Life of the Prophet John the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord

John the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord
(c.), martyr. After the Most Holy Theotokos, the most revered saint. The following holidays were established in his honor: September 23 - conception, June 24 - Nativity, August 29 - beheading, January 7 - Council of John the Baptist in connection with the feast of Epiphany, February 24 - his first and second discovery chapter, May 25 - the third discovery of his head, October 12 - the celebration of the transfer of his right hand from Malta to Gatchina.

The Prophet John the Baptist was the son of the priest Zechariah (from the family of Aaron) and the righteous Elizabeth (from the family of King David). His parents lived near Hebron (in the Highlands), south of Jerusalem. He was a relative of the Lord Jesus Christ on his mother's side and was born six months before the Lord. As Evangelist Luke narrates, the Archangel Gabriel, appearing to his father Zechariah in the temple, announced the birth of his son. And so the pious spouses, deprived of the consolation of having children until old age, finally have a son, whom they asked for in prayers.

By the grace of God, he escaped death among the thousands of murdered infants in and around Bethlehem. Hearing about the murders, Elizabeth took the boy and retired to the desert mountains. Seeing the approaching warriors, she prayed to God for salvation and then the mountain parted, accepted her along with her son and hid her from her pursuers. Not finding them, the warriors inquired about the Forerunner from Zechariah, who was eventually killed. Elizabeth died in the mountains forty days after the murder of her righteous husband, and Saint John was nourished by an angel until he came of age. He grew up in the wild desert, preparing himself for great service by a strict life of fasting and prayer. The Forerunner wore rough clothes secured with a leather belt and ate wild honey and locusts. He remained a desert dweller until the Lord called him at the age of thirty to preach to the Jewish people.

Sermon

Obeying this calling, the prophet John appeared on the banks of the Jordan to prepare the people to receive the expected Messiah (Christ). Before the holiday of purification, people gathered in large numbers to the river for religious ablutions. Here John turned to them, preaching repentance and baptism for the remission of sins. The essence of his preaching was that before receiving external washing, people must be morally cleansed, and thus prepare themselves to receive the Gospel. Of course, John's baptism was not yet the grace-filled sacrament of Christian baptism. Its meaning was spiritual preparation for the future baptism of water and the Holy Spirit.

According to the expression of one church prayer, the Prophet John was a bright morning star, which in its brilliance surpassed the radiance of all other stars and foreshadowed the morning of a blessed day, illuminated by the spiritual Sun of Christ (Mal. 4: 2). When the expectation of the Messiah reached its highest degree, the Savior of the world Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, came to John to the Jordan to be baptized. The baptism of Christ was accompanied by miraculous phenomena - the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove and the voice of God the Father from heaven: “This is My beloved Son...”

Having received a revelation about Jesus Christ, the prophet John told the people about Him: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” Hearing this, two of John's disciples joined Jesus Christ. They were the apostles John the Theologian and Andrew the First-Called, brother of Simon Peter.

With the baptism of the Savior, the prophet John completed and, as it were, sealed his prophetic ministry. He fearlessly and strictly denounced the vices of both ordinary people and the powerful of this world. For this he soon suffered.

Dungeon

King Herod Antipas (the son of King Herod the Great) ordered the prophet John to be put in prison for denouncing him for abandoning his lawful wife, the daughter of the Arabian king Aretha, and for illegally cohabiting with Herodias, who Herodias had previously been married to Herod’s half-brother, Philip.

Execution

On his birthday, Herod Antipas gave a feast, which was attended by many noble guests. Salome, the daughter of Herodias, with her immodest dancing during the feast, pleased Herod and the guests reclining with him so much that the king promised with an oath to give her everything she asked for, even up to half of his kingdom. The dancer, taught by her mother, asked to be given the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod respected John as a prophet, so he was saddened by such a request. However, he was embarrassed to break the oath he had given and sent a guard to the prison, who cut off John’s head and gave it to the girl, and she took the head to her mother. Herodias, having outraged the cut off holy head of the prophet, threw it into a dirty place. The disciples of John the Baptist buried his body in the Samaritan city of Sebaste.

