According to the Bible, John the Baptist's role was to be the prophesied herald who prepared the way for and announced Jesus as the King.
Old Testament prophecy promised a messenger who would prepare the way before the Lord (Malachi 3:1). Jesus Himself singled out John as the greatest born among women (Matthew 11:11), and John publicly announced Jesus, calling Him the Lamb of God. Les Feldick emphasizes that John's central proclamation was that Jesus came to be the King.
Malachi 3:1 — This is the Old Testament promise of a messenger who would prepare the way before the Lord and announce His sudden coming to His temple — the role John the Baptist fulfilled.
Matthew 11:11-14 — Jesus identifies John as the greatest born among women and says that all the prophets and the law prophesied until John, with the conditional 'if ye will receive it' pointing to John as the Elijah-like forerunner.
Malachi 3:1 records God's promise: "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts." This messenger's task was to prepare the way before the Lord and to herald His sudden coming to His temple. In Matthew 11:11, Jesus said of John: "Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist..." Jesus went on to say that the law and the prophets prophesied until John, and that John was the Elijah-like forerunner with the condition "if ye will receive it" (Matthew 11:13-14). John also publicly announced Jesus as "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).
Les emphasizes that John the Baptist was a prophesied Old Testament prophet who appeared after 400 years of silence (Clips 1, 7). His role was "the herald or the announcer of the King" (Clip 1). Using Malachi 3:1, Les connects this promised messenger to the King who would fulfill the Abrahamic covenant — the One promised to Abraham as a nation, a land, and a future King and Redeemer (Clips 2, 0). Les also draws attention to John's prison question: "Art thou he that should come? or do we look for another?" (Matthew 11:3; Clips 3, 4). Though John had announced Jesus and was present at His baptism, from prison he wondered why Jesus was not delivering him. Les notes that John did say, "Behold the Lamb of God," but that phrase was almost lost; John's real public proclamation was that Christ came to be the King, which was also the message of Peter and the eleven (Clip 6). Jesus Himself said no greater had risen among those born of women than John (Clip 5).
Malachi 3:1 promised that God would send His messenger to prepare the way before Him. Les notes that between Malachi and the angel appearances connected to the births of John the Baptist and Jesus there were 400 years, which he calls the 400 years of silence. Then John came on the scene as the promised messenger to announce the King (Clip 1). Les ties this directly to Malachi 3:1 in Clip 2: "the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple."
Les invites listeners to put themselves in John's shoes. John had announced the coming of the King and preached repentance and baptism, and he was present at Jesus' baptism. Yet now he was in prison, and Jesus was not delivering him. So John sent disciples to ask, "Art thou he that should come? or do we look for another?" (Matthew 11:2-3). Les uses this to show that even a man like John, whose birth was miraculous, could begin to wonder.
John did say of Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world," but Les says that was "almost lost in the dust." John's real proclamation was that Christ had come to be the King, and Peter and the eleven continued that same proclamation. Les adds that Paul's emphasis was different — Christ came to save sinners. Les also draws attention to Jesus' words in Matthew 11:14, especially the little word "if," because it made the identification of John as the coming Elijah conditional on Jewish reception.
Les repeatedly ties John's announcement of the King back to the Abrahamic covenant. In Clip 2, he says the King John was to announce is the fulfillment of that covenant. Abraham had been promised a nation of people, they would end up in a geographical area of land, and at some future time God would come and be their King as well as their Redeemer. Clip 0 shows Zacharias rejoicing in the same covenant, because God made that covenant with Abraham.
God's Covenant With Abraham
Les connects the Abrahamic covenant promises — a nation, a land, and a future King and Redeemer — to the King that John would later announce.
John as the Prophesied Herald
Les teaches that John the Baptist was the Old Testament-prophesied herald or announcer of the King, appearing after 400 years of silence.
Messenger of the Covenant
Using Malachi 3:1, Les shows that the promised messenger would announce the King, and that King is the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant.
John's Doubt in Prison
Les highlights that John the Baptist, after announcing the King, asked from prison whether Jesus was really the One to come.
John's Human Question
Les uses John's question from Matthew 11 to show that even the Baptist, whose birth was miraculous, could wonder why Jesus was not setting him free.
Jesus' Highest Praise of John
Les walks through Matthew 11 where Jesus calls John the greatest born among women and notes the conditional 'if ye will receive it' that connects John to the Elijah-like forerunner.
King vs. Lamb of God
Les explains that although John did call Jesus the Lamb of God, that phrase was almost lost; John's real proclamation was that Christ came to be the King, a message Peter and the eleven continued.
John as an Old Testament Prophet
Les reminds that John the Baptist was a prophesied Old Testament prophet and that we are introduced to him in Luke 3.
Malachi 3:1: Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
This Old Testament promise of a messenger who would prepare the way before the Lord is the prophetic foundation for John's role.
Matthew 11:11: Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Jesus' own statement gives John the highest rank among those born of women while noting the greater position of those in the kingdom.
Matthew 11:14: And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
Jesus points to John as the prophesied Elijah-like forerunner, but with the condition 'if ye will receive it.'
John 1:29: The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
John's public announcement of Jesus as the Lamb of God is part of his heraldic role, though Les says it was overshadowed by his kingship message.
John was the prophesied herald who announced the coming of the King, Jesus Christ. The Bible promised a messenger who would prepare the way before the Lord (Malachi 3:1), and Les explains that John fulfilled that role as the Old Testament prophet who appeared after 400 years of silence.
John initially announced Jesus and called Him the Lamb of God, and he was present at Jesus' baptism. Later, while in prison, John sent word to ask Jesus, "Art thou he that should come? or do we look for another?" Les shows this as John's very human moment of doubt.
John did announce Jesus as the Lamb of God, but Les says that statement was almost lost in the dust. John's real proclamation was that Christ had come to be the King, which is what Peter and the eleven continued to preach; Paul later emphasized Christ came to save sinners.
Jesus said among those born of women there had not risen a greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Jesus also taught that the law and prophets prophesied until John, and that John was the Elijah-like forerunner only "if ye will receive it."
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