John, the baptist

A prophet who was a relative of Jesus. His parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, were quite old when he was born. When he was a young man, John preached in the wilderness near the Jordan River just north of the Dead Sea. There he lived simply, eating locusts and wild honey, and wearing rough garments of camel hair. He told his listeners that they must be willing to change, treat people fairly, and share what they had with others. Many thought John was the coming Messiah. John’s job was to prepare people for the coming Savior. John baptized those who wanted to turn to God and change their ways. One day as John was baptizing, Jesus asked to be baptized. At first John refused, but Jesus insisted. Some of John’s followers, like Andrew, became disciples of Jesus after John told them that Jesus was the promised Savior.

Later, John the Baptist was imprisoned by Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee. John had said that Herod was wrong to have married the wife of his half brother. While in prison, John sent some of his friends to ask Jesus if He really was the promised Messiah. Jesus told them to assure John that He was. John was killed after Herod’s stepdaughter asked for his head as a reward for her dancing at one of Herod’s banquets.