Evangelists Matthew and Luke report what Jesus said about him: “Truly, I say to you, born from a woman, there is no one greater than John the Baptist.” John was therefore greater than all patriarchs and prophets of the old testament: the first ones were given the promise of the Savior, others predicted the Messiah. John the Baptist was Messiah’s predecessor, he saw Him with his physical eyes, introduced him to the people and baptized Him. It is understandable, then, why the Church celebrates this great man with two holidays, celebrating his double birth: on June 24 the Church celebrates the solemn feast of his birth for this world and for the mission of Jesus’ predecessor, and on August 29 the Church recalls his martyrdom and birth to heaven.
He was the “messenger of the birth and death” of the Son of God. The English spiritual writer St Bede Honorable, who died in 735, explains: “With his birth he announced the birth of Christ, proclaimed the proclamation of Christ and testified with baptism for Christ. Finally, with his suffering, he prophesied the suffering of Christ. There is no doubt that John the Baptist suffered prison and restraints because of the testimony of the Savior. Otherwise, the persecutor did not ask him to give up Christ, but to give up the truth; nevertheless he died for Christ, for it is Christ whi declares: I am the truth.”
The truth for which John the Baptist gave his life was the one of moral order. We know the story of his martyrdom from the Gospel accounts. Herod Antipas, the fourth ruler or tetrarch in Galilee and Perea, took Herodias, the wife of his half brother. She was at the same time Antipas’ niece. For those who had a little sense of decency, it was disgusting that Herod married his brother’s wife when he was still alive. John the Baptist, faithful to his prophetic service, walked fearlessly before Herod and said to his face: “You are not allowed to have her!” Evangelist Luke writes that John also criticized Herod for all other wickedness. Herod had neither the courage nor the power to convert, but rather to silence the messenger of God: he let John to be thrown into the dungeon in the inaccessible fortress Maherunt by the Dead Sea. Herod respected John, but even more, he was afraid of him. Herodias was particularly afraid of John, since the prophet jeopardized her position. When John was in prison for nearly a year, Herod celebrated his birthday in Maherun. What happened at that time, can be read in the Gospel. Herodias’ daughter Salome danced before Herod and his guests. He was so fascinated by the beautiful girl and at the same time intoxicated by wine that he promised to do anything she wanted. What he did not now was that Salome was only a tool of Herodias’ malicious intent. According to her mother’s order Salome then claimed the head of John the Baptist. Herod was confused by this request, but he wanted to prove himself as a man of his word, and so fulfilled Salome’s wish. With his personality, public appearance and martyrdom John the Baptist overwhelms us due to his manfulness and courage. His conscience was his only valid guideline. In order to force him to be silent, they had to cut off his head. His name day used to be called “the Beheading of St John the Baptist”, known in the folk language also as “the Headless John”.