For his crime, Herod Antipas received retribution in the year after R. X.; his troops were defeated by Arethas, who opposed him for dishonoring his daughter, whom he abandoned for Herodias, and the following year the Roman emperor Caligula exiled Herod to prison.

About the prophet John the Baptist, the Lord Jesus Christ said: “Among those born of women there has not arisen a greater (prophet) than John the Baptist.” John the Baptist is glorified by the Church as “an angel, and an apostle, and a martyr, and a prophet, and a candle-bearer, and a friend of Christ, and a seal of the prophets, and an intercessor of old and new grace, and the most honorable and bright voice of the Word among those born.”

Prophet John - Forerunner and Baptist of Christ

The Orthodox Church reveres the prophet John as the greatest saint (after the Virgin Mary). The Church calls him the Forerunner of Christ, since John was the closest harbinger of the coming of the Savior. The word “forerunner” is of Old Church Slavonic origin and is literally translated as “one who goes ahead” (“flow” = “to go”). The prophet is also called the Baptist, because it was from him that Christ received Baptism in the Jordan River before the start of His public ministry. The life of John the Baptist and an analysis of the origin of the holidays in his honor will help us learn more about the personality of the prophet.

John the Baptist

What do they pray to the Forerunner for?

Before the bright and righteous prophet they pray:

• about admonishing sinners;
• about seeing one’s own sins and their causes;
• about spiritual help (strengthening the spirit);
• about help in beekeeping;
• about soil fertility and abundant harvests;
• about getting rid of headaches;
• about healing all kinds of ailments;
• about cleansing thoughts from temptations.

More about Orthodox prayer:

• Prayer before starting a task
• Prayers before and after eating food
• Prayers for the future

Brief life of John the Baptist

The future baptizer of Christ was born in ancient Israelite Galilee at the very beginning of the 1st century AD. John's parents were the clergyman Zechariah and his pious wife Elizabeth.

When the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, John was six months old. The ruler of Galilee, Herod the Great, saw the Infant God as a threat to his power and decided to kill Him. The king ordered all babies under 2 years of age from Bethlehem and the surrounding area to be executed, hoping that Jesus would be among them. However, Christ's earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, were warned by God about the danger and temporarily hid with the Son in the Egyptian lands.

The apocryphal (non-canonical) Proto-Gospel of John tells that John was also threatened with death by Herod, but he was saved by his mother, who fled with him into the desert. Zechariah refused to reveal the whereabouts of his family to the king's soldiers and was killed in the temple. His son grew up in the desert. After the death of his mother, protected by God, John continued his hermit life, preparing for the upcoming service with fasting and prayer.

At the age of 30 (the threshold of spiritual adulthood for Hebrew men), John went out to preach, which was supposed to prepare people for the coming of the Savior. The Prophet called them to repentance and virtues, and also baptized them in the Jordan River for cleansing from sins (John's baptism was not yet Christian, more about this will be said below).

The Lord himself was baptized by John before entering into public ministry. The sinless Christ did this out of his humility in order to show people the importance of fulfilling Divine instructions. The Prophet John was the first to announce to people that Jesus is the Son of God, the long-awaited Savior of mankind.

The Gospel Life of John the Baptist tells that he fearlessly denounced inveterate sinners. Among them was King Herod Antipas (son of Herod the Great). He left his legal wife and began to cohabit with the wife of his half-brother Philip, Herodias (she was also the brothers’ niece). Herod Antipas imprisoned his accuser. Soon, at the request of the ruler’s beloved, Herodias, John was executed.

Persecution

Soon after this, Christ was born. Then King Herod, deceived by the magicians, became very angry and gave the order to kill all male infants under two years of age. Elizabeth had to flee with her son into the desert to save him from death. The Mother of God and Christ were then already in Egypt.

At this time, soldiers came to Zechariah, who was serving in the temple, and began to torture him, where his wife and son were. Because he refused to answer, he was stabbed to death right in the temple. Elizabeth spent the rest of her life with her child in the desert. She may have found a water source and ate wild plants. So he and his son did not die of hunger and thirst.

There is a legend that soldiers found her in the desert, but she prayed and the rock closed her with the baby. When John grew up, Elizabeth died of old age. He was left alone and lived in the desert. Why he did not go to the city and become a priest (after all, he was from a priestly family) is unknown.

