Preaching repentance sought to turn the hearts back to God. The act of baptism was for the people to show their repentance. John knew his baptism was temporary because of its nature. He told the Pharisees and Sadducees his baptism was with water unto repentance, but Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. The baptism of John unto remission of sins was to lead the people to Jesus, who would shed His blood and establish remission of sins through His blood.

What distinguishes the baptism of John and the teaching of Jesus is the blood of the Son of God. John’s baptism for the remission of sins served as the preparation for the greater baptism for the remission of sins under Christ. God never intended for the baptism of John to become a permanent part of the New Testament church. Peter did not tell the Jews on Pentecost to be baptized in the baptism of John. He declared that Jesus was Lord and Christ, and baptism was in His name. The apostle Paul found twelve men in the city of Ephesus, whom he thought were Christians, but realized they had only been baptized into the baptism of John. He explained that John baptized with a baptism of repentance, but that he told the people to believe in Jesus, who would come after him. John the Baptist pointed all men to Christ Jesus. When the men heard the words of Paul, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

The remission of sins under John’s baptism did not set aside the Law of Moses. Jews were still accountable for obeying the Law of Moses. After the resurrection of Jesus, the Law of Moses was set aside, and remission of sins was granted through the blood of Jesus. Salvation is not found in the Law of Moses, the Law of the Gentiles, or the baptism of John. Remission of sins can only be found in the blood of Jesus Christ through baptism. John’s brief ministry accomplished the will of the Lord, and then John, as the friend of the bridegroom, diminished while Jesus increased.