Selected Sermons of Saint John of Shanghai and San = Francisco (Part III)

The=20 Nativity of St. John the Baptist

Among the Church's feasts, there are three = in honor of=20 God's saint which in their significance stand out from the others = devoted=20 to the saints and are numbered among the great feasts of the=20 Church of Christ. These feasts glorify the economy of God = for our=20 salvation.

These three feasts are the = Nativity of St.=20 John the Forerunner, his Beheading, and the feast of the Holy = Apostles=20 Peter and Paul.

The apparition of the holy = Archangel Gabriel=20 to the priest Zacharias in the Temple, with the announcement of the birth to him = and the=20 righteous Elizabeth, of a son who would prepare the way for the = Lord, the=20 Savior of the world, and the subsequent fulfillment of this = premise, are=20 the first of the events related by the = Evangelists.

The announcement of the holy = Archangel=20 Gabriel to Zacharias in the Temple begins the New Testament Gospel. The = announcement of=20 the same Archangel Gabriel six months later in=20 Nazareth to the Virgin Mary concerning the birth = from Her of=20 the Son of God, Who was to become incarnate, is a continuation of = the=20 revelation of the Pre-eternal Counsel concerning the salvation of = the=20 human race.

Three months after, the = Annunciation,=20 St. John the Forerunner was born "in a city of = Judah," and six months after him Christ Himself = was born=20 in Bethlehem.

These events are closely bound = together.=20 "The glorious conception of the Forerunner proclaimeth beforehand = the King=20 Who is to be born of a Virgin" (Exapostilarion, Sept. 23, Feast of = the=20 Conception of John the Baptist). The announcement of the Archangel = Gabriel=20 in the Temple, announced later to all living nearby by Zacharias, = in the=20 magnificent hymn, which he sang after the birth of the child, John = and the=20 restoration to him of the gift of speech (Luke 1:67-79), is the = forerunner=20 of the angelic hymn: "Glory to God in the highest;" which was sung = in=20 Bethlehem by the angels when they announced to the shepherds the = Nativity=20 of Christ.

The Nativity of John the Baptist = is the=20 first joy sent down by God to the human race, the beginning of its = deliverance from the power of the devil, sin and eternal=20 death.

It is true that even before the = Forerunner,=20 the Most Holy Virgin Mary was born, and angels announced Her birth = to Her=20 parents. However, at that time, only Her parents knew of the = exalted lot=20 that was prepared for the Virgin Who was born, and they themselves = were=20 not fully aware of what had been announced to them beforehand. = Therefore,=20 it was only they, who celebrated at the birth of their Daughter, = while the=20 rest of the world only later understood the joy that had been = announced=20 (to it), by this birth.

For this reason, the feasts of the = Nativity=20 of the Most Holy Theotokos and Her Entrance into the=20 Temple were established in the Church and began = to be=20 solemnly celebrated significantly later than the other great = feasts,=20 whereas the Nativity of John the Forerunner is one of the most = ancient and=20 most venerated of Christian feasts. Sermons on this feast have = been=20 preserved from the first centuries.

From the day of the Nativity of = John the=20 Forerunner, the preparation of the human race begins for meeting = the Son=20 of God on earth. Blessed be the Lord God of=20 Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His = people . . .=20 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Most High: for = thou=20 shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways (Luke = 1:68, 76).=20 These God-inspired words of the priest Zacharias, after he had = regained=20 the gift of speech, were made known in all the=20 land of Judea, causing disturbance to all living there, = who asked=20 each other in astonishment: What manner of child shall this be? = (Luke=20 1:66).

Involuntarily the thought arose: = Is this not=20 the Messiah Himself? Judea=20 was in an especially tense state of expectation of the Savior. = Thus, the=20 child John prepared the way for the Lord by his very birth; and = even while=20 he was still in the womb of His mother, by his leaping (Luke=20 1:41) he=20 announced the coming birth of the Child Jesus, as if crying out: = "Christ=20 is born, give ye glory. Christ comes from heaven, meet ye Him" = (Irmos,=20 Canticle One of the Canon, Feast of the Nativity of=20 Christ).

Being born exactly half a year = before=20 Christ, John the Forerunner by the exact time of his birth = depicted his=20 mission of preparing the way for the Lord. He was born at the time = of the=20 year (June 24) when the day begins to grow shorter after the = summer=20 solstice, whereas the Nativity of Christ occurs (December 25) when = the day=20 begins to grow longer after the winter solstice. These facts are = an=20 embodiment of the words spoken later, by the Forerunner, after the = beginning of Christ's preaching: He must increase, but I must = decrease=20 (John 3:30).

"The herald of the Sun, the = Forerunner" was=20 John the Baptist, who was like the morning star that announces the = rising=20 of the Sun of Righteousness in the East.

Just as the very event of the = Nativity of=20 John the Baptist was the antechamber of the Nativity of our Lord = Jesus=20 Christ, so also the feast of the Nativity of John the Forerunner = is also=20 the antechamber of the feast of the Nativity of Christ. "The star = of=20 stars, the Forerunner, is born on earth today, from a barren womb, = John=20 the beloved of God, and manifests the dawning of Christ, the = Orient from=20 on high" (Glory at Lauds, of the Feast, June 24). "The whole = creation=20 rejoiceth at thy divine nativity: for thou wast shown forth as an = earthly=20 angel, O Forerunner and a heavenly man, proclaiming to us, the God = of=20 heaven incarnate" (Cantile Five of the Canon). "O Prophet and = Forerunner=20 of the coming of Christ, we who venerate thee with love, are in = perplexity=20 how worthily to praise thee; for the barrenness of her who bore = thee and=20 the dumbness of thy father are loosed by thy glorious and precious = nativity, and the incarnation of the Son of God is preached to the = world"=20 (Troparion of the Feast).

The Nativity of St. John the Baptist=20

About the Apostles Peter and = Paul=20

Some Short Theological = Writings=20
A Hymn to God=20
Will These Human Bones Come to = Life?=20
The Cross Preserves the = Universe=20
The Church's Prayer=20
The Russian Diaspora=20
The Meaning of "Anathema"=20
The Decline of the Patriarchate of=20 Constantinople=20
About the Typicon

Published with the kind = permission of Bishop Alexander=20 Mileant