John the Baptizer

Title ideas:John prepared people to receive Jesus.Are you ready?

Six months before Jesus was born, an elderly couple [Zechariah and Elizabeth] bore [became parents to] a child whom they named John. They were Mary’s relatives.

John grew up in a wilderness where he became strong in body and in spirit.

John wore clothes made from camel’s [animal’s] hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. He found his food [locusts and wild honey] in the wilderness.

While John was in the wilderness, God spoke to him, telling him that the promised Messiah would soon come, whom the Jews had been awaiting for hundreds of years.

All this happened while Pilate was the [Roman] governor over the country where the Jews lived [Judah land].

John stayed near the Jordan River, where he began traveling about preaching [announcing], telling people, “Stop doing evil and be baptized [pass under the water to signal/show that you want to be pure], and [then] God will forgive you!”

Many people were coming from Jerusalem [city] and from Judah Land to the Jordan River to listen to John and to be [get] baptized [by him].

When religious leaders and political leaders would come to John to be baptized, he would warn them:

“You men are like snakes! You cannot escape from punishment by God, only because Abraham is your ancestor!

“You must show that you have repented [turned from your sins / stopped your evil actions] by changing how you live. You must live in a way that pleases God!”

When people would ask John, “What must we do?” he would reply, “Share your food and your clothes with those who have none!”

When tax collectors [government officials] would ask John, “What must we do?” he would reply, “Do not collect [take] more tax money than what you must [than what the government requires]”

When soldiers would ask John, “What must we do?” he would reply, “Do not rob people or accuse them falsely! Be content with your pay [stipend]!”

When people would ask John, “Are you the promised Messiah?” he would reply, “No! I am not he!”

John promised to everybody, “Someone who is greater [more important] than I is coming. Myself, I am not worthy [important enough] to untie his sandals!

“I baptize you with [in / under] water, but the one who is coming will baptize [completely cover or submerge] you with God’s Holy Spirit. He will accept repentant persons and will punish [repulse / reject] those who do not repent!

“Myself, I am the one whom the prophet named Isaiah foresaw [meant] when he wrote [long ago]: Someone is shouting in the wilderness; prepare yourselves for the Lord’s coming!”