The Prophet John the Baptist (Ivan the Baptist) is the most revered after the virgin Mary. The word "forerunner", by the way, means the preparatory stage preceding the main event. At the time of Christ's first coming into humanity, it was the prophet John who carried out this stage, which is why he received such a name.
Why was the Forerunner needed?
The appearance of the Forerunner was necessary in order to prepare people for the coming of Jesus. John chose as a symbol of entry into this period the rite of immersion in the Jordan River. Water bathes the body, and repentance bathes the human soul. The prophet said that one should repent, since the kingdom of heaven is near.
The story of the birth of a prophet
Its appearance is reminiscent of the birth of the Virgin Mary. After all, her parents were also elderly people and were considered barren. At a venerable age when it was no longer possible to hope for the miracle of having a baby, the Lord heard their prayers.
Ivan’s mother was the sister of Maria’s mother, that is, she was the aunt of the Mother of God. She came to her aunt, realizing that she was carrying a child, immaculately conceived. Therefore, Ivan was a relative of Jesus in earthly life.
How John escaped death
The future prophet and Saint Ivan the Baptist escaped the grace of God among the many babies killed in Bethlehem, just like Jesus, born only six months after him.
The fact is that after the birth of Jesus and the worship of the sorcerers and shepherds, who predicted that a new King of the people of Israel would be born, Herod, the wicked ruler, ordered to kill all the babies so that nothing would threaten his reign, that he would have no rivals. Upon learning of this, Saint Elizabeth (that was the name of the mother of John the Baptist) went into the desert with her son. She hid in a cave for some time. At this time, the priest Saint Zacharias was in Jerusalem, where he performed the ministry in the temple. The king sent soldiers to him in order to find out where John and his mother were. The saint said he did not know about it. For the refusal of assistance, he was killed right in the temple. Elizabeth was in the desert for some time with her son, and then died there. Guarded by the angel, the boy John remained here.
Desert life
John at an early age chose an unusual way of life. He went to the Judean desert and settled here in one of the caves. In fasting and prayer, he stayed until the age of 31. The Forerunner constantly talked with God, spent all the time in prayers and chants. He wore the simplest, toughest clothes of fabric made from camel hair. The forerunner girded his robe with a leather belt. He showed extreme restraint in food. It consisted only of roots and leaves, acrid (locust) and wild honey. Hiding in the desert, leading a life free from close communication with people, he expected when the Lord would call him to fulfill his assigned role. And finally, God called him.
The baptism of the people in the river. Jordan
The Prophet John, obeying the Lord, came to the Jordan River in order to prepare people for the acceptance of the Messiah (Christ). Before the festival of purification, many people came to the river to perform religious ablutions. Then John turned to the people. He preached baptism and repentance for the remission of sins.
The essence of the sermon was that people, before performing external bathing, must first be morally purified and thus prepare themselves for the acceptance of the gospel. The baptism of John, of course, was not yet a sacrament of Christian baptism. It was subsequently carried out by Jesus Christ. And John only made spiritual preparations for the future baptism of the Holy Spirit and water.
The forerunner himself understood that he was only preparing the way for the Lord. He answered those who thought that he was the messiah that only baptized with water, but the strongest was coming, able to baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire, and Ivan was not worthy to carry his shoes and tie belts on his sandals.
Baptism of jesus
Having heard about Jesus, Ivan sent his disciples to find out if he is the Messiah. The Lord answered the disciples, saying that lepers are cleansed, the dead are resurrected, demons leave a person - all this indicates the appearance of the Messiah.
After some time, Jesus himself came to be baptized in Jordan. Seeing him, he asked whether Christ had come to be baptized with him. That is, he considered himself unworthy of such high honor. However, Jesus replied that the words of the prophets must be fulfilled.
Miraculous phenomena were accompanied by the baptism of Christ. The Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove from heaven and said in the voice of God the Father that it was His beloved Son. Ivan the Baptist, having received a revelation of Christ, told the people about Him that this is the Lamb of God, who is destined to take upon himself the sins of the world. The two disciples of John, hearing this, joined Christ. These were the apostles Andrew the First-Called and John the Theologian.
Disciples of the Forerunner
Ivan the Baptist, like Jesus, had his own disciples. The doctrine of the prophet was as strict as his ministry. Ivan severely exposed public morals. He called the scribes, Pharisees and sinners "the offspring of the vipers." Naturally, he did not gain much popularity among hypocrites and those in power.
The Prophet Ivan the Baptist completed the ministry with the baptism of the Savior. He severely and fearlessly exposed the vices of both the powerful and ordinary people. For this, he soon had to suffer. Let's talk about how this happened.
Salomia asks for John's head
King Herod Antipas, who was the son of Herod the Great, ordered to catch the prophet and put him in prison for having convicted him of leaving his legal wife, and for cohabiting with Herodias. This woman used to be married to Philip, his sibling.
