(Following the Footsteps of Christ) the Ministry Begins — Willie Mullan

772 please, 772 throughout the lifeline, across the dark waves, there is a brother whom someone should save, somebody's brother, or who then will dare to throw out the lifeline, his peril to share, 772 please.

Christ’s Ministry Begins at Thirty

Chapter 3 please, Gospel by Luke, and we're at the third chapter, for some weeks now, in fact for six weeks past, we've been following the footsteps of Christ, and we looked at the miraculous conception for one of those evenings, and then we followed Mary and Joseph from Nazareth down to Bethlehem, and we looked at the birth of Christ, and we looked very carefully at the babe of Bethlehem, and then we took an evening on the circumcision of Christ, and then the presentation of the child in the temple at Jerusalem, and then we followed him on down into Egypt, and we looked at the boyhood days, and we looked at the childhood days, and the babyhood days of Jesus, and now we take a dump this evening because not much has given us, in fact nothing at all, about the early young manhood days of Jesus.

We come to meet him now when he's 30 years of age. Well it looks gospel, and we're at chapter 3 and verse 23, and Jesus himself began to be about 30 years of age, being as was supposed, and you can see there's a parenthetical bit that the writer has put in, because all the people up at Galilee really believed that he was the son of In fact he was called the carpenter's son right throughout Galilee.

But we're meeting him here when he's about 30 years of age, and it was then that his public ministry began. So we're beginning this evening with the ministry of Christ, and two great things happened as his ministry began.

John the Baptist’s Witness to Christ

John the Baptist gave great witness to him, and we're going to take time to look at the witness of the Baptist. And I believe that when we have looked at all that John had to say about Jesus, we'll come to the conclusion that John witnessed or testified to his deity, and to his all-sufficient, so to say.

But then there's another great witness here as the ministry begins. It is not only the witness of the Baptist, John the Baptist himself, but it is the witness of baptism. For our Lord Jesus was baptized, baptized by John in Jordan.

And I think that when we get that tidied out of this evening, you'll find that John witnessed to the deity and sufficiency of Christ, and that this great mode of baptism witnessed to the humanity and the sincerity of Christ.

So that's the path we're going along, and there are problems way down deep in the heart of the subject this evening. But let's go to Matthew's Gospel, because we must bring all the Gospels with us this evening.

Matthew's Gospel, chapter 3, please. And at verse 13. Matthew 3, verse 13. Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized with him. And I think you can visualize the Lord Jesus breathing a breath and crossing the Jordan up here, because on this occasion he did not come through Samaria, but crossed the Jordan on the usual route over to the Golan Heights, came down what we call the Syrian side of the Jordan, and came to Bethabara, just beyond Jordan, where John was baptized.

Remember his age, he was about 30 years of age. Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized with him. Do you notice that this chapter begins like this? Chapter 3, verse 1. In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Now I think you know this without us turning the pages, that John the Baptist was six months older than Christ. I think you remember the angel coming to the Virgin Mary and saying, thou shalt come seethe in my womb and bring forth a son.

And then the angel said that Elizabeth, my cousin, because Elizabeth was a cousin of the Virgin Mary's, the angel said, thy cousin Elizabeth is already six months with child. Three months later John the Baptist was born, and they must cross six months later the Lord Jesus was born.

So that John the Baptist was six months older than Christ. This book doesn't tell us that they met, but I'm perfectly sure they did. I think that when Mary and Joseph came down when Christ was 12 years of age down to the temple, it was the great Passover feast.

I'm perfectly sure that Elizabeth and Zacharias and John the Baptist was there too. But the book doesn't give us any details, therefore we cannot go into it. And it seems that these two boys were kept much apart until both of them became men.

And when Christ was certainly and John was just over it, they meet at the Jordan. Because John the Baptist had a very wonderful job in life. You know, God sent John. Let's look at John's gospel for a moment or two.

