In a few days, the Church will celebrate the feast of the Visitation of Mary. On this occasion, I should like to write an article about Saint John the Baptist, since he is the very reason for this feast.

The Kinship of Jesus

In churches from the Baroque and Rococo periods — such as St Michael’s in Berg am Laim (Munich) or the Abbey of Ettal (Upper Bavaria) — a large painting of the Holy Kinship of Jesus often hung above one of the side altars. Alongside the Holy Family, these paintings also depict Mary’s parents, as well as her cousin Elizabeth, together with Zechariah and John (the Baptist).

Whoever commissioned such a painting wished to highlight an essential aspect of the life of Jesus: his fondness for the family as a divine institution. God is a “family man”. He created the family and let his Son live for thirty years within it. It is therefore not surprising that the greatest and last of the prophets came from within his own family — and that is the subject of this article.

The Connection with Jesus

Of the four evangelists, Luke is the only one who tells us the story of the Child Jesus; the story of John is woven into that very account. God’s plan provided that John should come into the world six months before Jesus. This interval can be explained by the fact that John was to be born without original sin, through the action of Jesus.

Luke devotes the first chapter of his Gospel to John’s birth narrative. Strikingly, just as in Mary’s case, it is the Archangel Gabriel who announces the good news. In this way, alongside the temporal link, a further connection between Jesus and John is established. This bond is reinforced by family ties: John’s mother, Elizabeth, is a cousin of the Mother of Jesus.

This detail reveals with what care God worked out his plan of redemption — and also the special affection God has for the institution of the family, as mentioned above.

The Annunciation to Mary

In Luke (1:26) we read: “In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin.” For the author of the text, it was clear that the time reference “in the sixth month” pointed back to the previous account about John.

If John were to be the forerunner of Jesus, he had to come into the world before him. So far, so understandable. But how far in advance? Before answering, let us step back and recall the words of the angel Gabriel to Zechariah: “He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb” (Lk 1:15).

I like to quote Isaiah 49:1 in this context: “The Lord called me from the womb; from the body of my mother he named my name.”

God did not only have great plans for John; he wished to bestow upon him an extraordinary dignity: an extraordinary calling and, beyond that, liberation from original sin even before his birth.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

God had planned that this act of liberation should be carried out by Jesus. But Jesus had not yet been born. He was living in Nazareth; John in Judea — more than 100 km apart. How does God resolve such a “problem”?

He lets Mary know, through the angel, that her older cousin is also expecting a child. To Mary, it was clear that Elizabeth, simply because of her age, would be overwhelmed by the pregnancy and would need help. Mary did not deliberate for long and “cum festinatione” — in all haste — set out to visit her.

Let us hear from Luke (1:41) what happened upon Mary’s arrival at Elizabeth’s house: “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Although it is not a dogma, several theologians and mystics see in this moment the Child Jesus freeing John from original sin. With this, God places John upon a pedestal: Mary is wholly free from original sin; John, already before his birth; all other human beings, only through baptism. God establishes a clear order of precedence, which becomes evident here. He places the prophet and kinsman John on a high level — above all of us, yet below Mary, the Mother, Daughter and Spouse of God.

Now we understand the why behind the six months. God’s precision has always fascinated me — especially when one considers that the angel only mentions Elizabeth’s pregnancy when Mary asks him about the how of her own. This reminds us that, although we act freely, God weaves our actions into his plans.

The angel Gabriel does not command Mary to visit her cousin so that God may work the miracle. He knows Mary’s way of thinking and knows what the news of her cousin’s pregnancy will stir in her. God does not impose his plans. He fully respects our freedom. Yet he is able to bring about his designs without overriding that freedom. Therein lies his true omnipotence.

Isaiah (65:23) captured this truth in a single sentence: “My chosen ones shall not labour in vain.” Put differently, we are all co-workers in God’s plans.

The Mission of John

That God had great things in mind for John was known among the people of Judea from very early on. In Luke (1:66) we read that the neighbours of Zechariah and Elizabeth “laid these things up in their hearts, saying: What then will this child be? For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.”

The evangelist John (1:6-7) describes the Baptist’s mission more precisely: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.”

John said of himself: “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord” (1:23). When asked whether he was a prophet, he answered no. Yet he was not merely a prophet, but the greatest — and also the last.

In Matthew 11:9-10, we read what Jesus said to the crowd about John: “What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written: Behold, I send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you… Among those born of women, there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.”

With these words, Jesus describes John’s mission and acknowledges his honour — greater than that of a prophet.

John baptises Jesus

John was given a very specific task: to baptise Jesus. In that moment, something unique took place — the whole of the Trinity was present at this baptism. So important was this event in the plan of redemption.

At first, John humbly declined the task. In John 1:33 we read: “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptises with the Holy Spirit.”

As a prophet, John was to announce the coming of the Messiah and to prepare the people for him (Luke 1:17). The entrance antiphon of the Mass for John’s feast reads: “He came as a witness, to bear witness to the light (that is, Jesus) and to make the people ready for the Lord.” In Latin, the expression is even more striking: “Parare Domino plebem perfectam” — “to prepare for the Lord a perfect people.”

Many passages in the Gospel refer to John. In this way, the evangelists document the outstanding significance of the Baptist, prophet and kinsman of Jesus.

John Before Herod – the Voice of Truth

We have already written of John’s steadfastness. This led him to denounce King Herod for adultery. Herod sensed John’s spiritual authority and integrity. Although John sharply criticised him for his unlawful marriage to his sister-in-law Herodias, Herod still sought conversation with him. In Mark 6:20 we read: “He was greatly troubled when he heard him, yet he liked to listen to him.”

This brief verse confirms what Jesus said about John: he would not be bent, and he named sin clearly and unmistakably — even when the addressee was a king.

Lessons from the Life of John

From the many passages about John the Baptist, several lessons emerge for us, in my view:

1. Steadfastness in the truth about sin, combined with a conciliatory approach to the person concerned.
2. Carrying through, fearlessly, the mission entrusted by God.
3. Approaching God in a spirit of humility.
4. Trusting that God’s plans are the best option for us.

Conclusion

Even though the Baptist’s life unfolds on a far higher plane than ours, important insights for our own lives can be drawn from it. God has a clear plan for each one of us; it is for us to accept and fulfil it in complete freedom. When God proposes a plan to someone, he also grants the graces needed to carry it out: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

John lived more than 2,000 years ago. His witness is more relevant than ever.