John the Baptist:
Preparing the Way for Jesus
SABBATH AFTERNOON Read for This Week's Study:
Matt. 14:1-12, Luke 1, Col. 2:8, Rev. 14:6-12.
Memory Text:
" 'I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he' " (Matthew 11:11, NIV).
Key Thought: John the Baptist had a special calling from God; we, as a church, have been called in a similar way. What can we learn from the example of John?
Followers of the ancient Mandaean religion venerate John the Baptist as the last and greatest of the prophets. Today Mandaean believers still can be found, mostly in Iraq and Iran. The great irony is, that although they venerate John, they believe that Jesus was a false prophet, which is hard to understand since the whole purpose of John's message was to prepare the way for Jesus.
From his base near the Jordan River, John preached a message of repentance, forgiveness, and social justice, all to prepare people for the coming of the Messiah. Large crowds gathered to hear him speak; and many followed his teachings. In fact, several of Jesus' disciples were first disciples of John the Baptist.
This week we will discover more about the mission of a man whom Jesus praised more highly than anyone else; plus, we will look at the parallel between John's calling and ours.
*Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 19.
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