The Gospel says that John ate wild honey and locusts in the desert. He wore clothes made of camel hair. This is how he lived until the time came for him to preach about Christ.

Church holidays in honor of John the Baptist

The Orthodox Church has established 7 celebrations in honor of the Prophet John the Baptist.

October 6 – Conception of John the Baptist. Zechariah and Elizabeth remained childless for a long time, but fervently prayed to God to give them a child. When the couple were already in old age, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah in the temple. He announced to the priest about the imminent birth of his son and ordered him to be named John. Zechariah at first did not believe the angel’s words, for which he was punished with temporary muteness.

It is known that righteous Elizabeth was a distant relative of the Virgin Mary. When Mary visited Elizabeth, she was filled with the Holy Spirit and was the first to greet Her as the Mother of God. John jumped joyfully in Elizabeth's womb.

July 7 – Nativity of John the Baptist. And so, the future prophet was born. People do not yet know about the coming of God’s chosen one, and he only brings joy to his relatives. John the Baptist's parents gave him his name on the 8th day after his birth, during the circumcision ritual. The gift of speech returned to Zechariah when, naming his son, he publicly wrote his name on a tablet.

September 11 – Beheading of John the Baptist. In memory of the violent death of the righteous man, the Church established a strict fast on this day. The Gospel tells that during the royal feast, the daughter of Herodias (from Philip) Salome pleased Herod so much with her immodest dance that he publicly promised to fulfill her every whim. John was already in prison at that time. Salome's mother hated him so much that she persuaded her daughter to demand the execution of the prophet. Moreover, Herodias wanted John's head to be brought to her. Herod, although he did not want the prophet to die, still did not dare to break his promise and ordered the head of the righteous man to be cut off.

Birth of John

The birth of this saint is so miraculous that it is written about him in the Gospel of Luke . His parents were Saints Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariah was a priest who served in the Jerusalem Temple. His wife Elizabeth was a relative of Mary, the Most Holy Theotokos. Therefore, it turns out that Saint John the Baptist was in earthly kinship with the Savior.

Appearance of Archangel Gabriel

Zechariah and Elizabeth did not have children; they were already old. One day, Zechariah, according to custom, served in the temple and walked with incense, and all the people stood outside, as was customary. When he was alone in the temple, he suddenly saw a heavenly phenomenon. Archangel Gabriel appeared before him and announced the good news that his prayer had been heard. That Zechariah will have a son, who will be named John, he will be great before the Lord, and will turn the hearts of many people to God.

To this Zechariah objected: how can this happen when his wife is barren and he is already old. The Archangel answered: “Because you did not believe my words, you will remain mute until this is done . The heavenly phenomenon disappeared, and Zechariah suddenly felt that he had lost his tongue and could not utter a word.

Meeting of Elizabeth and the Virgin Mary

He went out to the people, and the people realized that the priest had been honored with a manifestation from Above. After his ministry, he returned to the house, and his wife soon became pregnant. In the sixth month, as we know from the Gospel , the Mother of God herself came to Elizabeth with the joyful news that she would be the Mother of Christ. It was natural, the Most Pure One wanted to share her joy with her relative, especially since the Archangel told Her that Elizabeth conceived in old age.

But before She could tell her the news, baby John, who was in Elizabeth’s womb, leapt for joy that he felt the presence of the Mother of God with Christ. Because of this, Grace came over Elizabeth, and she herself understood everything and began to praise the Mother of God who came to her.

So, in essence, St. John the Baptist’s acquaintance with Christ occurred even before their birth. When the time came for John to be born , they asked Elizabeth what name to name the baby. She answered: John, to the surprise of many, because they had never heard such names before. Then they asked Zechariah the same thing, he wrote on the tablet: John, the name that the Archangel told him. Then everyone was surprised that the parents were unanimous in choosing the child’s name.

a miracle happened : the father suddenly got rid of his muteness and began to loudly praise God for giving him a son. He also began to prophesy that John would be a great man, a saint of God, a prophet.

