Birth of Saint John the Baptist.

(Luke 1:57-80).

        When the time had arrived for Elizabeth to give birth, relatives and neighbours joined in the joy which overtook her, and on the eighth day gathered at her house so as to perform the rite of circumcision, established during Abraham (Genesis 17:11-14) and demanded by the law (Leviticus 12:3). Through this ritual, the newborn entered the society of the chosen people. Consequently, the day of circumcision was regarded as a joyful family holiday. With circumcision, the infant was given a name, usually in honour of some senior relative. Consequently, the mother’s wish to name her son John would have aroused general consternation. Obviously, the Evangelist underscores this situation because it is quite miraculous: Elizabeth’s desire to call her son John was the result of the Holy Spirit’s instilment. They turned to the father for his determination. As he was still mute, he wrote on a piece of flat timber, covered with wax: “His name is John.” Everybody was completely taken aback by the concordance of both parent’s wishes to give their son, a name that did not exist among their relatives. And immediately, according to the Angel’s prediction, Zacharia’s tongue was freed and he could speak. In a state of prophetic inspiration and by now foreseeing the approach of the Messiah’s Kingdom, he began to exalt God Who visited His people and made possible its salvation.

        He, Who “Had raised the horn of salvation in the house of David,” just as in the Old Testament, when the offenders fled from their persecutors to the altar for burning sacrifices, and seizing its horns regarded themselves as inviolable (1 Kings 2:28), so does the whole human race, oppressed by sins and persecuted by God’s righteous judgment, find salvation in Jesus Christ. This salvation — not so much as liberation of Israel from its political enemies (as the majority of Jews believed, especially scribes and Pharisees) as the fulfilment of God’s law, given to their Old Testament forefathers: fulfilment that would give all faithful Israelites an opportunity to serve God “in holiness and in righteousness.” Here, the word “righteousness” is understood to mean the justification of humanity (through Divine means) by ascribing it with Christ’s redeeming accomplishments; by the word “holiness” — the internal improvement of a person, which is achieved through personal effort with the assistance of grace. Zacharias goes on to foretell his son the future which was predicted by the Angel, saying that his son will be designated as the Almighty’s Prophet — Forerunner of the Divine Messiah. He also points out that the purpose of the Forerunner’s ministry, is to prepare the people for the Messiah’s coming and allow the people of Israel to realise that its salvation lies in non other than forgiveness of sins. Consequently, Israel must seek righteousness and forgiveness of sins and not earthly greatness, which the then spiritual leaders were hoping for. The forgiveness of sins will come “through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us” ie. The Prophets Jeremiah (25:5) and Zecharia (3:8 and 6:12) used Messiah — Redeemer, with which name.

        According to tradition, the news of John the Forerunner’s birth reached the suspicious King Herod. When the Magi arrived in Jerusalem and inquired as to the place of birth of the King of the Jews, Herod remembered about Zacharia’s son and issued orders to execute all infants. He also sent his killers to Juttah. Having found out about this, Elizabeth fled with her son into the wilderness. Angered because the infant John could not be located, Herod sent his servants to Zacharias to find out where he had hidden him. Zacharias replied that he now serves Lord God of Israel and that he doesn’t know his son’s whereabouts. Upon repeating his response after being threatened with death, he fell under the killers’ swords — between the temple and the altar, about which event the Lord remembers in His denouncing oration to the Pharisees (Mat. 23:35).

        The birth of John the Baptist is celebrated on the 24^th of June.