The Preaching of John the Baptist

John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, where he preached that the kingdom of heaven was at hand (Matthew 3:1-2). He was identified as the one spoken of by the prophet Isaiah regarding a voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food consisted of locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:3-4). People from Jerusalem, all Judea, and the region around the Jordan went out to him.

Those who went to John were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins (Matthew 3:5-6). When John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he addressed them as a brood of vipers and questioned who warned them to flee from the coming wrath. He instructed them to bear fruit in keeping with repentance and warned against relying on their lineage as children of Abraham, stating that God could raise up children for Abraham from stones (Matthew 3:7-9).

John stated that the axe was already laid to the root of the trees, and every tree not bearing good fruit would be cut down and thrown into the fire (Matthew 3:10). He explained that while he baptized with water for repentance, one coming after him was mightier than he, whose sandals he was not worthy to carry. John specified that this coming individual would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire, holding a winnowing fork to clear his threshing floor and gather wheat into the barn while burning the chaff with unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:11-12).