#166 - John the Baptist, Isaiah 40, and the Wilderness - Gospel of John (pt. 13)

Who exactly did John the Baptist claim to be, and why did he respond cryptically to the religious leaders questioning him? In this video, we explore John's reference to Isaiah 40:3, where he declares himself as "the voice of one crying in the wilderness." However, John does more than just quote the verse—he alters it, applying an alternate reading, a method commonly practiced by first-century Rabbis. In ancient Jewish hermeneutics, the lack of punctuation in the original Hebrew text allowed multiple interpretations. Rabbis would intentionally explore different readings of the same verse to uncover deeper meanings in Scripture. Understanding this practice reveals what John was truly saying about his identity: he is the forerunner, the one preparing the way for the King Messiah’s arrival and the restoration of God's reign in Jerusalem. We'll also explore the fascinating connection between John the Baptist and the Essene sect behind the Dead Sea Scrolls, who similarly went into the wilderness to prepare the way for the Lord. Could John’s ministry have been influenced by the teachings and practices of the Essenes? Join us as we dive deep into the cultural, theological, and historical significance of John’s words and discover the powerful message he was declaring. --------------------------------------------------- www.figtreeteaching.com Support Fig Tree Ministries: https://donorbox.org/support-figtree-ministries Fig Tree Amazon Portal: https://amzn.to/3USMelI Lesson Handout: https://www.figtreeteaching.com/blog/john-the-baptist-jewish-hermeneutics Explore my digital notes on the Gospel of John, now available at the links below: Download a PDF of my notes on John 1:19-28: https://www.figtreeteaching.com/blog/my-notes-on-john-119-28 Download a PDF of my notes on John 1:29-34 https://www.figtreeteaching.com/blog/my-notes-on-john-129-34 Explore Jesus' Parables: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCaBz_NhYH3Hfxwgh1v-CbTccuZS-SWjR Good News: https://youtu.be/zfkfoXW1DPU YouTube: https://youtu.be/1kDaGrRnPEY References: The Jewish Gospel of John - Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg https://amzn.to/3BO402d