Posted on 08/29/2013 3:44:36 PM PDT by NYer
John the Baptist is a mysterious figure in the New Testament.
He was famous in his own day, even before he became the herald of Christ.
We even know about him from outside the New Testament.
His memorial is August 29th, so it’s an excellent time to catch up on him.
Here are 11 things to know and share . . .
1) How was John the Baptist related to Jesus?
John was related to Jesus through their mothers. In Luke 1:36, Elizabeth is described as Mary’s “kinswoman,” meaning that they were related in some way through marriage or blood.
Most likely, it was a blood relationship, but neither a particularly close or distant one.
Elizabeth, being elderly, may have been an aunt, great-aunt, or one of the many types of “cousin.” The precise relationship cannot be determined.
This means that Jesus and John were cousins in one or another senses of the term.
2) When did John the Baptist’s ministry begin?
Luke gives us an extraordinarily precise date for the beginning of John’s ministry. He writes:
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar . . . the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness; and he went into all the region about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins [Luke 3:1-3].
“The fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar” is most naturally understood as a reference to A.D. 29.
This is important also because Luke suggests that Jesus’ ministry began shortly after John’s did, which places the likely date of Jesus’ baptism in A.D. 29 or early A.D. 30.
3) Why did John come baptizing?
Scripture presents us with several reasons.
He served as the forerunner or herald of the Messiah and was to prepare for him by fulfilling an Elijah-like role by calling the nation to repentance.
In keeping with that, he baptized people as a sign of their repentance.
He also came to identify and announce the Messiah. According to John the Baptist: “I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel” (John 1:31).
This identification was made when he baptized Jesus: “I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God” (1:32-34).
4) How did John’s arrest affect Jesus?
Ping!
John the Baptist was murdered for his criticism of Herod Antipas’ adulterous and incestuous alternative lifestyle. Today’s media and Hollyweird would hate him.
Yes, mysterious enough that I was just looking him up the other day on Wikipedia. ... even though I'm an atheist.
John the Baptist told it like it is!
Yet Jesus said the least in the kingdom of God was greater
than John the Baptist. Why did he say that?
Because John the Baptist perished before the Holy Ghost
baptism was poured out on all flesh.
5) What does John have to teach us about on the job morals?
6) Was John the Baptist Elijah reincarnated?
7) How famous was John the Baptist in his own day?
8) How did he get followers outside of Israel?
9) Who killed John the Baptist?
11) Where do we learn of John the Baptist outside the New Testament?
John was the son of a prominent priest in Jerusalem. Not simply a desert rat.
The soon to be canonized Pope John Paul II said, "May Saint John Baptist protect Islam and all the people of Jordan, and all who partecipated in this celebration, a memorable celebration. I’m very grateful to all of you."
Is St. John the Baptist the patron saint of Islam?
He died a marytr for standing up to King Herod.
You isolated it. I do not believe what your are trying to imply. I do not believe the pope meant it in the wrong way. If you look at the whole address it seems to me he is talking about the people of Islam(Other nations) not the religion it self. Remember he is addressing First the Jordan nation.
JUBILEE PILGRIMAGE
OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II
TO THE HOLY LAND (MARCH 20-26, 2000)
VISIT TO WADI AL-KHARRAR
PRAYER OF THE HOLY FATHER
Tuesday, 21 March 2000
I want to greet all of you for having gathered for this brief prayer. In particular, I pray for His Majesty the King and I thank him again for the welcome I have received in Jordan.
In the Gospel of Saint Luke we read that “the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness; and he went into all the region about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (3:2-3). Here, at the River Jordan, where both banks are visited by hosts of pilgrims honouring the Baptism of the Lord, I too lift up my heart in prayer:
Glory to you, O Father, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
You sent your servants the Prophets
to speak your word of faithful love
and call your people to repentance.
On the banks of the River Jordan,
you raised up John the Baptist,
a voice crying in the wilderness,
sent through all the region of the Jordan
to prepare the way of the Lord,
to herald the coming of Jesus.
Glory to you, O Christ, Son of God!
To the waters of the Jordan you came
to be baptized by the hand of John.
Upon you the Spirit descended as a dove.
Above you the heavens opened,
and the voice of the Father was heard:
“This is my Son, the Beloved!”
From the river blessed by your presence
you went forth to baptize not only with water
but with fire and the Holy Spirit.
Glory to you, O Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of life!
By your power, the Church is baptized,
going down with Christ into death
and rising with him to new life.
By your power, we are set free from sin
to become the children of God,
the glorious Body of Christ.
By your power, all fear is vanquished,
and the Gospel of love is preached
in every corner of the earth,
to the glory of God,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
to whom be all praise in this Jubilee year
and in every age to come. Amen.
I wish to thank everyone who has taken part and all who helped in the organization.
A special word of thanks goes to the Patriarchs and Bishops, the priests, the Sisters. It has been a moving experience to celebrate with the Catholic Community of Jordan.
And I cordially greet the representatives of other communities who have come from many other parts of the Middle East. I am grateful to you all.
I feel especially close to the children and young people. Know that the Church and the Pope put great trust in you!
Special greetings to His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed.
I will keep all the people of Jordan - Christians and Muslims - in my prayers, especially the sick and the elderly.
With gratitude I invoke abundant blessings upon His Highness the King and upon the whole nation.
God bless you all! God bless Jordan!
May Saint John Baptist protect Islam and all the people of Jordan, and all who partecipated in this celebration, a memorable celebration. I’m very grateful to all of you.
Thank you very much.
Believe whatever you wish to believe.
No, here you are wrong. Reread the second to last paragraph of the Pope's address:
May Saint John Baptist protect Islam and all the people of Jordan, and all who partecipated in this celebration, a memorable celebration.
The first blessing the pope invokes from St John is for Islam, which is obviously not synonymous with "all the people of Jordan" because he named them separately.
There’s a shrine to John the Baptist in the Grand Mosque in Damascus. It’s suppose to contain his head, which was discovered when the mosque was built over a church.
Pope John Paul visited the mosque when he was in Damascus.
Are you familiar with the Book of the Gospels for the Orthodox?
It is green.
This was not the Koran.
That is nuts.
Tell it to the pope who’s going to canonize the pope who said as much!
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