In the Bible, what man was sent to prepare the way for Jesus?

In the Bible, John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for Jesus.

The New Testament presents John as a prophetic forerunner who announced the coming of the Messiah. He preached repentance and baptized people in the Jordan River, urging them to prepare spiritually for God’s kingdom. The Gospel of Mark connects his mission with the prophetic image of “a voice crying out in the wilderness.”

John’s role was not to replace Jesus but to point people toward him. The Gospels describe John baptizing Jesus, after which Jesus began his public ministry. John is therefore often called the Baptist, the Forerunner, or the precursor of Christ.

Readers sometimes confuse John the Baptist with the apostle John, who appears among Jesus’ disciples and is traditionally associated with the Gospel of John. They are different figures. John the Baptist was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, according to the Gospel of Luke.