Why did John the Baptist preach of Jesus?

Answer 1

The earliest gospel, Mark's Gospel, is quite contradictory on this point. On the one hand, Mark makes it quite clear that Jesus tried to hide his identity, often telling those he cured no to tell others or reveal his identity. On the other hand, we have John the Baptist announcing that a far greater person would come, baptising people with the Holy Ghost. John's preaching of Jesus to come would be understandable if God wanted Jesus to be well-known. John's preaching of Jesus to come would be understandable if Jesus did not command others not to say who he was, so that some people could realise that he was the one prophesised by John the Baptist.

The Mandaeans say that John the Baptist founded their religion and that the early Christians wrongly took credit for John the Baptist. This claim has not been proven and may never be proven. If it were true, it may be that John and the Mandaeans were unwelcome competition for Christianity. By having John announce in the Christian Gospel that John was preparing the way for one far greater than he, the followers of John could be deceived into becoming Christians.

Answer 2

The gospels tell us that John was baptising for the remission of sins. Mark 1:1-8 also tells of John the Baptist prophesying of one to come, greater than he. Jesus had not yet begun his mission, but John was prophesying the coming of Jesus.

In Mark 1:9, Jesus comes and is baptised, so we are left in no doubt that Jesus is the one of whom John prophesied. When John baptises Jesus, the voice of God from heaven says to Jesus, "Thou art my beloved son." In Mark's Gospel, the story of John and his baptism of Jesus serve as an introduction to Jesus, telling us who he is. The sense of an introduction continues when the Holy Spirit takes Jesus into the wilderness for forty days, ministered by angels just as Elijah was ministered by an angel and in the wilderness forty days (1 Kings 19:5-7). Those familiar with the story of Elijah are likely to have assumed he fasted for the forty days, which brings into play another allusion, to Moses when (Exodus 34:28) he fasted for 40 days while he wrote the words of the Ten Commandments on tablets. Thus the gospel message is not only that Jesus was the one of whom John spoke, but also that he is the son of God and that he will continue to mission of Elijah and Moses.

Mark uses an ancient literary technique, called a parallel structure, to emphasise the importance of the introduction of Jesus. In this, an opening set of events is mirrored by a second, parallel set in order to emphasise and reinforce the message of each event. The event that matches and emphasises the baptism of Jesus is the Transfiguration (event B'). Once again, the voice of God from heaven reinforces this message from the baptism:

A . John explains the coming of Jesus (Mark 1:1-8)

B .The baptism of Jesus (1:9)

C . The voice of God from heaven, "Thou art my beloved son" (1:11)

D . The forty days in the wilderness as an allusion to Elijah and Moses (1:13)

E . The people were astonished at what Jesus taught (1:22)

F . Jesus casts out an unclean spirit (1:23-26)

G . Pharisees took counsel with the Herodians how they might destroy Jesus (3:6)

H . Demons, whenever they see Jesus, fall down and say that he is the Son of God.

-- Jesus commands that they tell no one of this (3:11-12)

I .. Jesus calls the 12 disciples (3:13-19)

J .. Jesus rejects his own family: he has a new family, his followers (3:31-35)

K . Jesus rebukes the wind (4:36-41)

L . The demoniac, wearing no clothes (5:15), cries out that Jesus not torment him and Jesus sends out the demons (5:1-20)

M . Jesus comes into his own country (6:1)
-- Where he was brought up

N . The people misunderstand Jesus and he can do no mighty work (6:2-6)

O . Jesus sends out the disciples and curses those who will not receive them (6:7-11)
-- in sending the disciples with authority and expecting all to receive them, Jesus is asserting his own authority

P . Herod thinks that Jesus is John the Baptist risen from the dead (6:14)

Q . Herodias and her daughter conspire to kill John the Baptist (6:16-29)

R . Feeding the thousands, and related miracles and discourses (6:33-8:21)

S . Who do people say that I am (8:27)

T . Peter affirms faith in Jesus as the Christ (8:29)

U . Whosoever shall be ashamed of me: of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed (8:38)

V . The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes (8:31a)

W . Be killed and after three days rise again (8:31b)

X . Prophecy of second coming (9:1)- Jesus tells the disciples that some of them would not taste death until they saw the kingdom of God coming with power.

B' .The Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2-3)

C' .The voice of God from heaven, "This is my beloved son" (9:7)

D' . Jesus talks to Elijah and Moses then to the disciples about Elijah (9:4-13)

E' .A great multitude was amazed at Jesus (9:15)

F' .Jesus cast out a dumb spirit (9:17-27)

G' .They shall kill the Son of man and he shall rise on the third day (9:31)

H' .Jesus clarifies his divine status, saying that he is not God: "Why call me good? There is none good but God" (10:18)

I' . Peter says the disciples have left all and followed Jesus (10:28)

J' . Those who have left their family for Jesus have a new family: all Jesus' followers (10:29-30)

K'. Jesus rebukes the 'sons of thunder', James and John (10:35-45 - cf 3:17)

L' .Blind Bartimaeus cries out for mercy and casts off his clothes, then Jesus heals him (10:46-52)

M' .Jesus comes into Jerusalem (11:1-10)
-- Where he will die

N' .Jesus misunderstands the fig tree that can provide no fruit (11:13-14)

O' .Jesus casts out them that sold and bought in the Temple and curses them for making the Temple a den of thieves (11:15-17)
-- Jesus is asserting his authority

P' .Jesus asks whether the baptism of John is from heaven or of men, and the priests, scribes and elders can not answer (11:30-33)

Q' .Parable of husbandmen who conspire to kill the vineyard owner's son (12:1-9)

X' .Prophecy of second coming (chapter 13)

-- on clouds of glory, within the lifetimes of some of those to whom he was speaking

R' .The Last Supper (14:17-25)

S' .Art thou the Christ, Son of God (14:61)

T' .Peter denies Jesus three times (14:66-72a)

U' .And when he thought thereon, Peter wept (14:72b)

V' .The chief priests, elders and scribes delivered Jesus to Pontius Pilate (15:1)

-- Delivering Jesus is a similar concept to rejecting him.
-- Both parts of the pair involve chief priests, elders and scribes

W' .Jesus dies and on the third day rises again (15:37, 16:6)

A' .The young man explains the departure of Jesus(16:6-8)

Just as the message of John is about the coming of Jesus, so the young man in the tomb tells the women of the departure of Jesus, at the end of the gospel (event A'). Mark's Gospel originally ended at this verse (16:8) and the 'Long Ending' (verses 16:9-20) was added much later.