Who is John the Baptist briefly. Subjects of the iconography of the prophet and the spread of his image in Rus'. Historical information about the Baptist
Commemoration: January 7/20 (Cathedral John the Baptist), February 24 / March 9 (First and Second Finding of the Head of John the Baptist), May 25 / June 7 (Third Finding of the Head of John the Baptist), June 24 / July 7, August 29 / September 11 (Beheading of John the Baptist), September 23 / October 6 (Conception of the vice of John the Baptist), October 12 / 25 (Transfer of the gum of the hand)
Prophet John the Baptist is the most revered saint after the Virgin Mary. In his honor, the following holidays were established (according to the new style): October 6 - Conception, July 7 - Christmas, September 11 - Beheading, January 20 - Council of John the Baptist in connection with the feast of Epiphany, March 9 - First and second finding of his head, June 7 - Third discovery of his head, October 25 - Celebration of the transfer of his right hand from Malta to Gatchina (according to the new style).
Prophet John the Baptist. Icon, 2nd quarter of the 15th century
The Prophet John the Baptist was the son of the priest Zechariah (from the family of Aaron) and the righteous Elizabeth (from the family of King David). His parents lived near Hebron (in the Highlands), south of Jerusalem. He was a relative of the Lord Jesus Christ on his mother's side and was born six months before the Lord. As Evangelist Luke narrates, Archangel Gabriel
, appearing to his father Zechariah in the temple, announced the birth of his son. And so the pious spouses, deprived of the consolation of having children until old age, finally have a son, whom they asked for in prayers. By the grace of God, he escaped death among the thousands of murdered infants in and around Bethlehem. Saint John grew up in wild desert
, preparing himself for great service with a strict life - fasting and prayer. He wore rough clothes secured with a leather belt and ate wild honey and locusts (a genus of locust). He remained a desert dweller until the Lord called him at the age of thirty to preach to the Jewish people. people gathered for religious ablutions. Here John turned to them, preaching repentance and baptism for the remission of sins.
The essence of his preaching was that before receiving external washing, people must be morally cleansed, and thus prepare themselves to receive the Gospel. Of course, John's baptism was not yet the grace-filled sacrament of Christian baptism. Its meaning was spiritual preparation for the future baptism of water and the Holy Spirit.
According to the expression of one church prayer, the Prophet John was a bright morning star, which in its brilliance surpassed the radiance of all other stars and foreshadowed the morning of a blessed day, illuminated by the spiritual Sun of Christ (Mal. 4:2). When the expectation of the Messiah reached its highest degree, the Savior of the world Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, came to John to the Jordan to be baptized.
The baptism of Christ was accompanied by miraculous phenomena - the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove and the voice of God the Father from heaven: “This is My beloved Son...” Having received a revelation about Jesus Christ, the prophet John told the people about Him: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” Hearing this, two of John's disciples joined Jesus Christ. They were the apostles John (the Theologian) and Andrew (the First-Called, brother of Simon Peter). With the baptism of the Savior, the prophet John completed and, as it were, sealed his prophetic ministry.
He fearlessly and strictly denounced the vices of both ordinary people and
On his birthday, Herod held a feast, which was attended by many noble guests. Salome, the daughter of the wicked Herodias, with her immodest dancing during the feast, pleased Herod and the guests reclining with him so much that the king promised with an oath to give her everything she asked for, even up to half of his kingdom. The dancer, taught by her mother, asked to be given the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod respected John as a prophet, so he was saddened by such a request. However, he was embarrassed to break the oath he had given and sent a guard to the prison, who cut off John’s head and gave it to the girl, and she took the head to her mother. Herodias, having outraged the cut off holy head of the prophet, threw it into a dirty place. The disciples of John the Baptist buried his body in the Samaritan city of Sebaste. For his crime, Herod received retribution in 38 after R. X.; his troops were defeated by Arethas, who opposed him for dishonoring his daughter, whom he abandoned for Herodias, and in next year The Roman Emperor Caligula exiled Herod to prison.
As the legend tells, Evangelist Luke, going around different cities and villages preaching Christ, took from Sebaste to Antioch a particle of the relics of the great prophet - his right hand. In 959, when the Muslims captured Antioch (under Emperor Constantine the Porphyrogenitus), the deacon transferred the hand of the Forerunner from Antioch to Chalcedon, from where it was transported to Constantinople, where it was kept until the conquest of this city by the Turks. Then the right hand of John the Baptist was kept in St. Petersburg in the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands in the Winter Palace.
The front part of the head of St. John the Baptist in the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Amiens
The holy head of John the Baptist was found by the pious Joanna and buried in a vessel on the Mount of Olives. Later, one pious ascetic, while digging a ditch for the foundation of the temple, found this treasure and kept it with himself, and before his death, fearing the desecration of the shrine by non-believers, he hid it in the ground in the same place where he found it. During the reign of Constantine the Great, two monks came to Jerusalem to worship Holy Sepulcher, and John the Baptist appeared to one of them and pointed out where his head was buried. From that time on, Christians began to celebrate the First Finding of the Head of John the Baptist.
All Christians in the world know the famous couple of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. The names of these two individuals are inextricably linked. Moreover, if almost every devout person knows the life story of Jesus, then earthly path Not everyone knows John the Baptist.
Who is John the Baptist and what is his role in Christian religion? Unfortunately, documentary evidence (except for the Gospel) and a couple of biographies about the deeds of this man have practically not survived. Despite this, John the Baptist is real personality, the existence of which no one even disputes. This man of great significance became the “Forerunner” of Jesus Christ. Many people don't understand what this word means. The meaning of the word “forerunner” is interpreted differently in different sources. This is a predecessor, a person who, through his activity, prepared the way for something or someone, an event or phenomenon that prepared the ground for other actions. John the Baptist was the son of the elderly high priest Zechariah, who despaired of having an heir, and his righteous wife Elizabeth. The biblical scriptures say that he was born six months before Jesus. The angel Gabriel announced his birth and service to the Lord. Isaiah and Malachi also spoke about his birth. He was called the Baptist because he performed the ritual of washing (baptizing) a person in the waters of the river. Jordan as his spiritual renewal.
The exact place where John was born is not indicated in any source. It is believed that he was born in Ein Karem, a suburb of Jerusalem. Today, on this site stands a Franciscan monastery dedicated to this Saint. Many theologians believe that John's father Zechariah was killed in the temple on the orders of King Herod after he refused to reveal the whereabouts of his newborn son. The Baptist's mother saved him from being killed during the massacre of the Bethlehem infants by hiding in the desert. According to legend, she, having heard about the search for John, went with him to the mountain. In a loud voice Elizabeth ordered the mountain to hide her and her son, after which the rock opened up and let her in. At that time, they were constantly guarded by the angel of the Lord.
Information about John
All the circumstances of the birth and life of John the Baptist are described in detail in the Gospel of Luke. He spent his youth in the desert. The life of John the Baptist until the moment of his appearance to the people was ascetic. He wore clothes made from coarse camel hair and belted with a leather belt. John the Baptist ate dried locusts (insects of the locust genus) and wild honey. Having reached the age of thirty, he began to preach to the people in the Judean desert. John the Baptist the Baptist called people to repent of their sins and follow a righteous life. His speeches were terse, but made a strong impression. One of his favorite phrases is: “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is approaching!” It was thanks to John that the expression “the voice of one crying in the wilderness” appeared, since in this way he expressed his protest against Orthodox Judaism.
