St. John the Baptist’s birth, like that of Jesus, was heralded by the angel Gabriel. Both their birth were miraculously the work of God, where Jesus was born of a virgin, while John was born to a barren woman of old age.
Luke 1:24-37
After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, “This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.”
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.”
The Gospel of Luke, implies that St. John the Baptist was born six months earlier than Jesus (25 December). John the Baptist knew that he had been called by God to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah: “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” (Matthew 3:3) When the time came for Christ to start His ministry, John pointed his disciples to Christ and encouraged them to follow Him: The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. (John 1:35-37)
St. John the Baptist preached about repentance and baptized people in water. St. John the Baptist is known for foretelling of the Messiah, the coming of Jesus in the New Testament, preparing the way for Jesus, announced his presence, and baptised him in the Jordan River. Jesus Christ called him the greatest of men.
Matthew 11:11
Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
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