Herod made a feast on his birthday. Many noble guests gathered at him. Salomia, the daughter of Herodias, indiscreet dance so pleased the king that he vowed to give her everything she asked. The dancer taught by her mother asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter.
The truncation of the chapter and its consequences
Herod respected the Forerunner as a prophet and was saddened by this request. But he hesitated to break the oath given to them. The beheading of Ivan the Baptist was as follows. Herod sent a guard to the dungeon so that he would cut off Ivan’s head and give it to the dancer. She carried it to her mother. Having abused the head of the prophet, Herodias threw her into the mud. The body of John was buried by his disciples in Sevastia, the Samarian city. Herod received deserved retribution for his crime. His troops in 38 after R.H. were defeated by Arepha, who opposed the king for the dishonor of his daughter. Herod left this daughter for the sake of Herodias. And a year later Caligula, the Roman emperor, exiled the king to prison.
The fate of John's right hand
The Evangelist Luke, according to legend, going around different villages and cities with a sermon, took with him from Sebastia to Antioch a particle of the relics of John - his right hand. Thus, the hand was saved from the desecration, which after 300 years was subjected to the body of the Baptist at the hands of Julian the Apostate, the pagan king. When Muslims took possession of Antioch (in 959), the deacon transferred this relic to Chalkedon, and then to Constantinople. Here it was stored until the Turks conquered the city.
However, this people also revered the prophet. Wanting to reconcile with the knights of the Order of St. John, militant, the Sultan Bayazit II decided to give them this shrine. Dobrynya, a Russian pilgrim who later became Anthony, saint and Novgorod archbishop, in 1200 saw the hand of the Forerunner in the royal chambers . From historical monuments it is known that the emperor Baldwin, after the capture of Constantinople by the crusaders in 1263, handed over to Otton de Zicon the humerus of the relics. He sent her to France, the cistercian abbey. This shrine in the late XIV - early XV centuries. Russian pilgrims saw in Tsargrad. In 1453, the Turks captured Constantinople. His shrines were collected by the will of the conqueror of Mohammed and kept in the royal treasury. After that, the right hand of the Baptist was in St. Petersburg, in the Winter Palace (Church of the Holy Face).
Where was the head of the prophet after death?
The head of the prophet was found by the pious John. This relic was buried on the Mount of Olives, in a vessel. After some time, digging a moat for the foundation of the temple, one pious ascetic discovered his head and kept it in his possession. Before his death, fearing that unbelievers would discover this treasure, he buried it in the ground where he found it. During the reign of Constantine the Great, two monks came to worship the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. The Forerunner appeared to one of them and indicated where his head was. Since then, Christians have been celebrating the first acquisition of the head of John. However, another holiday associated with this prophet is more popular. And now we will talk about him.
Ivan the Baptist Day
September 11 marks one of the twelve patronal feasts. It is very important for Christians. Surely many of you will be curious to know what the feast of Ivan the Baptist means. This is the day of the Beheading of his chapter. On this occasion, it is customary to observe a fairly strict post, as well as refuse any work. Signs on Ivan the Forerunner are very numerous. We will talk about the most famous of them.
Signs for the day of I. Forerunner
It is believed that a person observing the fast of September 11th will be completely cleansed of sins. One more sign - the fasting person will fulfill his wish.
However, not all the beliefs of this day are so favorable. The truncation of the chapter is one of the most dangerous holidays. It is believed that a child born on this day will be unhappy. They also say that if you get hurt that day, the wound heals very poorly.
It is not customary to use a knife and other sharp objects on September 11, since, according to legend, a person can remain without a head. In addition, people said that if you hold a knife that day, you can take on the sins of the murderers of John. But, according to the legend of his death, everyone who was involved in this crime died a terrible death.
In addition, on the day of the Beheading, it is not recommended to use objects resembling a dish, head, sword. For example, you should not eat round fruits and vegetables, put round plates and dishes on the table.
Another sign - on the day of the Beheading, you can not sing and dance, since this action can bring death to a person. You probably guessed what this is connected with. After all, Salome danced to beg the head of John the Baptist.
It is considered a good omen if on the day of the holiday a white dog is tied up with you, because it will bring luck, prosperity, and prosperity to your house. You should not drive her away, because John the Baptist blesses a person for a prosperous life.
Who helps the Forerunner?
Icons of the Baptist are very popular. And who helps Ivan the Baptist? They pray to him, asking to grant repentance, to relieve headaches. In addition, the icon of Ivan the Baptist will not be superfluous 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 the parents of John the Baptist can be addressed in the absence of children in marriage. In addition, they can be asked for the safe birth of the baby.
So, we talked about who such a prophet and baptist John, described the holiday. Ivan the Baptist fully fulfilled his role, to which he was intended, and which is fixed in his name. And it could not be otherwise, because he was steadily following the will of God. Therefore, the feast of Ivan the Baptist is so popular today. Remembering it, many people become stronger in faith.