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"If John the Baptist returned to denounce the sins of the world, they would cut off his head again."-- Jacoponi da Todi (13th-century friar) (1) "(John the Baptist) was a good man, and commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as righteousness towards one another and piety towards God and so to come to baptism."-- Josephus (1st-century Jewish historian) (2) "John appears as the boundary between the two testaments, the old and the new... Thus he represents times past and is the herald of the new era to come."-- St Augustine, 4th/5th century (3) Who was John the Baptist? Perform a Google search on "forerunner to Christ" or "forerunner to Jesus" and one name emerges as the clear favorite: John the Baptist. In both searches, 23 of the top 25 returns came back with an article or other reference to John. (The others were Moses, King David, and two links to an international evangelistic web site, www.forerunner.com, which no doubt is playing on the typical description of John.) (4) While his official church "nickname" may have been "the Baptist," the man in the Bible who baptized Jesus is equally as well known in church circles as "the forerunner" to Jesus Christ. Having been born a few months before Jesus, so the Bible tells us in Luke's Gospel, and having begun his own public ministry before Jesus, John was in fact a forerunner at least in the chronological sense. Certainly, though, there is more to John, and more in fact to any Biblical character, than can be contained in a few words of short-hand description. Who was John and what was his role in the Gospel? John in Name and Numbers The name John comes from the Hebrew name Yochanan, or יוחנן, meaning "Yahweh (God) is gracious" (5). The name John was a bit of an unexpected one for the extended members of John's family, as they all anticipated he would be named Zechariah, after his aged father of that same name. With the decision to name him John, his formal name, in the custom of the time, would have been Yochanan ben Zechariah, or John the son of Zechariah. (The name Zechariah means "Yahweh (God) has remembered.") While John figures prominently early in the story of Jesus, he is also referred to at various points during Jesus' ministry. Across the four Gospels, John either appears or is mentioned by name in 16 different chapters (see Appendix 1), as well as once in the book of Acts. For sake of comparison, the disciple brothers James and John appear together or individually in a total of 17 Gospel chapters; and Mary, the mother of Jesus, appears or is referenced in seven chapters. Clearly, at least from this most simple of reckonings, we must view John the Baptist as an important part of the Jesus story. John's Appearances John makes three primary appearances in the Gospel accounts. In a story found only in Luke, we learn of John's family and John's birth. In all four Gospels, there is an accounting of John's baptism of Jesus. In the three Synoptic Gospels, we read an account of John's death at the hand of Herod the Tetrarch. John's death is alluded to in the Gospel of John, but it is not directly relayed. There are also instances in the Gospels in which John's disciples appear before Jesus to ask him pointed questions about exactly who Jesus is and, in the Gospel of John, Jesus uses John as a means of comparison for who Jesus is. John's Family and Birth Told only in the Gospel of Luke, there are many important similarities and contrasts between the birth of John the Baptist and the birth of Jesus. The two stories are told in parallel by Luke. The story begins with the angel Gabriel appearing to Zechariah, a priest who is well advanced in years. We learn that not only is Zechariah a priest, but his wife, Elizabeth, is also a descendant of the priestly line, as her heritage goes back to Aaron, the priestly brother of Moses. Clearly we are to know from this that John represents the way of law and of the priest. When Zecheriah is informed by Gabriel that he and Elizabeth are to have a child at their advanced age - reminiscent of the story of Abram and Sarai - Zecheriah questions the angel and for his impertinence is struck dumb by Gabriel. Compare this to Gabriel's announcement to Mary. She wonders how such a thing could happen but rather than question it, she bursts into a song of joy. Zecheriah does later burst into his own song, after the actual birth and arrival of his son. Mary welcomes the angel's news with joy, while Zecheriah welcomes the news with skepticism and doubt. We also learn in Luke 1 that there is a relation between Mary and Elizabeth. The Greek word συγγενίς is used here to describe the relationship. Unfortunately, this word is a little ambiguous. It translates as "kinswoman" (6) but there is no definitive answer on what kind of kinswoman this refers to exactly. Luke 1 is the only place in the Bible in which the Greek word συγγενίς appears, so there is no opportunity to compare its meaning with other Biblical usages. Generally, Jesus and John are considered to be "cousins," even though the exact relation of their mothers, and therefore of the two men, is unclear. While Luke points out the priestly connection