When I’m ever with friends of a different denomination (which in this part of the country is pretty often), and the conversation turns to religion, and, since I’m in the minority and it often makes my friends feel bad for me, I usually will say something like, “Well, you know, St. Paul was a Lutheran, but John was a Baptist!” People usually laugh at that and I can tell they’re not sure why they laughed.
John the Baptist. His commemoration day is the 24th of June, this coming Sunday. Now figure it out. Six months from this Sunday is Christmas Eve, and, John was born before Jesus. March 25 is the day of the announcement of Mary’s pregnancy (ah, nine months before December 25… makes sense), so maybe this can help understanding the church year calendar and the use of the lectionary! It does follow a historical and chronological order. It wasn’t just randomly thrown together! (Lutherans would never stand for that!)
Still, the question remains. Was John really a Baptist? Yes and No. His title given him by the Gospel
writers think he was the Baptist… mainly because he was known for baptizing with water a number of
people. His Baptism was one that prepared the people for the way of the Messiah, his cousin, Jesus. His baptism is NOT the baptism by which we baptize today, for John said he wasn’t worthy enough to even untie the Messiah’s sandals. His baptism was a prelude for things to come.
In some Bible translations, the term “Baptist” attached to his name was translated a little bit differently, to signify his purpose. These translations refer to him as “John the Baptizer.” Even with Jesus of Nazareth on his list of people he baptized, he was the baptizer of multitudes!
There was no Baptist Conventions (as we know it) in those days, so to suggest that John is directly
connected with the Christian Baptist faith of today would be a stretch. True — all of Chistendom make a connection with this very charismatic man; we all recognize Jesus’ cousin as the forerunner of His arrival into the ministry of the Christ. And, maybe there are circles of Baptists who do make the direct connection (actually I couldn’t blame them if they did), but truth be told, John was an Essene Jew (Google it and see).
Jesus would later say in the Gospels that John was the most highly thought of man in all of human
history (see Matthew 11:11). So, on June the 24th, think on John. The lessons and Gospel are all about him. He did a great job in preparing the way for the Messiah–being the “…voice of one crying out in the wilderness…” Give thanks for John this week. Baptist or not. He was a great person in the history of faith, true to his calling!
To God be the glory!
God loves you and so do I!
Pastor Jim