St. John the Baptist was the cousin of Jesus, and was the elder of the
two by about six months. Before his birth the angel Gabriel appeared to
his father, Zacharias, and predicted for the coming child a great
mission as a prophet. His special work was to prepare the way for the
advent of the Messiah.
Zacharias was a priest and a good man, and both he and his wife
Elizabeth were deeply impressed with the angel's message. Not long
after, their cousin Mary came from Nazareth to bring them news of the
wonderful babe Jesus promised her by the same angel. He was to be the
Messiah whom John was to proclaim. The two women talked earnestly
together of the future of their children, and no doubt planned to do all
in their power to further the angel's prediction. The time came when all
these strange prophecies were fulfilled. As John grew to manhood he
showed himself quite different from other men. He took up his abode in
the wilderness, where he lived almost as a hermit. His raiment was of
camel's hair fastened about him with a leathern girdle; his food was
locusts and wild honey. At length "the word of God came unto him," and
he began to go about the country preaching. His speech was as simple and
rugged as his manner of life. He boldly denounced the Pharisees and
Sadducees as "a generation of vipers," and warned sinners "to flee from
the wrath to come." The burden of all his sermons was, "Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand."
The fame of his preaching reached Jerusalem, and the Jews sent priests
and Levites to ask him, "Who art thou?" His reply was in the mystic
language of the old Hebrew prophet Isaiah, "I am the Voice of one crying
in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord."
It was a part of John's work to baptize his converts in the river
Jordan. He explained, however, that this baptism by water was only a
symbol of the spiritual baptism which they were to receive at the hands
of the coming: Messiah. "One mightier than I cometh," he said, "the
latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you
with the Holy Ghost and with fire."[30]
At last Jesus himself sought to be baptized by John. The Baptist
protested his unworthiness, but Jesus insisted, and the ceremony was
performed. And "it came to pass that ... the heaven was opened, and the
Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice
came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved son; in thee I am well
pleased."[31] This was the promised sign by which John knew Jesus as the
Messiah, and he straightway proclaimed him to his disciples.
[Illustration: D. Anderson, photo. John Andrew & Son. Sc.