John the Baptist

====John and Elijah====
{{see also|Matthew 3:4}}
The Gospels vary in their depiction of John's relationship to [[Elijah]]. Matthew and Mark describe John's attire in a way reminiscent of the description of Elijah in [[2 Kings 1:8]], who also wore a garment of hair and a leather belt. In Matthew, Jesus explicitly teaches that John is "Elijah who was to come" (Matthew 11:14 – see also Matthew 17:11–13); many Christian theologians have taken this to mean that John was Elijah's successor. In the Gospel of John, John the Baptist explicitly denies being Elijah. In the annunciation narrative in Luke, an angel appears to Zechariah, John's father, and tells him that John "will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God," and that he will go forth "in the spirit and power of Elijah."<ref>{{Bibleverse|Luke|1:16–17|NAB}}</ref>

{{John the Baptist narrative comparison}}