What did John the Baptist say about Jesus that resulted in many Jews in Jesus' time to put faith in him? John 10:41-42

Question

It seems that some of the people during Jesus' time did not give credence to Jesus' accusers accusation in John 10:25-38 but instead were convinced of the truth of what John the Baptist had spoken about Jesus that resulted in them believing Jesus.

John 10: 25-38 ASV Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believe not: the works that I do in my Father's name, these bear witness of me. 26But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep. 27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who hath given them unto me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30I and the Father are one.

31The Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from the Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33The Jews answered him, For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. 34Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are gods? 35If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came (and the scripture cannot be broken), 36say ye of him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the'son of God? 37If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. 38But if I do them, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.

John 10:41-42 ASV And many came unto him; and they said, John indeed did no sign: but all things whatsoever John spake of this man were true, And many believed on him there.

What were all the things that John the Baptist have spoken of about Jesus? What did they believe about Jesus?

Answer 1

In addition to the excellent answer given by Perry Webb, we have the testimony of the Apostle John who, after confessing that the Word was the life and the light of men (in John 1:1-5), said this about John the Baptist:

There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world (John 1:6-9).

This was John the Baptist’s mission, to bear witness (or testify) to the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

John the Baptist gave this powerful testimony regarding Jesus and why it was that people were being baptised by Jesus:

You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less (John 3:28-30).

He also bore witness to the fact that Jesus came from above, from heaven, and is above all:

The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no-one accepts his testimony. The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him (John 3:31-36).

Throughout the Gospel of John the concept of Jesus as the life and the light of men is a constant theme and he declares that the facts about Jesus were amply attested to. Although John the Baptist did not perform miracles, the Jews who witnessed the miracles Jesus performed and who put their faith in him acknowledged he was the Christ (John 7:31) and the very Son of God (John 6:36, 40-42).

Answer 2

Leading up to the time when the virgin Mary gave birth to her first baby, there was great expectancy in Israel that Messiah's arrival was due. This was because of many prophecies in the Hebrew scriptures. That's why we read in the New Testament:

Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister... which things the angels desire to look into. 1 Peter 1:10-12 A.V.

Some of those prophecies were in Genesis 49:10; Numbers 24:17; Isaiah 7:14 & 9:7; Daniel 9:24, and in many other places. Even pagan astrologers from a far country knew something of this, and calculated through movements of the stars that the time had come to make a massive journey, laden with gifts for the new King of Israel. Matthew 2:1-2 shows this.

The birth of a forerunner to Messiah was also predicted in the Hebrew scriptures, who turned out to be John the Baptist. See Malachi 3:1 which Jesus explained in Matthew 11:2-15 when two of John's disciples came to check that Jesus truly was that Messiah. Jesus listed some of the miracles he was doing as proof, then he asked what the crowds had gone out into the wilderness to see. Jesus confirmed that in seeing John the Baptist they were seeing:

"...a prophet, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee... and from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come."

This is a necessary preamble to understanding the impact John's words had before Jesus began his ministry. John was to prepare the people of Israel to receive Jesus as Christ. That is why he exhorted them to

"Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight" (Matthew 3:1-3).

John discharged his duty well. Another answer has quoted many of his actual words, so I will not repeat them here. Thus, when we get to John chapter 10, the crowds already knew about John's ministry and baptising, and those that had repented and had been baptised put two and two together when Jesus spoke of how many miracles he had done. But to the others who so hated him that they wanted to stone him to death, disbelieving him to be the Messiah, Jesus said, "I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep..." Those who had been prepared by John then became followers of Jesus. They turned out to be Jesus' sheep, who recognised his voice, and he knew them, "and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life" (John 10:26-31)

What did they believe about Jesus? you ask: Those prepared ones, Jesus' 'sheep', were enabled to hear his words with understanding, see his miracles, and to believe that he was the foretold Messiah, the long-promised Saviour. They put their faith in him as such, having previously been baptised in repentance of their sins, as John had so prepared them.

Answer 3

The most significant was when John baptized Jesus.

In the Gospel of John:

And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” 24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” 35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. (John 1:19–37, ESV)

In Matthew:

I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:11–17, ESV)

Answer 4

There are several prophecies and references to John the Baptist preparing the way for Messiah such as:

• John 5:35 - And he [John thr Baptist] will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
• Mal 4:5, 6 - Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.d Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
• Matt 17:11-14 - Jesus replied, “Elijah does indeed come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him whatever they wished. In the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that He was speaking to them about John the Baptist.
• Mark 9:12, 13 - He replied, “Elijah does indeed come first, and he restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected? But I tell you that Elijah has indeed come, and they have done to him whatever they wished, just as it is written about him.” [This was John the Baptist.]
• Luke 1:17 - And he [John] will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” [This quote makes Mal 4;5, 6 as being fulfilled in John the Baptist.]
• John 1:6-9 - There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world (John 1:6-9).
• John 1:23 - John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet: “I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ”
• John 1:30 - This is He concerning whom I said, 'After me comes a man who has precedence over me, because He was before me.'

This, the effective ministry of John the Baptist as the one preparing the way for his cousin, Messiah (Jesus) is what helped to make Jesus' ministry more effective and credible.

Answer 5

That very things that the Lord has spoken even more plainly: namely, that He is not a prophet in the same row with all the prophets mentioned in the Holy Scriptures, because even John the Baptist is, in the Lord's words higher than any of the highest of the prophets, and not only of the prophets, but also of all great heroes and all the best representatives of humanity, be they Jew or non-Jew, the likes of Plato, Buddha, or Confucius (Matthew 11:11). However, this best of the bests, John himself, says humbly that he is not worthy of untying even straps of Christ's sandals (Luke 3:16), by which saying John wants his disciples and others to think: who on earth is the man, who is so exceedingly greater than even John - the greatest of all the men ever existing?

And even more paradoxical sayings of John, just to open further the veil of the dreadful mystery, for he says that although he, John, is six months older than Christ, still the latter was before he, John himself, was (John 1:15); this means that unlike any other man, Christ pre-existed His physical-biological birth, for He was even before He was conceived by the virgin Mary. But if so, than He could not have been man in this pre-bodily/biological-emotional state, for any man's essence implies a physicality/biologicality and emotionality. Thus His Personhood, His "He"-ness was before even His physical/bological birth, which is not the case with any other human from Adam till now (unless one adopts Pythagorean-Platonic, or Hindu teaching on pre-existence of souls).

So, then, was He, Christ an angel, a created spiritual-intellectual bodiless Person who took on himself a human nature becoming man? - Impossible! Because angels are ontologically unable to heal human sins, whereas He, as John plainly asserts, will take the sins of all mankind (John 1:29). This equates Him with the Lord God of Israel from Psalm 130:8. And John, moreover, says that baptism provided by him is just a preparatory baptism before the baptism provided by Christ, for the latter baptism, by "Holy Spirit and Fire" (Matthew 3:11) (which "fire" means God's activity as consuming fire /Hebrews 12:29/ that consumes in us sins throughly cleansing us from them) is the real baptism introducing ontological change in men, cleansing them, which baptism also John, being himself a man under Adam's sin, needs (Matthew 3:14). Actually, did not John, being six month only in his mother Elisabeth's womb leap with joy at the presence of the few moths later conceived Lord in the womb of Mary? (Luke 1:41) This joy is expression of joy of all mankind at the advent of the Lord who liberates and cleanses from oppression of sin. But the Baptizer Christ Himself is not in need of the cleansing He provides to mankind, being Himself the Principle of the cleansing alongside with the Father and the Spirit, and such can only God be.