And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.
Luke 1:80
It wasn't normal for a young person in the first century to live in the desert, but because of God's special calling on his life, John the Baptist did just that. In doing this, he imitated the prophet Elijah who lived in the desert and was fed by ravens during the famine.*
And more than just imitating Elijah, "in the Old Testament, the wilderness was the place where God met with His appointed messengers."** For example, it was in the wilderness that God met with Moses at the burning bush. And it was in the wilderness that God met with His people and gave them the 10 Commandments at Sinai. So, John likely lived in the desert not only to emulate Elijah but also to commune with God and to keep himself separate from the world.
Now, in my opinion some of the monks of the Middle Ages took this mindset too far. I don’t think you should go live in a cave and not see another living soul for years on end. But that isn’t the error that most Christians in our day and age fall into. We aren't in danger of separating from the world too much but too little.
Let John the Baptist serve as a reminder that we are called to live separated lives. Christians ought to be holy, set apart, and different from the world around them. As 2 Corinthians 6:17 says, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”
Let’s strive to live that kind of Christian life.
* Martin, John A. “Luke.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.
** Barry, John D., Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R. Grigoni, and David Bomar. Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016.
