Whom did God send to prepare the way for Jesus?

Whom did God send to prepare the way for Jesus?

• A. Peter
• B. John the Baptist
• C. Elijah
• D. Isaiah

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is identifying the messenger God sent to prepare people for Jesus—the forerunner who calls people to repentance and points them to the Messiah. John the Baptist is that figure. In the Gospel accounts, he lives in the wilderness, preaches repentance, and baptizes as a sign of turning from sin, all while directing people to Jesus as the coming Savior. The writers show that this role fulfills Old Testament expectations: Isaiah spoke of a voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way, and Malachi spoke of a messenger who would prepare the people for the Lord. Luke also notes that John would come in the spirit and power of Elijah, linking him to Elijah’s role while making clear John is the one who fulfills the messenger prophecy. Peter is simply one of Jesus’ apostles, not the forerunner who prepares the way; Elijah and Isaiah are prophetic figures who spoke about coming events but did not themselves act as the immediate forerunner. So John the Baptist best fits the description of the person God sent to prepare the way for Jesus.

The idea being tested is identifying the messenger God sent to prepare people for Jesus—the forerunner who calls people to repentance and points them to the Messiah. John the Baptist is that figure. In the Gospel accounts, he lives in the wilderness, preaches repentance, and baptizes as a sign of turning from sin, all while directing people to Jesus as the coming Savior. The writers show that this role fulfills Old Testament expectations: Isaiah spoke of a voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way, and Malachi spoke of a messenger who would prepare the people for the Lord. Luke also notes that John would come in the spirit and power of Elijah, linking him to Elijah’s role while making clear John is the one who fulfills the messenger prophecy. Peter is simply one of Jesus’ apostles, not the forerunner who prepares the way; Elijah and Isaiah are prophetic figures who spoke about coming events but did not themselves act as the immediate forerunner. So John the Baptist best fits the description of the person God sent to prepare the way for Jesus.