Portrayal of John the Baptist in the Gospel according to Luke

1. Introduction
The importance of John the Baptist in the New Testament and in the story of Jesus is
something unavoidable. All four Gospels associate John with, or treat him as, the
“beginning of the gospel”. Jesus reportedly claimed that John was more than a prophet
and, from a human point of view, the greatest human being (Mt 11:11/Lk 7:28 and Mt
11:9/Lk 7:26). Unlike the case with other major NT figures (such as the apostles), only
the deaths of John and Jesus are given significant treatment in the NT (cf. Mk 6:14–29.
The author of Luke-Acts indicates that John was such a significant figure that he still had
disciples or followers long after his death (cf. Acts 18:25; 19:1–7).The Synoptic Gospels
state that Jesus submitted to John’s baptism, and the earliest Gospel suggests that at least
initially Jesus preached a message similar to John’s (Mk 1:14–15). Also, the Fourth
Gospel suggests that Jesus assisted John for a time or followed his example in the
wilderness, collecting disciples and supervising baptisms (Jn 3:22–36). Indeed, during
and at the end of his ministry Jesus expresses his own purpose and authority by
comparing and contrasting himself with John and suggesting they are part of a single
effort by God to reach his people (cf. Mt 11:16–19/Lk 7:31–35 and Mk 11:27–33. Jesus
apparently was thought by some to be John come back from the dead (cf. Mk 6:14.
According to the Synoptic Gospels Jesus did not begin his Galilean ministry until after
John died, which suggests that both John’s life and death influenced how Jesus acted.1

2. Sources of John the Baptist

The primary sources for determining the history of John the Baptist are the NT and the
writings of Josephus. In the NT John is referred to in all four gospels and in the book of
Acts, while in Josephus there is one short but suggestive passage. This passage is
especially important because it is the only extra biblical source 2. Josephus reports about
John while he mentions the defeat of Herod the Great by his former Father in Law, the
King of Petra. Information about John the Baptist as contained in the synoptic gospels
have come from two different kinds of sources – which should be distinguished as Baptist
and Christian.3

2.1. Baptist Sources

Paul Winter has shown that Lk. 1: 5-80 was originally a Baptist document 4. It was an
infancy narrative concerning John. It has been adopted as an introduction to the birth
narrative of Jesus, which begins at vs. 2:1. Lk. 1: 26-41a constitutes the single major
interpolation in this Baptist document. Vs 1.25 is followed very well by 1:26b and except
for vs 56, the passage is uninterrupted by further Christian interpolation.

2.2. Christian sources.

1
Joel G Green, McKnight, Scot, Marshall, I. Howard, eds., Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels,
(Downer’s Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press) 1998.
2
David Noel Freedman, ed., The Anchor Bible Dictionary, (New York: Doubleday) 1997.
3
George Arthur Buttrick ed., John The Baptist, The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible,( New York:
Abingdon Press, 1962) 956
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George Arthur Buttrick ed., John The Baptist, The Interpreter’s…

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Traditions about John the Baptist originating in Christian circles (including disciples of
John who later became disciples of Jesus) are found in all three synoptic gospels.

2.3. Lukan Corpus

The Luke’s story is prepared for by an “infancy gospel” 5 which recounts in parallel the
origins of John and Jesus and establishes between them the relationship of transcending
parallelism, which is to prevail in the later life. In an atmosphere of joy, worship and
confession, humble representatives of the best of Jewish temple piety experience “in
embryo” the breaking in of the eschatological salvation of God. The OT deeds of God are
reiterated and transcended as these two miraculous births set the stage for Luke’s account
of the climaxing in Jesus of all God’s purposes.

