The angel, Gabriel, told Zecharias that his wife Elizabeth would give birth to a prophet who would be named John. John would “be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God.” Luke 1:15-16 (NLT)
As an adult, “John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins… (Jews ) confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.” Mark 1:4-6.
Because John led such an unusual life, some thought he was demon-possessed. That, of course, is nonsense. Demons promote violent, evil behavior; whereas, John promoted holiness and righteousness. Thus the wisdom of John’s behavior is shown by the repentance of Jews and their renewed decision to obey God.
Jesus came to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God. He preached, healed, performed miracles, and blessed His followers. He became very popular among sincere Jews who were held in low regard by the religious leaders. As a result, the Pharisees became very jealous.
These hard-hearted rulers didn’t want to lose their status nor their power. John11:48 (CSB), “If we (the Jewish priest and rulers) let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” Therefore, they slandered and verbally attacked Jesus. Finally, they had Him crucified.
However, again, the wisdom of Jesus’s life is shown by the conversion of His followers and their transformation into holy Christians. Thus we see that two different styles of preaching can touch the hearts of sincere believers.
