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On the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
Baptism of Christ by Francesco Albani
Jesus said of today’s saint Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist (Mt 11:11.) This statement warrants a great deal of attention when we reflect on the great men of antiquity that came before John. Abraham, Moses, Elijah, King David, and all the other prophets and great men of history- and John the Baptist was as great as they. It is important for us, then, to look at this man and see what it is that causes Christ to lavish him with such a praise and to see what in him we can imitate to become more perfect Christians.
In the Gospel reading for the celebration of the Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist, we read into what made John such a great man. An angel speaking to John’s father says of him, he will be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared (Lk 1:15-17.) John’s abstinence from wine and strong drink comes from his Nazirite vow; Say to the people of Israel, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD, he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink (Num 6:2-3.) The nazirites of the Old Testament lived a life similar to an early form of Christian religious life and Christ’s respect for John the Baptist comes out of this total dedication to God. His own dedication, and that of his parents, are what allows him to be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. He spends his life preparing Israel for the coming of Christ, and dies defending the law of God when he denounces Herod’s unlawful marriage.
An Icon of John the Baptist
The fact that the angel says that John will announce Christ in the spirit and power of Elijah is especially significant in the context of Old Testament prophesy. The Jewish people of the time believed that Elijah, who had ridden to Heaven in a chariot of fire, would return to Earth in the same way to announce the coming of the Messiah. The prophesy is found in the book of Malachi, which says Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse (Mal 4:5-6.) It was believed that Elijah would return and anoint the Messiah before he redeemed Israel. After the Transfiguration, Jesus told the disciples that had witnessed the event not to tell anyone. The disciples are perplexed, thinking that, as they had just seen Elijah, it was time for Jesus to fulfill His role as Messiah and lead Israel. They ask, Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come? Jesus replies, but does not mention His Transfiguration moments ago saying, Elijah does come, and he is to restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of man will suffer at their hands. Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. (Mt 17:10-13.) Christ had already told the Apostles that John did fulfill the Elijah prophesy saying if you are willing to accept it he is Elijah who is to come (Mt 11:14,) and it is this statement that probably reflect upon as they begin to realize the importance of everything they are witnessing.
For us, John the Baptist is a model because he fully accepted the will of the Father and embraced his role as the standard bearer for Christ the King. Of Jesus, John said I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Mt. 3:11.) He recognized his own importance and esteem, and properly realized his own insignificance in comparison to God: true humility. Thus when Jesus comes to him to be baptized, he tries to refuse saying I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? (Mt 3:14) But in a second display of true humility, he accepts the task once Jesus tells him Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness (Mt 3:15.) This pure humility of St. John the Baptist which we are to emulate, comes not from a degradation of self, but an honest estimation of one’s own abilities. But more importantly, it comes from full conformity and submission to God, to be willing to accept a task that seems to great for our humble nature to accept. Thus, John would understand when Christ says Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist, but he would all the more agree as the Lord continues, yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