In Luke, the account of the infancy narrative of the Baptist is presented in three major
sections: the annunciation, 1:5-25, the birth, circumcision and naming 1:57-66 and
Zechariah’s rejoicing and prophetic greeting of his infant son. 1:67-80. To these can be
added the exultant movement of the unborn John at the approach of the pregnant Mary in
1:44 and the account of the adult ministry in 3: 1-20. Further discussion of John is to be
found in 5:33, 7:18-35, 9:7,9; 11:1; 16:16; 20:4,6.

3. John’s Origins and Early Activities.

Luke informs us that John was born into a pious and priestly family, to parents well
advanced in age (Lk 1). He also informs us that John’s father, Zechariah, served in
Herod’s Temple and that he and his family lived in a town in the Judean hill country (Lk
1:39). Luke 1:36 tells us that his mother, Elizabeth, was a female relative of Jesus’
mother, Mary. The Greek word sungenis is a general term which could refer to an aunt or
a cousin. In any case, Jesus grew up in Nazareth, John apparently in Judea. 6 Scholars are
of different opinion regarding John as a member of the Qumran community. Several
arguments are drawn for and against his membership in the Qumran community. Any
how in the New Testament there are no clear references to John’s participation in the
community of Qumran.

3.1. John in the infancy narrative

Luke establishes the beginning point for his account in the heartland of Jewish piety
attached to the temple. John’s parents are exemplary law-keeping Jews of the first order
and Zechariah is a priest (1:5–6). Not only that, but the decisive impetus for all that is to
follow takes place when Zechariah has his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to offer incense
before the Lord at the altar of incense (1:9): no lesser figure than the angel of the Lord,
Gabriel himself, confronts Zechariah in the temple (1:11). The infancy narratives begin
and end in the temple (cf. 2:41–51), the whole Gospel account begins and ends in the
temple (cf. 24:53), and Jesus is taken off to trial and execution from a daily temple
teaching ministry (21:37–38). In Acts as well the temple is a focus of Christian loyalty
from chap. 2 to chap. 26.
By means of OT allusion the events of John’s beginnings are shown to reiterate the shape
of God’s acts in the past on behalf of his people. And while these are taken up onto a

5
John Nolland, Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 35a: Luke 1:1-9:20, (Texas: Word Books, 1998)13
6
Joel G Green, McKnight, Scot; Marshall, I. Howard, eds., Dictionary of…

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higher level (1:14–15; cf. 7:26) and given an eschatological setting (1:17), there is
nothing here that goes beyond the reach of existing Jewish piety.7

Taken alone, the Baptist infancy material would celebrate the greatness of John and his
connections with the eschatological purposes of God. But Luke does not allow even for a
moment to take them alone. He interrupts the Baptist account immediately after its first
episode to set alongside it the annunciation of the birth of Jesus, follows this up with the
meeting of the two mothers, and has the prophecy of Zechariah to be more a celebration
of the Davidic saviour than of his prophetic precursor, John. The significance of the
account of John’s origins is controlled by being clamped closely together with that of
Jesus’ origins (the two promised sons represent the one purpose of God). By this means,
at every stage, as the accounts are allowed to unfold in parallel, it is shown that this one
than whom none greater has been born of woman (7:28) is, nevertheless, to be totally
overshadowed by the coming of the one who is mightier than he (3:16).8

4. Links to the OT

The New Testament Gospels speak of the prophetic role of John the Baptist. In Luke 1:17
the role of John is referred to as being "to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,
and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the
Lord." In Luke 1:76 it is said as "...thou shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare his
ways" and in Luke 1:77 as being "To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the
remission of their sins."

There are several passages within the Old Testament which can be interpreted as being
prophetic of John the Baptist in this role. These include a passage in the Book of Malachi
3:1 that refers to a prophet who would prepare the way of the Lord. Again at the end of
the next chapter in Malachi 4:5-6, it is mentioned that the Lord will send the Prophet
Elijah before the dreadful day of the Lord and he shall turn the hearts of the people

The Jews of Jesus' day expected Elijah to come before the Messiah; this is why the
disciples ask Jesus in Matthew 17:10, 'Why then say the scribes that Elias must first
come?.' The disciples are then told by Jesus that Elijah came in the person of John the
Baptist.

