Introduction

Have you ever read a passage of Scripture and wondered, “Why did God put this in His Word, and what does it mean?” You know it must have some importance—every word of God does—yet the meaning isn’t immediately clear. The Bible was written by prophets and saints inspired by the Holy Spirit, and God has preserved His Word for every generation. Still, there are moments when we read something and realize we don’t fully understand what God is trying to show us. The issue is never the importance of the passage—we know God wants us to know what it means—but sometimes we are lacking understanding.

Nothing in Scripture is there by accident. Every event, every story, every spoken word is there to convey the magnitude of God’s love for us and the extraordinary lengths He went to in order to save His creation. One of the events in the Bible that puzzled me for years was this: Why did John have to baptize Jesus? And why did it happen at the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry? Even John himself wondered. Yet the answer to this is critical to fully understanding the role Jesus was anointed to step into—the role of “Messiah.”

In order to fully understand why John had to baptize Jesus, we must first understand who John was and why Jesus insisted on this moment, saying to him: “Permit it to be so now, for it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he allowed Him” (Matthew 3:15).

John the Official High Priest

John was not just any prophet—he was a direct descendant of Aaron, the first High Priest of Israel. Both of his parents, Zachariah and Elizabeth, were from the High Priest’s line. Their DNA and bloodline were pure. When it comes to the priesthood for the house of God, this was a massive deal. Those serving were required to be pure in genealogy and pure in spirit.

“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zachariah, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.” — Luke 1:5

Centuries earlier, King David had divided the priesthood (the sons of Aaron) into twenty‑four priestly divisions so that every priest had the opportunity to serve in the Temple. Throughout the year, each division went to the Temple to serve during its appointed time. During that service, the priests cast lots to determine who would perform the various services within the Temple.

Rabbinical writings record that the priest who performed the incense offering to God would have a tremendous blessing follow him all his days. David wanted that blessing to be shared among all the priests. The assignment was considered so sacred and so blessed that a priest was allowed to perform it only once in his lifetime. The blessings were so great that another priest was asked to accompany him. The blessings would also fall upon the accompanying priest and both men were blessed for the rest of their lives.

“One who has had the privilege to offer the incense is rewarded by the Holy One with wealth and prosperity forever, in this world and the next.” — Talmud

The incense offering was the most precious duty in the Temple because it represented the prayers of the saints.

“…golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” — Revelation 5:8

God longs to talk with us and to hear from us. Our prayers rise before Him like sweet incense. He desires fellowship. He desires a real relationship with us.

So why am I talking about the incense offering while explaining who John was? It’s because of John’s parents and the miraculous events that transpired for them. They were elderly and had yet to have a child. Zachariah was almost too old to serve in the Temple and was nearing the end of his priestly service. Then, in a miraculous turn, he was chosen by lot to perform the incense offering. His time was long overdue, and the other priests sent him in alone, breaking tradition so that Zachariah could receive the full blessing himself.

Inside the inner room, another miracle unfolded. He was greeted by Gabriel, the messenger angel, who announced that Zachariah and Elizabeth would finally have a child—a son who would be no ordinary child. John would be a gift from God and would have a very special role. He would be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb. He would come in the spirit and power of Elijah. He would prepare the way for the coming Messiah. This was no ordinary moment in history. It marked the beginning of a new era—the age of the Messiah.

“He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.” — Luke 1:15
“He will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah.” — Luke 1:17
 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet…” — Malachi 4:5

Even Jesus clearly stated who John was and his role: “If you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come” (Matthew 11:14).

Because of his miraculous birth and the events surrounding his father, everyone knew about John. You know that talk spread quickly through the priestly circles and their families about Gabriel’s appearance and the message he delivered. This prophet and priest—John—was born to parents who were both descendants of Aaron, the high priest. And Gabriel himself declared how great John would be. Not to mention, even before he was born, he was filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:41). John—truly the greatest priest of his generation.

In the Talmud—which contains Jewish records from that time period—it is noted that the office of the High Priest was the most corrupt in all of Israel’s history. Rome controlled who served as High Priest, and many of the priests appointed were not even from the line of Aaron. Most were from the tribe of Levi. They were installed like political figures to gain social status, not because of holiness or lineage. ~ Yoma 9a, 19b

To really put John into perspective, he was the most qualified man in Israel to serve as High Priest. They all knew it. They all watched him as he grew. They all knew he was something special. His life was sealed and confirmed by God Himself, and that certification message was delivered by Gabriel to his parents.

But the temple system was so corrupted that John never associated himself with it. Though he never served in the temple as High Priest, he remained the only one who actually met the biblical qualifications for that office.

John was the official, anointed High Priest of his day—and this High Priest was appointed to usher in the day of the Lord, to prepare the way for the Lord Jesus. As Gabriel declared: “To make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17).

John the prophet. John the priest. John, in the spirit of Elijah. John, filled with the Spirit of God before birth. John’s DNA was pure from the line of Aaron—the brother of Moses—who was the first High Priest of Israel. And in that God-given role, John pointed beyond himself to the One greater than all priests: the Messiah, the King of Righteousness, the One in the order of Melchizedek.

To be continued…

Coming next: Part 2 John—The Only True High Priest in His Day

Part 3 King of Righteousness

Part 4 Messiah is Melchizedek

Part 5 Jesus Prepares the Disciples for Melchizedek Service