How did John the Baptist prepare for Jesus' coming?

Answer 1

John was born about six months before Jesus [see Luke 1]. But neither John nor his cousin, Jesus, began their missions until later in their lives, so they were both alive at the same time when John began to "prepare the way" for Jesus.

How he "prepared" the way was through the preaching of "repentance"... the first step toward "salvation" [Jesus' mission].

"I indeed baptize you with water unto REPENTANCE: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, and with fire: whose fan is in His hand, and he will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matt.3:11-12)

John's "baptism with water unto repentance" was to: "...turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." (Malachi 4:6)

"Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary" explains it this way:

"John the Baptist preached repentance and reformation, as Elijah had done. The turning of souls to God and their duty, is the best preparation of them for the Great and Dreadful Day of the Lord. John shall preach a doctrine that shall reach men's hearts, and work a change in them. Thus he shall prepare the way for the Kingdom of Heaven...".

Many people aren't aware that all of Judaea was "looking for the Messiah" to appear around that time. Many understood what John was doing... and John had upwards of 10,000 followers of his own.

Because of his popularity, even the hypocritical Pharisees visited him on occasion to witness some of his baptisms... hoping to find some reason to criticise him... and possibly initiate his public stoning.

A group of these Pharisees ANGERED JOHN... they were the ones to whom he spoke about his mission of water baptism UNTO REPENTANCE.

"...when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O GENERATION OF VIPERS [YOU SLITHERING SNAKES! strong words for these judges and leaders of the Jews], WHO HATH WARNED YOU TO FLEE FROM THE WRATH TO COME? BRING FORTH THEREFORE FRUITS MEET FOR REPENTANCE..." (Matt.3:7-8).

The "baptisms" he told them the Messiah had for them was "two-fold": one; the baptism of the Holy Spirit -- and two; the baptism of FIRE. These are two DIFFERENT baptisms. The Holy Spirit would go to those whose "hearts were turned to God"... and the "baptism of fire" was the "Lake of Fire" for those with the "hardened hearts."

You hear people of some modern denominations of professing Christianity shouting in ignorance to be "baptised with the baptism of fire"... not understanding what it truly means.

But John's mission was to prepare the people for Jesus' appearance. To cause some to "change their ways"... to get them thinking about God, their miserable lives, how they should be conducting themselves before God... turning some people's attitudes in the right direction to meet their Maker. John the Baptist tried to set people on the right spiritual path to the first step of salvation: repentance.

Until a person takes the first step: repentance through faith... then they are not prepared to receive God's gift of the Holy Spirit.

"...Peter said unto them, REPENT, and BE BAPTIZED [John's preparatory baptism] every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the REMISSION OF SINS, and YE SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. [Jesus' baptism]" (Acts 2:38)

"...it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that REPENTANCE [John's preparatory mission] and REMISSION OF SINS [Jesus' followup mission] should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke 24:46-47)

John the baptist was the preparer of the way for the messiah.

John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by having the people repent their sins and baptizing them.

Answer 2

John being the cousin of of Messiah, didn't need to prepare himself, he was already a believer from birth (he leaped in the womb when he heard), but to prepare the people, he baptized them under water for the remission of sins,

SIN is the Transgression of the LawTorah being God's will for us. So says: 1John 3:4 Whoever commits sin transgresses also the Law/Torah: for Sin is the transgression of the Law/Torah. Being the 1st 5 Books. So if there is no sin, then there is no Law of God, but if there is Sin then the Law of God is still in effect. Just remember the last Book before we get the New Testament. Mal.3:6 say YAHVEH changes Not! and to Remember the Law He gave Moses. His Law, not Moses' Law. His law started the day Eve ate the forbidden fruit and God killed the 1st animal and used it's skin to cover them, Cain & Abel gave offerings. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

John baptized people and told them to repent of their sins, make way for the lord was his cry.

Answer 4

by telling people about Him

Answer 5

By baptising the people

Answer 6

By baptizing sinners in the wilderness.