From this lesson on, we will look at the key view of the entire New Testament in sequence. In this lesson we will begin with John the Baptist, since he was the inaugurator who brought in the New Testament age.
Before John the Baptist came out, Judaism had become a dead religion. The Jews took God’s law and the service of the tabernacle instituted by God and made them into dead ordinances. Not only were there many ordinances for their living, but there were also many religious regulations related to their service to God, including their priestly service and its system. All these became ordinances in letters which could not give men freedom in the spirit. John the Baptist was born under such a background.
John the Baptist was born in a priestly family. He was an Israelite born into a tribe of serving priests, which was the tribe of Levi; hence, he was born a priest. His father Zachariah was an orthodox priest (Luke 1:8).
John the Baptist was not conceived by his parents’ natural strength. Because his mother was barren and both parents were advanced in age, humanly speaking, it was impossible for his conception to take place. But while his father was serving in the temple, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “Do not fear, Zachariah, because your petition was heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John” (Luke 1:11, 13). At the time when there was no hope and when man’s natural strength had come to an end, because of Zachariah’s prayer, God’s operation was able to have a new beginning by His divine act. This was revealed in the case of Abraham and Sarah (Gen. 17:15-19) and in the case of Hannah (1 Sam. 1:5-20).
The conception of John the Baptist was a miracle accomplished by the divine power in the divine way (Luke 1:19-20). It was God who came in to enable his parents to have a son by His power. But the conception of John the Baptist was accomplished merely in a human mother of a human father, without the divine essence being involved, thus bringing forth a mere man who was only filled with the Spirit of God (Luke 1:15) but lacked the nature of God.
Luke 1:57-58 says, “Now the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth to give birth, and she brought forth a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had magnified His mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her.” The birth of John was miraculous and astounding, causing the neighbors and relatives to rejoice with astonishment.
On the eighth day, John the Baptist was circumcised. This was according to the requirement in Leviticus 12:3. When some were about to call him by the name of his father, Zachariah, his mother answered and said, “No, but he shall be called John.” Then they said to her, “There is no one of your relatives who is called by this name.” When they gestured to Zachariah as to what his child should be called, he miraculously wrote on the tablet, “John is his name” (Luke 1:59-63). The Lord’s forerunner was given this name because God wanted him to be one who would not keep the traditions. For this reason, he was not given a traditional name, but he was given a new name.