Introduction of the designation “Forerunner”
For the first time, John the Baptist was called the “Forerunner” by the Gnostic Heraklion, who lived in the 2nd century. This designation was later adopted by the Christian scientist Clement of Alexandria. IN Orthodox Church both epithets “Forerunner” and “Baptist” are used equally often, and in Catholicism the second is used much more often. In Rus', two major holidays revered by the people have long been dedicated to John: Ivan Kupala and Ivan Golovoseka (Beheading).
The influence of John the Baptist on the people
The Baptist began preaching around 28 AD. He reproached people for their pride in their chosenness and demanded the restoration of old patriarchal ethical standards. The power of the Forerunner's sermons was so great that the population of Jerusalem and all the Jewish environs came to him to be baptized. John performed the dedication by water in the river. Jordan. At the same time, he said that when a person is washed, God forgives his sins. He called immersion and repentance preparation for the reception of the Messiah, who was soon to appear in these parts. On the banks of the Jordan, John continued to preach, gathering everyone around him larger number followers. There is information that, under the influence of the speeches of the Forerunner, even the Pharisees (a religious group that called for scrupulously observing the Law) and Sadducees (the highest clergy and aristocrats) came to be baptized, but John drove them away without baptism.
The essence of the teachings of John the Baptist
At the beginning of his preaching work, the Forerunner combined a call to repentance with immersion in sacred waters Jordan. This procedure symbolized cleansing from human sins and preparation for the coming of the Messiah.
John's Sermons to Soldiers, Publicans and Other People
In addition to communicating with ordinary people, the Baptist devoted a lot of time to preaching to soldiers. He urged them not to slander, not to offend anyone, and also to be content with their salaries. The Forerunner asked the tax collectors not to demand more than what was determined by law. He encouraged all people, regardless of their position and wealth, to share both food and clothing. The followers of the Baptist created a community called the “disciples of John.” Among her peers, she was distinguished by extremely strict asceticism.
Prophecy of the Messiah
Saint John the Baptist, when asked about the messenger of God, answered the Jerusalem Pharisees: “I baptize in water, but he stands among you whom you do not know. He who follows me, but who stands in front of me.” With these words he confirms the coming of the Messiah to earth.
John the Baptist Meets Jesus
Jesus Christ, along with other Israelis, came to the banks of the Jordan to listen to John’s sermons. Almost immediately, he asked for baptism at the hand of the Forerunner in order to “fulfill all righteousness.” Despite all his severity, the Prophet John the Baptist pointed the people to Christ as the Lamb of God. The evangelists Matthew, Mark and Luke wrote about one meeting between the Forerunner and Jesus. At the same time, the Apostle John writes about two moments of communication between these individuals. Thus, for the first time a stranger appeared before the Baptist, in whom the Spirit in the form of a white dove pointed him to the Lamb of God. The next day, Christ and the Forerunner met again. It was then that John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus the Messiah, which, according to theologians, became his main feat.
Baptism of Jesus
While John the Baptist was in Bethabara near the Jordan River, Jesus came to him, wanting to be baptized. Since these days the exact location of this settlement It is impossible to establish; since the 16th century, the site on the river bank where the monastery of St. John is located has been considered the place of Christ’s ablution. It is located a kilometer from the city of Beit Avara, which is 10 km east of Jericho.
At Jesus’ baptism, “the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him like a dove, and a voice from heaven said: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well pleased.” Thus, thanks to John, the messianic destiny of the Son of God was publicly witnessed. Baptism had strong influence on Jesus, which is why it is considered by the evangelists as the very first an important event social activities Messiah. After meeting Christ, John baptized people in Aenon, which is located near Salem.
After his baptism, Jesus became John's successor. He even began his speeches, as the Forerunner, with a call to repentance and the announcement of the approach of the Kingdom of Heaven. Theologians believe that without Christ, John's preaching would have been ineffective. At the same time, without the Baptist as the Messiah, who prepared the ground for the preaching of Jesus, his reading would not have found such a response among the people.
The meaning of John the Baptist in Christianity
Despite all his merits, the Baptist in religious traditions is not at all equated with Christ. Although he was the eldest in age and became the first to preach repentance and the coming of the Kingdom of God, he was still placed lower than Jesus. John the Baptist is often compared to the Old Testament prophet Elijah, who also acted as a zealot for the one Almighty Yahweh and fought against false gods.
John the Baptist's Path to Execution
Like Jesus Christ, the Forerunner had his own life path in execution. It is associated with the Baptist’s denunciation of the Palestinian tetrarch (the man who inherited part of his father’s kingdom) Herod Antipas. He abandoned universal principles of morality and many religious rules. Herod Antipas married his brother's wife Herodias, thereby violating Jewish customs. John the Baptist openly condemned this ruler. At the instigation of the evil Herodias, Herod Antipas around 30 AD. imprisoned the Forerunner, but, fearing popular anger, still spared his life.
Beheading of John the Baptist
Herodias could not forgive the offense to John the Baptist, so she waited for the right moment to carry out her insidious plan of revenge. On the day when Herod Antipas celebrated his birth and gave a magnificent feast for the elders and nobles, he wished Salome, the daughter of Herodias, to dance. She pleased the ruler and his guests so much that he told her to ask him for anything. At the request of Herodias, Salome demanded the head of the Baptist on a platter. Despite his fear of popular outrage, Herod kept his promise. On his orders, the head of John the Baptist was cut off in prison and given to Salome, who gave it to her treacherous mother. The reliability of this fact is confirmed by the Antiquities of the Jews, written by Josephus.
The image of John the Baptist in world art
Saint John the Baptist attracted not only artists and sculptors, but also composers with his image. During the Renaissance, many geniuses visual arts turned to the image and episodes of the biography of the Forerunner. In addition, artists depicted Salome dancing or holding a tray with the head of the Baptist. Such masters as Giotto, Donatello, Leonardo da Vinci, Tintoretto, Caravaggio, Rodin, El Greco dedicated their works to him. Worldwide famous picture artist A. Ivanov’s “The Appearance of Christ to the People” is dedicated to the meeting of the Baptist with Jesus. In the Middle Ages, bronze and terracotta figurines of the Forerunner were very popular.
The meaning of the Forerunner in world religions
John the Baptist is revered as the last of the prophets and harbingers of the Messiah, not only in Christianity. In Islam and such religious movements as Baha'is and Mandaeans, he is worshiped under the name Yalya (Yahya). In some Arab Christian churches he is known as Yuhanna.