Being Sent by God to Bear Witness

John's gospel, chapter 1 verse 6. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness. And there's a lot of things there that we could take time with. You see, if a picture is going to be the picture to the nations who witness for Christ, the first thing that he must be absolutely sure about is this, that he's sent by God.

Because how can you preach except you defend? And we get far too many young fellows now, because they've got a smattering of education, who start to make up their minds that they're going to be preachers.

God pity you. You haven't as much sense as you think you have. Because most of you children here can go to a Bible school and pass, pass with honors. But that doesn't make you a preacher. I've seen so many of them.

And the church helps them. And you turn their money into them. And they may still, after it's all spent, just because they were never sent. That's all. So just take your time, you know. Make absolutely sure about it.

And I'll tell you, we too, that if God sends you, your own name will do you. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. You don't need to be the very doctor, reverend, this or that, or the other, you know.

Just John will do you if you're sent. Because I intend to end my life, Willie Mullen. And nobody will change it. And I don't want to change. Somebody said to me not so long ago, do you want me to write to one of the universities in America to become a doctor?

I'll do as I am. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. That's how God conducts affairs. If it's potpourri you want, well, you need to go to North Street, don't you? Now, let's get the hold of this.

He was sent. And his own name would do him all right. And I'm sure his own collar would do him too. But I needn't go into that tonight, need I? Walked into a hospital one day, me Roman Catholic nurse.

I knew she was Roman Catholic by looking at her. She said, you haven't got all her long collars. I says, do you think this is a square one? Ah, when you're sent, you know. When you're sent, it'll do. And your name will do you.

You don't need to fiddle around when you're sent. I'll tell you a wee thing. The Lord never wanted to make the picture attractive. The Lord wants you taking up of a message more than the man. So John will do, or Willie will do, or Willie will do.

Just whatever way you like it. Well, let's get this now. Sixth thought, verse six. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness. He was sent specially to be a witness to Christ.

To bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. Now just watch him witnessing. See, verse fifteen. John bear witness of him.

That is, John bear witness of Christ, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I speak. He that cometh after me, their six months after me, is prepared before me, for he was before me. You know, he's a witness to Christ's pre-existence.

In fact, in one word, he's a witness to Christ's eternality. He believed all that's in this gospel, you know, that in the beginning was the Word. He's witnessing now to Christ's eternality. Watch him again.

See, verse nineteen. And this is the record of John. It's great to see it put in language like that. This is the record of John. When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

John was in the wilderness of Judea in those days. And these priests and these Levites came from Jerusalem, and they got round them in the wilderness and said, Who art thou? And he confessed and denied not, but confessed, I am not the Christ.

You know, this man never got in between the people and Christ at all. This man attracted the people to Christ. He said bluntly, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he said, I am not.

Art thou that prophet? That's the prophet that was talked about in the Old Testament. Moses said, The prophet like unto me shall arise. And they say, Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou?

That we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. My, what a wonderful character he was. You know, he had nothing to say for himself.

He says, I'm just a voice. It's the law that uses my lips. That's all there is to it. I'm only a voice. He didn't think anything about himself. He knew it was the law. He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness.

Make straight the way of the Lord. And he's quoting from the prophecy of Isaiah. And when he said, Make straight the way of the Lord. He's again witnessing to Christ. He's not only witnessing here in John 1 to Christ's eternality, but he's witnessing to Christ's authority.

He says, He's the Lord, you know. I'm the forerunner of the Lord. I'm sent to witness to him. It is something that the Russellites will have to get down to. Because when the babe was born, the angel said unto you, This day in the city of David is born the Saviour of which is Christ, the Lord.

And it was the angel of the Lord that was talking. And it was the glory of the Lord that met up the heavens. And now John the Baptist said, I'm preparing a way for the Lord. I hope you're getting it. Because he was testifying, he was witnessing to the eternality.

And he was witnessing to the authority. He was the Lord. Verse 25,. And they asked him and said unto him, Thou baptizest thou then, if thou be not baptized, nor relieth, neither thou profit. John answered them saying, I baptize with water, but there stand as one among you whom ye know not, he it is, who coming after me is prepared before me, whose shoes latcheth, I am not worthy to unloose.

