Martyrdom of St John the Baptist

 

August 29 - Martyrdom of St John the Baptist

The Church celebrates the birthday of St. John the Baptist on June 24 and also honours the anniversary of his martyrdom on August 29.  Besides our Lord and the most Blessed Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist is the only one whose birth and death are thus celebrated. All three submitted themselves totally to the will of the Father in Heaven.

Let's take a closer look at what makes St John the Baptist so special.

St. John the Baptist is a very pivotal figure in the New Testament renowned for his role in heralding the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ and for his martyrdom. 

Born to Zechariah and Elizabeth, John was divinely chosen to prepare the way for the Messiah. His birth was announced by the Archangel Gabriel, marking him as a turnkey prophetic figure.

Not much is known of John's childhood though the overwhelming consensus among scholars is that John the Baptist was neither an Essene nor a member of the Qumran community.  

What is indubitable is that John lived a life of asceticism in the wilderness, preaching repentance and baptizing people in the River Jordan. Among those he baptized was Jesus Himself, marking the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry [Matthew 3:13].

The Martyrdom of John the Baptist

The death of St. John the Baptist occurred about a year before that of our Lord Jesus Christ, somewhere around 29 AD. 

It is recounted in the Gospel of St Matthew 14:3-11 and by the first-century Jewish Philo-Roman historian Josephus. The location of John’s execution was confirmed some 250 years later by the Christian writer Eusebius of Pamphilia to be the ancient biblical site of Machaerus, a desert fortress of Herod Antipas, east of the Dead Sea in what is now the country of Jordan.

Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great (the slayer of the Innocents in Bethlehem at the time of the birth of Jesus [Matthew 2:16–18]), was then Tetrarch (ruler) of Galilee. He is the same one whom our Lord called a “fox [Luke 13:32]”, and by whom the Savior was sent to Pilate. 

On a visit to Rome, Herod Antipas met Herodias, who was married to his brother Philip, and he took her as his wife while Philip was still alive. Meanwhile, his own wife, the daughter of Aretas, an Arabian King, fled to her father, and in the resulting war, the army of Herod was defeated.

According to Jewish law, the marriage between Herod Antipas and Herodias wasn’t lawful, so they were in an adulterous relationship. St. John the Baptist, bearing witness to the truth, boldly and publicly denounced this deceitful and incestuous marriage, drawing the wrath of Herod Antipas who had John arrested and thrown into prison. 

But Herodias could not rest as long as John was alive and wanted nothing more than the head of her arch-nemesis, John the Baptist.

On the anniversary of his birth, Herod Antipas threw a lavish feast for all. Salome, the daughter of Herodias, entertained the guests with a seductive dance that pleased him exceedingly. 

In a moment of weakness, Herod Antipas swore that he would grant whatever she asked including half his kingdom.

Salome rushed to consult her mother Herodias, who advised her to demand the head of St. John the Baptist. Herod was very aggrieved by this request, for he both feared and respected John the Baptist (Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man [Mark 6:20]); yet to save face in front of his courtiers, he had to yield to her request.

A guard was dispatched to the prison, and St. John was beheaded. His head was brought out on a platter and presented to Salome as she had requested.

The Gospel of St Matthew 14:12, tells us what happens next: “His disciples came and took away the corpse and buried him, and they went and told Jesus.” Jesus’ reaction on hearing the death of his cousin John the Baptist, was somewhat similar to the reaction he had upon learning of his friend Lazarus’ death. In that instance, he broke down and wept. After John’s death, Jesus withdrew in a boat, alone, to a deserted place. He likely sought solitude and quiet to pray and mourn John’s death.

John the Baptist, Precursor to the Messiah

In the Gospel of St Luke, John the Baptist is introduced even before he is born. Three scenes in the Infancy Narrative give attention to John’s role.

In the Annunciation scene with Zechariah, the angel appears to him, promising a son [Luke 1:13]. His words to Zechariah outline the prophetic role of John. “He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah [Luke 1:15-17]”

At the Visitation, when Mary approaches Elizabeth, Luke describes the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaping for joy, already responding to the presence of Jesus in the womb [Luke 1:41-42].

Finally, on the day John is circumcised and named, Zechariah himself is filled with the Spirit and prophesies. In his canticle, he addresses his son, “You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways [Luke 1:76].”

John the Baptist, Firebrand Preacher

In the Gospel of St Matthew, John is the preacher of repentance, exhorting the people: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” [Matthew 3:2].