Burial place of the Baptist
According to legend, Herodias mocked the head of the Baptist for several days. After that, she ordered to bury her in a landfill. According to other sources, the head was buried in a clay jug on the Mount of Olives. It is believed that the headless body of the Forerunner was buried in Sebastia (Samaria) near the grave of the prophet Elisha. The Apostle Luke also wanted to take his body to Antioch, but local Christians gave him only the right hand (right hand) of the Saint. In 362 AD. The tomb of John the Baptist was destroyed by apostates. His remains were burned and his ashes scattered. Despite this, many believe that the incorrupt body of the Forerunner was saved and transported to Alexandria. The relics of John the Baptist, represented by his right hand and head, are considered miraculous. They are highly revered shrines. The head of John the Baptist, according to some sources, is kept in the Roman church of San Silvestro in Capite, according to others - in the Umayyad mosque located in Damascus. Such shrines are also known in Amiens (France), Antioch (Türkiye), and Armenia. By Orthodox tradition The head of the Baptist was found 3 times. It is difficult to say where the real relic is actually located, but parishioners of different churches believe that their “head” is the real one.
The Hand of John is located in the Cetinje Monastery, which is located in Montenegro. The Turks claim that it is kept in the museum of the Topkapi Sultan's Palace. There is information about the right hand in the Coptic monastery. Even the empty tomb of the Baptist is still visited by pilgrims who believe in its miraculous powers.
Holidays in honor of the Forerunner
The Orthodox Church has established the following holidays dedicated to John the Baptist:
- Conception of the Forerunner - October 6.
- John's Nativity - July 7th.
- Beheading - September 11th.
- Cathedral of the Baptist - January 20.
John the Baptist was born on March 25, 7 BC. e. in accordance with the promise made by Gabriel to Elizabeth in June of the previous year. For five months, Elizabeth kept Gabriel's visit a secret. When she told her husband Zechariah about him, he was extremely concerned and only fully believed her after he had an unusual dream about six weeks before John’s birth. Apart from Gabriel's visit and Zechariah's dream, there was nothing supernatural associated with the birth of John the Baptist.
On the eighth day, according to Jewish custom, John was circumcised. He grew up like an ordinary child, day after day and year after year, in a small village known in those days as the city of Judah, located about four miles west of Jerusalem.
The most noteworthy event early childhood John visited Nazareth with his parents and met Jesus and his family. This visit took place in June 1 BC. e., when John was a little over six years old.
After returning from Nazareth, John’s parents began the systematic education of the boy. There was no synagogue school in this small village. However, as a priest, Zechariah was quite well educated, and Elizabeth was significantly better educated than the average woman of Judah. She was also related to the clergy, since she came from the line of daughters of Aaron. Due to the fact that John was only child, they devoted a lot of time to his mental and spiritual preparation. Zechariah's periods of worship in the Jerusalem temple were short, so most he devoted time to his son.
Zechariah and Elizabeth had a small farm where they raised sheep. This farm could hardly feed them, but Zechariah received regular support from the temple funds intended for the clergy.
1. JOHN BECOMES A NAZORETE
John was deprived of the opportunity to attend school and graduate at the age of fourteen, but his parents decided that it was at this age that he should take the formal vow of a Nazirite. Accordingly, Zechariah and Elizabeth went with their son to En Gedi, on the shores of the Dead Sea. Here was the southern center of the Nazarene brotherhood, and here the young man received the proper solemn and lifelong initiation into that brotherhood. Having gone through this ritual and vowing to abstain from intoxicating drinks, not to cut hair and not to touch the dead, John and his parents headed to Jerusalem, where in front of the temple they performed the sacrifices that were required of those who took the Nazirite oath.
John made the same lifelong vow that his illustrious predecessors, Samson and the prophet Samuel, took. A lifelong Nazirite was considered a holy man. The Jews treated the Nazirites with almost the same respect and reverence that was shown to the high priest, which was not surprising, for the Nazirites of lifelong ordination were the only people, with the exception of the high priests, who were admitted into the holy of holies of the temple.
John returned from Jerusalem to tend his father's sheep and in time grew into a strong and noble man.
When John, a sixteen-year-old boy, read about Elijah, the prophet of Mount Carmel made such a strong impression on him that he decided to adopt his clothing style. From now on, John always wore a hair shirt and girded himself with a leather belt. By the age of sixteen he had almost completed his physical development, and he was over six feet tall. With his flowing hair and quirky way of dressing, he truly was a distinctive young man. And his parents expected great things from their only son, cherished child and lifelong Nazirite.
2. DEATH OF ZECHARIAH
Zechariah died after an illness that lasted several months in July 12 AD. e., shortly after John turned eighteen years old. This event led John into great confusion, for the Nazarite vow forbade touching the dead even in his own family. Although John decided to submit to the restrictions of his vow not to defile himself with the dead, he was not sure that he had fulfilled all the requirements of the Nazirites. Therefore, after the funeral of his father, he went to Jerusalem, where, in the corner of the women's court reserved for the Nazirites, he offered the sacrifices required for purification.
In September of this year, Elizabeth and John traveled to Nazareth to visit Mary and Jesus. John had almost decided to begin his life's work, but not only the words of Jesus, but also his example convinced him to return home to care for his mother and wait until “the hour struck for the Father’s work. John, having received great pleasure from this trip, said goodbye to Jesus and Mary. The next time he met Jesus was only at his baptism in the Jordan.
John and Elizabeth returned home and began making plans for the future. Since John refused the priestly allowance that was due to him from the temple funds, at the end of the second year, having effectively lost their home, they decided to go south with a flock of sheep. Therefore, in the summer of that year, when John was twenty years old, they moved to Hebron. In the so-called “wilderness of Judea,” John tended his sheep near a stream that fed a larger stream of water that flowed into the Dead Sea at En Gedi. The local colony united not only Nazarenes of lifelong and temporary initiation, but also many other ascetic shepherds who gathered in these places with their flocks and communicated with the Nazarene brotherhood. They subsisted on sheep breeding and gifts from wealthy Jews.
Over time, John began to return to Hebron less often and visited En-Gedi more and more often. He was so different from most Nazarenes that it was difficult for him to truly become friends with members of the brotherhood. However, he became very fond of Abner, the recognized leader and head of the colony at En-Gedi.
3. LIFE OF A SHEPHERD
In a valley through which a small stream flowed, John built at least a dozen stone shelters and night pens, built from piled stones on top of each other, in which he could guard and protect his flocks of sheep and goats. The life of a shepherd left John a lot of free time to think. He had long conversations with Ezda, an orphaned boy from Bethzur whom he had adopted in a sense and who looked after the flocks when John went to Hebron to visit his mother and sell sheep, or visited En Gedi to participate in Sabbath services. John and the boy lived a very simple life, subsisting on lamb, goat's milk, wild honey and local edible locusts. This regular diet was supplemented by provisions that were brought in from time to time from Hebron and En Gedi.
Elizabeth kept John informed of affairs in Palestine and in the world, and he became increasingly convinced that the end of the old world was rapidly approaching, and also that he was destined to become the herald of the approach new era"kingdom of heaven". This stern shepherd was especially partial to the writings of the prophet Daniel. Hundreds of times he reread the description of Daniel's sublime vision, which, as Zechariah told him, reflected the history of the great kingdoms of the world, Babylon, Persia, Greece and even Rome. John saw that the linguistic and racial diversity of Rome would never allow it to become a truly strong and indestructible empire. He believed that Rome was already divided into Syria, Egypt, Palestine and other provinces; he read further that during the reign of these kings the God of heaven would establish a kingdom that would never be destroyed. This kingdom will not be transferred to another people, but will crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it itself will stand forever. And to him was given power and glory and a kingdom, that all nations, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is eternal, it will not pass away, and his kingdom will be indestructible.” “The kingdom and power and royal greatness throughout all the heavenly places will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him.
