John the Baptist
The Voice in the Wilderness
In Mark’s Gospel
"The beginning of the gospel" opens with him: "Behold, I send my messenger before your face"
Mark 1:1-3, quoting Mal 3:1 and Isa 40:3
Preached "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins"; crowds from Jerusalem and Judea came to him
Mark 1:4-5
Proclaimed: "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
Mark 1:7-8
Baptized Jesus in the Jordan — the heavens torn open, the Spirit descending like a dove, the Father's voice: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
Mark 1:9-11
Who they were
- Fearless — confronted Herod to his face (Mark 6:18)
- Humble — "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30); unworthy to untie sandals (Mark 1:7)
- Uncompromising — no flattery for crowds or kings (Matt 3:7; Mark 6:18)
Read about them
Faces of Faith
“Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” — Hebrews 12:1
A keepsake of John the Baptist’s story — the portrait on the front, the key moments on the back.
Faces of Faith cards coming soon to the TruVINE store.
Every claim above is from Scripture unless labeled “Tradition.” Depictions are checked against the WEB text on this site.
