Saint John the Baptist

John the Baptist was a Saint who baptized people who came to him from around the country to allow them convert to Christianity. He was a man who believed in himself, as well as his followers. He believed that he could accomplish many goals in his life, in addition to others' lives. According to Thurston, an unusual fact about John the Baptist is that "he was sanctified in his mother's womb" (Thurston and Lesson 319). This fact is unusual because he was not even born, and he was holy before he was even born. The reason behind this sanctifying is "so that he came into the world sinless" (319). By being sinless, he was very successful throughout his life when it came to forgiveness. By forgiving them, it shows that the he is a compassionate and loving man towards his followers. John the Baptist was also influential to the people of Judea and Jerusalem given that many referred to him as the "voice of God" (Rétif 47). John the Baptist had a "magnetic personality" what made people admire him highly (Rétif 60). They also believed whatever he preached. St. John the Baptist influenced the life of many people throughout his lifetime, in Judea and Jerusalem, by giving them the opportunity to repent through baptism, and helping them to convert to Christianity.

John the Baptist was a man who was willing to go out of his way to help his followers and even those who did not follow him. His followers believed that he was the "voice of God" (Rétif 47). The theory behind this is simply that "[i]f he does not speak, it is God himself who is, in a way, prevented from speaking." (Rétif 47). When John spoke to the people, he said, "'I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord''" (The Holy Bible John 1:23). John the Baptist "preached repentance" (Crossley 138) to the people of Judea and Jerusalem by going through town saying, "'Repent, for the kingdom is near'" (The Holy Bible Matthew 3:2). He was willing to help anyone who came through asking for repentance. According to his appearance, if someone saw him on the streets, it would be difficult for people to know that he was a leader and the speaker of God. He did not put any effort into his clothing. For example, if one would pass him through town, they would notice that his clothing was "made of camel's hair" (The Holy Bible Matthew 3:4). He also wore a "leather belt around his waist" (The Holy Bible Matthew 3:4).

St. John the Baptist helped people to repent for their sin through baptism. Repentance is a time when someone goes to reveal his/her sin to a higher ranked, religious person, and he/she is forgiven for them. Usually, a person repents because he/she feels sorry for his/her wrong doing, and he/she wants forgiveness from the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though a person is not considered religious, he/she can still listen to someone's sins, but the only time someone is forgiven, is if he/she has spoken to a religious person of higher rank. Repentance is not only for those of a religious status, it is also for non denominational people. Even though baptism cleanses those from their sins, a sinner does not have to be baptized to be forgiven. There were many "[p]eople [who had] went to him [...] [c]onfessing their sins" (The Holy Bible Matthew 3:5-6). People came from many cities around Judea and Jerusalem in search for St. John the Baptist to be baptized.

Baptism is a crucial time in a person's life. With having experience of the Catholic religion, baptism usually occurs during one or two times: at birth or when someone chooses to convert from their religion to Catholicism. A person chooses to get baptized when he/she wants his/her soul to be cleansed of his/her sins. In order to cleanse from the sins, John the Baptist baptized people by fully dunking their bodies into the Jordan River (The Holy Bible Matthew 3:6). Not only did John baptize people in the Jordan River, he "also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because of there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized" (The Holy Bible John 3:23). The soul is only pure from sin when the water used is blessed; therefore, the Jordan River and Aenon were blessed river as well. Being baptized in the holy water, from the rivers, symbolized the act of repentance. John the Baptist was proud to announce that he was baptizing people. After the announcement that he was baptizing people, "[h]e went into all the country [...] preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins" (The Holy Bible Luke 3:3). It is well known through Catholicism who John the Baptist baptized. He baptized many religious and unreligious people throughout his lifetime. Among those many, the most religious and recognized of them all was Jesus Christ. Once Jesus Christ's body emerged from the water, he realized that "heaven was open, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased'" (The Holy Bible Matthew 3:16-17). There were also other people baptized, those of which whom were not as well known as Jesus Christ. These people include tax collectors. After they were baptized he told them, "'Don't collect anymore than you are required to'"(The Holy Bible Luke 3:13). There were also some soldiers who went to be baptized. John the Baptist told them, " 'Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely--be content with your pay'" (The Holy Bible Luke 3:14)Through this act it shows that baptism can bring one closer to the Spirit of God.

John the Baptist is a man who is very significant in the Christianity world. He is significant because he baptized whoever came to the Jordan River as well as the Aenon River. Baptism is a time when young children are purified from their sins, and they become Christians and join God. Many people believe that Elijah, the original messenger of God, was reincarnated as John the Baptist. According to The Holy Bible, Jesus Christ states that "'From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing'" (The Holy Bible Matthew 11:12). By having a Christian background, it is good to know that the soul is pure. It is also good because when it comes to making a decision, the right choice is usually made. Most Christians think of the cliché, "What Would Jesus Do (WWJD)?" John the Baptist was proud to be a Christian because he would go out and spread the word God. The people of John believe him to be the voice of God.

John the Baptist made a big impact on peoples lives. He brought them closer to God by baptizing them and converting them to Christianity. He was known to be the voice of God by many, in which he would spread the words of God to the people of Judea and Jerusalem. He went through the region preaching about repentance. As a result of this many people came to him where he was preaching to repent for their sins. Along with the request for repentance, these believers would also ask to be baptized by John the Baptist. He baptized many people in the Jordan and Aenon Rivers, no matter what their religious beliefs were. For example, he baptized a highly recognized figure, known to most people who believed in God, Jesus Christ. He also baptized people from tax collectors, to soldiers, to even those who were not previously worthy. Those people, who were baptized in the holy water, will remain Christians throughout their lifetime, or until they choose to convert to another religion. Throughout his lifetime, Saint John the Baptist gave many people the opportunity to repent for their sins, through baptism, which converted them to Christianity.

Works Cited

Crossley, James G. "The Semitic Background to Repentance in the Teaching of John the Baptist Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus. 2.2. (June 2004): 138-157. Academic Search Premier and ERIC. EBSCOhost. University of Saint Mary. Leavenworth. 3 March 2007. and Jesus."

The Holy Bible: New International Version. Michigan: Zondervan, 2001

Rétif, André. Missionary of Christ John the Baptist.Westminster, Maryland; The Newman Press, 1953.

Thurston, Herbert, and Norah Lesson. The lives of the Saints. Vol. VI. June. New York; P. J. Kenedy & Sons, 1937.