the greatest born of women
On the occasion of the Feast of Theophany, I would like to speak to you about Saint John the Baptist, whom the Lord described as
the greatest born of women.
John the Baptist is a figure who stands at the crossroads of two covenants. He can be considered the last of the prophets of the Old Testament, and he can also be considered one of the men of the New Testament, the angel who prepared the way before the Lord Jesus Christ.
The greatness of John:
John was a great man, and regarding his greatness we mention three points:
First: He was great by the testimony of heaven itself:
Many people have received human testimonies of greatness—false, deceitful, flattering, or given out of ignorance. But the greatness of John the Baptist was true and certain, testified by the angel of the Lord who announced his birth (Lk 1:15), and testified also by the Lord Himself (Mt 11:11). Thus greatness was attached to John even before he was born…
Second: He was not only great, but greater than all humans:
The Lord Jesus Himself said to the crowds, “…What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.’ Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist…” (Mt 11:7–11).
Third: The greatness of John was greatness before the Lord:
The angel who announced his birth said, “For he will be great before the Lord” (Lk 1:15). Truly, we stand astonished before the phrase “great before the Lord.” For before the Lord we are all nothing, dust and ashes; all greatness disappears; every mouth is stopped. But that a human being should be great before the Lord—this is a marvelous and wondrous thing, revealing the humility of the Lord and His encouragement to His creation, and revealing also the value of this man in the heart of God…
So what is the secret of the greatness of John, this wondrous greatness?
Great things were said of him: that he “will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God,” “will turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the just,” “will make ready a people prepared for the Lord,” “will prepare the way before the Lord,” “will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah”…
In all this, when we ask the angel who announced his birth about the secret of this wondrous greatness, he answers by saying that he:
“will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb” (Lk 1:15).
Truly, this is the secret of John’s greatness…
We have heard in the Holy Scripture that the Holy Spirit came upon many in the Old Testament: upon Samson, Saul, David, and many prophets. But we never heard of any of them being “filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb.” This privilege belonged to John the Baptist alone; no one preceded him in it…
And as a result of this fullness, he leaped for joy in his mother’s womb in greeting of the divine Child in the womb of the Virgin…
He was granted knowledge by which he recognized the Lord while he was still a six-month-old fetus in the womb of the righteous Elizabeth. He was also granted the spirit of worship while in his mother’s womb—something unheard of among prophets or saints before him. He knew Christ, believed in Him, and worshiped Him in the womb before Christ was born…
His mother Elizabeth said of him, “The babe leaped in my womb for joy.” He rejoiced in the Lord, rejoiced in Him, rejoiced in the salvation that was about to come into the world from the womb of the Virgin!
Wondrous is such joy from a fetus who neither understands nor perceives!
But the wonder vanishes when we know that this fetus was filled with the Holy Spirit, “and the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God” (1 Cor 2:10).
The Nazarite of the Lord:
John the Baptist was set apart for the Lord before he was born…
God, who knows the future, who searches hearts, who perceives the hidden things, knew what this man John would be. Therefore the Lord chose him for Himself. As the Apostle says of the Lord and His chosen ones:
“Those He foreknew, He also predestined,” “…these He also glorified” (Rom 8:30). God looked into the future and saw the heart of this angel John, and saw what he could accomplish, so He chose him for Himself and called him…
And he became a Nazarite of the Lord before he was born: “He shall drink neither wine nor strong drink.” The Lord prepared the type of service he would perform before he was born. This reminds us of the Lord’s words to the prophet Jeremiah:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came out of the womb I sanctified you. I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jer 1:5).
“I knew you”… yes, this foreknowledge is the secret of election. Just as the Lord chose Jacob over Esau, “while they were not yet born and had done neither good nor evil,” yet God knew His own, knew what Jacob would be, and what Esau would be. Therefore He said to their mother Rebekah, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples shall be separated from your body… and the older shall serve the younger” (Gen 25:23).
