(John 1:19-23) Why do you think John the Baptist was being hassled by the religious leaders from Jerusalem? What were they afraid of? How did John understand his own mission? How much conflict do you think could be expected from John’s mission?
1. I think that John the Baptist was being hassled by religious leaders from Jerusalem because many were going out to him in the wilderness--they were losing control of the people whom they had held in bondage by their manmade rules and laws. People were being set free (to a limited extent) and were realizing that they could be free from the weight of their sins. Until that point they had to wait until it was time (during religious feasts) to confess their sins. But John was giving the people hope, not only with them being able to repent and be baptized, but that their Messiah was coming and He would truly set them free. Maybe the religious leaders, since they thought they were the 'authorities' on God, felt threatened by someone who was not of their synagogues or teachings, but just a plain and ordinary man (well not so ordinary ). Why wouldn't they KNOW about the Messiah's coming?! Why wouldn't they be the first in the information pipeline to KNOW about the coming of the Messiah. 2. They were afraid that their establishment would crumble and they would no longer be able to control the people with their multitude of rules and regulations (that they added to the Law of Moses). 3. John understood his mission by having listened to his father and mother throughout the years of his growth; he understood it too because he was in relationship with God. He stayed true to the calling of God on his life. 4. Great levels of conflict because John was preaching to a place in people souls that needed deliverance and healing. When that happens satan is stirred up to oppose God very strongly.
