Select Page

What was John the Baptist’s diet?

by | Feb 22, 2016 | Questions, Other

John the Baptist lived on a diet of locusts and wild honey, which was indicative of his wilderness ministry. what was John the Baptist diet locustIn Matthew 3, it tells us twice that John was preaching “in the wilderness” (3:1, 3:3) and explains that “his food was locusts and wild honey.” (3:4) Mark’s gospel does precisely the same (1:2-6). Luke’s Gospel never defines a particular diet. Luke does, however, contain a prophecy from an angel to John’s father before his birth that he would “drink no wine or liquor,” (Luke 1:15)  and later records Jesus saying:

“For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine,” (Luke 7:33, see also Matt. 11:18).

Luke also records that John “lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel” (Luke 1:80) and that the word of the Lord came to him “in the wilderness,” (Luke 3:2). Both Luke and Matthew record Jesus asking the crowd regarding John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see?” (Luke 7:24, Matt. 11:7). Indeed, all four gospels explain the ministry of John the Baptist as the fulfillment of the words of Isaiah 40:3:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,” (Matt. 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4, John 1:23).

Locusts and other grasshoppers and crickets were permitted as food under the Mosaic law in Leviticus 11:22. That John would be living on such as these and wild honey rather than eating normal, comfortable foods like bread and wine is a clear expression in the Gospels of his distinct desert wilderness life. It is also a powerful testimony of the prophetic fulfillment that his ministry represented, one of many such fulfillments that testified that the promised Lord and Messiah had come in Jesus Christ.

SUPPORT CARM

Thank you for your interest in supporting CARM. We greatly appreciate your consideration!

SCHOOLS USER LOGIN

If you have any issues, please call the office at 385-246-1048 or email us at [email protected].

MATT SLICK LIVE RADIO

Call in with your questions at:

877-207-2276

3-4 p.m. PST; 4-5 p.m. MST;
6-7 p.m. EST

You May Also Like…