John The Baptist

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Christianity begins with John the Baptist and he stands right from the beginning in the light of God's plan of redemption. John is himself a part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. John too, like Jesus, is the prophet of the coming kingdom of God.

He was born in Judea, the son of the priest Zacharias and Elisabeth. John and Jesus were cousins. John was only six months older than Jesus, Mary and Elisabeth were with child at the same time. John's parents were quite old when John was conceived and the birth was a miracle. An angel appeared to Zacharias and said to him, "...you shall have joy and gladness and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." When the Virgin Mary visited Elisabeth upon hearing that she was pregnant with the Holy Ghost, the baby John leaped within Elisabeth's womb for joy.


Although from a priestly family, John never served as a priest, nor a scribe, Pharisee or Sadducee. John was different in dress manner and food. He never owned anything, never drank wine, or cut his hair or beard, he spent his time in endless prayer and to always be separate, alone, and close to God. It was known that his drank the water of the river, and that he ate locusts and wild honey. He went barefoot, and wore a robe of woven camel hair apparently reduced to a loincloth and a simple heavy leather belt tied at the waist.

In his belief that the kingdom of God was at hand, John was not alone. He only voiced what was at the time a widespread conviction, and for that very reason his announcement found an...