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St. John the Baptist icon

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St. John the Baptist icon
© Cecilia Lawrence
August 10th 2016
4.5 x 6 inches
Ink, watercolor, gold leaf


“You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

~ The Canticle of Zechariah, Luke 1:76-79

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.”

~ Jeremiah 1:5

“Lo, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”

~ Mark 1:2-3

Happy Feast of the Baptism of the Lord! John the Baptist is one of the greatest saints in the Church, as the Forerunner of Christ and the last and greatest of the Prophets. I have depicted him as he was described in Scripture: “John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey” (Mark 1:6). His hair is somewhat disheveled, and he points upwards towards God and away from himself, and holds a rough cross as a staff, showing that he preaches preparation for the Messianic redemption of Jesus Christ. I have also added a sort of haloed medallion over his chest that depicts Jesus Christ as the slain and resurrected Lamb of God. Around the Lamb, in Latin, it says: “Ecce Agnus Dei, qui tollit peccatum mundi” which is a quote from John 1:29 where John the Baptist says: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

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:+: A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE SAINT :+:

Saint John the Baptist (c. 1 B.C. – c. 31 A.D.), was born in the region of Judea, possibly in the city of Ein Karim, only a few miles south of Jerusalem. His father was Zechariah, of the priestly order of Abijah and his mother Elizabeth was of the priestly clan of Aaron, which meant that John came of priestly stock. Before his birth, when Zechariah had been chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to offer incense to God, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and told him that he and his wife would have a son and that they were to name him John. The angel added that, “You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” But Zechariah did not believe the angel, and had asked for a sign as proof that what he said was true, so Zechariah was made mute until John was to be born. Soon thereafter, Elizabeth conceived a son.

About six months later, the angel Gabriel came to the Virgin Mary in Nazareth and announced to her that she would be the Mother of God, and to confirm this news, he revealed to her that her kinswoman Elizabeth was six months pregnant, despite her having been barren before. After conceiving Jesus in her womb, Mary “went in haste” to Judea to visit Elizabeth, and once she entered Zechariah’s house and had called to Elizabeth, the older woman was filled with the Holy Spirit and the young John leapt in her womb. She cried out to Mary, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has this happened to me, the Mother of my Lord should come to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Mary remained with Elizabeth for about three months and, after John had been born, she went back to Nazareth.

When John was to be circumcised eight days later, others wanted to have him named Zechariah, after his father, but Zechariah and Elizabeth protested and said that his name was John. When Zechariah had written the name out on a tablet to confirm what his wife said, he was no longer mute, and he broke into a canticle of praise to God. The events were spoken of far and wide in Judea and people wondered about what the child would be, since such marvels accompanied his birth. John “grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publically to Israel” (Luke 1:80).

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius (around 29 A.D.), John the Baptist began his public ministry, after receiving a word from God to do so. He went to the wilderness around the Jordan river region and began to preach a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People from all around Judea and Galilee came to him in the wilderness and listened to his preaching and were baptized. He proclaimed that the redemption of Israel and the Messianic promise were at hand, and that the people needed to turn away from their sins to prepare their hearts for God’s salvation.

Many came to him, asking who he was, including representatives of the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees. When he saw them coming, he cried out: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Bear fruit worthy of repentance, and don’t dare to say ‘We have Abraham as our father’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the axe lies at the root of the tree; every tree which does not bear good fruit will be cut down and burned.” When asked what they were to do to prepare for the Messiah’s coming, he said: “Whoever has two coats must share with those who have none, and whoever has food should do the same.” Tax collectors and soldiers asked him what they were to do as well, and he replied, advising them: “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you. Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.” When people asked him if he was the Messiah or Eijah, or the Prophet, he replied: “No, I am not. There is one more powerful than I Who is coming after me. I am not worthy to bend and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather the wheat into His granary, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.” John began attracting many followers, including St. John and St. Andrew.

