施洗约翰
马太福音三章1-6,13-17节
1那时，有施洗的约翰出来，在犹太的旷野传道，说：
2天国近了，你们应当悔改！
3这人就是先知以赛亚所说的。他说：在旷野有人声喊着说：预备主的道，修直他的路！
4这约翰身穿骆驼毛的衣服，腰束皮带，吃的是蝗虫、野蜜。
5那时，耶路撒冷和犹太全地，并约但河一带地方的人，都出去到约翰那里，
6承认他们的罪，在约但河里受他的洗。
13当下耶稣从加利利来到约但河，见了约翰，要受他的洗。
14约翰想要拦住他，说：我当受你的洗，你反倒上我这里来么？
15耶稣回答说：你暂且许我，因为我们理当这样尽诸般的义（或作：礼）。于是约翰许了他。
16耶稣受了洗，随即从水里上来。天忽然为他开了，他就看见神的灵仿佛鸽子降下，落在他身上。
17从天上有声音说：这是我的爱子，我所喜悦的。
信息分享
约翰出来传道的时候，向众人传讲的第一信息是：「天国近了，你们应当悔改！」换句话说，犹太人已经在灵性上准备好接受耶稣基督这位王的来临。
悔改不仅是为到自己做错的事情说声「对不起」。我们必须有一颗痛悔的心，为自己的过犯祈求神的赦免，并且下定决心去改过。圣经中有不少人物，只懂得口头承认过错，却没有真心悔改，例如法老王，扫罗王和犹大便是这种人。
约翰还教导人要借着洗礼，来作为认罪和渴慕得洁净的标记。当时很多犹太人都听从了他的劝导接受了洗礼。
某天，当约翰看见耶稣站在等候洗礼的人龙之中，便感到很惊奇。他似乎已经知道耶稣就是神应许差来、比他更大的那一位。神让约翰知道，当他看见圣灵降临在那人的身上，那人就是神的儿子，就是他一直所谈及的王(参约一32、33)。
耶稣从来没有犯罪，所以祂根本不用认罪或借着洗礼来洗净祂的罪。耶稣之所以接受洗礼，是为了给人认同。父神喜悦祂这个行动，所以对祂说：「这是我的爱子，我所喜悦的。」
约翰的事奉很短暂，可能只有六个多月。然而，即使他的事奉范围很狭小，他没有跑到很远的地方去传讲悔改的道，祂的事奉却掀动了全国。在圣灵的带领下，百姓主动来到他那里接受洗礼。我们是否愿意被神所使用呢？求主带领人来到我们面前，让我们能介绍他们认识基督。
JOHN THE BAPTIST
Matthew 3:1-6, 13-17
1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’”
4 Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him
6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.
14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”
15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.
16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Message
John's first words were 'Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand'. In other words the Jews were to make themselves spiritually ready for the coming of the king; Jesus Christ himself.
Repentance is being sorry for our sins. It is not merely saying 'I'm sorry'. We must be sorry enough to ask God's forgiveness for the things we have done wrong. Then we must be determined to turn away from those things. There are men in the Bible who admitted their sin but who never truly repented. Pharaoh, King Saul and Judas are all illustrations of this.
John also told the people to be baptised as a sign of confession of sin and a desire for cleansing. A great many of the Jewish people obeyed his call.
John was surprised one day to see Jesus in the line of men waiting to be baptised. He seems to have known immediately that this was the one God had promised to send, someone greater than himself. God told John that when he saw the Holy Spirit descending on one particular person he would know that person was God's Son, the king about whom he spoke (John 1:32, 33).
Jesus had no sins to be confessed or cleansed away. He was always without sin. But Jesus went through baptism in order to be one with his people. This pleased his Father for God said 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased'.
John's ministry covered only a short period, perhaps six months or a little more. But in that time he stirred the whole nation, even without travelling very far. The people came to him, brought by the Spirit of God. Could we ask God to use us today? Pray that he will send someone to us that we might speak to them about Christ.