Based on Luke 1:67-79
We often point to John the Baptist and refer to him as the forerunner of Christ. He’s the one to “prepare the way of the Lord.“
But how did the people of that time see John? Many thought that he was the Messiah (Luke 3:15, John 1:20)! Why would people think that John could be the Messiah?
Side Note: I believe that John’s story gets lost due to the way our readings are presented in the liturgy. They are often scattered, like so many of the scripture readings, throughout the year. This scattering of readings makes the story nearly impossible to piece together. This is why I’ll never tire of encouraging people to invest in reading the Bible as a coherent story. Yes, we Catholics read through 90% of the Bible at Mass in the course of 3 years. However, this scatter shot approach is like reading randomly chosen chapters of The Lord of the Rings over 3 years and hoping it makes sense!
Why would people think that John could be the Messiah? Let’s take a look at John’s life through some of the prophesies pointing to the Messiah…
Divine Nature – The Messiah is to come from God.
John’s early life is filled with the miraculous. This can be lost on us because we read about it most often when all of our focus on Christmas (like today’s readings). John’s father, Zechariah, is a priest at the Temple. While in service, an angel appears to him to announce John’s birth. Because Zechariah doubts this message, he is struck dumb/mute. Imagine this well known man leaving the Temple unable to speak. Surely, word would have spread that something happened to Zechariah. Was it a blessing or a curse? Was God pleased or displeased with him for some reason? It is not until after John is born, at the time of his circumcision, that Zechariah regains the faculty of speech and only then after he confirms the boy’s name!
Miraculous Birth
The people familiar with Elizabeth and Zechariah now know something strange has happened to Zechariah. This is followed by the seemingly miraculous pregnancy of Elizabeth who is past childbearing age! Now the rumors are surely starting to spread. All eyes are on this couple and the child to be born to them. When the child is born, everyone expects the couple to name him after his father. Elizabeth protests and says his name is to be John, meaning God is Gracious. Zechariah confirms this name by writing it on a tablet and at that moment he is able to speak again. As we can imagine, after being silent for 9 months, he has a lot to say! What he says sure sounds like this “child” may be the one!! (try reading the following while imagining you know nothing of Jesus)
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and brought redemption to his people. He has raised up a horn for our salvation within the house of David his servant, even as he promised through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old: salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to show mercy to our fathers and to be mindful of his holy covenant and of the oath he swore to Abraham our father, and to grant us that, rescued from the hand of enemies, without fear we might worship him in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God by which the daybreak from on high will visit us to shine on those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” – Luke 1:68-79
Egypt and the Desert
John, like Jesus and Moses, would spend time in the Desert. Moses, a man who spent an inordinate amount of time in the desert tells us, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren.”(Deut 18:15) After John’s birth, we hear nothing more of him until he begins preaching. We are told he basically disappeared into the desert. After Jesus is found in the Temple, we hear nothing more of him until meets John, goes into the desert, and remerges to preach the Gospel. The desert and Egypt can be seen as both a place of growing closer to God and a place of testing for the Messiah.
Mission – Salvation and Forgiveness of Sins
As Zechariah stated, John would give people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. This mission of the Messiah is man’s reconciliation to God. His preaching is a call to repentance (Luke 1:8), a realization that family lines can’t save you (Luke 1:8), a plea to produce good fruit (Luke 1:9), a message of charity (Luke 1:10), a message of justice (Luke 1:13-14, 18). His look and message most definitely appear Messianic
John’s Admission
After all of John’s preaching, forming disciples, drawing crowds and enemies, he admits and tells the world that he is not the Messiah. In fact, John works hard to lower himself in the eyes of those looking to him to fill that role.
John answered and said, “…You yourselves can testify that I said [that] I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase; I must decrease.” John 3:27a, 28-30)
Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah. John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire. (Luke 3:15-16)
We can easily see how the people around Elizabeth, Zechariah, and John thought that John may be the Messiah. His message was similar to Jesus’ and so prepared the way for the true Messiah. His suffering was similar to Jesus’ and so prepared our hearts to expect that both messages were, and will continue to be, rejected by many.
John was the “Best Man” and Jesus says, “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist…” He was the greatest and closest to the Messiah the world has ever seen until Jesus began His work. Yet, even here Jesus continues and gives us all hope of being like John in our work of preparing the way of the Lord, “…yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.“
May Zechariah’s canticle, which is today’s Gospel reading, be sung about each an every one of us! …And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways…
James M. Hahn, Author 