BIBL 360
Name:
SPECIALIZED STUDY: BIOGRAPHICAL STUDY
Instructions:
For this assignment you will be studying the life of John the Baptist. What can be learned
from John the Baptist when we methodically study his life using the technique of
observation, interpretation, and application?
Step One - Observation
A. Select: Select a Character. For this assignment you will be studying John the
Baptist.
B. Gather: Gather all the data. Find all of the Scriptures you can on John the Baptist.
List and summarize your findings by chapter. Summarize by verse if it contains
an observation crucial to the story.
Isaiah: John the Baptist is prophesied to prepare the way for Jesus (Isaiah 40:3-5). This
prophecy is fulfilled as noted in Matthew 3:3 and Mark 1:2.
Malachi 3:1: God will send His "messenger" to clear the path for the Lord who is to
come. This is fulfilled in Matthew 11:10.
Matthew: John the Baptist readies the way for Jesus (Matthew 3:1-6). In the wilderness
of Judea, John preaches about repentance and the imminent arrival of God's kingdom. He
baptizes all who approach him in the Jordan River.
John is interrogated by religious authorities (Matthew 3:7-12). The religious leaders
challenge John, seeking clarity on his identity and actions. He confronts them assertively
and predicts the coming of Christ who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.
John baptizes Jesus (3:13-17). :Initially hesitant, John eventually consents to baptize
Jesus, obeying his Lord's command. He observes the heavens parting and the Spirit of
God descending upon Jesus in the form of a dove. A voice from heaven proclaims, "This
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
John is imprisoned (4:12, 11:2): The passages mention John's arrest but provide limited
details about the circumstances or the duration of his imprisonment.
John sends messengers to Jesus (11:1-6): While imprisoned, John sends his disciples to
inquire if Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus responds by highlighting the miracles occurring
through His ministry: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the
dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
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Jesus’ explanation of John (11:7-19): After the departure of John's disciples, Jesus
addresses the crowd about John's identity. He affirms that John is not only a prophet but
also the one mentioned in Malachi 3:1, emphasizing that John is the greatest among those
born of women.
John’s death (14:1-12): John's execution is detailed vividly. Herod, who had married his
brother Philip's wife, Herodias, imprisons John for openly criticizing their unlawful
marriage. During Herod's birthday celebration, Herodias's daughter performs a dance that
pleases Herod. Consequently, he vows to grant her any wish. Prompted by her mother,
she asks for John's head on a platter. Reluctantly, Herod fulfills this gruesome request,
and John's head is delivered as asked. John's disciples later retrieve his body for burial.
Mark: John paves the way for Jesus (1:1-8). In Mark's gospel, it is noted that John the
Baptist announces the arrival of the Messiah at the start of His public ministry. John
advocates for a "baptism of repentance" throughout Judea and proclaims the imminent
arrival of the Messiah, who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.
John baptizes Jesus (1:9-11). Summary: Jesus travels from Galilee to be baptized by John
in the Jordan River. John observes the heavens splitting open, the Spirit descending upon
Jesus, and hears the voice of God from above.
Johns death (6:14-29) John's death is recounted in detail. Herod, mistakenly believing
Jesus was John resurrected, had previously imprisoned John for condemning his unlawful
marriage to his brother Philip's wife, Herodias. Herodias harbored a grudge against John
and sought his death. During Herod's birthday banquet, attended by notable figures,
Herodias’s daughter performed a dance that pleased Herod. In response, he rashly
promised her anything she desired, up to half his kingdom. After consulting with her
mother, she demanded John's head. Reluctantly, Herod ordered John's execution to
maintain his oath in front of his guests. John was beheaded in prison, his head given to
the girl, and then to her mother. John's disciples later retrieved his body and placed it in a
tomb.