When He was about thirty years old, Jesus came from Galilee to be baptized by John at the Jordan River. When he arrived and made known to John His intention, John protested and tried to prevent Him, saying: “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?” But Jesus answered, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan, the heavens were opened and the Hold Spirit descended on Him in the form of a dove, and the onlookers all heard a voice from heaven that said: “This is my Beloved Son with Whom I am wall pleased.”

The next day, when Jesus came towards him, John cried out to everyone present: “Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of Whom I said, ‘After me comes a man Who ranks ahead of me because He was before me.’ I myself did not know Him, but I came baptizing for this reason, that He might be revealed to Israel. I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and it remained on Him. I myself did not know Him, but the one Who sent me to baptize with water said to me: ‘He on Whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the One Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit’ and I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

The day after that, when John the Baptist was standing with his disciples, Jesu was walking by again and John pointed Him out to St. John and St. Andrew, saying: “Behold the Lamb of God!” It was after this that John’s disciples became the disciples of Jesus and began to follow Him instead. When a later dispute broke out among the Judeans and John’s disciples over the question of purification, they asked John, “Rabbi, the One Who was with you across the Jordan, to Whom you testified, here He is baptizing and everyone is going to Him.” John replied: “No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. You yourselves testify that I said I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before Him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man who stands and listens to him rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So my joy has been made complete. He must increase, I must decrease.”

Sometime thereafter, King Herod had John arrested and imprisoned because John had rebuked Herod for marrying Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. While in prison, John had been kept informed of the miracles and works accomplished by Jesus. So John sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask: “Are You the One Who is to come, or should we look for another?” And Jesus replied: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news preached to them. And blessed is he who takes no offense at me.” After John’s disciples had left, Jesus turned to the crowds and praised John, saying: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothes? Those who wear fine clothes and live in luxury are found in royal palaces. What then 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: ‘See, I am sending my messenger before you to prepare your way.’ I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John, yet the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.” Jesus also called John a “a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.”

Herodias was determined to have John killed, though Herod was reluctant to do so, as he liked to hear John speak and knew he was a righteous man. But when Herod threw a huge party on his birthday, Herodias had her daughter Salome come in and dance for Herod and his guests. Herod was so enraptured and pleased by her dancing that he told her “Ask me for whatever you wish, even to half my kingdom.” Salome asked for her mother’s counsel, and Herodias told her to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Greatly reluctant, but unable to refuse due to the embarrassment it would cause him in front of his guests, he had an executioner dispatched to the prison and John was beheaded. Herod gave his head to Salome, who gave it to her mother Herodias. John’s disciples later came and took away his body and buried it. When the news was brought to Jesus, He was deeply grieved, and withdrew to a deserted place by Himself but was followed by the crowds.

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“The Church observes the birth of John as a hallowed event. We have no such commemoration for any other fathers; but it is significant that we celebrate the birthdays of John and of Jesus. This day cannot be passed by. And even if my explanation does not match the dignity of the feast, you may still meditate on it with great depth and profit.

John was born of a woman too old for childbirth; Christ was born of a youthful virgin.  The news of John's birth was met with incredulity, and his father was struck dumb.  Christ's birth was believed, and he was conceived through faith.

Such is the topic, as I have presented it, for our inquiry and discussion.  But as I said before, if I lack either the time or the ability to study the implications of so profound a mystery, the Spirit who speaks within you even when I am not here will teach you better; it is the Spirit whom you contemplate with devotion, whom you have welcomed into your hearts, whose temples you have become.

John, then, appears as the boundary between the two testaments, the old and the new. That he is a sort of boundary the Lord himself bears witness, when he speaks of "the law and the prophets up until John the Baptist." Thus he represents times past and is the herald of the new era to come. As a representative of the past, he is born of aged parents; as a herald of the new era, he is declared to be a prophet while still in his mother's womb. For when yet unborn, he leapt in his mother's womb at the arrival of blessed Mary. In that womb he had already been designated a prophet, even before he was born; it was revealed that he was to be Christ's precursor, before they ever saw one another. These are divine happenings, going beyond the limits of our human frailty. Eventually he is born, he receives his name, his father's tongue is loosened.  See how these events reflect reality.