Perhaps the greatest thing in John’s life is that he baptized Christ, glory be to Him…
The Lord Jesus came to him to be baptized like the rest of the people. And for the sake of obedience, John performed the baptism of Christ. He was granted, therefore, to see the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, and to hear the voice of the Father saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3:16–17). Thus he enjoyed the Holy Trinity—spiritually and tangibly…
The greatness of John the Baptist appears in that he accomplished his great work in a short period—perhaps six months or a little more.
These six months were the age difference between him and Christ, for each began his ministry at about thirty years of age. John ministered for those six months. And when Christ appeared, John began to fade. In that short time John was able to lead many to repentance, to bear strong witness to the Lord, to prepare the way before Christ, and to convince the whole world that the power of ministry is not in its length but in its depth, its effectiveness, and its influence…
Is it not amazing that many useful servants are not left by the Lord to serve for long? It is enough that they present an example of ministry, an example of righteousness, a testimony to the Lord, a model to be imitated. God is satisfied with what they have done and sends them forth in peace.
The greatness of John also appears in that he lived in purity although his age was dark…
It was an evil age, and its worst figures were its spiritual leaders—the priests, elders, scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees. False teachers such as Theudas and Judas the Galilean (Acts 5) had arisen and led many astray. It was an age characterized by literalism and lack of spirituality, and its religious men were marked by hypocrisy and pride. Although there were small lights like Anna the prophetess, Simeon the elder, Zachariah the priest, and others, yet the age as a whole was corrupt. It is enough that the Lord described it as “an evil and adulterous generation” (Mt 12:39).
But John was not harmed by the corruption of his generation. On the contrary, he was a blessing for his generation and a cause of guidance and repentance…
Among John’s greatness is that he was a man of the mountains, a man of the wilderness, a man of asceticism and monastic discipline. All this left its mark on his life and character.
Death pursued him from his youth when Herod killed the children. So they took him to the wilderness. He lived in the deserts all his life “growing and becoming strong in spirit” (Lk 1:80). He lived as an ascetic: “He shall drink neither wine nor strong drink” (Lk 1:15). “He wore camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey” (Mk 1:6).
Thus he was trained in the wilderness in a life of renunciation. Saint Isaac the Syrian rightly said, “The mere sight of the desert kills worldly movements in the heart.”
In the wilderness he learned prayer and contemplation; he learned courage and steadfastness; he learned faith as well.
God prepared him in the school of the wilderness, just as He prepared the Virgin in the temple. Thus he grew courageous, fearing no man, fit to be a messenger, and his message was to prepare the people for repentance.
Among the greatness of John the Baptist is that he was courageous and bold, speaking the truth with all strength regardless of consequences. Truly, the ascetic does not fear.
Herod the king sinned. Who would dare rebuke him or confront him with the word of truth? Who would hang the bell around the cat’s neck?! None but John the Baptist. He alone could say to Herod, “It is not lawful for you…”
Herod cast him into prison, but he did not care. Only a person who loves the pleasures of the world fears prison, lest it deprive him of them. But an ascetic like John, who renounced all worldly delights by his own will—how would prison trouble him?
Someone may say to him: Your service will be hindered in prison. You will not preach or baptize or lead people to repentance. But John does not care and says: If this door is opened by God, no one can close it.
If God wants John to preach, he will preach, and no one in existence can prevent him. And if God does not want it, then let His will be done.
With this reasoning John testified to the truth—and what would happen afterward could happen.
And what happened, happened: the head of John was cut off. But this voice crying in the wilderness continued to echo in Herod’s ears, troubling his conscience, thoughts, waking and sleeping, saying to him continually, “It is not lawful for you.”
The voice of John did not die with John. It continued sounding against the enemies of truth. Herod continued to fear John even after his death…
When Herod heard the powerful preaching and miracles of Christ, he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him!” (Mt 14:2).
John dealt with King Herod as he did with all people. He called everyone to repentance—the king, the soldiers, the leaders, and the individuals of the people. All are equal before the law of God. All need repentance. The king needs someone to rebuke him for his sin just as much as the ordinary individual needs rebuke—to repent. And if the king does not repent, it is enough for John that he testified to the truth and called for repentance. His baptism was a baptism of repentance; his mission was a call to repentance. He cried out to the people, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt 3:2). He was stern in his call, rebuking and admonishing. And the people accepted his rebuke with open hearts. John succeeded in his ministry: “Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him, and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins” (Mt 3:6).
