John the Baptizer is a central figure in the New Testament, being sent as the forerunner of Christ to prepare hearts for the One who would come after him. Imagine for a moment that you could write a letter to John the Baptizer and ask him some questions. What would you ask?
“Dear John, who was Jesus?” This man who had a front-row seat to the coming of Jesus knew exactly who Jesus of Nazareth was. Jesus was (and is) Jehovah God. John came to “Prepare the way of Jehovah” (Matt. 3:3; John 1:23; Isa. 40:3), and that was Jesus. Jesus was not “a god”—Jesus was the God! John knew that Jesus “was before me” (John 1:30), as the eternal God (cf. John 1:1), and he taught unequivocally that “this is the Son of God” (John 1:34), and “is above all” because He was “from above” (John 3:31). John pointed his disciples to Christ as, “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
“Dear John, what was your relation to Jesus?” John would have us to know that he was merely “the voice” (John 1:23) promised by God, to prepare the world for the long-awaited “bridegroom” (John 3:29). John humbly recognized his place and introduced Jesus was the One “whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose” (Mark 1:7). Assuring his followers that Jesus “speaks the words of God” and you must “believe” in Him to have “everlasting life” (John 3:34-36), John knew that his mission was complete and said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).
“Dear John, what is involved in repentance?” John preached a great deal about repentance—a very difficult and unpopular subject for preaching in any era. He taught that it was essential for entrance into “the kingdom” (Matt. 3:2). To those who came to be baptized, he insisted that true repentance of sins involved that one “bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Matt. 3:8). Repentance was a change of mind that required a change of action.
“Dear John, what is the purpose of baptism?” John’s baptism was “from heaven” (Matt. 21:25-26), therefore, it had a heavenly purpose. John was clearly “preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3). The purpose of John’s baptism was for one to obtain forgiveness of sins.
“Dear John, is it all that critical to hold to the pure doctrine of God?” John preached to the hypocritical Pharisees and Sadducees that “every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Luke 3:9). That’s strong language. He later preached repeatedly to the king living in adultery, “It is not lawful for you to have her” (Matt. 14:4). Preaching the truth cost him his life (Mark 6:19-28).