John the Baptist
John the Baptist was the prophet who prepared the way for Jesus, calling people to repentance and baptizing in the Jordan.
Born to elderly parents in fulfillment of prophecy, John lived in the wilderness and preached a baptism of repentance, drawing crowds with his blunt call to turn back to God.
When Jesus came to him, John baptized him and pointed to him as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” He saw his own role clearly: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
John was imprisoned and beheaded by Herod for confronting the king’s sin, yet Jesus called him the greatest born among women.
Original BibleDawn profile. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy. Scripture quoted from the public-domain Berean Standard Bible.