Why Was John The Baptist Preaching In The Wilderness?

In Luke 1:5-25, we learn about John the Baptist’s parents, and we see that John is a priestly figure. His father Zechariah is a temple priest, and his mother Elizabeth is a descendant of Aaron, the very first priest. 30 years later, why was John in the wilderness?

Bishop Robert Barron – Daily Gospel Reflection, December 19, 2024

The first question is, “Why is this son of a priest not working in the temple?” And the second is, “Why are the people going out from Jerusalem to commune with him?” The answer to the first is that he is engaging in a prophetic critique of a temple that has gone bad. And the answer to the second is that he is performing the acts of a purified temple priest out in the desert. His baptism was a ritual cleansing and a spur to repent, precisely what a pious Jew would have sought in the temple.

And the picture becomes complete when Jesus arrives to be baptized, and John says, “Behold, the Lamb of God.”

This is explicitly temple talk. He is saying that the one who is to be sacrificed has arrived. He is the fulfillment of priesthood, temple, and sacrifice. The priestly figure has done his work, and now he fades away.

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