Beautiful Egypt (189) – « The Prophet of the Two Testaments» – January 15, 2017

On January 19, which coincides with Toby 15, Eastern Christians celebrate Epiphany, a great feast celebrated by Copts. On this occasion, we pray for the peace and prosperity of Egypt, as well as the Middle East and the whole world.
Epiphany has many names, including Theophany, Baptism of Jesus, and the Consecration of the Water. John the Baptist is one of this feast’s main characters.
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was given many titles, such as the “forerunner”, that is, he preceded Christ to prepare the way for Him. He was also called the “dipper” because he dipped people in baptismal water. Likewise, he was called the “prophet of the two Testaments”, for he witnessed the Old Testament before Christ’s advent, and the New Testament after His advent. John the Baptist called the people to repent, teaching them to be merciful. He baptized Christ. He started his service on the fifteenth year of Caesar Tiberius’ reign, whereby Pontius Pilate was Prefect of Judea, whereas Herod ruled Galilee, his brother Phillip was tetrarch Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene. That was during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas.
John the Baptist carried out his mission at a hard time: for the people was suffering from the Romans’ ruthlessness. Likewise, the religious authority was seeking its dignity solely. John called for repentance in order to prepare the people for Christ’s message. The angel said he was the one to prepare the way before God: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you,” We also read the following about this prophet’s service: “He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
John lived in the wilderness until God commanded him to go to the people in the vicinity of Jordan, call for repentance and good deeds. John was self-denying, and called for the truth.
Repentance
Despite the fact that John’s service was short-lived, six months only, his message was powerful; it influenced the people as well as political and religious authorities greatly. John focused on calling for repentance, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” In fact, the first step on the road to God is sincerely repenting one’s sins. No sooner had John started his call, than the people responded, for, “People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.” After man sincerely repents his sins, he starts taking behaving in a kind, loving, and merciful way.
Good Deeds
John the Baptist taught the people to offer mercy and charity to everybody, warning them against evil deeds that provoke God’s anger. When the multitudes asked him what they should do, he answered that good-doing is the only thing that God wants. He told them to be charitable to the needy: “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”
Likewise, he told the tax-collectors to treat the people mercifully, for they used to collect heavy taxes, from which the people complained. Many of them were cruel and unjust. So, John told them, “Don’t collect any more than you are required to.” Thus successful societies are built: on bases of love, mercy, honesty, and justice.
Self-Denial
John’s greatness that was testified to by earth and heaven could have been a reason for his vanity. Yet, through the little information that was written about him, we see nothing but a humble self. Despite the fact that multitudes followed and believed in him as a prophet, even elders and high priests could not deny this, he never ascribed any power or greatness to himself. Rather, he used to speak humbly about his unworthiness even to kneel before Christ and unfasten His sandals. He used to say that he baptized them for repentance only.
St. John the Baptist never strove to have multitudes gather around him. Rather, he used to attract their attention to the One to come after him. Neither did he ascribe any greatness to himself. In fact, he conveyed his message with honesty and humility, indicating Christ Who would come after him.
As John was baptizing Christ, he felt he was unworthy of this. So, he said, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Thus, he deserved to hear the following words, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” When people came over telling him that Christ was baptizing and that the multitudes were following him, he said, “He must become greater; I must become less.” Because he testified for Christ, two of his disciples followed Christ: Andrew, Peter’s brother was one of them. Even more, John directed his disciples to Christ.
How great humble souls are! Heaven exalts them. St. Peter writes, “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humbleness is associated with strength, blessing, grace, and heavenly sanction. One of our saintly fathers says, “Verily, brethren, blessed is he who is truly humble!” Christ says, “…For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Calling for the Truth
John’s message was a call for the truth. So much so, that he became the voice of the truth at his time. He has always remained thus. In fact, John declared before the people that evil would lead them to perdition. He presented truth to soldiers and tax-collectors. He also presented it to proconsuls: for when Herod wanted to marry Herodias, his sister-in-law, John never hesitated to oppose him. He did not justify the deed for him, either. Rather, he powerfully told him, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” John was fully aware of the fact that the truth could cost him his life, especially that Herodias was an evil woman who never heeded God’s commandments. She tried to get rid of John several times, but failed. Yet, she took the chance of Herod’s birthday and made her daughter dance before him. The latter and his guests were pleased, and he promised to give her whatever she wanted. So, she demanded John’s head on a plate. Unwilling to break his oath, the king ordered the executioner to behead John and bring his head on a plate. This was how John was martyred in prison, and … Stories never end in Beautiful Egypt.
General Bishop
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center