John was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Since "John" was a common name, he is often called "John the Baptist" to distinguish him from the other people named John, such as the Apostle John.
* John was the prophet whom God sent to prepare people to believe in and follow the Messiah.\\
* John told people to confess their sins, turn to God, and stop sinning, so that they would be ready to receive the Messiah.\\
* John baptized many people in water as a sign that they were sorry for their sins and were turning away from them. \\
* John was called "John the Baptist" because he baptized many people.\\
* Make sure that people will understand that "the Baptist" does not refer to the church by this name. It may be necessary to say, instead, "John the Baptizer" or "John who baptizes."
(Translation suggestions: [How to Translate Names](en/ta-vol1/translate/man/translate-names))
__*[22:02](en/tn/obs/help/22/02)__ The angel said to Zechariah, "Your wife will have a son. You will name him __John__. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and will prepare the people for Messiah!"
__*[22:07](en/tn/obs/help/22/07)__ After Elizabeth gave birth to her baby boy, Zechariah and Elizabeth named the baby __John__, as the angel had commanded.
__*[24:01](en/tn/obs/help/24/01)__ __John__, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, grew up and became a prophet. He lived in the wilderness, ate wild honey and locusts, and wore clothes made from camel hair.
__*[24:02](en/tn/obs/help/24/02)__ Many people came out to the wilderness to listen to __John__. He preached to them, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is near!"
__*[24:06](en/tn/obs/help/24/06)__ The next day, Jesus came to be baptized by __John__. When __John__ saw him, he said, "Look! There is the Lamb of God who will take away the sin of the world."
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