The message is twofold. There is a call to repentance, in Greek the word means “to turn around, to change one’s mind and heart.” To repent is not just a matter of expressing sorrow for something. It is to have an entirely new orientation. The second part of John’s message is his proclamation that the kingdom of heaven is near.

John the Baptist, the last and greatest of the Prophets

After John had begun his ministry, Jesus praised him highly by saying he was “more than a prophet.” Jesus also said, “Among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist. [Luke 7:28]” Jesus told people that John was mentioned in a prophecy by Isaiah: “A voice of one crying out in the desert. Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths [Luke 3:5-6].”

John’s witness to the coming of the Messiah puts him squarely in the tradition of the prophets. He urges them not to do extraordinary feats of fasting, but to have compassion for the poor and to deal justly with their neighbours. They are to share their food and clothing. When specific groups of people raise the same question, his answers are direct and practical.

Tax collectors are told, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed” [Luke 3:13]. Soldiers are advised, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages [Luke 3:14].” 

In the Gospel of St Matthew, John even dares to speak the truth to Herod, censuring him for marrying his brother’s wife and for all the evil deeds he has committed [Matthew 14:3]. Like prophets before him, John suffers imprisonment and death because of his courageous message of truth.

John the Baptist, the ultimate witness of Christ

The role of John the Baptist is seen specifically in relation to Jesus: “He came for testimony, to testify to the light [John 1:7]”. John is the herald, the one who gives witness to Jesus. 

In each of the Gospels, John the Baptist is portrayed as secondary to Jesus. Jesus is stronger; Jesus is the one whose sandal John is not worthy to untie. Here the Gospel could not be clearer: “He [John the Baptist] was not the light, but came to testify to the light [John 1:8].”

In this Gospel, John is consistently seen as pointing away from himself and testifying to Jesus. The Prologue summarizes his ministry: “John testified to him [Jesus] and cried out, saying, ‘This was he of whom I said, “The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me [John 1:15]”’”. 

Three separate scenes illustrate this truth. In the first narrative, priests and Levites directly ask John who he is. He asserts that he is neither the Messiah nor Elijah. Rather, quoting Isaiah, he identifies himself as the voice of one crying out in the desert, “Prepare the way of the Lord” [John 40:3].

The next day, when he sees Jesus coming, he uses that voice, crying out, “Behold, the Lamb of God….He is the one of whom I said…” John then says that he came baptizing “that he [Jesus] might be made known[John 1:29-31].”  

He recounts the story of Jesus’ baptism when the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove; it was the moment in which Jesus’ identity was revealed to him by God the Father: “Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God” [John 1:34].

In a third scene, John directly points two of his own disciples, including Andrew, toward Jesus. Seeing him walk by, John says, “Behold, the Lamb of God” [John 1:36]. His disciples accept his testimony and immediately follow Jesus.

In the fourth Gospel, Jesus gives special tribute to John’s role as witness. When his opponents seek some basis for believing in him, Jesus reminds the people that it was they who sent emissaries to John, and “the testimony he gives on my behalf is true [John 5:32].”

Prayer on the Martyrdom of St John the Baptist

The Collect for today sums it all up quite admirably and succinctly: “O God, who willed that Saint John the Baptist should go ahead of your Son both in his birth and in his death, grant that, as he died a Martyr for truth and justice, we, too, may fight hard for the confession of what you teach.” May it be so. Amen.

References:

1. Vario, V.-. (2024). 29. Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist - Divine Redeemer Sisters - American region. Divine-redeemer-sisters.org. Retrieved August 28, 2024, from http://www.divine-redeemer-sisters.org/saint-of-the-day/august/29-martyrdom-of-st-john-the-baptist
2. Osf, B. L. (2024, April 15). St. John the Baptist: Prophet, Preacher, witness. Franciscan Media. Retrieved August 28, 2024, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/st-anthony-messenger/st-john-the-baptist-prophet-preacher-witness/
3. Murray, L. V. (2023, August 29). St. John the Baptist was martyred for telling the truth. National Catholic Register. https://www.ncregister.com/blog/st-john-the-baptist-was-martyred-for-telling-the-truth
4. An unbelievable discovery: Uncovering the site of John the Baptist’s martyrdom. (2022, February 3). Vatican News. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2022-02/uncovering-the-site-of-john-the-baptist-s-martyrdom.html
5. Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist. (2024, July 31). Catholic Exchange. Retrieved August 28, 2024, from https://catholicexchange.com/martyrdom-of-st-john-the-baptist-prophet-and-martyr/