John the Baptist, Son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, in the Year 32

This John, called the Baptist because he was ordained by God to baptize the penitent, was the son of the priest Zacharias and his wife Elisabeth; his name was made known to his parents through the angel of God, before he was born. Luke 1, verses 5 and 13.

When he was about thirty years old (about six months before the Lord Jesus Christ began to preach), in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberias Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor and Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests, he was called and sent by God to preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, to prepare the way for the Messiah, as an angel or messenger before the face of Christ, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children. Luke 3, verses 1 and 2; Mark 1, verses 2 and 3; Luke 1, verse 17.

Concerning the dignity of this man the angel of the Lord had said that many would rejoice at his birth, that he would be great in the sight of the Lord, to make ready a people well prepared (as not only the prophets, but also Zacharias, had prophesied of him through the Spirit of the Most High), to give knowledge of salvation to the people of the Lord for the remission of their sins. Luke 1, verses 14, 15 and 77.

John, being thus sent by God to bear witness of Christ, that He is the true light, came to the Jordan, at Salim, and other places, teaching and baptizing. John 3, verse 23.

In the meantime, while he was baptizing the penitent, Christ Himself came to him (to confirm this holy work), and asked to be baptized by him. But when John, from humility and good intention, declined, Christ instructed him that this was necessary, saying, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he baptized the Lord. Matthew 3, verses 13 to 16.

He held the Lord Jesus in high esteem, calling Him the Lamb of God, the Bridegroom of His church, the true Messiah, whose shoes he was not worthy to carry. John 1, verse 29; John 3, verse 29; Matthew 3, verse 11.

He himself had such great influence, though in humility, that many were in doubt whether he was not himself the Messiah; and so the Pharisees sent their messengers to him, to ask him about his calling, his mission, his authority, and so on. To all this he answered candidly and with a humble heart, saying, "I am not the Christ." John 1, verses 19 and 20.

When the course of his pilgrimage drew near its close, a certain matter arose which was the cause of his death, and it happened as follows: King Herod Antipas had committed a wicked deed; namely, he had taken his brother Philip's wife, having put away his own wife, the daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia. This conduct John the Baptist, because of his ministry, could not let go unreproved, but he called Herod's attention to it, according to the law, saying, "It is not lawful for you to have her" (Matthew 14, verse 4).

However, just as the ungodly will not be reproved, so it was with Herod; for he conceived a hatred for John, and looked for an opportunity to kill him. But since many had a very high opinion of this pious man, and great numbers therefore came to him, Herod did not for the present dare to lay hands on him, to kill him; however, he did not let him go free, but imprisoned him in the castle of Machaerus. Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica, book 1, chapter 11.

In the meantime John did not slacken in his calling, but even from prison sent some of his disciples to Christ, so that they with the others might assure themselves, through the doctrine and the miracles which they would hear and see there, that Christ, and none other, was the true Messiah. Matthew 11, verse 2; Luke 7, verse 18.

Thereupon, not only when these messengers came, but also on many other occasions, Christ testified of the greatness and worthiness of John the Baptist; namely, that he was the true spiritual Elias, a burning and shining light, the greatest prophet among all those born of women. Matthew 11, verse 14; John 5, verse 35; Luke 7, verse 28.

Time went on, meanwhile, and the hour of his departure was near at hand. As for the circumstances of his death, they are described by the holy evangelist Matthew, chapter 14, verses 3 to 12: "For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. For John said to him, It is not lawful for you to have her. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. So he promised with an oath to give her whatever she would ask. And she, being instructed beforehand by her mother, said, Give me here John the Baptist's head in a charger. [n98-3] And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and for those who sat with him at the table, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus."

Josephus, the Jewish historian, also mentions the death of John the Baptist, in the seventh chapter of the eighteenth book of his history of the Jews, where he writes as follows:

"There was a common report among the Jews that Herod's army was destroyed through the righteous judgment of God, on account of John, who is called the Baptist. For Herod, the tetrarch, caused this pious man to be slain, who exhorted the Jews to every kind of virtue and righteousness, led them to baptism, and said that their baptism would be acceptable to God only if they would abstain, not merely from one or two sins, but would earnestly purify the heart, through righteousness, and afterward the body as well.

"Since great numbers flocked to him, and the people were very eager for his doctrine, Herod feared that he (John) might stir the people, with whom his influence was great, to sedition; for it seemed as if they would do everything according to his will and counsel. He therefore thought it best to have him killed. For that reason he had him imprisoned in the castle of Machaerus mentioned above, and there put to death."

This happened, according to our reckoning, in the year thirty-two after the birth of Christ, in the seventeenth year of Tiberias, the Roman emperor; and so this great light of the church of God was extinguished in the midst of its brightness, to the sorrow of many pious hearts.

It is stated that his body rested at Sebasta, in Palestine, until the time of Julian, when his bones were burned by the enemies of truth, and his ashes scattered to the wind. Historia Tripartita, book 1, chapter 15. Theodoret, book 3, chapter 6. [n98-4]