Other church holidays in honor of John the Baptist

March 9 (in leap years - March 8) - The first and second finding of the head of John the Baptist. Herodias threw away the head of the murdered righteous man. But the pious wife of one of the royal courtiers secretly buried the shrine in a clay vessel. Many years later, the pious dignitary Innocent began to own the site with the hidden head of the prophet. He began building a church on this site. During excavation work in the 4th century, the first discovery of the head of the prophet occurred, accompanied by signs (miraculous signs).

After the death of Innocent, the holy relic was transported to Byzantium and was again lost. The Lord wanted a monastery to be founded on the site of the secret location of the head of the prophet. In the middle of the 5th century, John the Baptist appeared to the abbot of the monastery and revealed where its head lay. Thanks to this miraculous event, the second discovery of the shrine took place.

June 7 – Third finding of the head. The relic was kept in Byzantium, but during the period of iconoclastic persecution it was again hidden. In the middle of the 9th century, after the establishment of icon veneration, Patriarch Ignatius had a vision of the location of the head of the prophet John. With the participation of the emperor, the third miraculous discovery of the shrine took place.

October 25 – Transfer of the honest right hand (right hand) of John the Baptist from Malta to Gatchina. This relic, along with other Christian shrines, was presented to Emperor Paul I by the Catholic Knights of Malta in 1799 as a sign of gratitude for Russia’s assistance in the war with the French. For some time the gifts were kept in Gatchina, but then were transferred to St. Petersburg.

January 20 – Cathedral of John the Baptist. This day of John the Baptist is celebrated immediately after the Epiphany, reminding us of who performed it. The word “cathedral” in the name of the holiday implies the conciliar prayer of Orthodox Christians to the great prophet John the Baptist.

Burial place of the Baptist

According to legend, Herodias mocked the head of the Baptist for several days. After that, she ordered to bury her in a landfill. According to other sources, the head was buried in a clay jug on the Mount of Olives. It is believed that the headless body of the Forerunner was buried in Sebastia (Samaria) near the grave of the prophet Elisha. The Apostle Luke also wanted to take his body to Antioch, but local Christians gave him only the right hand (right hand) of the Saint. In 362 AD. The tomb of John the Baptist was destroyed by apostates. His remains were burned and his ashes scattered. Despite this, many believe that the incorrupt body of the Forerunner was saved and transported to Alexandria. The relics of John the Baptist, represented by his right hand and head, are considered miraculous. They are highly revered shrines. The head of John the Baptist, according to some sources, is kept in the Roman church of San Silvestro in Capite, according to others - in the Umayyad mosque located in Damascus. It is also known about such shrines in Amiens (France), Antioch (Turkey), and Armenia. According to Orthodox tradition, the head of the Baptist was found 3 times. It is difficult to say where the real relic is actually located, but parishioners of different churches believe that their “head” is the real one.

The Hand of John is located in the Cetinje Monastery, which is located in Montenegro. The Turks claim that it is kept in the museum of the Topkapi Sultan's Palace. There is information about the right hand in the Coptic monastery. Even the empty tomb of the Baptist is still visited by pilgrims who believe in its miraculous powers.

The significance and greatness of John the Baptist

John the Baptist is revered by the Church above not only other prophets, but also all saints (except the Mother of God). The greatness of John lies in the fact that he prepared the Jewish people for the coming of the Savior. The Forerunner completed the history of the Old Testament and led people to the New Testament. The Old Testament prophesies about John:

“I send My angel, and he will prepare the way before Me” (Mal. 3:1).

Andrei Kritsky in the “Canon for the Nativity of John the Baptist” calls him “the limit of the prophets” and “the beginning of the apostles.” The Lord said:

“Among those born of women there has not arisen a greater one than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11).

The Prophet John took the Jewish sacred rite of ablution (which had long since become a formality) to a completely different level. The Forerunner reminded people that the main thing is the internal washing of a person, his spiritual cleansing, and the correction of a sinful life. Thus, John's baptism of repentant sinners became a type of Christian Baptism, in which a person dies to sin and is born into life in Christ:

“John answered everyone: I baptize you with water, but one stronger than me is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16).

John would later show Christ to the people during His Baptism:

“Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29).