Luke: Birth foretold and family background (1:5-25)
John the Baptist's birth is announced in a miraculous manner. Zechariah, chosen to burn
incense before God, encounters an angel while the people of Israel pray outside the
temple. The angel informs Zechariah that his prayers have been heard and his elderly,
barren wife Elizabeth will bear a son named John, who will be great before the Lord and
filled with the Holy Spirit from birth. He will turn many in Israel to the Lord, coming in
the spirit and power of Elijah. Skeptical, Zechariah questions the angel, who identifies
himself as Gabriel and, due to Zechariah's disbelief, renders him mute. After Zechariah
emerges from the temple unable to speak, the people realize he has seen a vision.
Zechariah and Elizabeth return home, where she conceives and remains secluded for five
months.
Birth of John (Luke 1:57-66): Elizabeth, John's mother, gave birth to him, and this event
brought joy and celebration among her neighbors and relatives, who recognized it as a
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mercy from God. On the eighth day, during his circumcision ceremony, there was an
attempt to name him after his father, Zechariah. However, Elizabeth insisted that his
name should be John, as directed by the angel Gabriel. The people were confused by this
unconventional choice, but Zechariah, who had been mute, confirmed the name by
writing "His name is John" on a tablet. Immediately upon writing this, Zechariah
regained his ability to speak and began to praise and prophesy about God's plans for
John.
Zachariah’s Prophecy (Luke 1:67-80): Filled with the Holy Spirit, Zechariah prophesied
about the role his son John would play in God's plan. He declared that John would be a
prophet of the Most High and would prepare the way for the Lord. Zechariah spoke of the
salvation that was coming to Israel, a fulfillment of God's merciful promise, emphasizing
that John would lead people to this salvation and the forgiveness of their sins through his
ministry.
John prepares the way of the Lord (3:1-22)
John received the Word of God while in the wilderness during the fifteenth year of
Tiberius Caesar's reign, with Pontius Pilate overseeing Judea, Herod ruling as tetrarch of
Galilee, his brother Philip as tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias as tetrarch
of Abilene. At this time, Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. In response, John
went to the Jordan region to preach a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
fulfilling the prophecy from Isaiah 40:3-5. He taught that merely being descendants of
Abraham was insufficient for righteousness and urged ethical living, warning that God
could raise children for Abraham from stones. As John baptized with water and preached,
some speculated he might be the Messiah, but he clarified that he was not, stating that the
Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit and continued to deliver many other
teachings.
John baptizes Jesus (Luke 3:21-22): During this significant event, as John baptizes Jesus,
the Holy Spirit descends on Jesus in the form of a dove, and a voice from heaven declares
Jesus as the beloved Son of God, expressing divine pleasure in Him.
In the Book of Acts, Paul encounters followers of John the Baptist in Ephesus. These
individuals were familiar only with John's baptism and were unaware of the teachings
about the Messiah. John's influence was extensive, as he had many disciples.
C. Organize: Organize your findings. This organization should be built around as
many of the items in this list as possible: Name, Birth, Family background, Early
life and training, Conversion, Historical setting, Geographical movements, Sin,
Spiritual life, Major Accomplishments, Death, Major Lessons.
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Topic Context and Explanation Scripture
Name God named John Luke 1:13
Old Testament Prophecy Fullfills Scripture;
Isaiah 40:3-5; Malachi 3:1
& 4:5.
Matthew 3:3 & Mark 1:2
Matthew 11:10 & 11:14
Birth Born in a miraculous way. Luke 1:5-25 & 1:57-80
Family Background Realitive of Jesus Christ.
Mother and father were
rughteius before God,
walked blamelessly in all
the Jewish
commandmentsand
statutes.
Father was a priest.
Luke 1:36.
Luke 1:6
Luke 1:5,8,39
Early life Filled with the Spirit from
the womb.
Luke 1:15, 1:39-41
Purpose Prophet ,
Prepare the way for the
Lord.
Baptism of Repentance
Matthew 11:9-10 & 14:5
Matthew 3:1-6, Mark 1:1-8,
Luke 3:1-22, John 1:23
Acts 19:4
Character Bold; Humble; Obedient;
Doubtful; Joyful;
Righteous; Holy; Great in
the sight of the Lorf; Filled
with the Holy Spirit
Matthew 3:7-10, 14:4;
Mark 6:18; Luke 3:7-15,
3:19-20
Matthew 3:11, 13; Mark
1:7; Luke 3:16-18
Matthew 3:13-15; Luke
1:16
Matthew 6:20;
Luke 1:44; Mark 6:20;
Luke 1:15.
