Blog:"none greater than John the Baptist": Difference between revisions

= "God is Grace" =

God always has larger plans: grace in the Christian sense is gift-wrapped for us in baptism. From the Catechism<ref>[https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/flipbooks/catechism/486/ CCC 1999]</ref> )<blockquote>

''Therefore if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself.''<ref>From [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2corinthians/5:17 2 Cor 5:17-18]</ref></blockquote>

== The Baptizer ==

which tell us of the wonders of your unseen power.

of the grace you give us in this sacrament.<ref>From the Roman Missal, as per [[Father, you give us grace through sacramental signs, which tell us of the wonders of your unseen power. In Baptism we use your gift of water, which you have made a rich symbol of the grace you give us in this sacrament.|CCC 1217]]</ref></blockquote>

Most western believers think of John only in terms of the Baptism of Christ, but if we listen to Jesus himself, there's a lot more to John than than that to which we usually attest about him.

All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come.

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’  

I don't find it difficult, especially in the context of "this generation" -- which includes us, not just those of Jesus' day. We're all confused and misdirected and Christ is misinterpreted, ignored, and the wrong dances are danced, the wrong dirges or mourned or not mourned at all. Ears weren't then and aren't now listening.  

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.

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?  

== The Forerunner ==

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 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>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>, so we have a very clear role for the Forerunner.  

Next would be his role as the Baptizer -- which goes hand-in-hand with his role as Forerunner ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/1:4 Mk 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.

Indeed, from Herod's prison, John sent his disciples to ask if Jesus was truly "the one" ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11?3 Mt 11:3]), Jesus replies [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>

== The best and necessary man ==

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