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Blog:"none greater than John the Baptist"
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== The Forerunner == Firstly, whatever the larger purpose, the Lord planned out the role of the Forerunner from his miraculous conception in the barren Elizabeth.<ref>[https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1?7 Lk 1:7]</ref> In [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1?26 Luke 1:26],<blockquote>In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, </blockquote> The sixth month was that of John's conception, which Luke uses to measure the Archangel's announcement to Mary. And, of course, John "leaped in the womb" as Mary's walked in to his mother Elizabeth's house ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1?41 Lk 1:41]). From the beginning, then, John announces the arrival of the Christ, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/1?2 Mk 1:2]),<blockquote>“Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way.<ref>The footnote in the USCCB NASB to Mk 1:2 states that this prophesy is actually an amalgamation of other scriptural texts, all of which point to the announcement of the coming of Christ.</ref></blockquote>Jesus later teaches the Apostles Peter, James and John that John the Baptist was the second coming of Elijah<ref>[https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/17:11 Mt 17:11-13]:<blockquote>He told them, “Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things, yet how is it written regarding the Son of Man that he must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”</blockquote>When we connect this to [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11:14 Mt 11:14], "he is Elijah, the one who is to come," we see that Jesus is speaking of John the Baptist. Like the Son of Man, John suffered at the hands of the unfaithful authorities ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/14:1 Mt 14:1-12]). Btw, Elijah was persecuted by the wife, Jezebel, of a vacillating and morally corrupt King, Ahab ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1kings/19?2 1Kg 19:2]), and John by a similar king, Herod of Antipas, at the hands of scheming his wife, Herodias.</ref>, giving us thereby the clear role as the Forerunner. [[File:Accademia_-_St_John_the_Baptist_by_Titian_Cat314.jpg|thumb|<small>St John the Baptist by Titian (wikipedia)</small>|438x438px]] Next would be his role as the Baptizer -- which goes hand-in-hand with his role as Forerunner. From Mark ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/1:4 1:4-8]):<blockquote>John [the] Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey. And this is what he proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit.”</blockquote>Baptism under John was a kind of self-repentance; whereas only the Messiah (or the Son of Man) can actually forgive sins. Still, his purpose of repentance and forgiveness of sins is clear, as well as his role to announce "the one":<blockquote>"I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.”<ref>[https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1?33 Jn 1:33]</ref></blockquote>Interestingly, aside from his conception and inspiration with the Holy Spirit, John performed no miracles. We can see a couple things therein. John's appeal was built upon the prophets who came before him, so he did not need signs. More importantly, John's baptisms were not themselves miraculous or with the Holy Spirit, for which he prepared Israel. Yet John and his followers, which included at least some of the Apostles, did look for "signs" from the Messiah. When Jesus he didn't rain fire upon the enemies of Israel, as did Elijah to the priests of Jezebel, they were confused. Such is the process of revelation, through which God gives us hints and glimpses of truths that we are unprepared to fully comprehend. When Jesus explained to the people ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11?12 Mt 11:12]),<blockquote>From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force.</blockquote>they may have heard instead of God's wrath over the enemy, sin, fire and brimstone upon Israel's enemies. But there were no fireworks, just quiet healings. It made no sense. From [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11?3 Mt 11:3]: <blockquote>When John heard in prison of the works of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to him with this question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” </blockquote>Jesus replies to them ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11?4 Mt 11:4-5]), <blockquote>“Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.</blockquote> Not exactly what they were looking for, even though it was clear fulfillment of prophecy, such as from Isaiah ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/29:18 29:18]):<blockquote> On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a scroll; And out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see.</blockquote>Even if he misunderstood the nature of the Messiah's mission, John's baptisms themselves, as well as his rejection of the sins of the Pharisees and of Herod, mark his own role and mission to push along salvation from our enemies within us all -- and not those beyond us, as the Jews, including the disciples of John and Jesus, had all, mistakenly hoped.
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