What do you know about Saint John The Baptist?

Question

Because of his pride Herod, though deeply sorry, could not decline the request; thus, as Saint Augustine says, "an oath rashly taken was criminally kept." He sent a soldier of the guard to behead John in prison. Thus, the "voice crying in the wilderness" was silenced. The head was placed on a platter and taken to Salome, who gave it to her mother.

1st century. Shortly after he had baptized Jesus, John the Baptist began to denounce Herod Antipas, the tetarch of Galilee. Herod had divorced his own wife and taken Herodias, the wife of his half- brother Philip and also his own niece. John the Baptist declared, "I is not lawful for you to have her," so Herod threw him into prison.

Not only did Herod fear John and his disciples, he also knew him to be a righteous man, so he did not kill him. Herodias determined to bring about John's death. From prison John followed Jesus's ministry, and sent messengers to question him (Luke 7:19-29). One day Herod gave a fine banquet to celebrate his birthday. His entire court was present as well as other powerful and influential Palestinians. Herodias's daughter Salome so pleased Herod when she danced to entertain the company that he promised her whatever she would ask--even half of his kingdom. Salome asked her mother for counsel and was told to request the head of the Baptist (Matthew 14:1-12).

St. John the Baptist – STATUE – ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Donatello, signed and dated 1438
(cleaning and restoration, 1973,
Professor and Mrs. John McAndrew)
The completion date of the wooden sculpture of St. John the Baptist, executed by the Florentine master Donatello, had been under dispute for many decades. The 1973 restoration revealed a signature and date of 1438, at last putting to rest the scholarly debate. The date confirms that Donatello carved the sculpture in Florence for the Venetian confraternity of the Florentines. They commissioned a master from their home town to create this sculpture of their patron saint. Donatello rewarded them with a work remarkable for its naturalism and human pathos. It must have greatly impressed and influenced Venetian artists and audiences.
Photos: Mark Smith

Commentarys on the Gospel of Saint Mathew–22—by Swami Nirmalananda Giri


Jerusalem and Judaea represent the higher reaches of our consciousness which respond to the inner call to prepare for Christhood. In one way of looking at it, they are the only ones who can respond. The others just do not have the “ears to hear.”

Baptism

The ultimate Jordan is Divine Consciousness: God. And the ultimate baptism is immersion in God. “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”1 The supreme mystic of the Eastern Church, Saint Simeon the New Theologian, says that unless we know Christ intimately through union we have not really been baptized in Christ, but only made wet by water.

In meditation our “confessing” of sins occurs when they float up to the surface of our consciousness and are beheld by us and dissolved in the light invoked by meditation. The Revelation of Saint John refers to this symbolically when it says: “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.”4 The confessing of sins at the baptism of Saint John also represents our letting go of them. For when we are addicted to negativity in any form we clutch on to it. In India they use the simile of the camel who keeps on chewing the nettles even though they pierce its mouth and make it bleed. So the inner baptism is also the letting go of sin.

Answer 1

Since you have told us everything there is to know, why did you ask the question?

Answer 2

John grew up in the wilderness, and preached in the wilderness. His message was for people to repent because the Kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 3:2). John baptized his followers in the Jordan River, to signify the drowning of their old life and their emergence from the water into a new life. John, as did Jesus later on, ran into conflict with the Pharisees and Sadducees for whom he had sharp words (Matthew 3:7-12).



John was beheaded AD 29 by Herod Antipas who imprisoned him in revenge for John's condemnation of his incestuous marriage to his brother's wife (Luke 3:19-20). Herodias' daughter, danced for Herod, who rewarded her by offering her whatever she wished. On the advice of her mother, she requested the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod was grieved at being requested to execute him, but having given his oath before witnesses, he commanded that it be done (Matthew 14:1-11, Mark 6:14-28).

Answer 3

St. John the Baptist
John the Baptist was the son of Zachary, a priest of the Temple in Jerusalem, and Elizabeth, a kinswoman of Mary who visited her. He was probably born at Ain-Karim southwest of Jerusalem after the Angel Gabriel had told Zachary that his wife would bear a child even though she was an old woman. He lived as a hermit in the desert of Judea until about A.D. 27. When he was thirty, he began to preach on the banks of the Jordan against the evils of the times and called men to penance and baptism "for the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand". He attracted large crowds, and when Christ came to him, John recognized Him as the Messiah and baptized Him, saying, "It is I who need baptism from You". When Christ left to preach in Galilee, John continued preaching in the Jordan valley. Fearful of his great power with the people, Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Perea and Galilee, had him arrested and imprisoned at Machaerus Fortress on the Dead Sea when John denounced his adultrous and incestuous marriage with Herodias, wife of his half brother Philip. John was beheaded at the request of Salome, daughter of Herodias, who asked for his head at the instigation of her mother. John inspired many of his followers to follow Christ when he designated Him "the Lamb of God," among them Andrew and John, who came to know Christ through John's preaching. John is presented in the New Testament as the last of the Old Testament prophets and the precursor of the Messiah. His feast day is June 24th and the feast for his beheading is August 29th.

Answer 4

well his father was told of his impending birth while he was serving as the alotted priest serving god and struck speachless
his mother was 78 years old and well past child bearing age
he baptised jesus before jesus got his calling ,was the first? to be recorded doing the baptism in the new test and posasably the old as well
he came to witness the light ,not to be the light but to witness others to see the true light of the father?
he ate honey and locusts
the honey because no life would be taken in its eating ,its microbilly sterile
and also locusts ,because when you eat a loquest you know your eating life but to the higher purpose of sustain ing lifes higher incarnation ,as jesus said more blessed is the lion who becomes man than a man becopme food for a lien ,ie beast
yet bread is made from living seeds crushed to die to make the bread ,in deceit of the laws that say unto man thou shalt not kill ,is not a seed life?
see-d

Answer 5

Full story , Urantia book P 1496

Answer 6

I know that he was the person that baptised Jesus. I also think he was beheaded. Thats what I know.

Answer 7

Thanks for that post...very nice.

Remember John said, "I baptize you with water, but one greater than I is coming...He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire..."

Answer 8

Why did you answer your own question?

Answer 9

I know that he probably didn't exist, much like all the other imaginary characters in the Bible.