The event was accompanied by miraculous signs: under the guise of a dove, the Holy Spirit descended on Christ and the voice of God the Father was heard from heaven:

“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16).

The greatness of John also lies in the fact that he deliberately diminished himself, giving way to the coming Christ:

“He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

Priest Roman Savchuk notes:

“Unlike the Old Testament prophets, his image does not grow with zealous service, but seems to fade away. Thus, any individualism in a person must gradually die as he approaches Christ. So the belittlement of John the Baptist ultimately ends with a confession of the greatness of his personality, unthinkable for a person: the Lord Himself calls him the greatest of all those ever born of women.”

Baptism of Jesus Christ

When Jesus came to him to be baptized, John recognized Him and refused to baptize Him, saying that He was unworthy. He guessed who was in front of him, but received assurance only after. Christ answered him that this is how the law should be fulfilled. Then John agreed.

The Gospel says that when Jesus entered the river, the Holy Spirit descended on Him in the guise of a white dove. The voice of the Heavenly Father sounded from heaven, confirming that this was the Son of God. So John realized that this was the promised Messiah, Christ.

Prayers to the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John

Troparion to the Nativity of John the Baptist

Prophet and Forerunner of the coming of Christ, / it is worthy to praise you, we are perplexed, who honor you with love: / the infertility of the one who gave birth and the voicelessness of the father was resolved / by your glorious and honest Christmas, / / ​​and incarnation The Son of God is preached to the world.

Translation: Prophet and Forerunner of the coming of Christ, we cannot adequately praise you, lovingly honoring you; for the barrenness of the one who gave birth and the dumbness of the father ended with your glorious and sacred birth, and the incarnation of the Son of God is proclaimed to the world.

Kontakion to the Nativity of John the Baptist

Before the infertility, today Christ gives birth to the Forerunner,/ and that is the fulfillment of every prophecy:/ Whom the prophets preached,/ laid their hand on Him in the Jordan,// the prophet of God’s Word appeared, preached nickname together and the Forerunner.

Translation: On this day the formerly barren woman gives birth to the Forerunner, and he is the fulfillment of every prophecy. For on Him whom the prophets foretold, he, laying his hand in the Jordan, appeared as the Word of God as a prophet, herald and at the same time - the Forerunner.

Glorification of the Nativity of John the Baptist

We magnify you, the Forerunner of the Savior, John, and honor your glorious birth even from the barren one.

Troparion to the Beheading of John the Baptist

The memory of the righteous with praise,/ the testimony of the Lord, the Forerunner, suffices for you:/ for you have truly shown that you are more honorable than the prophets,/ that even in the streams of baptism you were deemed worthy of the One who preached./ Those Having suffered for the truth, rejoicing, / you preached the good news to those in hell that God appeared flesh,/ which takes away the sin of the world,// and gives us great mercy.

Translation: The memory of the righteous is honored with praise, but the testimony of the Lord is enough for you, Forerunner, for you truly appeared to be the most glorious of the prophets, for you were worthy to baptize the Preached One in the streams. Therefore, having suffered for the truth with joy, you preached the gospel to those in hell of God, who appeared in the flesh, lifting up the sin of the world and giving us great mercy.

Kontakion on the Beheading of John the Baptist

The forerunner of the glorious beheading, / a certain Divine sight; / and the coming of the Savior to those in hell. / Let Herodia weep, / having asked for lawless murder: / for this is not the law of God , neither love the living age, // but the feigned, temporary one.

Translation: The glorious beheading of the Forerunner occurred according to some Divine plan, so that he would announce the coming of the Savior to those in hell. Let Herodias weep, who asked for lawless murder: after all, she did not love God’s law, not eternal life, but deceptive and temporary life.

Magnification of John the Baptist at the Beheading

We magnify you,/ John the Baptist of the Savior,/ and honor all/ your honorable head// beheading.

