Mary, the mother of Jesus was a relative of  Elizabeth, the mother of John.   After the angel
appeared to Mary telling her of the coming of Jesus, she went to see Elizabeth and learned
that she, too, was expecting a child.  Now Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah were advanced
in years and their child was a very special child.  He had been chosen by God for a special
mission.  That mission was to prepare the hearts of the people for the coming Messiah.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of John as "the voice of one calling in the desert"  telling the people
to get ready for the coming of Jesus.  John  told them that Jesus would be greater and mightier
than he, and that he was not worthy to even carry the sandals of the Lord.

He was dressed in clothes made of camel's hair and had  a leather belt around his waist.
He lived in the desert and ate locusts and wild honey.

He went through all the country around the Jordan preaching  a baptism of repentance
for the forgiveness of sins.    Crowds of people came confessing their sins and
he baptized them in the Jordan River.

He told them that they must live right.  They asked him what they should do.
He said that if they had two coats they should share with a person who did not
have a coat, and if they had food, they should share with those who did not.

The tax collectors asked what they should do and he told them to be honest in
their collection of taxes and to not collect more than they were required to do.

The soldiers asked what they should do, and he told them to not take money from
people illegally, to always tell the truth and not falsely accuse people.  They were to
be content with their pay and not grumble about it.

John always spoke the truth, even when people didn't want to hear the truth.  He
fearlessly confronted King Herod with the evil things he had done.  Eventually this
stand for the truth would cost John his life.

                                                      Memory Verse

Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John
the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of  heaven is greater than he.
 
                                                                             Matthew 11:11  (NKJV)
  Listen to this story about John at:  http://gardenofpraise.com/bibl36s.htm