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August 19, 2011
In the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel, we read of the promise of the birth of a son to the Old Testament priest, Zechariah. Since Zechariah was up in years, he has difficulty believing this, even when the message comes from an angel. However, in due course, Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth does bear a son whom they named John.
When John reaches adulthood, Matthew’s Gospel tells us that he went into the desert where he ate locusts and wild honey. His fame spread among the people, and many came out from ”the whole region” to be baptized by him in the Jordan River. John, however, assured them that, as important as his baptism was, someone far more important than he was coming–one who would baptize ”with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
Then, to John’s shock, Jesus came to him asking to be baptized. John protested, ”I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me.” However, Jesus assured him that he should baptize Him, and this John did. Then from heaven there came a voice of approval; ”This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.”
Eventually, John the Baptist was imprisoned for his teaching, which differed so much from the accepted Jewish teaching. In prison he heard about Jesus’ ministry, and seemed to need reassurance about Jesus’ identity for he sent Him the message, ”Are you the one who is to come or should we look for another?”
Jesus said to John’s messengers, ”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, and blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”
In response, Jesus gave strong testimony to the greatness of John. The Baptist was not ”a reed shaken by the wind,” not ”someone dressed in fine clothing.” No, the Baptist was ”a prophet and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ’Behold I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.’ Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist.”
Yet, as great a tribute to the Baptist as this was, Jesus added, ”Yet, the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
What a tribute to the greatness of Christianity! Jesus added, ”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.”
John the Baptist was the new Elijah. Nevertheless, ”the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
With the coming of Jesus, Old Testament times are seen for what they are–a preparation for the Divinity–God the Son–taking on human form, living among us for a brief 33 years, and then returning in glory to His place in heaven.
Yet, Jesus the Incarnate Word, the second Person of the Trinity, continues to show us the fulfillment of the thousands of years of history that have preceded His coming–the immediate fulfillment of the vocation of the Baptist.
We are privileged to see John the Baptist in the context of history, and to see that his greatness brings us to the end of an era. With the coming of Jesus, we are introduced to the greatness of Christianity–the epoch for which the whole of world history has been preparing us.
So great was the Baptist that the church has named a memorial in his honor, celebrated each year in the Catholic Church on Aug. 29. The memorial of the Beheading of John the Baptist, Martyr, is a tribute to his fidelity to his special calling and his leading us to the Christian era.