You see, he was witnessing to the eternality. He walked before me. He was witnessing to the authority, he says he's the Lord. He's witnessing to the superiority. He says, you know, I'm not even worthy to stoop down and lose his shoes.

And I'll tell you, we think you preachers, if you think at all, you'll get yourself out of it. Oh, you'll always exalt Christ. The men that were never sent have something else to talk about you. If the Holy Ghost's taking you up, you'll exalt the Lord and you'll never think that you're anything.

We have a wee man that's over there, he always prays in the prayer meeting, Lord, the pastor's no use. And I always say, hallelujah. Thank God for people who know the man and the purpose and the good.

Oh, yes, anything that's ever done this, it's the Lord that does it. We're just bits of clay, you know, dust and ashes in his sight. And don't get excited ever about the preacher. And if you're a preacher for any sakes, don't forgetting excited about yourself.

It's the Lord you need to exalt. So that he's a witness, isn't he? And he's a good one. He's witnessing to the penalty, and he's witnessing to the authority. And he's witnessing to the superiority of the Lord Jesus.

Verse 28 said, These things were done in Bethlehem above or beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. Now, verse 29 is a great verse. The next day, John sees Jesus coming unto him. He was coming down from Nazareth now, wasn't he?

And he's coming down to that eastern side of the river there. And he's coming to Bethlehem, where John was baptizing. And here are these two great personalities, face to face at last. And John knew all about them.

John had been witnessing for him, and he wasn't there at all. And he says in verse 29, the next day, John sees Jesus coming unto him and says, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

You know, that was a mighty moment in this wonderful story. I think that all the Jews that were gathered round John, and you'll find as you read the story closely, that all Jerusalem and all Judea had gone out to meet John when he was baptizing at Bethlehem.

The Pharisees and Sadducees were there in the hundreds, and yet as John looked upon the face of Jesus, he cried at the top of his voice, Behold the Lamb of God, which is God's Lamb, the one that beareth away the world, the sin, let's keep it the sin, the sin of the world.

You know, he's witnessing to the all-sufficiency of Christ, and the Jews knew exactly what he meant. You know, when John speaks like that, all the Jews that were standing round him knew all about the work of the Lamb, you know.

They could go back in the Old Testament to Genesis 22, and they could see Isaac later from the altar. And then, of course, the Lamb of the Lamb appears, and the Lamb of the Lamb was placed in this doomed sinner's place, and he was set gloriously free.

And that's what you call a Lamb for a man. It's a Lamb for a man. Of course, these old Jews could go back to pass overnight, you remember it. They killed the Lamb, and they put the blood on the mantle and the two side posts of the door, and they were all in the house.

And when the avenging angel went through the land, everybody in the house was perfectly safe, because God had promised, when I see the blood, I will pass over you. But that's what you call a Lamb for a house.

Way back there, these Jews knew about a Lamb for a man, and a Lamb for a house. Now, on the great day of atonement in Israel, there was a Lamb offered for the nation. That's what you call a Lamb for the nation.

That was the day of atonement for Israel. And John knew that they knew about the Lamb for a man, and a Lamb for a house, and a Lamb for the nation. Oh, but this is the Lamb for the world! My, what an exit he was getting over to.

This is God's Lamb. This is the one who is the anti-type of all the types. This is the one that the law and the prophets were talking about in the old economy. This is the Lamb of God. This is the one that bareth away the sin of the world, and he was witnessing to the sufficiency of Christ.

Do you see this, it says here, verse 32? And John, their record saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him, and I knew him not. But he that sent me to baptise with water, the same said unto me.

For the God who sent him, was the God who talked to him in the wilderness. When John was alone, God said unto him, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptiseth with the Holy Ghost.

And I saw, and bare record, that this is the Son of God. He's witnessing, you know, to the Deity now. This is God's Son. Didn't John bear witness? He was a great witness bearer. He bare witness to the eternality of Christ.

