IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY COLLEGE – PARAÑAQUE

Forming the character….Reforming the will….Transforming the heart!

PAASCU LEVEL II

Basic Education Department

CHRISTIAN LIVING 8
School Year 2020 – 2021

LESSON 1.2
John the Baptist, the Last and Greatest of the Prophets

Humility is a value that helps an individual to recognize the greatness of others and admit
that he/she does not have the monopoly of greatness, knowledge, and strength.

I. Objectives
 To explain understanding of John the Baptist about Jesus
 To discuss ways and means to prepare for the coming of Jesus
 To point out how the Sacrament of Baptism makes us member of the Catholic
Church

He must increase; I must decrease.

John 3:30
II. Key Understandings
o John’s role was to prepare the way for Jesus’ ministry by calling people to an
awareness of their sin and repentance.
o In Jesus, all prophecies were fulfilled and the Old Testament prophetism was
gradually put to an end.
o John’s greatness solely depends on the fact that John pointed where and who Jesus
was with much clarity and humility.

The coming of someone whose role is very significant in the lives of people is often
met with great anticipation and with much thrill and joy. Preparations here and there are
done. This preparation may be physical, psychological, spiritual, etc. The same is true for
Jesus. His coming was prepared by “someone” who is known to be “the voice that cries out
in the desert.” (Mark 1:3)

III. Listening Reflectively

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 1:5-25

In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly
division of Abijah; his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of
the Lord blamelessly. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were
advanced in years. Once when he was serving as priest in his division's turn before God,
according to the practice of the priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary
 of the Lord to burn incense. Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering, the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the
right of the altar of incense. Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon
him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been
heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will
have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of
[the] Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit
even from his mother's womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their
God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers
toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a
people fit for the Lord." Then Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am
an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." And the angel said to him in reply, “I am
Gabriel, who stand before God. I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good
news. But now you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take
place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time."
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were amazed that he stayed the
sanctuary. But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they he had seen a
vision in the sanctuary. He was gesturing to them but remained when his days of ministry
were completed, he went home. After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she went
into seclusion for five months, saying, "So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has
seen fit to take away my disgrace before others."

The Gospel of the Lord... Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ!

God prepares a righteous man for the coming of the most important person in
the history of the Jewish people. John was tasked to prepare the way for Jesus, the
long awaited Savior and Messiah. The preparation includes not the physical but the
spiritual aspect of the people.
Whenever we go to Mass, we are expected to receive Jesus through the host. The
question is, how do we prepare ourselves?

IV. Knowing Lovingly

Who was John the Baptist?

John the Baptist was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, who prepared the way for
the coming of the Messiah and was known to be the last and greatest among the prophets.
Elizabeth was a relative of Mary, the mother of Jesus. From this fact, we can observe
that John and Jesus were also relatives; most probably, they were cousins. It was in the
Judean desert that John exercised his ministry as a prophet. He preached the message of
repentance. He was an ascetic person. He fasted and he refused to be part of any social group
of people. He was one of the wandering prophets during his time. He did not preach about
himself but led the people of God to anticipate the coming of the messiah or the savior.
John was considered the last of the prophets because his ministry was basically to
point out the direction of Jesus' coming. After being able to point and teach who Jesus was,
John knew that the prophecies about Jesus' coming in the Old Testament had been fulfilled.
Hence, the era of the prophets of old, where John also belonged, had to gradually fade and
be replaced by the coming of the New Covenant in the very person of Jesus. With the coming
of Jesus, the Old Testament prophecies had to close.
John was known as the greatest prophet simply because he was the only one who
pointed out Jesus with clarity. As the gospel of John 1:29-34 narrates:
"The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world ‘He is the one of whom I said, 'A man is coming after me
who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me! I did not know him, but the reason
why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel. John testified
further, saying, 'I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him.
I did not know him but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'On whomever
you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit:
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God."
The greatness of John was confirmed by Jesus himself in the gospel of Matthew 11:11:
"Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the
Baptist."
The greatness of John did not depend on the miracles he performed, for the Scriptures
did not tell us that he performed one. His greatness did not depend on the eloquence of his
preaching or the thickness of the book he wrote, for he did not write one. His greatness solely
depends on the fact that John pointed where and who Jesus was with much clarity and
humility.

What was the purpose of the ministry of John the Baptist?

