John the Baptist Prepare the Way

That time wey Jesus dey ask the teachers question for temple, e dey 12 years. Now, 17 years don pass. This na 29 C.E. Many people dey talk about John wey be Jesus family person. John dey preach for the whole area wey dey the west side of River Jordan.

Because of the way John dey talk and because e fine, e dey quick catch people eye. Na camel hair dem take make im cloth, and e wear leather belt for waist. Na locust (locust na type of grasshopper) and bush honey be im food. Wetin e dey tell people? “Make una repent, because the Kingdom wey dey heaven don near.”—Matthew 3:2.

This message wey John dey tell people really touch their mind. Many of dem see sey dem need to repent. Dem see sey dem really need to change their character and how dem dey live their life. Dem gree sey the things wey dem dey do before no good. The people wey hear John message come from “Jerusalem, the whole Judea, and all the country wey near river Jordan.” (Matthew 3:5) Many of dem really repent. John come baptize dem, e deep dem inside the water for river Jordan and bring dem come out. Why?

The baptism na to show sey dem don repent. (Acts 19:4) But no be everybody John gree baptize. When some Pharisee and Sadducee people come meet am, John call dem “children of viper.” E tell dem sey: “Make una do wetin go really show sey una don repent. Make una no begin tell unaself sey, ‘Na Abraham be our papa.’ I want make una know sey God fit bring children for Abraham from this stones. The ax don already dey the bottom of the trees. Any tree wey no dey produce better fruit, dem go cut am down and throw am for fire.”—Matthew 3:7-10.

The message wey John dey preach na strong message. Plenty people don dey hear the message. And many of dem dey baptize. So, Jew people come send priests and Levites make dem ask John sey: “Who you be?”

John tell dem sey: “I no be the Christ.”

Dem still ask am sey, “Who you come be? Na you be Elijah?”

E sey, “I no be Elijah.”

Dem ask am again, “Na you be The Prophet?” The Prophet wey dem dey talk about na the great Prophet wey Moses don talk sey go come.—Deuteronomy 18:15, 18.

John tell dem sey, “No!”

Dem no still leave John o, dem still ask am again: “Who you be? Tell us so that we go fit answer the people wey send us come. Wetin you talk about yourself?” John come tell dem sey: “I be person voice wey dey wilderness, wey dey talk loud make people fit hear sey, ‘Make Jehovah road straight,’ just as prophet Isaiah talk before.”—John 1:19-23.

Now, because dem want know, dem ask am sey “Why you come dey baptize people when you no be the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?” John give dem better answer, e sey: “I dey baptize people for water. One person wey una no know dey with una, na the person wey dey come for my back.”—John 1:25-27.

John make am clear for dem sey e dey prepare road for person wey dey come, e want make the people get the better mind wey dem suppose get before that person come. The person wey dey come na the Messiah, wey go be King. Na im John get for mind when e talk sey: “The person wey dey come for my back get power pass me. I no reach to comot the sandal wey dey im leg.” (Matthew 3:11) John even talk sey: “The person wey dey come for my back don dey before me, because e don dey even before dem born me.”—John 1:15.

Na im make the message wey John dey preach make sense, as e dey tell the people sey “Make una repent, because the Kingdom wey dey heaven go soon come.” (Matthew 3:2) This one na to let everybody know sey Jesus Christ wey be the King wey Jehovah don choose, go soon begin the work wey Jehovah send am make e come do for earth.