Several cases of healing

• On a winter evening, a woman slipped, fell and hit her head hard. When she went to the hospital, she was diagnosed with a fractured frontal bone and a concussion. An urgent operation was required, but the patient refused it. Relatives took her to church, where with heartfelt prayer she wanted to venerate the face of John the Baptist with a hoop. But as it turned out, a few days ago the image was taken to the monastery. The patient did not lose heart, she gained strength, without anyone’s help she reached the monastery chapel and achieved her wish. Immediately she felt relief. And the next day the patient had a tomogram. The result stunned everyone: there was no damage to the skull bones, no concussion.
• The girl experienced an exacerbation of sinusitis. She was treated with antibiotics and had her sinuses pierced. Doctors advised him to undergo surgery for bone perforation. But on the eve of the operation, the patient went to the monastery and, in front of the icon of John the Baptist, began to beg the prophet for help. After the prayer, I read the canon and venerated the icon. As a result of the surgical intervention, there was absolutely no indication for it.
• One unbelieving lady was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She had to undergo surgery with craniotomy. In the last hope of healing, she came to the monastery and venerated the miraculous icon of John the Baptist with a hoop. Before the operation, she was prescribed an additional examination, and after viewing the X-rays, the doctors were perplexed: where did the tumor go?
• After praying before the icon of the Forerunner, one parishioner received healing from a thyroid disease. She kissed her face for three days in a row and prayed to the saint for healing. On the day of the next examination, the thyroid gland turned out to be completely healthy. And the girl herself expressed a desire to enter the monastery.

Prayer to the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John

Baptist of Christ, honest Forerunner, extreme prophet, first martyr, teacher of fasters and hermits, teacher of purity and close friend of Christ! I pray to you, and I come to you, do not deny me from your intercession, do not forsake me, who have fallen with many sins; renew my soul with repentance, like a second baptism; Cleanse me, the sins of the defiled, and force me to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, even if nothing evil enters. Amen.

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Life in the desert

John chose an unusual lifestyle at a young age. He went to the Judean Desert and settled here in one of the caves. He remained in fasting and prayer until he was 31 years old. The Forerunner constantly talked with God, spending all his time in prayers and chants. He wore the simplest, stiffest clothes made from camel hair. The Forerunner belted his robe with a leather belt. He showed extreme abstinence in food. It consisted only of roots and leaves, locusts (a genus of locust) and wild honey. Hiding in the desert, leading a life free from close communication with people, he waited for the Lord to call him to fulfill his assigned role. And finally God called him.

Disciples of the Forerunner

Ivan the Baptist, like Jesus, had his own disciples. The prophet's teaching was as strict as his ministry. Ivan sternly denounced the prevailing morals in society. He called scribes, Pharisees and sinners “brood of vipers.” Naturally, he did not gain much popularity among hypocrites and those in power.

Prophet Ivan the Baptist completed his ministry with the baptism of the Savior. He strictly and fearlessly denounced the vices of both the powerful and ordinary people. For this he soon had to suffer. Let's talk about how this happened.

Beheading and its consequences

Herod respected the Forerunner as a prophet and was saddened by this request. But he was embarrassed to break the oath he had taken. The beheading of Ivan the Baptist took place as follows. Herod sent a guard to the prison to cut off Ivan's head and give it to the dancer. She took it to her mother. Having outraged the head of the prophet, Herodias threw her into the mud. John's body was buried by his disciples in Sebastia, a Samaritan city. Herod received well-deserved retribution for his crime. His troops in 38 after R.H. were defeated by Arefa, who opposed the king for dishonoring his daughter. Herod left this daughter for Herodias. A year later, Caligula, the Roman emperor, exiled the king to prison.

The fate of John's right hand

Evangelist Luke, according to legend, going around different villages and cities preaching, took with him from Sebastia to Antioch a piece of John’s relics - his right hand. Thus, the hand was saved from the desecration to which, 300 years later, the body of the Baptist was subjected to at the hands of Julian the Apostate, a pagan king. When the Muslims captured Antioch (in 959), the deacon transferred this relic to Chalcedon and then to Constantinople. Here it was kept until the Turks conquered the city.

