SAINT JOHN THE FORERUNNER

On Thursday, May 30, we celebrate the Feast of St. John the Baptist (also called the Forerunner). John the Baptist is prominent in each of the four Gospels. He is associated with the beginning of the ministry of Jesus and is considered to be the “forerunner” to Jesus the Messiah. He baptized those who repented their sins, and he preached the coming of one after him who is greater than he and would baptize not with water but with the Spirit. In the third chapter of Matthew, John is reluctant to baptize Jesus and does so only after encouragement from Jesus. The Armenian Church considers St. John the Baptist as one of the three prime intercessors to Jesus, the other two being Soorp Asdvadzadzin and St. Stephen the Protomartyr.