of John in his infancy narrative, Luke points out the relation Jesus has through the line of King David (and ultimately all the way back to Adam and then to God.) Luke presents John as the latest in the long line of prophets and priests, while Jesus, at least in Luke's infancy narrative, is immediately cast as a new king. The Baptism of Jesus by John In each of the Synoptic Gospels, the story of John's baptism of Jesus is preceded with the same reference to Isaiah 40:30: A voice is calling, "Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God." Mark also includes a line from Malachi 3:1: "Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me." The unusual clothing and eating habits of John - camel hair shirt, leather belt and eating wild locusts and honey - are pointed out in Matthew and Mark only. In all four Gospels, John points out that he is less than Jesus, that he is baptizing only with water, though when Jesus comes, he will baptize with the Holy Spirit. In all four Gospels, John makes a reference to not being worthy even to untie the thongs on Jesus' sandals. As this reference to sandals appears in all four Gospels, we know we must consider it as being of particular importance. What are we to learn from this sandal reference? Who wears sandals? At the time of the writing of the Gospels, just about everybody wears sandals. Perhaps that is exactly the point. Jesus is a man who wears sandals, just like John and just like those who have gathered to listen to John. In the three Synoptic Gospels, after John baptizes Jesus, there is an announcement from the heavens, witnessed by many people, that Jesus is no mere man, but is the very son of God, in whom God is pleased. In the Gospel of John, the order is reversed in that Jesus is identified as being part of God and then John the Baptist makes his comment about sandals. John's sandal comment identifies Jesus as being a regular man, while the word of God from Heaven identifies Jesus as being divine. Comments presented in the Gospels from both man and God clearly identify for the reader the two natures of Jesus - Jesus is a man and Jesus is God. The Death of John According to accounts in the Synoptic Gospel, John ran afoul of King Herod and was arrested. Following an unsavory story, at least by modern standards, in which an overheated King Herod promises anything she asks for after his stepdaughter performs a dance for him and his key men, Herod - Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great who played a key role during the Jesus nativity -- is tricked by his wife and stepdaughter into ordering the beheading of John the Baptist. This account does not appear in the Gospel of John, but John does include a reference to the arrest of the Baptizer. This account of the beheading of John the Baptist warrants several comments. All three of the Synoptic Gospels mention that John was beheaded at the order of Herod, though Luke provides little detail. John makes no direct mention of John's death. In both Matthew and Mark, John is arrested for calling out Herod for the tetrarch's inappropriate marriage to his brother's wife. Still, Herod is presented as being somewhat afraid of John and interested in his teachings. It is Herod's wife, Herodias, who wants John dead, Ultimately at his wife's request, through the actions of her daughter, Herod orders the beheading of John. In Matthew, John's disciples come and take the Baptizer's body and burry it. Mark says the disciples laid him in a tomb. In all four Gospels, it is clear that once John is dead, he has departed from the scene. Though he is referenced after his death in all four Gospels, John never appears again. John dies and, as is the normal order of things, stays dead. John is, after all, just a man - unlike Jesus, who was a man who was also God. It is worth noting that in each of the Gospels, there is discussion about exactly who this man Jesus is. In each Gospel, there are at least some, including even Herod, who wonders if he is somehow John come back to life. In each case, the answer is clearly that Jesus is not John - this wouldn't make much sense anyhow as Jesus and John were clearly contemporaries. While it is clear here that Jesus is not a reincarnated or a resurrected John, the fact that at least some were wondering if he could possibly be so indicates that the idea of a resurrection was something that had at least been talked about before the passion and death of Jesus. Scriptural Questions and Comments about John Sometime after baptizing Jesus, but before being arrested, both Jesus and John are working separately, but not far from each other in the countryside. John is asked to settle an argument about what is going on in the baptism John is providing, as compared to that of Jesus. John is pointed and clear in his response: To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less... The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. (John 3:27-30, 35) Earlier, John had been even more direct about whom he saw Jesus as: "Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." (John 1:32-34) If John offers clear testimony about Jesus during the baptism narratives, hears God's comment about Jesus during the baptism