However, this people also revered the prophet. Wanting to reconcile with the militant knights of the Order of St. John, Sultan Bayazit II decided to give them this shrine. Dobrynya, a Russian pilgrim who later became Anthony, a saint and Archbishop of Novgorod, in 1200 saw the hand of the Forerunner in the royal chambers. It is known from historical monuments that Emperor Baldwin, after the capture of Constantinople by the crusaders in 1263, gave the humerus bone of the relics to Otto de Zikon. He sent her to France, to Cisterion Abbey. This shrine was built at the end of the 14th - beginning of the 15th centuries. saw Russian pilgrims in Constantinople. In 1453, the Turks captured Constantinople. Its relics were collected by the will of the conqueror Mohammed and kept in the royal treasury. After this, the right hand of the Baptist was in St. Petersburg, in the Winter Palace (Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands).

Who does the Forerunner help?

Icons of the Baptist are very popular. Who does Ivan the Baptist help? They pray to him, asking him to grant repentance and relieve him of headaches. In addition, the icon of Ivan the Baptist will not be at all out of place in the homes of beekeepers, whom he also helps. After all, it is known that Ivan ate honey from bees when he was in the desert. And you can contact the parents of John the Baptist if there are no children in the marriage. In addition, they can be asked for the safe birth of the baby.

So, we talked about who the prophet and baptist John was, and described the holiday. Ivan the Baptist fully fulfilled his role to which he was destined and which is enshrined in his name. It couldn’t have been otherwise, because he unswervingly followed the will of God. That is why the holiday of Ivan the Baptist is so popular today. Remembering him, many people strengthen their faith.

Biography

John the Baptist, also known as John the Baptist, is respected by Christians as the forerunner of Jesus Christ. In Orthodoxy, it is second in importance after the Holy Mother of God. Many churches in Russia and around the world have been consecrated in the name of John. Muslims, Mandaeans and Baha'is call the prophet Yahya, Arab Christians - Yuhann. He appears as a historical figure in Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews.

John the Baptist

On the icons he is depicted with the following attributes: a severed head (the second in the picture), a scroll in his hands, a bowl, a thin cross made of reeds. The saint is dressed in baggy clothes made of shaggy wool, belted with a wide leather belt, or less often in a woven chiton or himation. In the paintings, these signs are supplemented by a honeycomb, a lamb, a shepherd’s crook, and the index finger of the right hand facing the sky. Statues of the Baptist are popular among Catholics.

Christian service

In the desert, God spoke to young John, after which John went to preach; the beginning of the journey is considered to be 28 or 29. The Prophet was an ascetic, dressed in a shaggy tunic made of camel hair, girded himself with a rawhide belt, ate honey from wild bees and locusts, and did not drink wine. In his sermons he called on sinners to fear God's wrath and repent. He reproached the Sadducees and Pharisees for hypocrisy and pride.

John the Baptist preaching to the people

The prophet urged the warriors to be content with their salaries and not to offend civilians; tax collectors - do not demand anything from the population beyond what is required by law; the rich to share food and clothing with the poor. John designated ritual bathing in the streams of the Jordan River, called baptism, as a symbol of repentance and purification. A circle of followers gathered around the Baptist. John's disciples imitated their teacher's asceticism and assumed that John was the prophesied Savior.

When a delegation of clergy arrived from Jerusalem to verify this version, John denied it. He called himself the voice of the hermit, calling people to renewal. He predicted the imminent arrival of the Messiah, but was surprised when he met Jesus who came to be baptized, since he considered himself unworthy even to tie the straps of the Savior’s shoes.

John the Baptist and Jesus Christ

Jesus insisted on doing what God had ordained and was baptized in the Jordan. While performing the ritual, the Baptist placed his right hand on the top of Christ’s head, and therefore the right hand of the saint was later especially revered. The baptism was accompanied by miracles that revealed to people the messiahship of Jesus: a dove flew from heaven and a voice sounded calling Jesus the beloved son and blessing him.

After the sign, the first two apostles, who had previously been among the disciples of John the Baptist, joined the Savior. While Jesus was meditating in the desert, John was arrested. Saint John in Orthodoxy is considered the most important prayer book for all Christians.

Epiphany

The Akathist to the Forerunner is read to understand one’s sins and their causes, to bring unbelievers into the Church, and to help prisoners. The author of an ancient prayer compared the Forerunner to a morning star, eclipsing the radiance of other stars, which foreshadows the morning of a sunny day.