The New Testament names several prophets. Among them, John the Baptist, John the apostle, and Jesus Christ figure the most prominently. By studying these men, we can gain additional insights into what it means to serve Christ with devotion, zeal, and humility.

John the Baptist: The One Who Prepares the Way

John the Baptist fulfilled the prophecies of Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1 by preparing the way for Israel’s Messiah. In the ancient world, road conditions were unpredictable, particularly outside of Rome. When a king conquered new territory, he would dispatch people to prepare a smooth roadway through the unfamiliar land so that the king could survey his spoils. This preparatory work was the essence of John the Baptist’s ministry: he was the one sent ahead, into the wilderness, to prepare a path for the Messiah by calling God’s people to repentance and urging them to prepare their hearts.

Total Devotion. In the tradition of Elijah, this unusual man was totally devoted to his ministry. John the Baptist was one of only three life-long Nazarites identified in the Bible. (Samson and Samuel are the other two.) This vow meant his parents consecrated him, or set him apart, before birth to serve the Lord and to uphold specific requirements of the Nazarite vow. During John’s ministry, people flocked to the desert to hear his preaching and receive his baptism. At one point, a dispute arose between John’s disciples and some Jews, but John was never distracted from his mission. He kept an eternal perspective and yielded to Jesus’s ministry:

John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:27-30)

John the Baptist kept an eternal perspective and yielded to Jesus’s ministry.

John understood his role and maintained his priorities. He was just as comfortable being the voice in the wilderness as he was baptizing thousands in the desert because the only thing that mattered to him was to be God’s person, in God’s place, doing God’s will, at God’s time.

The Greatest Prophet. Jesus described John the Baptist as “more than a prophet” and went on to say, “there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist” (Luke 7:26, 28). Even though he performed no miracles and died a martyr, John the Baptist fulfilled his calling in every sense of the word (John 10:41; Mark 6:27-28). He paved the way for the Savior, and he modeled discipleship for the Savior’s followers. John’s passion, preaching, and prophecy persuaded many to follow God (Luke 7:29).

John the Baptist’s legacy leaves no room for arrogance or apathy. Dietrich Bonhoeffer has said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”¹ John the Baptist was born as a forerunner who prepared the way for the Messiah. He earned the people’s trust and respect as a prophet (Matthew 14:5). He died as a martyr who proclaimed God’s Truth.

John: The Disciple Jesus Loved

The apostle John held a distinct advantage as he penned his Gospel and prophesied Jesus’s return, for he was one of the Lord’s closest friends. John was present with Jesus at some of the most critical moments in His ministry, and Jesus entrusted him with the care of His mother, Mary (John 19:27). Throughout his Gospel, John modestly refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” waiting until the next-to-last verse to reveal that he was that disciple (21:24). John’s only notable fault seems to be his overly ambitious zeal for the Lord (Mark 10:35-41; Luke 9:54-56). While John the Baptist supported Jesus’s ministry from afar, John the apostle was the Lord’s constant companion and devoted disciple.

The apostle John recorded seven major miracles of Christ, each focusing on a different dimension of Christ’s deity.

John’s Gospel. John’s written works portray the same zealous passion for God’s kingdom that characterized his daily life. In every regard, John’s Gospel reveals Jesus as the authentic way to life, both in heaven and on earth. John recorded seven major miracles of Christ, each focusing on a different dimension of Christ’s deity. His Gospel emphasizes Jesus’s fulfillment of prophecy and concludes with, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31).

John’s Letters. In his later years, John penned three epistles, or letters, and the mysterious prophecy of Revelation while in exile on the lonely isle of Patmos. These works provide unique insight from the longest living disciple—from one who had the opportunity to help found Christ’s Church and then evaluate its progress. Full of fervor, his letters admonish readers to hold fast to the Truth and to stick to the basics. John spoke against false teachers who created divisions in the Church while encouraging his readers toward the same type of intimate, day-by-day, moment-by-moment spiritual walk with Jesus that he had enjoyed.

John’s Prophecy. At some point during John’s exile, the risen, glorified Jesus Christ appeared to His beloved disciple in all His glory, prompting John to write Revelation. This book carried specific messages of encouragement and warning for the churches in Asia, but the letters also inform today’s Church. After addressing the Asian churches, John describes visions of warfare, judgment, and ultimate victory for Christ the Lamb and King. These visions are difficult to understand; they require having “ears to hear” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22), but God promises a special blessing for those who peer into the future with John (1:3).

Lining up John’s various writings reveals a continuum of faith. His Gospel calls us to obey Jesus, trusting His promises and deity. His letters call us to walk daily with the Lord, clinging to the Truth. His Revelation calls us to endure for the Lord and to anticipate ultimate victory. In everything John wrote, his goal was to portray Christ as the divine Son of God, clothed in human flesh, sent to save all who believe in Him (John 1:14; 3:16; 20:30-31).

Jesus Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King

It may seem strange to classify the Son of God as a prophet, but the Bible supports this treatment. In the words of Deuteronomy 18:18, “I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.” On two different occasions, the disciples quoted this verse and explained Christ’s fulfillment of it (Acts 3:22; 7:37).

When we consider the purposes and marks of a prophet, Jesus fulfilled all of them.

When we consider the purposes and marks of a prophet, Jesus fulfilled all of them. In John 1:1, He was called “the Word.” Later, He stated that He did not speak His own words but those of the Father (John 7:16; 8:28; 17:6-8). As the Word, Jesus brought glory to God by calling people to repentance and obedience. Finally, He precisely and accurately prophesied about future events, including End Times (Matthew 16:21; 26:34; 24—25; 27—28; Acts 1:8).

Healing and Miracles. During His earthly ministry, Jesus performed the greatest cluster of healing and miracles witnessed by mankind. Although Scripture records several of these, John tells us, “Truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31). These miracles attested to the arrival of the kingdom of God, proved Jesus’s deity, and imparted confidence to those who believed His claims.

Glorifying the Father. As a prophet, Jesus demonstrated His anointing through miracles, healing, and teaching. But His purpose was not to bring glory to Himself; His goal was to glorify the Father (John 14:13). Just as John the Baptist knew he must decrease so that Jesus may increase, Jesus knew His adoring crowds must ultimately yield to an agonizing crown. His glory had to decrease so that the Father’s glory might increase. Jesus knew His miracles would incite the hatred of influential Jews. He performed them despite the publicity they would create, not because of it. Jesus came to be the Suffering Servant, prophesied by Isaiah, who would bear our griefs and carry our sorrows (chapter 53). So, in the tradition of the prophets, Jesus’s signs were never erected for their own sake; they always pointed to the Father.

¹Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (New York: Macmillan Books, 1959), 7.