John, being thus sent of God, to bear witness of Christ, that he is the true light, came to the Jordan, at Salim, and other places, teaching and baptizing. John 3:23. In the meantime, while he was baptizing the penitent, Christ himself came to him (to confirm this holy work), and asked to be baptized by him. But when John, from humility and good intention, declined, Christ instructed him that this was necessary, saying, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he baptized the Lord. Matt. 3:13–16. He held the Lord Jesus in high estimation, calling him the Lamb of God, the Bridegroom of his church, the true Messiah, whose shoes he was not worthy to bear. John 1:29; 3:29; Matt. 3:11. He himself possessed such great influence, though in humility, that many were in doubt whether he was not himself the Messiah; hence the Pharisees sent their messengers to him, to inquire of him his vocation, mission, authority, etc. To all this he answered candidly and with an humble heart, saying, “I am not the Christ.” John 1:19,20. When the course of his pilgrimage drew near its close, a certain matter occurred, which was the cause of his death, and happened as follows: King Herod Antipas had committed a wicked deed; namely, he had taken his brother Philip’s wife, having put away his own wife, the daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia; which conduct John the Baptist, on account of his ministry, could not let go unreproved, but called Herod’s attention to it, according to the law, saying, “It is not lawful for thee to have her.” Matt. 14:4. However, even as the ungodly will not be reproved, so it was with Herod; for he conceived a hatred for John, and sought opportunity to kill him. But, since many had a very high opinion of this pious man, and great numbers, therefore, came to him, Herod, for the present, did not dare to lay hands on him, to kill him; however he did not let him go free, but imprisoned him in the castle of Machærus. _Euseb. Hist. Eccl. lib. 1 chap. 11._ In the meantime John did not relax in his calling, but even from prison sent some of his disciples to Christ, that they with the others might assure themselves through the doctrine and the miracles which they would there hear and see, that Christ, and none other, was the true Messiah. Matt. 11:2; Luke 7:18. Thereupon, not only when these messengers came, but also on many other occasions, Christ testified of the greatness and worthiness of John the Baptist; namely, that he was the true spiritual Elias, a burning and shining light, the greatest prophet among all those born of women. Matt. 11:14; John 5:35; Luke 7:28.