Readers disagree
Were John the Baptist and Jesus cousins?
Luke calls Elizabeth Mary’s relative, using a word that does not say how close. “Cousin” is a common guess, from the King James Version.
See Luke 1:36
Around Jesus
Who was John the Baptist?
John was the son of the priest Zechariah and Elizabeth, born when they were old. He lived in the wilderness, called people to turn from their sins, and baptized them in the Jordan River. He baptized Jesus and pointed to him as the Lamb of God. Herod Antipas put him in prison and had him beheaded.
- When
- Born about six months before Jesus. He began preaching about AD 28 to 29 and died a year or two later.
- Read
- Luke 1 and 3, Matthew 3, 11 and 14, John 1 and 3
8 moments
John the Baptist’s life, in order
See where John the Baptist fits on the Bible timeline
Tap a passage to read it here. Each one opens in full in the Lumin Translation.
A son for the old couple
An angel tells Zechariah in the temple that Elizabeth will have a son. He doubts and is struck silent.
His name is John
At the boy’s naming, Zechariah writes “John is his name”, and his voice comes back.
A voice in the wilderness
John preaches in the wilderness of Judea, in camel’s hair, eating locusts and wild honey.
He baptizes Jesus
Jesus comes to the Jordan. The Spirit comes down like a dove, and a voice says, “This is my beloved Son.”
“Look, the Lamb of God”
John points his own followers to Jesus, and two of them leave him to follow Jesus.
“He must increase”
When people tell John everyone is going to Jesus, he is glad.
Doubt in prison
From prison John sends to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is coming?” Jesus points to what is happening, and praises him.
Beheaded
Herod Antipas, at his birthday feast, has John beheaded to keep a promise to Herodias’ daughter.
Read these first
Key verses about John the Baptist
The next day John saw Jesus approaching him and said, “Look! There is the Lamb of God, the one who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:29The Lamb of God
He must grow greater, but I must grow smaller.
John 3:30He must increase
John answered them all, “I baptize you with water, but one who is stronger than I am is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Luke 3:16One more powerful than I
Questions people ask
What the Bible says, and what tradition adds
Each answer is marked: in the Bible, tradition, readers disagree, or not known.
Tradition, not the Bible
Where did John baptize Jesus?
In the Jordan. John’s Gospel names “Bethany beyond the Jordan”. The site near Jericho, on both banks, has been honored since early centuries, but the exact spot is not known.
See John 1:28
Tradition, not the Bible
Where was John beheaded?
The Gospels do not name the place. The Jewish historian Josephus says Herod held John at the fortress of Machaerus, east of the Dead Sea.
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