John never fully dealt with the confusion caused by what he learned about Jesus from his parents and these scripture passages. He read from Daniel: “I saw in the night visions one who looked like the Son of Man, and who walked with the clouds in heaven, and to him was given power and glory and a kingdom.” However, these words of the prophet contradicted what his parents taught him. His conversation with Jesus during their meeting when John was eighteen years old did not correspond to these words of the Scriptures. Despite this confusion, his mother always tried to dispel her son's doubts by convincing John that his distant relative Jesus of Nazareth is the true Messiah, that he came to sit on the throne of David, and that he (John) was to become his forerunner and main support.
Based on everything that John heard about the depravity and wickedness of Rome, the depravity and moral devastation of the empire, what he knew about the atrocities of Herod Antipas and the rulers of Judea, he was inclined to believe in the imminent end of the era. It seemed to this stern and noble child of nature that the era of man was already approaching its decline and the dawn of a new and divine era of the kingdom of heaven was coming. In his soul, John increasingly felt himself to be the last of the old prophets and the first of the new. And he literally trembled with the desire to go out and proclaim to all people: “Repent! Be justified before God! Prepare for the end; be prepared for the establishment of a new and eternal world order of the kingdom of heaven.”
4. DEATH OF ELISABETH
August 17, 22 AD e., when John was twenty-eight years old, his mother died suddenly. Elizabeth's friends, aware of the Nazirite prohibitions against touching the dead even in their own family, made all the preparations for her funeral even before they sent for John. When John received news of his mother's death, he ordered Ezda to drive his flocks to En Gedi and set off for Hebron.
Returning to En-Gedi from his mother's funeral, he handed over his flocks to the brotherhood and retired for a while to fast and pray. John knew only the old methods of approaching divinity; he only knew what such figures as Elijah, Samuel and Daniel wrote about it. Elijah was his ideal prophet. Elijah was the first of the teachers of Israel to be regarded as a prophet, and John sincerely believed that he was destined to be the last in that long and illustrious line of heavenly messengers.
John lived at En Gedi for two and a half years, and he convinced most of the brotherhood that “the end of the age was at hand,” that “the kingdom of heaven was coming.” All of his early teaching was based on the contemporary Jewish concept of the Messiah as the promised deliverer of the Jewish people from the domination of infidel rulers.
Throughout this period, John spent a lot of time reading the sacred books he found in the abode of the Nazirites at En-Gedi. Isaiah and Malachi, at that time the last of the prophets, made a particularly strong impression on him. He read and reread the final five chapters of Isaiah, and he believed these prophecies. After this he read from Malachi: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes; and he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” It was only Malachi's promise that Elijah would return that prevented John from preaching the coming kingdom and calling on his fellow Jews to flee from the wrath to come. John was ready to proclaim the approach of the kingdom, but for more than two years he was held back by the anticipation of the coming of Elijah. He knew he was not Elijah. What did Malachi mean?
Was his prophecy literal or figurative? How could he know the truth? Finally, he decided to believe that since the first of the prophets was named Elijah, the last would be known by the same name. Nevertheless, he was haunted by doubts, doubts sufficient to prevent him from ever being called Elijah.
It was under the influence of Elijah that John adopted his method of direct and sharp denunciations of the sins and vices of his contemporaries. He tried to dress like Elijah, and he tried to talk like Elijah; on all external signs he resembled an ancient prophet. He was the same powerful and original child of nature, the same fearless and courageous preacher of righteousness. John was not illiterate, he knew the holy books of the Jews well, but he was hardly cultured person. He had a clear mind, was an excellent speaker and a fiery accuser. He was hardly an example for his time, but he was an eloquent reproach of it.
Finally, he came up with a way to proclaim a new era, the kingdom of God: he decided that he was destined to become the herald of the Messiah. Having cast aside all doubts, in March 25 AD. e. John left En-Gedi to embark on his short but brilliant path as a public preacher.
5. KINGDOM OF GOD
In order to understand the meaning of John's sermon, it is necessary to take into account the situation of the Jewish people at the appearance of the Baptist. For nearly a hundred years all of Israel had been in confusion. The Jews could not understand why they continued to be subordinate to foreigners. Didn't Moses teach that righteousness is always rewarded with prosperity and power? Aren't they God's chosen people? Why does David's throne remain abandoned and empty? In light of the teachings of Moses and the teachings of the prophets, the Jews found it difficult to explain the long decline of their nation.
About a hundred years before Jesus and John, a new school of religious teachers, apocalypticists, appeared in Palestine. These new preachers created a creed that explained the suffering and humiliation of the Jews as retribution for the sins of the nation. They leaned on well known causes, thus used to explain the Babylonian and other captivities of former times. However, the apocalypticists taught, Israel should not lose heart; the end of their suffering is not far off; God's patience with the rulers of other faiths is running out. The end of Roman rule meant the same thing as the end of an era and, in a sense, the end of the world. These new teachers drew heavily on Daniel's predictions. They continually taught that creation was approaching its final stage: the kingdoms of this world were soon to become the kingdom of God. For the Jewish consciousness of that time, this was precisely the meaning of the expression “kingdom of heaven,” which is the leitmotif of both the teachings of John and the teachings of Jesus. For the Palestinian Jews, the “kingdom of heaven” meant only one thing: an absolutely righteous state in which the sovereign God (Messiah) rules the peoples of the earth as he rules in heaven, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
In the time of John, all the Jews asked with hope: “Will the kingdom come soon?”; The feeling that the end of pagan rule was near was widespread. Throughout all Jewry there lived hope, a keen presentiment that this age-old dream would come true in their lifetime.
Although the Jews differed significantly from each other in their assessments of the nature of the coming kingdom, they all agreed that it was a matter of the near, near, and even immediate future. Many who took the Old Testament literally looked forward to a new king of Palestine, to the rebirth of a Jewish nation freed from its enemies and led by King David's heir, the Messiah, who would quickly be recognized as the rightful and righteous ruler of the entire world. Another, albeit smaller, group of pious Jews held completely different views about this kingdom of God. They taught that the coming kingdom was “not of this world,” that the world was approaching its inevitable end, and that “new heavens and a new earth” were to usher in the establishment of the kingdom of God; that this kingdom was to become an eternal power, that sin would be put to an end, and that the citizens of this kingdom were to become immortal in their enjoyment of endless bliss.
Everyone agreed that the establishment of a new kingdom on earth must inevitably be preceded by some kind of severe punishment or cleansing punishment. Supporters of the literal interpretation foreshadowed world war, which will destroy all infidels, while the faithful march majestically to universal and eternal victory. Supporters spiritual interpretation taught that the announcement of the kingdom would be a great judgment of God, which would reward the wicked according to their deserts, condemning them to final destruction, and at the same time exalt the believing saints of God's chosen people to glory and power with the Son of Man, who would reign over the saved nations in the name of God. This second group also believed that pious foreigners would be admitted into the brotherhood of the new kingdom.