Conversion Before birth the Angel of
the Lord said John would
be filled with the Holy
Spirit from the womb.
Luke 1:15
Place Lived in the wilderness in
Judea.
Matthew 3:1; Luke 1:80
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Historical Setting Conceived in the days of
Herod.
Began his ministry in the
fifteenth year of the reign
of Tiberius Caesar,
PontiusPilate (governor of
Judea), Herod (tetrarch of
Galilee),Philip (tetrarch of
Ituraea, Trachonitis),
Lysanias (tetrarch of
Abilene), high priesthood
of Annas and Caiaphas
Luke 1:5 & Luke 3:1-2
Sin Only sin represented in the
Bible was unbelief. John
did have to repent.
John bodly preached of
repentance and forgivness
of sin through the Messiah.
Matthew 6:20
Spiritual Life Fasted. Prayed. Prohet.
Imprisoned and Martyred.
John 1:35-37,Luke 5:33,
Luke 11:1, Matthew 11:9
&Matthew 14:1-21, John
3:24, Mark 6:14-29.
Major Accomplishments Prepared the way for the
Messiah.
Bptized many
Mark 1:1-8, Matthew 3:1-6.
Acts 19:1-7.
Death John was beheaded in
prison.
Matthew 14:1-20,
Mark 6:14-29,
Luke 9:1-16
Lessons Jesus must increase and I
must decrease.
Jesus is the Lamb of God
who takes away sins.
John 3:25-26
John 1:29
I made too many boxes….
and couldnt get them to
delete…… :)
BIBL 360
D. Consult: Consult secondary sources. What do our various Bible study tools help
us understand about John the Baptist? Be sure that your sources are both
academic and scholarly.
Andreas Köstenberger states that John the Baptist was aware of his role and
displayed great humility. John admitted that initially, he did not know who the Messiah
was. Once he recognized the Messiah, he understood that his mission was to prepare the
way for one greater than himself, leading to his declaration that he must decrease while
the Messiah must increase.1
Numerous biblical sources indicate that John the Baptist was a precursor to Jesus
Christ's arrival. "Eastons Bible Dictionary" provided details on John's lineage, noting his
mother, Elizabeth, was from Aaron's family. Also mentioing that John the Baptist and
Jesus were separated by six months in age. 2 John the Baptist's incarceration by Herod for
criticizing Herod's marriage to his brother's wife.3 Additionally, John's narratives are
further explained in the "Bible Knowledge Commentary," where he is described by Jesus
Christ as a "burning and shining light.4
E. Determine: Choose a primary passage. Choose one passage that seems to best
summarize the life of John the Baptist. Provide a detailed and through rationale
for this determination.
1Andreas J Kostenberger. Encountering John: The Gospel in historical, literary, and theological
perspective. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 1999, 2013, pg. 53-55.
2 Easton, Mathhew George. “Easton’s Bible Dictonary: A Dictonary of Bible Terms”. (1897)
3 Rice, George E. “The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: With the New International Version of the Holy
Bible. Vol. 9: John-Acts. Editor Frank E. Gaebelein.” (1982): 10-14.
4 Zuck, Roy B, John, F Walvoord, and Louis A. Barbieri Jr. Bible Knowledge Commentary. David C.
Cook. 1983.
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John 3:30 states, "He must increase, but I must decrease." John the Baptist
understood his role was to lead others to Christ and recognized that his followers should
not be divided between him and God. His message of repentance and following Jesus
emphasized the necessity of choosing to follow Christ alone. This directive also served as
a call to inform others about the imminent arrival of the Messiah and to prepare disciples
for Jesus. The essence of ministry, according to John, is not to seek personal glory but to
humble oneself, allowing God to be glorified through the expansion of His kingdom.
