John the Baptist and the Holiness Movement

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist. His narrative begins with the Angel Gabriel making a birth announcement to his father Zachariah in the Temple. 

“You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.”  —Luke 1:14

I can only imagine how Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth, must have felt after the birth of her son, John. She was way past menopause when her surprise pregnancy happened. After the birth of my daughter, I remember it took my body about two years to feel comfortably back to normal. And that was at age 33! Scripture doesn’t tell us how Sarah manages post-pregnancy, but we do read of her cultural perspective and mental health when she shares that she feels the shame of childlessness has been taken away. His birth is a gift to her. 

From the beginning, John’s life’s course is set out for him. This story of prophetic witness is an oddity. John the Baptist lives in the wilderness, wandering along the Jordan River. He wears a garment made of camel’s hair, he eats locusts and honey, and chooses to live alcohol free.  

Biblical archeologist Jodi Magness, in her book, Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit, writes, “The Dead Sea Scrolls confirm that in the [late] Second Temple period there existed in Israel three main movements: the Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes.” The latter sect, the Essenes, were of the mindset that holiness and purity laws extended beyond the Temple walls. Holiness was kept through cleansing. John the Baptist is a central figure all his own, and he isn’t connected to the Essenes per se, but his practice of holiness through water is similar. 

When the New Testament Gospel of John begins, we see John the Baptizer calling people into the Jordan River to wash away their sins. It is here, amongst this following of John, that we come to meet Andrew, a future Saint and Apostle. As a Galilean fisherman, Andrew definitely doesn’t need more water! But the Baptist’s message captivates him. John is a man not too much older than he is, living a basic and simple life, proclaiming a message of the coming kingdom of God, communicating the hope of the long-awaited Messiah. Curious at best, Andrew becomes a loyal follower. In time, when Jesus wades into the Jordan River, John and Andrew will watch the Spirit descend upon Jesus like a dove. They will hear the voice from heaven say, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”  

In a conversation with his disciples, John will say of Jesus, “He must increase, and I must decrease.”

Unfortunately, John the Baptist’s communication and pursuit of holiness take him straight to jail. Through his confrontation with Herod and Herod’s wife, he will meet his end. Imprisoned, John can’t see the future. He only knows what he has been called to do all his life: to preach and speak the truth. In his time in jail, John has an unlikely observer and inquisitor, Herod. It may be this relationship that Herodias will see her power and influence slipping. Her ears still sting from the Baptist’s reprimand, “You shall not have your brother’s wife!”

In jail, we see John’s continued single-mindedness when he sends a message to Jesus, “Are you the Expected one, or are we to look for someone else?” Jesus replies thoughtfully. He says there have been healings, and the Gospel is preached to the poor.  

The Gospel narrative is filled with “good news,” but the Gospel is also juxtaposed with a society filled with trauma. There are wicked people doing terrible things. Tortures, imprisonments, crucifixions, and beheadings are not normative of a civil society! It is a brutal society filled with fear, oppression, disregard for human life, and bodily pain. No wonder John the Baptist spoke fiercely to the rulers in his sphere! His heart was abiding with the purity of the angel’s message to his father Zechariah, “And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.”  A message we will hear again in the Sermon on the Mount in The Beatitudes when Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” 

I invite you to share a little bit of John the Baptist’s life with the young people in your household today. To further your at-home formation, here are three reflection questions for you to explore together.

• We can be brave and scared at the same time. John was brave and spoke out even when it was dangerous. Can you think of a time when you had to be brave to do the right thing?
• John lived at a time full of pain and injustice. What are some things happening in the world today that Jesus would want us to speak out about?
• The angel said John would help people turn back to God. What are some ways we can help others feel closer to God today?