The purpose of his ministry was to point to another 'someone who is more powerful
than he is’.
John's task was to prepare the way for Jesus' ministry by calling people to an
awareness of their sin and repentance. He announced that a whole new 'kingdom, a new
society, was about to begin and that the people were to get ready for it. John was called "the
Baptist" because he baptized people. His ministry was to prepare the way of the Lord, by
'proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John was assured that Jesus
was the Messiah who was to come by Jesus' own words: ‘Go and tell John what you hear and
see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead
are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them" (Matthew 11:4-5).

What does immersion on water symbolize?

Immersion on water symbolizes or expresses change of heart, and openness of mind
and spirit to what was to come.
This ritual bathing was also called baptism. The act of bathing in water as a sign of
spiritual purification was a common religious symbol for many religions, including Judaism.
By accepting the baptism of John in the Jordan River, people acknowledged both their own
sinfulness and their desire to join the new kingdom he was announcing by changing the way
they were living. To accept John's baptism simply means showing the willingness to be
converted. Conversion should lead an individual to become aware of the growing gap between
the rich and the poor, or the weak and the powerful. Being a prophet, John was able to read
the signs of the times. No wonder, when John was asked what the people would do, he simply
instructed them to be fair in dealing with others, to be just in their relationships, and to
share what they have.
 In what way should the people prepare the way of the Lord?
For John, one way to prepare the way of the Lord is to follow the way to authentic
conversion and repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
A person who entertains vices in his/her life is not preparing the way of the Lord. An
individual who continues the habit of watching pornographic materials or keeps on
disrespecting his/her parents is not considerate on preparing the way of the Lord. Conversion
is a change of lifestyle. Conversion is an expression to prepare for the way of the Lord because
without conversion, a person still lives in an old, sinful, and worldly lifestyle. The Lord resides
in hearts characterized by simplicity, purity, and humility. The Lord cannot live in impure
and sinful hearts. Hence, the process of conversion is cleansing oneself, purifying one's
intention, and living in accordance with the demands of the gospel. In this manner, truly, a
person is preparing a way for the Lord to come in his/her heart.

V. Integrating Holistically

In the Gospels, more than just baptizing people, John's role was also "bearing witness"
or providing "testimony" as to who Jesus was. As a faithful witness, John confessed Jesus
as the true Messiah and honestly told the people that he was not the Messiah. Rather, he
pointed to Jesus being the true One that the people have long been waiting for. Bearing
witness and providing testimony are important elements of true discipleship.
The person of John brings us to an awareness of our role as Christians, followers of
Jesus. Like John, we are all called to:
 bear witness to Jesus and to be living proofs of the mercy, forgiveness, and
unconditional love of Jesus. To be authentic witnesses of Jesus means to value
consistency both of words and actions. It means, whatever we say about Jesus
must be seen in the way we live our Christian life.
 point to the direction where Jesus is. Our Christian life is a life that is not
directed to ourselves, but a life directed to the discovery of the goodness
and love of Jesus. Whatever we say, whatever we do, we must be conscious of
the fact that we have a responsibility to bring people to Jesus.
 stand for the truth and nothing but the truth. John did not waver in his
commitment to tell the truth. He was willing to go against the tide of opposition
provided Jesus, the Truth, is proclaimed. For the fact remains, the truth will set
people free.
 act as "voices in the wilderness" that cry out for love in a world where
hatred abounds. In other words, we are supposed to be the voices where simple
words like "I love you." "I forgive you." "I appreciate you." "I am sorry." "Thank
you, and others are uttered and consequently heard.
Being voices that cry out God's goodness can also be exercised when we reflect on the
Words of God in the Scriptures and share our reflections to our peers or to those who want
to listen to God's words. In the mass, when we proclaim our faith, we must do so with
enthusiasm and persuasion, for by doing so, we become "voices” that proclaim the reality of
in God in our Catholic faith.
As the sacrament of baptism unites us to Christ, it also makes us one with the people.
Through it, we become members of the whole Catholic Church. We become members of
Christ's body, and He is our head. John proclaimed this to us as he baptized the people.
 Baptism’s second effect is to unite us with others as members of Christ's Body, the
Church (cf. CCC 1267-70). "The body is one and has many members but all the members
many through they are, are one body, and so it is with Christ. It was in one spirit that all of
us... were baptized into one body. All of us have been given to drink of the one Spirit” (1
Corinthians 12:12f); (CFC 1605).

References
Aviles, A. F., & Frando, E. A. (2016). Signs of the Times: Jesus, God's Prophet, Priest, and Servant King. Quezon City: Rex
Book Store, Inc.