And when he saw the crowds growing around him, he turned their eyes away from himself toward Christ. He exerted all his effort to disappear so that Christ might appear. This is perhaps the most prominent of John’s virtues and his holiest works…
He used to tell them, “I baptize you with water for repentance. But He who comes after me… will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Mt 3:11).
“I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mk 1:8). As he drew them to another baptism higher than his, he drew them more toward the One who gives that baptism—who is mightier, higher, and older than he.
He cried, “After me comes One who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and untie” (Mk 1:7); “After me comes a Man who ranks before me, for He was before me” (Jn 1:30). “I am not the Christ, but I am sent before Him” (Jn 3:28).
John’s thinking was not centered on himself but on Christ. He did not seek the glory of himself but the kingdom of Christ.
He understood perfectly that he was not the light but was sent to bear witness to the light (Jn 1:8). He was merely a man sent to testify—to testify to the light—so that all might believe through him. He knew that he was only the forerunner before the procession of the coming King, and all his work was to prepare the way for the King. John was able to keep his role and not exceed his limits…
Self-centeredness was dead in John. The ego had no existence in his ministry. Christ was for him the all in all. May he be a lesson to servants who build their own glory at the expense of ministry, or who use ministry as a platform to display themselves!
The most magnificent statement expressing John’s ministry is his words about Christ: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn 3:30).
This phrase is the secret of his success and the principle according to which he conducted his entire ministry. Therefore, when the preaching of Christ began and overtook John’s ministry, John rejoiced and was glad. He said, “Therefore my joy is fulfilled.” “He who has the bride is the bridegroom… He who comes from above is above all… He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; but he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (Jn 3:26–36).
When John met Christ, he said to Him, “Take this bride; she is Yours. I received her only to deliver her to You. Truly it is my duty to deliver her to You clean and adorned, to call her first to repentance… to say to her: O bride, behold the Bridegroom is coming; prepare to meet Him.”
The greatest event in John’s life was his baptism of Christ. In this baptism we see two great scenes of humility—one from the Lord and one from John.
John said to the Lord, “I need to be baptized by You.” I also am sinful and need the baptism of repentance, confessing my sins like the others… I need to be baptized by You… Before these people, I am a teacher; but before You, I am a simple disciple.
Before people, I am a prophet and an angel; but before You, I am a servant and dust.
They are baptized by me, but I am baptized by You. Indeed, I am from the tribe of Levi, of the sons of Aaron, a priest son of a priest; and You, according to the flesh, are from the tribe of Judah, not from the priestly tribe. But I do not forget that You are the source of all priestly authority, the giver and origin of priesthood. You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, as David prophesied in the Psalm (Ps 110:4). Therefore, I need to be baptized by You.
All the greatness that surrounded him did not make him forget the smallness of his own self before Christ… as if saying: Who am I to baptize Christ?! As his mother said, “Why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” I am but dust and ashes. “How shall I place my hand upon the head of the Lord—the Creator of this hand?”
All the thousands who came to him did not make him forget the truth about himself. All the rebukes he addressed to sinners did not make him forget to rebuke his own self, for before God he felt he was sinful… Thus he said to the Lord, “I need to be baptized by You,” and this statement carried an implicit confession.
We notice that the Lord did not tell him, “No, you do not need baptism,” but said, “Permit it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Mt 3:15). “Then he permitted Him.”
We stand astonished before the phrase “Permit it now,” coming from the mouth of the Lord addressed to one of His servants. It is a polite and gentle expression; may we take it as spiritual training…
He says to His servant, “Permit it now.” I need your permission. I ask for your agreement… I do not command you; rather, permit. And it says, “Then he permitted Him.” How wondrous this is. Any explanation would diminish the power of this moment, so I will remain silent…
It is a lesson in humility and courtesy, presented to us in the Baptism of Christ, for us to learn and be trained…
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An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III published in Watani newspaper on 19-1-1992.
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