He was before me, he said, you know, I know I was born humanly speaking before him, ah, but he was before me. And then he said, he's the Lord, he's the Lord from heaven, he is all the authority of heaven.

And then he says, you know, I'm not worthy to stoop down, and all who suspend us is superior to me. And then he says, he's the Lamb of God, and then he says, he's the Son of God. And the Son of God became the Lamb of God, to bear away the sin of the world.

Christ as Bridegroom and Heir

But you know, John did this most wonderfully, if you look at it from this angle. You can see that in verse 29, that he bore witness that Christ was the Lamb. We'll go to John's Gospel, chapter 3 for a moment.

John chapter 3, verse 25. Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond jogging, to whom thou bearest witness, behold, the same Bob Pheidas, and all men come to him.

John answered and said, the man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He was Christ's forerunner.

Listen to verse 29. He, that hath the bride, is the bridegroom. But the shame of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This my joy, therefore is fulfilled.

You see, he not only said that he was the Lamb, to bear away the sin of the world, but he said he's the bridegroom. And one day the bridegroom will come and he'll take the bride away from the world. One of these nights the bridegroom's voice will be heard.

And you know, he said he was the Christ, and in the last portion we heard, in John's Gospel chapter 1, he said he was the Son of God. But here's another thing, let's get the hold of this. See verse 30 here where we are.

He must increase, but I must decrease. You know, this must be the guilt and hurt of every true witness of Christ. He's getting me dotted about everything else, no matter what happens. He must increase, I must decrease.

What is the matter about me? The more you read of John, the more you can see the kind of man that God sent. This man never got in the forefront. This man was looking for no honours for himself. It was just a humble character who was in the hands of God.

He said in verse 30, he must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all. He knew where Christ came from. He that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth. He that cometh from heaven is above all.

And what ye have seen and heard thus he testifies, and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God.

For God giveth not the spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath taken all things into his hand. What John is testifying now is this, that Christ is the heir of all things. You know he owns everything, you see.

God darn what I have written for you. He was a witness to Christ's eternality. He was a witness to Christ's authority. He was a witness to Christ's superiority. He was a witness to Christ's sufficiency.

He was a witness to Christ's deity. A witness to the Lamb. A witness to the Bridegroom. A witness to the Christ. A witness to the Son. A witness to the heir. What a wonderful thing this is, you know. He's the Lamb to bear away the sin.

He's the Bridegroom to take the church home. He's the Christ to redeem Israel, because he's Israel's King. He's the Son that will glorify the Father. He's the heir of all things, and the best bit about it is that every believer in this meeting is a joint heir with him.

You see as Christ stepped forward, and his ministry begun, then John came forward to give this wonderful testimony. Now the greatest part of tonight's meeting, of course, is about the baptism of Christ.

The Meaning and Mode of Baptism

It's the witness of John. Look at verse 23. John Gospel 3, verse 23. And John also was baptizing in Enon near to Salom, because there was much water there, and they came and were baptized. And I think we should settle forevermore the argument about the mode of baptism.

You see, John went down the river to this place where he was baptizing, and although Mr. Torres is just sitting over there, he and I were down at this place one day, just at this very spot. It's a deep place in the river, where if you step out from the side, you're up to the width of the river right away.

There was much water there. Now I think a man that argues that sprinkling is the mode of baptism must be a fool when he reads this. You wouldn't think you could go down the river to where there was much water that you were going to sprinkle them, would you?

The very fact that it's there must make you think. In fact, you know, we would never ask the truth of believer's baptism on an influence, for that's all it is. But it's a good one. The word baptism in the Greek means to bury.

You have to be buried to be baptized. And the word for sprinkling or pouring is a different word altogether, and no scholar worth his thought would dare to argue that fact. The word would tell you what it means.

It means to be buried. And John went to a place where there was much water so that he could put them under the water and bury them. It's a burial, we'll just see that in a moment. Now I want you to get the hold of this.

