There are three people whom the Holy Orthodox Church remembers on three occasions each during the Liturgical year. Those occasions are their conception, their nativity, and their death. These three are first our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (conception on 25Mar, birth on 25Dec, and death on Holy Friday), the Theotokos (conception on 09Dec, birth on 08Sep, and death or Dormition on 15Aug), and Saint John the Forerunner (conception on 23Sep, birth on 24Jun, and death on 29Aug).
Within
these three, the time from conception to birth varies, with that of our Lord
being the “perfect” nine months, that of the Theotokos being nine months less
one day, and that of the Forerunner being nine months plus one day. Holy Tradition holds that this indicates the
humanity of both mother and Forerunner, and the divinity of the Lord.
As
we commemorate this Feast, we remember that Saint John is described as both
prophet and Forerunner, with the later usually capitalized, indicating
something indeed very special about the mission of this man. While John indeed filled the mission of being
a prophet, foretelling all that would come in our Lord’s ministry, in doing
this, and in preparing the nation of Israel for repentance through his baptism
of water, his purpose was to prepare the way of our Lord, to soften the hearts
of the people to be receptive to the Lord’s message of repentance, but more
than this, one of forgiveness, one of love, one of God with us!
We
tend to think of Pentecost as the day upon which the Holy Spirit appeared in
the world, but within the Gospel of Saint Luke is recorded the conversation of
the angel with Zachariah, the father of John, foretelling that John would be
“filled with the Holy Spirit.”
In
the Gospel of Saint Matthew (11:11), our Lord says of Saint John, “Assuredly, I
say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John
the Baptist.” Our Lord’s praise of His
servant is not just related to the number of people whom John turned from their
wicked ways by his preaching, or by his baptisms. It is also related to the prayers offered by
Saint John for the people who came to him in repentance, prayers for the life
of the world and of the faithful who would come to follow Christ. And it is related to his being so filled with
the Holy Spirit . There are those who
question whether, when John sent his own disciples to our Lord as he was
imprisoned to ask Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”,
(Mat 11:3), he did so doubting that Jesus was the Messiah. But the Holy Fathers teach that this is not
the case. Rather, John sent his
disciples to Jesus with this question so that they might hear from the Lord’s
own mouth His mighty works. In so doing,
Jesus teaches lovingly the disciples of John that they need to break from their
master and follow Him. In Saint John’s
words, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
Immediately
before this, John bears bold witness to those who try to sew dissent by saying,
“A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said,
‘I am not the Christ,’ but rather, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ He who has the bride is the Bridegroom; but
the friend of the Bridegroom , who stands and hears Him, rejoices greatly
because of the Bridegroom’s voice.
Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.” (John 3:27-29)
In
the life of Saint John, the joy of the Church is fulfilled, for he truly is the
greatest born of woman.
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