4.1 OT allusions in the infancy narrative

The elements of the encounter between the angel and Zachariah have clear
antecedents in the OT. As regular as the fear provoked by a divine visitation is the
reassuring “do not fear” (Gen 15:1; Judg 6:23; Dan 10:12, etc). Childlessness is an
occasion for prayer in Gen 25:21; 30:22; 1 Sam 1:10–13, 17. Of the various OT divine
birth announcements the closest is Gen 17:19, but Judges 13:3 is followed immediately
by the motif of abstinence found in Luke 1:15. The name John (“God has been gracious”)

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John Nolland, Word Biblical…

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is based on the experience of answered prayer, just as the names divinely given in the OT
reflect the experience there of God’s action (cf. esp. Gen 17:19).
The joy anticipated in v 14 is more than that of happy parenthood: it is the joy of the
eschatological fulfillment (cf. 2:10; 10:17; 24:41, 52). John’s greatness is to be located in
a special consecration to God and in his significance for salvation history. As a symbol of
consecration he will fulfill the Nazirite abstinence from alcohol (Lev 10:9; Judg 13:14 cf.
v 7), and surpassing all the prophets, he will in an anticipative way experience the
eschatological gift of the Spirit, being filled with the Spirit even before birth. Like the
servant of Isa 49:5 his task will be to restore Israel to God, coming ahead before the great
day of the Lord (cf. Acts 2:20). Like Elisha, John will operate with Elijah’s spirit and
power (2 Kgs 2:9, 15), and as the anticipated Elijah figure of Mal 3:1; 4:5, 6, he will unite
the generations in God, and yet further, following the pattern of Dan 12:3, he will turn
many from ways of disobedience to wisdom and righteousness, in expectation of the near
approach of the end of the days9

5. Baptist Community

John had a considerable number of disciples who followed his practices and preaching is
indicated in various Gospel sources (Lk 11:1;Jn 1:35; 3:25–36). Indeed, the Johannine
material suggests some of Jesus’ first disciples were originally John’s disciples (this idea
is not found in the Synoptics). Acts 18:25; 19:1–7 speaks of the followers of John active
in the scenario of the early Christianity.10 John the Baptist is mentioned by various early
Christian writers such as Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Hippolytus and Origen. He figures in
several apocryphal Christian works such as the second-century Gospel according to the
Hebrews, the Proto evangelium of James, and according to Epiphanius he is mentioned in
the nonextant Gospel of the Ebionites. Mention should also be made of the references to
John’s disciples in the Clementine Recognitions I.60, where one of John’s disciples is
said to claim that John was the Messiah (Farmer).11

6. Conclusion

The Third Evangelist places John within his broader schema of salvation history as a
notable figure in the historical chain of events initiated by God’s intervention into Israel’s
history at the turn of the era. He also places more explicit stress than either Mark or
Matthew on John’s ministry involving “good news. Like a painting placed inside a
beautiful frame, John the Baptist's ministry is bracketed between the historical context
and the context of Old Testament hope.

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John Nolland, Word Biblical...
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Joel G Green, McKnight, Scot, Marshall, I. Howard, eds., Dictionary of…
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Joel G Green, McKnight, Scot, Marshall, I. Howard, eds., Dictionary of…

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Bibliography

Buttrick George Arthur ed., John The Baptist, The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the
Bible. New York: Abingdon Press, 1962

Freedman, David Noel, ed., The Anchor Bible Dictionary. New York: Doubleday,
1997

Green, Joel G.; McKnight, Scot; Marshall, I. Howard; eds, Dictionary of Jesus
and the Gospels. Downer’s Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1998.

Nolland, John, Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 35a: Luke 1:1-9:20. Texas:
Word Books, 1998

Fr Mathews Alex Brince