The Passion and Glorification of St. John the Baptist | Jan 7/Aug 29: Commemorating the Martyrdom of St. John, the Baptist – Harbinger of Monasticism

John (God is gracious) the Baptist came, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” Prophet Isaiah, referred to him 700 years before his birth “A voice of one calling in the desert, “Prepare the way for The Lord, make straight paths for Him.” (Matt. 3: 1-3). A prophet whose own coming was prophesied by  earlier prophets (Is. 40: 3-5; Mal. 3: 1) – yet another illustration of God’s step-by-step Plan.

John the Baptist is the Forerunner of Christ, as he stands right at the beginning, in the light of God’s plan of redemption.

He had pointed out to the people the very Messiah and Saviour, and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world” (Lk. 3:2-18; Jn. 1: 29-36).

St. John, the Baptist was the forerunner of monasticism, within the life of the Church, for he prepared the way for a King whose Kingdom is not of this world. Thus, John the Baptist, Patron-saint of monks and monastic life,

John the Baptist is a precursor of Christianity, with John himself a part of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

John did not start the Church, but he is the harbinger prophet who began a preparatory ministry of the coming kingdom of God, pointing to the establishment of the Church.

John was the voice, but the Lord is the Word.  He was just the voice, but Christ was the Word. He taught men to look through him and pass on to Christ.

St. John the Baptist was the witness to the One True Light Christ Jesus. He was sent by God to witness the Light. He served as a witness, as he taught men to believe in Christ, not in him.

John was like a burning torch; the whole man was an apocalypse. John “came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light.”

St. John the Baptist witnessed Christ even before Jesus Christ started His Ministry.

The Beheading (Decollation or Decapitation) of the Forerunner of our Lord, is a holy day observed by various Churches which follow liturgical, Apostolic traditions. St. John the Baptist was the Prophet born of a Prophet, Priest born of a Priest,  the Seal of all the Prophets and Beginning of the Apostles, the Mediator between the Old and New Covenants, the Voice of one crying in the wilderness, the God-sent Messenger of the Incarnate Messiah, who pointed to world – the Lamb of God. The day commemorates the martyrdom by beheading of St. John the Baptist.

John, the Baptist, who by many miracles was both conceived and born; who was filled with the Holy Spirit while in his mother’s womb; came forth like another Elijah, led a life in the wilderness with a divine zeal for God’s Law he imitated.

He preached the baptism of repentance, taught men of low rank and high how they must order their lives; had admonished those whom he baptized and had filled them with the fear of God, teaching them that no one is able to escape the wrath to come if he do not works worthy of repentance. Through such preaching, he prepared the hearts of the people, to receive the Saviour.

John was a righteous and courageous man who devoted himself to the proper proclamation of the word of God, unlike Herod who lived an immoral life (Matt. 14: 3,4) filled with a worldly ambition (Matt. 14:5).  St. John was also very boldly outspoken. He called the religious leaders of his day a bunch of snakes and told them, they were going to hell took courage (Matt. 3:7-12, Lk. 3:7-9).

King Herod Antipas had a lot of respect for John, as John was a righteous and holy man, used to enjoy hearing him speak and even protected him from Herodias. However, when John spoke out against the incest of Herod taking his brother Philip’s wife Herodias, John incurred the wrath of Herodias. Since Herodias was the granddaughter of Simeon, the High Priest, her incest with Herod Antipas created a national scandal. Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him. To please Herodias, Herod had John imprisoned (Mk. 6:17-20). John the Baptist criticized this marriage as being incest, with the result that John languished in prison for about a year before his death and later beheaded (Matt. 14:3-12; Mk. 6:17-29; Lk. 4:19-20).   

As for the body of this the divine Baptist, it was taken up by his disciples and placed in a tomb (Mk. 6: 21 – 29). We commemorate this day on January 7^th/August 29^th. This day of his martyrdom should be commemorated with a strict fast, rather than a feast. This is day when the voice of the one who showed us Christ was silenced.

May the prayers of St John the Baptist- the forerunner of our Lord, grant us the gift of tears of repentance, may his prayers guard the monastics; may his prayers be a refuge and fortress to us always!