Unveiling the Authentic Image of the Savior: A Homily for the Synaxis of St. John the Baptist

Photo: bigenc.ru Dear brothers and sisters, today we celebrate the second day of the most solemn feast of the Theophany

“>Theophany of the Lord. This day is called the Synaxis of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John, because the first Christians would gather in church on the day after the feast of Theophany to praise the memory of St. John the Forerunner, who baptized our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. By his humility and zeal for the glory of God and the moral purity of his life he was vouchsafed to be the Forerunner and Baptist of the very Creator of Heaven and earth.

We know from Sacred Scripture that St. John the Forerunner was born miraculously by the prayers of the elderly Prophet Zachariah and Righteous Elizabeth, the Parents of St. John the ForerunnerSoon after the appearance of the archangel, Elizabeth conceived. At the birth of John the Baptist a miracle happened: Zachariah who had been stricken dumb after he questioned the archangel about this miraculous conceiving regained the gift of speech.

“>Sts. Zacharias and Elizabeth, who prayerfully implored God for a child. He was destined to pave the way for the coming Savior to be accepted on earth. During Herod’s massacre of the Bethlehem infants, St. John the Forerunner was hidden in the desert, where he remained until he turned thirty, when the voice of God called him to come forth with a call to repentance through baptism in the River Jordan. The people were baptized by St. John, confessing their transgressions. St. John called the people to repentance: “Repent,” he said, “for the Kingdom of God is at hand; it is with you; believe in the coming Messiah.” The purpose of his preaching and baptism was to reveal Christ the Savior to the people.

Therefore, today’s Gospel tells us that when St. John saw Jesus coming to him, he told the people: Behold the Lamb of God, Which taketh away the sin of the world. This is He of Whom I said, After me cometh a Man which is preferred before me: for He was before me. And I knew Him not: but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him. And I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon Whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God (Jn. 1:29–34). St. John the Forerunner calls Christ the Savior the Lamb, Who was imaged by the Old Testament lamb and the lamb foretold by the Prophet Isaiah. These brief words contain, in essence, an entire sermon, which is fully revealed in the Gospel. All Jews awaited the promised Savior, but they expected Him to be a great earthly king. Only St. John shows the people the true image of the Savior, Who has come to take the sins of the world upon Himself and to suffer for them. This image reminded the Disciples of the prophecy of Isaiah (Is. 33:1–7) where the Holy One of Israel is depicted humbly, as a lamb, grieving and suffering for our wickedness. Like the ancient prophets, St. John sees in the person of Jesus Christ both a King and sufferer, the ruler of the world and Redeemer of men by His blood…