You know there's one thing that the three Gospels, Matthew and Mark and Luke are united in. As we go through the Gospels following the footsteps of Christ, we'll come to places where only one Gospel records the events at that place.

That's why it's a difficult task to follow the footsteps of Christ, because you've got to weave in the four Gospels chronologically and find exactly where he was at a particular time and get the thing in its sequence.

Well Matthew and Mark and Luke are united about the baptism, you'll find it in the three Gospels. You see I've taught you already that Matthew, he was writing about the king. Well the king was baptized by a merchant, which gets us quite clear.

And of course Mark was writing about the slave or the servant of Jehovah. Well the servant was baptized by a merchant and Luke was writing about the man. He was writing all about the man Christ Jesus.

Oh well the man was baptized by a merchant and you must know now that it wasn't a kid that was getting sprinkled, for he was 30 years of age. They're united in this, that the king and the slaves and the man was baptized when he was 30 years of age, bar John, down where there was much battle, because it was the burial.

And you can see the unity about the baptism and you can see the maturity about the baptism. He was 30 years of age, so he was a mature man. Of course the big point to that is the necessity of this baptism, was this necessary at all?

Now we've got one or two problems there, that we must take time to find out for this class. You see I believe that there are a great many Baptists who don't know this. They don't know that believers baptism, which is the baptism we practice in this place, just believers.

They don't know that believers baptism and the baptism of John, which is called John's baptism, and Christ's baptism were all different. They were all saying the same thing, you know. Oh I mean they were baptized by a merchant, I know that's what the word means, but when they were put down it was all different.

Well let's get it tidied up properly so that you'll not make any mistakes. You know about believers baptism, let's just say a word about that. Let's come to Mark's Gospel, the last chapter of Mark's Gospel, chapter 16 it is, and it's Resurrection Day, and the Lord is alive.

And verse 14 says,. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, the eleven apostles of course, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not men which had seen him after he was risen.

These were apostles and yet there was a great dose of unbelief in them, and so he had to upbraid them and put them up. And when he had got them onto a level heel he said unto them, verse 15, Go ye into all the world, he's commissioning them now, and preach the gospel, they were to preach the good news, that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.

And that Jesus had come into the world to see his sinners and had died and finished the work and rose again, and that there was a living savior for every sinner who would accept him. They were to go into the world and preach this gospel, this good news about Christ's coming and dying and rising, and they were to preach that to every creature.

And remember there are no limitations there, for some of you after Calvinists think that you just preach to some. Oh not on your life you don't. This gospel goes out to every creature, black and white and red and yellow and learned and illiterate and Protestant and Catholic and Arab and Jew and all the rest of it.

Every creature. Take that gospel to every creature. Tell them about Christ. And then he said this, he said go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, he that believeth. He that believeth what?

He that believeth in the Christ that you are presented. Now the moment that he believeth he's a believer isn't he? Well he that believeth and is baptized. Tell me is that a baby or a believer? Because I would think you're intelligent enough to know.

Who gets baptized, babies or believers? I don't think I need to shout about that, you ought to be able to gather that up from my book. Now believers get baptized and they get baptized by immersion. They get buried, yes they do.

Believer’s Baptism and Union with Christ

You know there's one or two things about believers that I think you should remember. Have a look at 1 Peter here, 1 Peter and it's chapter 3. 1 Peter chapter 3 and the way down the chapter at verse 21.

1 Peter chapter 3 verse 21, the right figure. We're on to even baptism doth also now say thus, not the putting away of the self of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God. You know that's what believers baptism is.

It's the answer of a good conscience towards God. You wouldn't think that the wee baby held in its mother's arms while the minister dipped his finger in water and dropped it on its brow. You wouldn't think that his conscience was answering God would you?

Because if you do come round and have a go with me and I'll tear you apart, mine would be a right school wouldn't it? But a baby's conscience answered God. I can tell you that only a believer can do that.

A believer hears the gospel and knows what Christ has done and he gives himself to Christ. And now in baptism his conscience answers God. Answers God like this, by getting baptized. Now do you see what believers baptism really means?