Some of the Jews believed that God would probably establish his new kingdom by direct divine intervention, but the vast majority believed that he would use his representative, the mediator, the Messiah, for this purpose. This was the only way the Jews of the generation to which John and Jesus belonged understood the word “Messiah.” One who only taught God's will or proclaimed the need for a righteous life could not be called the Messiah. The Jews called all such saints prophets. The Messiah was to be more than a prophet: the Messiah was to establish a new kingdom - the kingdom of God. If a person did not live up to this idea, he could not possibly be called the Messiah in the traditional Jewish sense.
Who will be this Messiah? And on this issue the Jewish teachers disagreed. The old preachers held to the doctrine of the son of David. The new ones taught that since the new kingdom was the kingdom of heaven, the new ruler could also be a divine person, "one who has long been seated at the right hand of God in heaven." Although it may seem strange, those who held this view of the ruler of the new kingdom looked at him not as a human Messiah, not just a man, but as the “Son of Man” - the Son of God, the heavenly Prince, long ready to take dominion over new land. This was the religious situation in the Jewish world when John made his call: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
Therefore it is obvious that John's message about the coming kingdom had at least half a dozen different interpretations in the minds of those who listened to his passionate preaching. However, whatever meaning may have been given to the expressions used by John by the various groups that hoped for the Jewish kingdom, each of them became interested in the appeals of this sincere, energetic, artless preacher of righteousness and repentance, who solemnly called on his hearers to “flee from the wrath to come.”
6. JOHN BEGINS TO PREACH
At the beginning of March 25 AD. e. John walked around the western shore of the Dead Sea and went up the Jordan to the site of the ancient crossing, located at the level of Jericho, through which Yeshua and the children of Israel first entered the promised land. Having moved to the opposite bank of the river, he settled at the ford and began to preach to the people crossing the river in both directions. This was the busiest crossing point across the Jordan.
It was clear to those who heard John that he was more than just a preacher. The vast majority of people who listened to this to a strange person who came here from the desert of Judea, left here believing that they had heard the voice of the prophet. It is not surprising that this phenomenon deeply disturbed the souls of exhausted and hopeful Jews. Never in the history of the Jewish people did the pious children of Abraham so strongly desire the “consolation of Israel” or so passionately await the “restoration of the kingdom.” Never in the entire history of the Jewish people could John's preaching - "the kingdom of heaven is at hand" - have had such a profound and universal impact as at the very time when he so mysteriously appeared on the banks of this southern crossing of the Jordan.
He was one of the shepherds, like Amos. He dressed like the ancient Elijah and delivered loud warnings and instructions in “the spirit and power of Elijah.” It is not surprising that this strange preacher caused great excitement throughout Palestine, for travelers talked about his sermons at the Jordan.
There was one more, new feature in the actions of the Nazirite preacher: he baptized in the Jordan each of the people who came to him “for the remission of sins.” Although baptism was not a new rite among the Jews, they never saw it used in the way that John did. It had long been the custom to baptize proselytes from among the pagans for acceptance into the brotherhood of the outer court of the temple, but the Jews themselves were never invited to be baptized for repentance. Only fifteen months passed from John’s first sermons to his arrest and imprisonment by order of Herod Antipas, but during this a short time the number of people baptized by him exceeded well over one hundred thousand people.
For four months John preached at the crossing of Bethania, after which he went north up the Jordan. Tens of thousands of listeners - some out of curiosity, but many with deep and serious intentions - came to hear him from all over Judea, Perea and Samaria. Some came even from Galilee.
In May of this year, while John was still at the crossing at Bethany, the priests and Levites sent a delegation to him to find out whether he claimed to be the Messiah and by what right he preached. John answered these questions with the words: “Go and tell your masters that you heard - as the prophet said - “the voice of one crying in the wilderness,” saying: “Prepare the way for the Lord, make the road straight for our God.” Let the valleys be filled, the hills and mountains leveled; all the curvature of the roads will straighten out, and difficult to pass places will turn into smooth valleys; and everyone will see the salvation of God."
John was a heroic but straightforward preacher. One day, while he was preaching and baptizing on the west bank of the Jordan, a group of Pharisees arrived and several Sadducees came for baptism. Before going into the water with them, John, addressing the whole group, said: “Who warned you to flee like snakes from the fire, from the wrath to come? I will baptize you, but I warn you: create fruits worthy of sincere repentance if you want to receive remission of your sins. And don't tell me that Abraham is your father. I tell you that God can create worthy sons of Abraham from these twelve stones. The ax is already lying at the roots of the tree. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (According to tradition, the twelve stones that John spoke of were memorial stones placed by Yeshua in memory of the crossing of the “twelve tribes” in the very place where they first set foot on the Promised Land.)
John conducted classes with his students, during which he spoke in detail about the new life and sought to answer their many questions. He advised teachers to follow both the spirit and letter of the law. He instructed the rich to feed the poor; He told tax collectors: “Don’t take more than your due.” He told the soldiers: “Don’t offend anyone and don’t extort money - be content with your salary.” And he repeated to everyone: “Get ready for the end of the age, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
7. JOHN GOES NORTH
John still held conflicting ideas about the approaching kingdom and its king. The longer he preached, the more confused he became, but the uncertainty of his ideas about the nature of the coming kingdom never in any way diminished his conviction of the imminent arrival of this kingdom. In mind he could be confused, in spirit - never. He had no doubt that the kingdom was imminent, but he had no certainty that Jesus was to become the ruler of that kingdom. As long as John was committed to restoring the throne of David, his parents' teachings that Jesus, born in the city of David, was the long-awaited savior seemed logical. When did he begin to lean more toward doctrine? spiritual kingdom and the end of this mortal age, he was seized with deep doubts about the role that Jesus could play in such events. Sometimes he doubted everything, but not for long. He deeply regretted that he could not talk about all this with his relative, but this would be contrary to their express agreement.
As John walked further and further north, he often thought about Jesus. Moving upstream of the Jordan, he stopped in a good dozen places. In one of them, Adam, in response to a direct question from his disciples whether he was the Messiah, he first mentioned “another who will come after me.” And he continued with the words: “After me will come one who is stronger than me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to even untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. He holds a spade in his hand to clear his threshing floor; he will gather the good grain into his bins, and burn the chaff with the fire of judgment.”
Answering the questions of his disciples, John continued to develop his teachings, and, in comparison with his initial and mysterious sermon - “Repent and be baptized,” - day by day he added more and more useful and comforting words to them. By this time people were already arriving in droves from Galilee and the Decapolis. Every day many sincere believers remained with their beloved teacher.
8. THE MEETING OF JESUS AND JOHN
By December 25 AD. e. John, ascending along the Jordan, reached the environs of Pella. His fame had already spread throughout Palestine, and his activities became main theme for conversations in all cities around Lake Galilee. Jesus spoke favorably of John's preaching, and this prompted many of the inhabitants of Capernaum to perform John's ritual of repentance and baptism. The sons of Zebedee - fishermen James and John - went to him for baptism in December, and soon John settled down to preach at Pella. Once a week they returned to the same place to see John, reporting to Jesus the latest reliable news about the activities of the traveling preacher.
