Luke 1:80

‘And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing to Israel.’

So John began to develop and grow, and became strong in the Spirit (he was full of the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15). And he went into the wildernesses (the plural is typical of LXX) there to prepare for the day when he would be revealed to Israel as the prophet and preparer of the way. Even if we translate ‘spirit’ with a small ‘s’, signifying that his own spirit was made strong, Luke 1:15 makes quite clear the source of his strength, as indeed it was intended to do. Compare here Luke 2:52; Judges 13:24 and 1 Samuel 2:26.

Some have suggested that John was connected with the Qumran community, but it must be recognised that if so his emphasis was totally different from theirs. Perhaps he tried them and was disillusioned by them. They certainly would not have agreed with his view of himself as the herald preparing the way for the Coming One, nor with his preaching of righteousness instead of asceticism, nor with his going among the people (they kept themselves separate in order to avoid defilement), nor with his baptism as a symbol of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. It is probable therefore that he lived as a solitary, although that is not to deny that he may have had contact with them. They would appreciate his asceticism and separation from society. But his teaching was not like theirs.