A Biblical Theology of Mission (John the Baptist on Mission)

Before John the Baptist was born it was predicted of him,

¹⁶ He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:16,17)

His mission would be solely to those in Israel who needed to be brought back to Yahweh. And in fact that is who he preached to:

^3:1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea ² and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” ³ This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”

⁴ John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. ⁶ Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. (Matthew 3:1-6)

John did not go to all the cities and villages of Israel to preach to them. They came to him where he was in the wilderness of Judea by the Jordan River.

John developed disciples, among whom were several who later became disciples of Jesus, Andrew and Peter, Philip and Nathaniel (John 1:35-51). Andrew and Philip, upon becoming disciples of Jesus, evangelized Peter and Nathaniel. When you have good news, you must share it with others.