Zechariah is silent and loses his voice until John, the precursor of the Lord, is born and restores his voice. The silence of Zechariah is nothing but the age of prophecy lying hidden, obscured, as it were, and concealed before the preaching of Christ. At John's arrival Zechariah's voice is released, and it becomes clear at the coming of the one who was foretold.  The release of Zechariah's voice at the birth of John is a parallel to the rending of the veil at Christ's crucifixion.  If John were announcing his own coming, Zechariah's lips would not have been opened. The tongue is loosened because a voice is born.

When John was preaching the Lord's coming he was asked, "Who are you?" And he replied: "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness." The voice is John, but the Lord "in the beginning was the Word." John was a voice that lasted only for a time; Christ, the Word in the beginning, is eternal.  
~ from a homily by St. Augustine of Hippo

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“As forerunner of our Lord’s birth, preaching and death, the blessed John showed in his struggle a goodness worthy of the sight of heaven. In the words of Scripture: Though in the sight of men he suffered torments, his hope is full of immortality. We justly commemorate the day of his birth with a joyful celebration, a day which he himself made festive for us through his suffering and which he adorned with the crimson splendor of his own blood. We do rightly revere his memory with joyful hearts, for he stamped with the seal of martyrdom the testimony which he delivered on behalf of our Lord.

There is no doubt that blessed John suffered imprisonment and chains as a witness to our Redeemer, whose forerunner he was, and gave his life for him. His persecutor had demanded not that he should deny Christ, but only that he should keep silent about the truth. Nevertheless, he died for Christ. Does Christ not say: I am the truth? Therefore, because John shed his blood for the truth, he surely died for Christ.

Through his birth, preaching and baptizing, he bore witness to the coming birth, preaching and baptism of Christ, and by his own suffering he showed that Christ also would suffer.

Such was the quality and strength of the man who accepted the end of this present life by shedding his blood after the long imprisonment. He preached the freedom of heavenly peace, yet was thrown into irons by ungodly men; he was locked away in the darkness of prison, though he came bearing witness to the Light of life and deserved to be called a bright and shining lamp by that Light itself, which is Christ. John was baptized in his own blood, though he had been privileged to baptize the Redeemer of the world, to hear the voice of the Father above him, and to see the grace of the Holy Spirit descending upon him. But to endure temporal agonies for the sake of the truth was not a heavy burden for such men as John; rather it was easily borne and even desirable, for he knew eternal joy would be his reward.

Since death was ever near at hand through the inescapable necessity of nature, such men considered it a blessing to embrace it and thus gain the reward of eternal life by acknowledging Christ’s name. Hence the apostle Paul rightly says: You have been granted the privilege not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for his sake. He tells us why it is Christ’s gift that his chosen ones should suffer for him: The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us.
~ from a homily by St. Bede

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“The memory of the Righteous is celebrated with songs of praise,
But the Lord's testimony is sufficient for you, O Forerunner.
You were shown indeed to be the most Honorable of the Prophets,
For in the waters you baptize the One Whom you preached.
After suffering with joy on behalf of the Truth,
You proclaimed even to those in Hades the God Who appeared in the flesh
Who takes away the sin of the world,
And grants us great mercy!”

~ Troparion (Tone 2) for the Feast of John the Baptist

:rose: The Nativity of St. John the Baptist is celebrated on June 24th and his Martyrdom is celebrated on August 29th. :rose:

St. John the Baptist is the patron saint of Jordan, Puerto Rico, the Knights of Malta, and numerous cities, monasteries, and countries throughout the world.

O God, who willed that Saint John the Baptist
should go ahead of your Son
both in his birth and in his death,
grant that, as he died a Martyr for truth and justice,
we, too, may fight hard
for the confession of what you teach.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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trollandlolgod's avatar

The Last Prophet of all , who was of one Blood with God .He who proclaimed the Master and was mourned by Him .