the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

 John was one of the world's supremely effective preachers. Once Chalmers was congratulated on a sermon. "Yes," he said, "but what did it do?" It is clear that John preached for action and produced it. He did not deal in theological subtleties but in life. 