The Baptism of Christ
I’ve recently come across Muslims trying to use the accounts of John the Baptist in the NT to try and discredit the Gospels having a consistent narrative. Of course this isn’t new to Muslims. It’s been a tactic employed by liberals for a couple hundred years. It’s not like modern Muslim apologists are attempting anything new.
When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
– Matthew 11:2-3
Now, how do we understand this in light of other statements in the Bible that show that John the Baptist has a firm view of the true identity of Jesus. Early in Matthew we read:
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
– Matthew 3: 13-14
John the Baptist clearly knows that he needs to be baptized by Jesus Christ because of who He is. We have more information in the Gospel of John.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
– John 1:29
John the Baptist knows of the importance of Jesus Christ. He recognizes that He is the Lamb of God, and the one from whom he needs to attain baptism. Why then does he send his disciples to discover the identity of Jesus Christ.
Many years ago, I was reading the homilies of St. Francis de Sales and he explained this supposed contradiction perfectly. John knew very well who Jesus Christ was early on. If we read Matthew 11 closely, he isn’t sending his disciples so he could find out. He’s sending his disciples so that they could find out. He already knew that Jesus was the Messiah and the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Another reason provided by St. Francis is that he doesn’t want to keep attention focused on himself. He wants his disciples to focus on Jesus Christ since he’s the one set to redeem the world. The death of John the Baptist didn’t provide any atonement for anyone. This certainly wasn’t the case for Jesus Christ who promised an atoning death several times during His ministry.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
– Mark 10:45
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
– John 10:11
There is a consistent testimony in the relationship and connection between Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. They were both cousins and important figures in the history of Israel. One is the Son of God and the other is a holy saint. Matthew 11 doesn’t contradict John 1 in the slightest.
John’s question “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” is quite understandable. John was in prison, and he was waiting for the Messiah to establish the new kingdom, and it would not be surprising if he shared the common belief that the Messiah would be a military leader and king, yet Jesus had not raised the Jews against the Romans. He must have become impatient. It is not a question of not knowing Jesus but one of not fully understanding him.
Jesus’s answer to John was “the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them”, and this referred to the prophecies of Isaiah confirming that he was indeed the Messaish. John will have understood this and should then have realised Jesus would establish the kingdom in an unexpected way.
It had never occurred to me to consider that John sent his followers to Jesus so that they could understand who Jesus was. It is a very interesting idea, but I do not think it is likely as it was only after Jesus was baptised by John and went into the wilderness to fast and to pray and to be tempted by the Devil that it was decided what kind of Messiah he would be. In the wilderness Jesus rejected the temptation of military power and domination, thus he would be a Messiah of an unexpected kind.
–Jesus’s answer to John was “the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them”, and this referred to the prophecies of Isaiah confirming that he was indeed the Messaish.–
The Quran has these also, again as signs. However the Quran lacks any context or explanation as to WHY these are signs, and for WHAT.
Ironically, these are also things only Allah is supposed to be able to do! Once again missing the entire point of who al-Masih really is, and what that title means.