The Amazing New Testament: John the Baptist

   I had not thought a lot about John the Baptist until, as a young clergyperson, I heard a veteran preacher talk about how John is in all the Bible’s Christmas stories, but he’s never in our pageants, and never on a Christmas card. I told this in a sermon once, and a friend who was listening devised history’s first John the Baptist Christmas greeting card!

He seems so… un-Christmasy. He’s like a survivalist, railing Repent! at his listeners… but was he? I envision John’s tone as loud and harsh, like one of those street preachers, hollering, bellowing away. But the Bible does not reveal tone of voice. Maybe John was loud and gravelly. But maybe his tone was more plaintive, pleading, loving – so instead of Repent! as a harsh indictment, maybe he was pleading, gently, lovingly: Please, friends whom I love, repent?

Lucky me: I got to visit an obscure cave near En-Kerem, John’s hometown just outside Jerusalem, with Shimon Gibson and James Tabor, who excavated it and concluded that John the Baptist began his ministry in this cave. Later, he ventured to the Jordan River where he preached, or bellowed, or pleaded plaintively – and had the greatest privilege ever of baptizing Jesus himself. He knew he wasn’t worthy – but there was Jesus, asking to be baptized like everybody else, the way Jesus’ whole existence was about God being one with us.