Have a look at Romans and we're at Romans chapter 6. I think you can never understand Romans 6 unless you take one verse out of chapter 4 and it's verse 20. Chapter 4 verse 20. Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.

You know that's a wonderful thing that no matter how far sin goes, grace goes further. You know grace saves murderers. Men who have blood on their conscience can get saved. Well David murdered the man and so did Moses.

Moses buried him in the sand and they'll both be in heaven. Of course there are some folks in this world when they hear a statement like this, that where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. They're so twisted that they argue like this.

Then let sin more, that there might be more room for more grace. There's a bit of a twist isn't it? So Paul knew that thought of mine and he begins Romans 6 like this. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

That's exactly what some people say. Let's continue in sin that grace may abound. Now here's the answer. God forbid. Then he says how shall we, that is we believers, that are dead to sin live any longer than him?

I shall be true to that. No he not. That so many apostles were baptised into Jesus Christ, were baptised into his death. You know he's talking about believers baptism now. So then he wanted to argue with me once.

He said you know I think that's spirit baptism. And I said somehow it keeps you that the spirit baptises into life. Not into death. I would think that he's the spirit of life isn't it? And I would think that every believer on the face of God's earth, no matter where you come from to life, you've all been baptized by some spirit into one body or you wouldn't be in the body at all.

Therefore if all the believers have had the baptism of the spirit as they're put into the body, you couldn't talk like this. Know ye not that as many apostles were baptised. Oh you can't say as many apostles were if you're talking about the spirit baptism.

I can't look across this congregation and say as many apostles were. Oh no we're all baptised into the one body. But when I talk about believers baptism I can talk as many apostles were. Because we're not all baptised by a mercy.

Now he goes further with this. He says therefore, verse 4, therefore we are buried. Now that's the word. We are buried with him by baptism into death. So the spirit never did that for you. We are buried with him by baptism, that's right out of, that's the bit I wanted to get.

It's just like us. Like us Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the father. This is what believers baptism is all about. You know I hear the gospel, I know Christ died for me. I know that the moment I put the arms of my faith around them I can get saved.

So I become a believer. And my conscience is answering God like this. I'm prepared to be publicly baptised by mercy. Because when I come to this deep water I'm saying Lord as Christ went into death I went in with him.

When he was buried I was buried with him. When he rose again I was with him. And I'm just giving the figure of a great fact. He went through the fact of the figure. I've only to go through the figure of the fact.

That's what believers baptism is all about. It just meet us to find to all and sundry that when Christ died I died. When he was buried I was buried. When he rose again so did I. And I'm walking in newness as life to life.

John’s Baptism of Repentance

Now John's baptism was different. I think that sometimes we don't even see this. It's come back again from Matthew's gospel. Matthew's gospel and we're at this third chapter. Now let's get it quite clear because sometimes I think we read things into the verses.

Verse one. In those days just when Christ was about thirty and John was about six months over it. In those days John the Baptist, King John the Baptist preaching. You know he's preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord make his path straight. You know he was preaching through Judah.

Preaching to the Jews. I hope you know that. It wasn't a campaign you know put it down or anything like that. He had come to the nation into the wilderness of Judea. And this nation had got away from God.

And he's the forerunner of the Messiah. And he's got to get it right with God. So he's crying repent you. This nation needs to repent. And the baptism that John had is called the baptism of repentance.

Don't you forget the whole of this. Watch this. Verse seven. Verse four. The same John had his raiment of camel's hair and a leathering gaggle about his loins. Why did Matthew say that? Because he was dressed like one of the Old Testament prophets.

You see in case we forget this this evening. John was the last of the Old Testament prophets. Now he's not the last prophet in the Old Testament. Mahler tries the last prophet in the Old Testament. But he's the last of the Old Testament prophets.

You know the day of grace is about to begin. For grace came by Jesus Christ. But John belongs to the Old Testament prophets. And he was dressed like one. And he's preaching to the nation. Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around about Jordan.