I will take this and apply it directly to my self while working to instill this value
into my child. I want to always be less of myself and flesh/worldy way to decrease. I
began this degree last October and have had a struggle to balance work, family, school
and the vast medical appointments my family has, however it has had me to work on
schedule and recently ensuring to schedule or to have a mental break time. I believe this
is something major to ensure clarity of my mind and body, if I do not have a clear mind
to think I can not possibly be able to ensure God and His ways for myself are first. I
believe everyone should understand the repentance and salvation and having that peace,
when I have my mental break time I ensure atleast 50% of the time I incorporate some
form of worship or small study of the Word of God, I have a goal of raising this number
as well.
Step Two: Interpretation
A. State the teaching principles. Ask yourself, “What does the life of John the Baptist
have to say that is useful for Christian living and for the church in general?” List
and explain at least five principles that you can draw from your study of John the
Baptist. Be sure to use the academic and scholarly secondary sources you worked
with in the previous consultation section in order to fully develop your
explanations.
1. Obedience: The most crucial quality a believer can have is obedience to God.
When we make mistakes, as John the Baptist did, our only recourse is to turn to
the Lord. He is always ready to forgive us if we repent, as evidenced in Luke
7:18-23 and 1 John 1:9.
2. Humility: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble, as stated in 1 Peter
5:5 and Psalm 138:6. Like John the Baptist, we must understand our role and
purpose in life, recognizing that we are not the Messiah but merely guides who
point others to Him.
3. Inquiry and Doubt: It's natural to have questions and even doubts. John the
Baptist experienced this himself. It's important, however, to bring these
uncertainties to Jesus. He provides the answers and reassurance we need, as we
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are reminded in Ephesians 4:15. We must share the truth of the Gospel lovingly
and accept the roles others play in our spiritual journey.
4. Boldness: It is appropriate to address sin directly and urge sinners towards
repentance. While it is essential to condemn the sin, we must also care for the
sinner, guiding them back to the path of righteousness.
5. Share the Gospel: highlighting that while believers are not called to prepare the
way of the Lord like John the Baptist, they are commanded to fulfill the Great
Commission as stated in Matthew 28:16-20. This involves proclaiming the Good
News of Jesus Christ to those around us.
B. State your conclusions. Taking the main point of what you have learned, write a
concluding statement of interpretation that summarizes the main teaching of the
person. In other words, in light of your findings, what do you think is the major
teaching point in the life of John the Baptist?
I have learned that I must be bold and steadfast in how I both act and react to
those who surround me. I can not control their actions or their will to learn of Christ,
however I can be an example just by how I conduct myself. I may not be given the
oppotunty to share the gospel to another, but if all they see is the love and compassion of
Christ from me that may be the domino laid to snowball a future chanfe in their life.
Step Three - Application
A. State and explain five application principles from your study of John the Baptist.
They may be related to the principles you listed earlier in this exercise as
“teaching principles.” Try to personalize them. If necessary, you may use the
structure of the four relationships of life in order to structure your application
principles.
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B. What one action can you take this week to apply one of these principles in your
life? Be detailed and specific. Remember, this should not be so general it could fit
with any number of Biblical characters. Specifically connect this action to your
study of John the Baptist.
I will be bold in how I live my life with unshamefully obedient to the Lord. I will
follow His instruction for mylife as He is the one who ordered my steps and His plan is
greater than what I can fathom. I will share the Gospel to those who surround me, with
working both retail and healthcare I can always show the love and patience that the Lord
has. I can maintain humility and compassion as I take care of those who I have on my
client roaster daily. I can be more aware to pray before each client and not only in a crisis
situation with my clients. They may not believe or want to participate, I will take it
lightly with a smile, however they can not stop myself from praying for them daily and
prior entering the builing I work at or the home I enter to give care to. Any doubts I
encounter in my future I will bring them to God and get into the Word of God for
answers. I will bring them to mentors to help me find answers or the clariaty I need to
understand what I do not or heal what needs to be healed within.
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