Jesus' brothers James and Jude had already talked about going to John for baptism, and since Judas had also come to Capernaum for Sabbath services, both he and James, having heard Jesus speak in the synagogue, decided to consult him about their plans . It was on the evening of Saturday, January 12, 26 AD. e. Jesus asked them to postpone their discussion until next day when he promised to give his answer. That night he hardly slept, being in close communication with his heavenly Father. He arranged to meet his brothers for a midday meal and express his views regarding John's baptism. That Sunday morning Jesus was working as always in the boat shop. James and Judas brought food and waited for him in the utility room, for it was not yet time for the midday break, and they knew that Jesus was very punctual in such things.
Just before the break began, Jesus put down his tool, took off his work apron and said only one thing to the three workers who were in the same room: “My time is fulfilled.” He went out to his brothers James and Judas and repeated: “My time is fulfilled - let’s go to John.” They immediately headed to Pella, having lunch as they went. This was on Sunday, January 13th. They spent the night in the Jordan Valley and the next day around noon they arrived at the baptism site.
John had just begun baptizing the people who came that day. Many penitents stood one behind the other, awaiting their turn as Jesus and his two brothers took their place among the men and women who had deeply believed in John's preaching of the approaching kingdom. John had already asked the sons of Zebedee about Jesus. He knew of Jesus' statements concerning his preaching and expected to see him there from day to day, but he did not imagine that he would meet him among the candidates for baptism.
Immersed in the process of quickly baptizing such a huge number of converts, John did not look up and saw Jesus only when the Son of Man stood directly in front of him. When John recognized Jesus, he paused the ceremony for a while to greet his relative in the flesh, and asked: “But why did you go down into the water when you greeted me?” Jesus answered: “So that I may be baptized by you.” John objected: “It is I who must be baptized by you. So why did you come to me? Jesus whispered to John, “Let it be this way for now, for it is for us to set an example for my brothers who stand here with me, and so that people will know that my time is fulfilled.”
The voice of Jesus sounded categorical and authoritative. John trembled with excitement as he prepared to baptize Jesus of Nazareth in the Jordan at noon on Monday, January 14, 26 CE. e. So John baptized Jesus and his two brothers, James and Judas. After this, John dismissed the others, announcing that he would resume baptism at noon the next day. As the people dispersed, the four men who were still standing in the water heard a strange sound, and soon a vision appeared over the head of Jesus for a moment, and they heard a voice: “Behold my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” A striking change took place in the whole appearance of Jesus, and, silently emerging from the water, he left them, heading towards the eastern hills. And not a single person saw Jesus for forty days.
While seeing Jesus off, John managed to tell him about Gabriel’s visit to Elizabeth even before they were born, a story that he had heard more than once from his mother. He left Jesus to continue on his way, saying: “Now I know for sure that you are the Deliverer.” But Jesus did not answer.
9. FORTY DAYS OF SERMON
When John returned to his disciples (by this time there were about twenty-five or thirty people constantly with him), they were enthusiastically discussing the event that had just happened related to the baptism of Jesus. They were even more amazed when John told them about Gabriel's appearance to Mary shortly before the birth of Jesus, and also that Jesus did not utter a word when he told him about it. It didn't rain that evening, and these thirty or more people talked under starry sky well after midnight. They wanted to know where Jesus had gone and when they would see him again.
After what happened that day, John’s sermon sounded in a new way, proclaiming the coming kingdom and the long-awaited Messiah. Those forty days of waiting—waiting for Jesus to return—were a tense time. But John's preaching continued to sound with great force, and around this time his disciples began to preach to the crowds of people gathered around John at the Jordan.
During these forty days of waiting, many rumors arose that spread throughout the area and even reached Tiberias and Jerusalem. The desire to see the one who was considered the Messiah attracted thousands of people to John's camp - but Jesus disappeared. And when John’s disciples said that the strange man of God had gone to the mountains, many doubted the whole story.
About three weeks after Jesus left them, a new delegation sent by the Jerusalem priests and Pharisees arrived at the scene at Pella. They asked John directly whether he was Elijah or the prophet Moses spoke about. And when John answered “no,” they decided to ask: “Are you the Messiah?” and John answered: “No.” Then those who came from Jerusalem said: “If you are not Elijah, not a prophet and not the Messiah, then why are you baptizing people and making all this noise?” And John answered: “Let those who heard me and were baptized by me say who I am, but I say to you: I baptize with water, but there was one among us who will return to baptize with the Holy Spirit.”
These forty days were a difficult time for John and his disciples. What will John's relationship with Jesus be like? People were looking for answers to many questions. Politicism and a selfish desire to advance began to appear. Fierce debates broke out over various ideas and ideas about the Messiah. Will he be a military leader and king like David? Will he defeat the Roman armies like Yeshua defeated the Canaanites? Or will he come to establish a spiritual kingdom? John and a minority of those disputing were inclined to believe that Jesus came to establish the kingdom of heaven, although it was not entirely clear to him what exactly the mission to create this kingdom was.
These were busy days in John's life, and he prayed for the return of Jesus. Some of John's disciples organized search parties ready to go looking for Jesus, but John forbade them to do this, saying: “Our days are in the hands of the God of heaven; he will guide his chosen Son.”
It was early Saturday morning, February 23, when, during their morning meal, John and his disciples looked north and saw Jesus approaching them. As he approached, John climbed onto a large stone and shouted in his sonorous voice: “Behold the Son of God, the deliverer of the world! This is the one about whom I said: “Following me a man is walking, which is superior to me, for he existed before me.” For this purpose I came from the desert to preach repentance and baptize with water, heralding the approach of the heavenly kingdom. And here comes one who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. And I saw how divine spirit descended upon this man, and heard the voice of God: “Behold my beloved Son, in whom I delight.”
Jesus asked them to return to their food and sat down with John to share the meal with him. By that time, his brothers, Jacob and Judah, had already returned to Capernaum.
The next day, early in the morning, he left John and his disciples and went back to Galilee. He didn't tell them anything about when they would see him again. In response to John's questions about his own preaching and mission, Jesus only replied, “My Father will guide you now and from now on, just as he did in the past.” And the two great men parted that morning on the banks of the Jordan, never to meet again in the flesh.
10. JOHN GOES SOUTH
Because Jesus had gone to Galilee, John felt led to turn back to the south. So on Sunday morning, March 3, John and the remaining disciples went south. Meanwhile, about a quarter of John's closest followers headed to Galilee in search of Jesus. John was overcome with sadness and confusion. He never preached as he did before Jesus was baptized. Some instinct told him that the responsibility for the coming kingdom no longer lay on his shoulders. He felt that his work was coming to an end. He was inconsolable and alone. However, he preached, baptized, and continued to go south.
John stayed for several weeks near the village of Adam, and it was here that he made his memorable criticism of Herod Antipas for misappropriating another man's wife. By June of this year (26 AD) John had returned to the crossing at Bethania. More than a year had passed since here, at this crossing of the Jordan, he first began to preach the coming kingdom. Over the weeks following Jesus' baptism, the nature of John's preaching gradually changed. His calls turned into a sermon of mercy towards ordinary people, while he denounced corrupt political and religious rulers with renewed vigor.