ceremony and then offers the testimony above in John 3, what then are we to make of a question he sends from prison to his cousin, his fellow baptizer, his Christ? In Luke 7 and particularly in Matthew 11, we read about a delegation of John's disciples who come to Jesus to ask a question on behalf of the imprisoned John: "Are you the one?" This is a confusing passage. It comes after John said he was unworthy even to untie Jesus' sandals. Why then are John's disciples coming to ask if Jesus is the one, or if they are to wait for another? Is John having second thoughts in his dark prison cell? The motives for John's questions are not clear. In both Matthew and Luke, Jesus does provide the same response to the question, almost verbatim: "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosyare cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." (Matthew 11:4-6). We are given no indication of how John responded to this answer. Was this enough for John to know that Jesus was the one? Why did John question after what he had earlier seen and heard? Did even John experience a time of doubt and possibly even "backsliding?" We are left to our own guesses as to the answers, but we can draw a likely conclusion. In the Luke baptism of Jesus story, John is clearly preaching a type of social justice message. John is calling for those who have, to share with those who do not. When Jesus then sends back his reply, not to worry, the sick are being healed and good news is being given to the poor, we can surmise that John in fact rejoiced at this news. This was the very message he had previously been preaching and now Jesus is bringing these things to pass! Surely, John would conclude, that Jesus must be the one from God. We may not know the reason for the question, but the answer is very satisfying. There is no ambiguity whatsoever in Jesus' comments about John. Jesus clearly thinks very highly of John, though Jesus knows that there is a limit to John's role: "But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: "'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."(Luke 7:26-28) Indeed, Jesus says, though John was a special prophet, Jesus is far more than what John was: "John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light. I have testimony weightier than that of John." (John 3: 35-36) Historical John One question that Biblical researchers often face is if Biblical characters actually existed or if they were merely a creation of the author. Several factors point to the authenticity of John. First we have the fact that he appears in a variety of settings in all four Gospels and the Book of Acts. In addition, John appears in some passages that can be a bit puzzling. Why include a fictional character if he does anything to muddy the waters? These varied appearances, reported by multiple authors, give us a high degree of confidence that there was a man named John, known as The Baptizer, in 1st Century Judea. John also makes an appearance in a key non-Biblical source, the Jewish Antiquities by the ancient Roman historian Flavius Josephus, who was born within a half dozen years or so after the crucifixion of Jesus. In his history, Josephus includes this passage about the arrest and beheading of John by Herod Antipas: Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God, and that very justly, as a punishment of what he did against John, that was called the Baptist: for Herod slew him, who was a good man, and commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness towards one another, and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism; for that the washing [with water] would be acceptable to him, if they made use of it, not in order to the putting away [or the remission] of some sins [only], but for the purification of the body; supposing still that the soul was thoroughly purified beforehand by righteousness. Now when [many] others came in crowds about him, for they were very greatly moved [or pleased] by hearing his words, Herod, who feared lest the great influence John had over the people might put it into his power and inclination to raise a rebellion, (for they seemed ready to do any thing he should advise,) thought it best, by putting him to death, to prevent any mischief he might cause, and not bring himself into difficulties, by sparing a man who might make him repent of it when it would be too late. Accordingly he was sent a prisoner, out of Herod's suspicious temper, to Macherus, the castle I before mentioned, and was there put to death. Now the Jews had an opinion that the destruction of this army was sent as a punishment upon Herod, and a mark of God's displeasure to him (7). Knowing that John was a true historical figure adds imperative that we understand what his role was in relation to Jesus. Gospel Accounts As discussed, John the Baptist appears, to varying extents, in all four Gospels. In all four accounts, he is portrayed as a man of God, who is preaching and baptizing in the Judean countryside. In Mark, John the Baptist has a relatively compact role. In Mark 1, he opens the Gospel, utters his line about sandals and says that Jesus has a special gift of the Holy Spirit. John does not speak again in