Blog:"none greater than John the Baptist": Difference between revisions
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But wait -- I think that's the point: the Baptizer, or the Forerunner, came to announce the Kingdom to those who might be willing to hear him. Isn't that what baptism itself is for -- God's gift that opens our hearts, our minds, and our souls to Christ?<ref>And per [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/12:30 Mk 12:30], with all our strength.</ref> John, then, didn't just baptize the Jews, he baptized us, should we be willing to listen, with the joyous announcement, prefiguring baptism by the Holy Spirit.<ref>Certainly applies to me, baptized as a later-in-life adult, as when I look back on my prior life before Baptism "with the holy Spirit" ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1 Jn 1:33]), there were Johns the Baptist in my life, in events and persons, which prepared me, unknowingly, for my Baptism in Christ.</ref> | But wait -- I think that's the point: the Baptizer, or the Forerunner, came to announce the Kingdom to those who might be willing to hear him. Isn't that what baptism itself is for -- God's gift that opens our hearts, our minds, and our souls to Christ?<ref>And per [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/12:30 Mk 12:30], with all our strength.</ref> John, then, didn't just baptize the Jews, he baptized us, should we be willing to listen, with the joyous announcement, prefiguring baptism by the Holy Spirit.<ref>Certainly applies to me, baptized as a later-in-life adult, as when I look back on my prior life before Baptism "with the holy Spirit" ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1 Jn 1:33]), there were Johns the Baptist in my life, in events and persons, which prepared me, unknowingly, for my Baptism in Christ.</ref> | ||
[[File:Pieter_Bruegel_the_Elder_-_The_Sermon_of_Saint_John_the_Baptist.jpg|thumb|<small>The Preaching of St. John the Baptist by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1566 (wikipedia)</small>]] | [[File:Pieter_Bruegel_the_Elder_-_The_Sermon_of_Saint_John_the_Baptist.jpg|thumb|<small>The Preaching of St. John the Baptist by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1566 (wikipedia)</small>]] | ||
John baptized a lot of people -- and everyone knew of him, all the way to the court of Herod, the chief priests<ref>[https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/21:23 Mt 21;23]</ref>, and into the histories of the late first century Jewish historian, Josephus.<ref>his "Antiquities of the Jews," Josephus wrote more about John than Jesus, but think audience: he wrote under Domitian, who horribly persecuted Christians. Later manuscripts have Josephus mentioning Jesus as the "Messiah", but these were likely added to the original text.</ref> Take away the Baptizer, Jesus has no context, no introduction, no "forerunner." But why would that be necessary for God? | John baptized a lot of people -- and everyone knew of him, all the way to the court of Herod, the chief priests<ref>[https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/21:23 Mt 21;23]</ref>, and into the histories of the late first century Jewish historian, Josephus.<ref>his "Antiquities of the Jews," Josephus wrote more about John than Jesus, but think audience: he wrote under Domitian, who horribly persecuted Christians. Later manuscripts have Josephus mentioning Jesus as the "Messiah", but these were likely added to the original text.</ref> | ||
Jesus himself brings up his names to the Pharisees after he enters Jerusalem for his Passion. They demand to know "by what authority are you doing these things?"<ref>[https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/21?23 Mt 21:23]</ref> Jesus turns it on them, and asks, <blockquote>Where was John’s baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human origin?”<ref name=":0">[https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/21?25 Mt 21:25]</ref> </blockquote>The pharisees debate whether or not to answer the question, deciding not to answer what they really believe, that John was of "human origin", out of "fear of the crowd."<ref name=":0" /> | |||
Take away the Baptizer, Jesus has no context, no introduction, no "forerunner." But why would that be necessary for God? | |||
== The Forerunner == | == The Forerunner == | ||
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John's work was completed following his Baptism of Jesus (see [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/3?13 Mt 3:13], [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/1?9 Mk 1:9] and [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/3?21 Lk 3:21]) and his own martyrdom, so he disappears from the Gospel stories -- yet, Jesus upholds him as "none greater" among men, likely because John is the last of the Old Testament prophets and thereby the one who announces the Messiah in person.<ref>John also announces the Holy Spirit ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/1:8 Mk 1:8]) that Jesus is the Alpha and Omega ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1:30 Jn 1:30]) that he is the Son of God ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1?34 Jn 1:34]), and that he will be the perfect sacrifice, "the Lamb of God" ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1:36 Jn 1:36])</ref> The Old Testament revelation thereby ends with the Baptizer, which is why he says ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/3:30 Jn 3:30]), <blockquote>"He must increase; I must decrease.” </blockquote> | John's work was completed following his Baptism of Jesus (see [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/3?13 Mt 3:13], [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/1?9 Mk 1:9] and [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/3?21 Lk 3:21]) and his own martyrdom, so he disappears from the Gospel stories -- yet, Jesus upholds him as "none greater" among men, likely because John is the last of the Old Testament prophets and thereby the one who announces the Messiah in person.<ref>John also announces the Holy Spirit ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/1:8 Mk 1:8]) that Jesus is the Alpha and Omega ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1:30 Jn 1:30]) that he is the Son of God ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1?34 Jn 1:34]), and that he will be the perfect sacrifice, "the Lamb of God" ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1:36 Jn 1:36])</ref> The Old Testament revelation thereby ends with the Baptizer, which is why he says ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/3:30 Jn 3:30]), <blockquote>"He must increase; I must decrease.” </blockquote> | ||
== The best | == The necessary and best man == | ||
On considering that passage from [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/3:30 John 3:30], we need to consider one last aspect of John and his mission, the best man at the wedding of Christ and his bride, the Church. John states ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/3:29 Jn 3:29]),<blockquote>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 this joy of mine has been made complete.</blockquote>Somebody had to be the best man, but John was more. Indeed, he not only rejoiced the wedding, he introduced the bride and groom:<blockquote>“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.<ref>[https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1?29 Jn 1:29]</ref></blockquote>John wasn't just announcing the Messiah, he was announcing the purpose of the Messiah's mission (which is what "Messiah" means, "mission"), which is culminated on the Cross, the wedding of the Lamb with the Church. | On considering that passage from [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/3:30 John 3:30], we need to consider one last aspect of John and his mission, the best man at the wedding of Christ and his bride, the Church. John states ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/3:29 Jn 3:29]),<blockquote>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 this joy of mine has been made complete.</blockquote>Somebody had to be the best man, but John was more. Indeed, he not only rejoiced the wedding, he introduced the bride and groom:<blockquote>“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.<ref>[https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1?29 Jn 1:29]</ref></blockquote>John wasn't just announcing the Messiah, he was announcing the purpose of the Messiah's mission (which is what "Messiah" means, "mission"), which is culminated on the Cross, the wedding of the Lamb with the Church. | ||