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John the Baptist (also called John the Baptizer or John the Dipper) is regarded as a prophet by at least three religions: Christianity, Islam, and Mandaeanism. According to the Gospel of Luke, he was a relative of Jesus. That he was a prophet is asserted by the Gospels of the Christian Bible and the Qur'an (see also prophets of Islam). Eastern Orthodox Christians also refer to him as John the Forerunner because he was the forerunner of Christ. 
Christian viewHis father, Zacharias, was a priest of the course of Abia (1 Chr. 24:10) (http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?1ch+24:10), and his mother, Elisabeth, was of the Daughters of Aaron (Luke 1:5) (http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?lk+1:5). According to Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and mainstream Protestantism, he was the last of the prophets. John held the priesthood of Aaron, giving him the authority to perform baptisms of God. His birth took place six months before that of Jesus, and according to the Gospel account was expected by prophecy (Matt. 3:3; Isa. 40:3; Mal. 3:1) (http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?mt+3:3;is+40:3;mal+3:1) and foretold by an angel. Zacharias lost his power of speech because of his unbelief over the birth of his son, and had it restored on the occasion of John's circumcision (Luke 1:64) (http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?lk+1:64). John was a Nazarite from his birth (Luke 1:15; Num. 6:1-12) (http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?lk+1:15;nu+6:1-12). He spent his early years in the mountainous tract of Judea lying between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea (Matt. 3:1-12) (http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?mt+3:1-12). He led a simple life, wearing rope (gamla) fiber clothing and eating "locusts and wild honey" (Matt. 3:4). As an adult John started to preach in public, and people from "every quarter" were attracted to his message. The essence of his preaching was the necessity of repentance and turning away from selfish pursuits. He denounced the Sadducees and Pharisees as a "generation of vipers," and warned them not to assume their heritage gave them special privilege (Luke 3:8) (http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?lk+3:8). He warned tax collectors and soldiers against extortion and plunder. His doctrine and manner of life stirred interest, bringing people from all parts to see him on the banks of the Jordan River. There he baptized thousands unto repentance (see AEnon). The fame of John reached the ears of Jesus in Nazareth (Matt. 3:5) (http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?mt+3:5), and he came from Galilee to Jordan to be baptized by John, on the special ground that it became him to "fulfill all righteousness" (3:15) (http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?mt+3:15). John's special office ceased with the baptism of Jesus, who must now "increase" as the King come to his kingdom. He continued, however, for a while to bear testimony to the Messiahship of Jesus. He pointed him out to his disciples, saying, "Behold the Lamb of God." His public ministry was suddenly (after about six months probably) brought to a close by his being cast into prison by Herod, whom he had reproved for the sin of having taken to himself the wife of his brother Philip (Luke 3:19) (http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?lk+3:19). He was shut up in the castle of Machaerus, a fortress on the southern extremity of Peraea, 9 miles east of the Dead Sea, and here he was beheaded at the instigation of Herodias; later tradition also implicates Salomé. His disciples, having consigned the headless body to the grave, went and told Jesus all that had occurred (Matt. 14:3-12) (http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?mt+14:3-12). John's death occurred apparently just before the third Passover of Jesus' ministry. Jesus himself testified regarding John that he was a "burning and a shining light" (John 5:35) (http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?jn+5:35). The Eastern Orthodox believe that John was the last of the Old Testament prophets, thus serving as a bridge figure between that period of revelation and Jesus. They also embrace a tradition that, following his death, John descended into Hell and there once more preached that Jesus the Messiah was coming. Saint John the Baptist is the patron saint of French Canada. The Canadian cities of Saint John, New Brunswick and St. John's, Newfoundland were both named in honour of Saint John. His feast day is June 24, celebrated in Quebec as the Fête nationale du Québec. He is also counted as the Patron of the Knights Hospitaller of Jerusalem. The Eastern Orthodox Church remembers Saint John the Forerunner on six separate feast days, listed here in order of the church year which begins on September 1:
Islamic viewMuslims, like Christians, revere John the Baptist as a prophet (he is known as Yahya). See also similarities between the Bible and the Qur'an. Mandaean viewMandaeans (who view Jesus and Moses as false prophets) believe John the Baptist was the last and greatest of the prophets. Unification Church viewUnificationists regard John the Baptist as "the greatest man born of woman" (Mt 11:11), yet they criticize him for his "failure" to convince the Jewish people that Jesus was the Messiah. Gnostic viewIn Gnosticism, John the Baptist was a "personification" of the Old Testament prophet Elijah. According to Gnostic theology, John the Baptist was a prophet from the Old Testament who did not know the True God (the God of the New Testament, as opposed to the God of the Old Testament — see the article on Gnosticism for details), and thus had to be reincarnated. As predicted by the Old Testament prophet Malachi, Elijah must "come first" to herald the coming of Jesus Christ. External links
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da:Johannes Døberen de:Johannes der Täufer eo:Johano la Baptisto es:Juan el Bautista fr:Jean-Baptiste he:יוחנן המטביל it:San Giuvanni Battista nl:Johannes de Doper ja:ヨハネ (洗礼者) pl:Jan Chrzciciel pt:São João Baptista (santo) sv:Johannes Döparen zh:洗者若翰 |
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