Herod Antipas, on whose territory John preached, began to fear that John and his disciples would revolt. In addition, Herod was outraged that John publicly criticized his family affairs. Taking all this into account, Herod decided to put John behind bars. So, in the early morning of June 12, before the crowds had gathered to hear the sermons and see the baptism, John was arrested by Herod's men. Weeks passed, but John remained in captivity. His disciples scattered throughout Palestine, and many of them went to Galilee to join the followers of Jesus.
11. JOHN IN PRISON
In prison, John felt lonely and even bitter. Few of his supporters were allowed to see him. He longed to see Jesus, but he had to be content with the stories of those of his followers who believed in the Son of Man. He was often plagued by doubts about Jesus and his divine mission. If Jesus is the Messiah, then why doesn't he do anything to free him from his intolerable imprisonment? For more than a year and a half, this stern man - a child of God's freedom - languished in despicable dungeons. And this imprisonment became a huge test of his faith in Jesus and devotion to him. Indeed, this entire experience was a great test of John's very faith in God. Many times he was visited by involuntary doubts about the authenticity of even his own mission and activities.
When several months had passed since his imprisonment, John was visited by a group of his disciples. Having informed him about the public activities of Jesus, they said: “You see, Teacher, the one who was with you in the upper Jordan is prospering and receiving everyone who comes to him. He even feasts with tax collectors and sinners. You showed him heroic example, however, he does nothing to free you.” But John answered his friends: “This man can only do what is given to him by his heavenly Father. You remember well my words: “I am not the Messiah, but I was sent before him to prepare the way for him.” That's what I did. The bride can only belong to her groom, and the groom's friend, standing nearby and he who listens to him rejoices greatly when he hears the voice of the groom. So this joy of mine was fulfilled. He must increase, and I must become less and less. I am of this world, and I preached my sermon. Jesus the Nazarene came to earth from heaven, and he is higher than all of us. The Son of Man has come down from God, and he will tell you the words of God. For the heavenly Father has fully endowed the Son with spirit. The Father loved his Son and will soon give him power over everything. He who believes in the Son has eternal life. And these words of mine are true and unchangeable.”
John's words struck his disciples so much that they left in silence. John was also deeply moved, for he realized that he had uttered a prophecy. After this, he never fully doubted the mission and divinity of Jesus. But he was bitterly disappointed that Jesus did not send him word, did not come to visit him, and did not use even a grain of his great power to free him from captivity. However, Jesus knew all about it. He loved John with great love, but now knowing about his divine essence and all the great things prepared for John after leaving this world, and also knowing that John’s work on earth was completed, he forced himself not to interfere with the natural course of the life of the great preacher and prophet
The long and tedious wait in captivity was unbearable. A few days before his death, John again sent trusted messengers to Jesus, asking: “Is my work finished? Why am I dying in prison? Are you the Messiah, or should we wait for someone else?” And when these two disciples conveyed the message to Jesus, the Son of Man answered: “Go to John and tell him that it was not my forgetfulness that allowed this to happen, for we must be filled with righteousness. Tell John what you have seen and heard, tell him that the good news is being preached to the poor, and finally, tell the beloved herald of my earthly mission that he will be greatly blessed in the age to come if he is not shaken or doubts me.” This news was the last that John received from Jesus. It comforted him greatly and was of great value in strengthening his faith and preparing him for the tragic end of life in the flesh that so quickly befell him after this unforgettable event.
12. DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Since John was working in southern Perea at the time of his arrest, he was immediately taken to the fortress of Macheron, where he was imprisoned until his execution. Herod ruled Perea as well as Galilee, and at that time his Pereian residences were both at Julia and Macheron. In Galilee, the official residence moved from Sepphoris to the new capital, Tiberias.
Herod did not release John because he was afraid that he would start a rebellion. He did not put him to death because he feared mass unrest in the capital - thousands of Perians considered John a holy man, a prophet. Therefore, Herod kept the Nazirite preacher in prison, not knowing what to do with him. John appeared before Herod several times, but flatly refused to leave Herod's domain or abstain from all public activities if he were released. And the new, constantly growing concern about Jesus of Nazareth told Herod that it was not the time to release John. In addition, John aroused the deep hatred of Herodias, Herod’s illegitimate wife.
Herod repeatedly spoke with John about the kingdom of heaven, and although at times the content of these conversations made a strong impression on him, he was afraid to release John from prison.
With extensive construction still underway in Tiberias, Herod spent a lot of time at his Pereian residence, with a particular soft spot for the fortress of Macheron. It took several years before everyone was ready public buildings and official residence at Tiberias.
To celebrate his birthday, Herod threw a sumptuous feast at the Macheronian palace for his senior officers and other officials who held high positions in the councils of government of Galilee and Perea. Since Herodias' direct appeals to Herod demanding the execution of John led nowhere, she decided to achieve the death of the prophet by treachery.
In the midst of the evening feast and entertainment, Herodias brought her daughter out to the guests and asked her to perform a dance for them. Herod, who was extremely pleased with the girl’s performance, called her to him and said: “You are charming. I'm very pleased with you. Today, on my birthday, ask me for anything - everything will be yours, even half the kingdom.” Herod said all this while under the strong influence of a fair amount of wine. The girl stepped aside and asked her mother what she should ask of Herod. “Go to Herod and ask for the head of John the Baptist.” And the young lady, returning to the festive table, said to Herod: “I ask that you immediately give me the head of John the Baptist on a tray.”
Fear and grief gripped Herod, but because of the oath he swore in the presence of everyone sitting at the table with him, he could not refuse the request. And Herod Antipas sent a guard, ordering him to bring the head of John. So that night John was beheaded in prison, and the guard brought the head of the prophet on a tray and gave it to the girl in the far corner of the front hall. And the girl handed the tray to her mother. When John's disciples learned about this, they came for his body and, placing it in a tomb, went to Jesus and told him what had happened.
His birth is a manifest testimony to the power of the prayer of his elderly parents and an indication of the upcoming special mission of the future saint of God.
The life of the Prophet John the Baptist is unique and amazing, strict and virtuous.
The life story of the prophet John
The parents of John the Baptist are the righteous and God-fearing Zechariah and Elizabeth, who lived in Hebron. All their lives they begged God to give them a child, but the miracle happened only when they reached old age.
Baby John was born six months earlier than Jesus Christ. The elder priest Zacharias was notified of his upcoming birth during his service in the church.
One day future father saw by right side from the altar of the archangel. He delivered the cherished message that the prayer of the future parents was heard by God and that Elizabeth would soon give birth to a son, John. He will convert many people to God and become the Forerunner of the Messiah.
But in the church environment this day bears the pagan name “Ivan Kupala”.
Of course, superstitions have long been forgotten, people are having fun, lighting bonfires, weaving wreaths, singing songs, and performing round dances. But among the seemingly simple fun there is the practice of fortune-telling and conspiracies.
Important! Believers should avoid such “pastime” activities. The future is closed to us, and knowing it through fortune telling and other magical sessions is a sin and self-deception.