this Gospel, but we do get the account of his beheading in Mark 6. In Mark 8, in discussion between Jesus and Peter, Jesus asks Peter who people say that Jesus is. Peter replies that some say Jesus is really a resurrected Elijah or John the Baptist. In Matthew, we see both more similarities between Jesus and John and a clear distinction between the two. Both Jesus and John are introduced by saying the same phrase as the introduction to their ministry, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." Even though their message is the same, John identifies himself as being lesser than Jesus. In Matthew, John the Baptist is clearly identified as the Old Testament prophet Elijah. According to the account of the Transfiguration of Jesus in Matthew, after witnessing the Transfiguration, the disciples ask Jesus why the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come before the arrival of the Messiah. Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist. (Matthew 17: 11-13) In Luke, the Gospel writer uses the story of John's birth to set up and contrast the story of Jesus' birth. As discussed above, Luke also makes a distinction of the priestly heritage of John and the kingly heritage of Jesus. As in Matthew, there is a similarity in message between the two: John instructs the people to comfort the afflicted; Jesus in fact heals them. In John, the Baptizer is identified chiefly as "a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light" (John 1:7-8). John is used to help teach us about the ultimate teacher himself, Jesus. In Acts, we have one final comment about John, this time from the resurrected Christ. In Acts 1:5, Jesus tells the disciples to stand fast and prepare themselves, for John only baptized with water, but in just a few days, the disciples would be baptized by the Holy Spirit (at Pentecost). Synthesizing John Each of the Gospel writers uses the story of John the Baptist in a different way. There is, however, a constant theme that develops with John. Key to this phrase is John's statement about Jesus' sandals and John's exclamation at seeing the arriving Jesus - "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29) - and God's pronouncement in the Synoptics about Jesus at the conclusion of John's baptism of Jesus. The sandals and the exclamation are the key to unlocking the role of John. John serves as the primary and first witness to the fully human nature of Jesus - as one who wears sandals - and to the fully divine nature of Jesus - the Lamb of God, beloved by God the Father. John is preaching and baptizing in the wilderness, as was foretold in the Hebrew Scripture. He is performing the traditional role of the prophet. John, it turns out, is the last prophet, the last one come to make straight the way for Jesus. He is the final Elijah, come to prepare things for the arrival of the Messiah. John is the bridge between the old way and the new way, between the old covenant, the system of the prophets, and the new covenant, the system of the Messiah. As quoted above by St. Augustine, John both "represents times past and is the herald of the new era to come." (8) John, then, is the true forerunner of Christ. He represents that which has come before, that which has been done previously to prepare for Jesus. He links the Testaments, links the Covenants. John the Baptist is the link that connects the promises made to Abraham and Noah; the law given to Moses; and the prophets who spoke God's truth with the new promise made through Jesus. John the Baptist = John the Forerunner = John the Link between Old and New. Appendix 1 Appearances by or references to John the Baptist in the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, by chapter. Matthew chapters 3, 11, 14, 16 and 17 Mark chapters 1, 6 and 8 Luke chapters 1, 3, 7 and 9 John chapters 1, 3, 5 and 10 Acts chapter 1 Bibliography 1) "John the Baptist -- Biography." Ship of Fools. 2003. Retrieved May 18, 2009, from Ship of Fools Web site: http://ark.saintsimeon.co.uk/johnb/biog.php >.Web. 2) Flavius, Josephus. Antiquities of the Jews Book 18-19. (Loeb Classical Library, No. 433.) Feldman, Louis H., translator. Boston: Harvard University Press, 1965. Print. 3) St. Augustine of Hippo: Sermo 293, 1-3; PL 38, 1327-1328, Roman Office of Readings. Web. 4) Google web search "forerunner to Christ" and "forerunner to Jesus." Retrieved May 18, 2009. Web site: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=forerunner+to+christ&aq=f&oq=&aqi= and http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=forerunner+to+jesus&aq=f&oq=&aqi=. Web. 5) Campbell, Mike. "John" Behind The Name. 1996-2009. Retrieved May 20, 2009 from Behind the Name Web site: http://www.behindthename.com/name/john. Web 6) Thayer, Joseph. Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Coded with Strong's Concordance Numbers. Peabody, Mass., Hendrickson Publishers, 1996. Print 7) Flavius, Josephus. Antiquities of the Jews Book 18-19. (Loeb Classical Library, No. 433.) Feldman, Louis H., translator. Boston: Harvard University Press, 1965. Print. 8) St. Augustine of Hippo: Sermo 293, 1-3; PL 38, 1327-1328, Roman Office of Readings. Web. |
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