John the Baptist (c. 30)
John the Baptist was the son of Zechariah, a priest in the Jerusalem temple, and Elizabeth, a cousin of Mary the mother of -Jesus. John’s parents were advanced in years and had prayed to have a child, yet had not conceived. But an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah and told him his wife would bear a son named John, “great in the sight of the Lord” and “filled with the Holy Spirit.” Five months later, the same angel appeared to Mary and told her of the coming birth of -Jesus. When Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, Elizabeth’s baby “leaped in her womb” a prophetic sign that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit all of his life. John lived in the wilderness of Judea until he was thirty, then began his public career preaching repentance. When -Jesus came to him to be baptized, John recognized him as the Messiah and said, “It is I who need baptism from you.” John often is referred to as the Precursor to -Jesus; he foretold the coming of the Messiah and prepared the way for -Jesus. His preaching encouraged many believers to follow Christ; in fact, Andrew and John learned of Christ through John’s ministry.
~ Common Prayer, 8/29