On the birthday of the Forerunner one should refuse physical labor, it is necessary to say prayer and remember the great preacher, who, with his call to repentance, stirred the hearts of present and future Christians.
Watch a video about the prophet John the Baptist
Celebrations of the saint: Christmas on June 24/July 7, beheading on August 29/September 11, council of the saint on January 7/20, first and second finding of the head on February 24/March 9, third finding of the head on May 25/June 7
Holy Scripture has preserved the circumstances of the birth of Saint John the Baptist. Parents of the “greatest of the prophets”, saints righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth, according to the narration of the holy evangelist Luke, were childless and all their lives they prayed to God for the gift of a child, but God’s Providence determined to show them His mercy only in their very advanced years.
One day, when the priest Zechariah was offering fervent prayers to God in the Jerusalem Temple, the Archangel Gabriel suddenly appeared to him on the right side of the altar and predicted to the elder the imminent birth of a son who would become the herald of the Messiah expected by the Old Testament Church. Zechariah doubted what was predicted, for which he was punished by muteness.
On the eighth day after the birth of the Forerunner, relatives and priests came to Zechariah’s house to perform the rite of circumcision on the baby, according to Jewish custom. Great joy reigned in the house - with the birth of a child, the dishonor allowed by the Lord was removed from the family. By this day, the baby was supposed to be given a name, and the guests decided to name him Zachariah - in honor of his father. However, Saint Elizabeth, filled with the prophetic gift, insisted that the boy be named John, which means “grace” in Hebrew. Everyone was surprised, because no one in their family had such a name. The baby's father himself resolved the confusion. When asked what to name the baby, he wrote on the tablet: “His name is John.” Immediately the bonds that bound his speech were resolved, and Saint Zechariah opened his lips and, giving thanks to the Lord, began to prophesy about the Messiah who had appeared in the world, about his son John, the Forerunner of the Lord, and about future events.
The miraculous birth and its circumstances were told throughout Hebron, in which the house of the righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth was located, and its surroundings. The residents asked: “What will this boy be?”, and some called him the future king of the Jews.
When our Lord Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem and the wise men from the east came with questions about the born King of the Jews to Herod, the latter sent his soldiers to Bethlehem to beat all the male babies there. He did not forget about the baby John from Hebron, about whom he had already heard many wonderful stories. Plotting to kill the youth John, he sent assassins to Hebron. When the massacre of the infants began in Bethlehem, the cries and groans reached Hebron. Saint Elizabeth, together with the Baptist John, went to the Hebron Mountains. Zechariah performed services in the Jerusalem Temple. The soldiers, not finding anyone in Hebron, returned to Herod; he ordered to find out from the priest Zechariah where the baby was hiding. Saint Zechariah answered those who came that he did not know the whereabouts of his son and that he himself, Zechariah, was not afraid of death at the hands of Herod’s mercenaries, since he believed that the Lord would accept his soul. For these words he was killed between the altar and the altar, and his blood on the marble floor became like stone, as evidence of Herod’s crime.
Tradition mentions how righteous Elizabeth, seeing approaching soldiers in the desert, looking for the baby everywhere, turned to the mountain: “Mountain of God, receive the mother and son!” And at the same time the mountain parted and hid her from the killers. By God's command, a cave was built in the mountain, a source of water flowed, and a prolific date tree grew at the entrance to the cave. After forty days had passed since the murder of Saint Zechariah, Saint Elizabeth also reposed; the baby John was nourished and protected by an angel.
Since the time of the prophet Malachi, prophecy has completely ceased among the Jews, who for entire centuries were forced to draw religious and moral strength exclusively from the Law and tradition. The people became so accustomed to this state that they no longer expected the appearance of new prophets, expecting only the second appearance of the ancient prophet Elijah.
John the Baptist appeared in the desert not only in the spirit and power of Elijah, but also resembled him in appearance and way of life. Like his great prototype, he wore a coarse robe of camel's hair, fastened with a leather belt, and ate the most meager gifts of the desert - wild honey and locusts. He fulfilled on himself, as all true ascetics of Christianity later fulfilled, the covenant of Scripture: “Turn away from evil and do good.”
The appearance of such a prophet should involuntarily draw everyone’s attention to him, especially since his preaching concerned him very much important issue- the time of the coming of the Messiah. “Repent,” John preached, “for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And in response to this call, all those who were toiling and burdened began to gather to John from everywhere, wanting in the preaching of the newly-minted prophet to find relief for their conscience from the burden of sins and doubts that weighed on it. The movement was so massive that even arrogant Pharisees and Sadducees, violent warriors and predatory publicans came to John, and they all listened with emotion to the instructions and menacing denunciations of the great prophet, confessed their sins and were baptized by him in the Jordan.
The time has finally come for the One about whom John preached to appear.
When Jesus Christ came among a multitude of people and asked John to baptize Him, the great prophet was embarrassed before such boundless humility of the One in whom he immediately recognized the expected Messiah, and reverently objected to Him: “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me? " And to this expression of humility and reverence on the part of John, Jesus responded: “Leave it now, for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” After listening to the words of the Savior, John baptized the Lord. When Jesus came out of the water, John saw the heavens opening and the Spirit like a dove descending on Him. And there was a voice from heaven: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Thus the glorious Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ took place by the hand of the holy prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John in the waters of the Jordan.
Having baptized Jesus and thus fulfilled the main goal of his ministry, John continued to preach repentance after that, but, as he himself said about himself and about Jesus: “It is fitting for him to grow, but for me to diminish” (John 3:30).
For his fearless preaching and denunciation, John, by order of the Galilean ruler Herod Antipas, was imprisoned in a dark prison. To the temptation of the entire people, this ruler was in an unlawful marriage with the wife of his brother Philip, Herodias, and only the great prophet of the desert decided, amid the general servile silence, to denounce him: “You should not have your brother’s wife.” Herod Antipas himself secretly revered the prophet, but Herodias, hardened in crime, became enraged and looked for a way to destroy the accuser. The Holy Gospel tells exactly how she succeeded. Her daughter Salome, during a luxurious feast in the palace of Herod Antipas, managed to please him with her dance and asked for the head of John the Baptist as a reward for the pleasure she gave. Antipas was struck by the surprise of such a demand and was saddened, but still sent soldiers to the castle of Maher, where John was languishing, with orders to bring his head. The head of the prophet was brought and became the subject of mockery by Herodias, and his body was buried by his disciples. Thus, the greatest of those born of women, for his reproof, fell victim to exposed vice. Since all the Old Testament righteous people, dying, inevitably descended into hell in order to be brought out from there by the Only Begotten Son of God “after the fulfillment of the times,” John preached “Christ God who came in the flesh” not only to those living on earth, but also to “those in hell.”
Subsequently, the head of John the Baptist miraculously appeared to Christians three times, disappearing during times of persecution, thus avoiding reproach.
Among the saints, John the Baptist, first after the angels, is glorified by the Church. According to her voice, Saint John is the fulfillment of prophecies, the end of the Old and the beginning of the New Testament, the end of the prophets and the beginning of the apostles, and on the head of Him, whom other prophets only predicted from afar, he laid his hand.
The Holy Church celebrates the memory of the saint:
