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This page aims to introduce you to the figure of John the Baptist, the patron saint of our Anglican Church, as well as giving a brief appraisal of what a 'saint', in the Bible, really is.

Luke 1 : 12-17

When Zechariah saw him (an angel) , he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back 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 fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Isaiah 40 : 3-5

A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

Matthew 3 : 7-12

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

Mark 1 : 9-11

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

Matthew 11 : 11

I (Jesus) tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

The vast majority of Anglican Churches are dedicated to a particular 'saint' or 'saints'. In the case of Enderby Parish Church the 'patron' saint is John the Baptist, and he is commemorated in the stained glass window of the tower, a part of which is shown here in the left hand column.

But what is a saint? Well, our first reference should be the Bible, to see where the word 'saint' is used.

At the start of Paul's letter to the Romans (Romans 1 : 7) he addresses the Christians of Rome as 'all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints'. This implies that the term 'saints' covers more than just an elite few of the Roman Christians. Indeed, the letter to the Phillipians begins 'Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons'. Thus, Paul uses the term to mean all the Christian believers in Philippi.

The same Greek word for saints, 'Hagios', is used again when Paul states 'God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.' Here the NIV translation of the word 'Hagios' as 'people' emphasises that 'saints' are all the people who are Christian believers.

As we turn to the Old Testament we discover more about what it is to be a 'saint'. When we look at Psalm 16 : 3, we find the line 'As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight'. The Hebrew word used here is 'qadosh' which Strong's dictionary fully defines as 'sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart'.

Clearly, an important aspect of a 'saint' is that he or she is 'set apart' because their belief in God which is evidenced by the holiness or Christ-likeness of their lives. This concept is also expressed when Paul says to the Corinthians 'I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.' Christians (saints) are expected to be set apart because their faith calls them to higher standards than the worlds. Christians are 'in the World', but should not be 'of the world' because our Christian faith should change us.

So 'saint' is as a term for all true Christian believers, whose focus is on God, through Jesus Christ, instead of on the values of the world.

So rather than suggesting that some Christians seem more holy than others, the Bible indicates that if you have a personal relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, and live life accordingly, you are a 'saint' as understood by Paul. This is a marvelous concept; that we can be saints, even in our weakness, through our love of Jesus Christ and our trust in Him.

Certainly, John the Baptist is an excellent example of what a saint can be; A constant believer who points to the need for forgiveness of sins and the need to turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, since Jesus alone can set you free from sin. John the Baptist held to his God and message even when faced with opposition and finally death.

Christians today have to face the threat of imprisionment or death in holding firm to their faith. In Britain, the opposition is not so vehement. Evenso, wherever you live, if you come to believe and give your life to Jesus, you will be as much a saint as John the Baptist. As Jesus said 'I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he'. (Matthew 11 : 11).

John the Baptist was the son of a priest and his elderly wife. His birth was foretold by the angel Gabriel (Luke 1 :12-17). However, his father could not truly believe the angel, with the result that he was struck dumb for his lack of faith until John the Baptist's birth.

John the Baptist is mentioned in all of the four gospels, which make it clear that he was a messenger that was foreseen earlier by prophets in the Old Testament (For example, Isaiah 40 : 3-5). This messenger was to announce the arrival of the 'sovereign Lord'. The angle Gabriel had made this clear to his father (Luke 1 :12-17) saying that John the Baptist would be filled with the spirit of God from his birth and turn the hearts of many Jews back to God with the power that a former prophet, Elijah, had used many years before.

Certainly, when we meet John the Baptist, later in life, he is an imposing figure; wearing clothes of camel's hair and eating locusts and wild honey in the desert. He lived in the desert when he was called to preach by God.

So John came preaching in the Desert of Judea, saying 'repent, for the kingdom of God is near' (Matthew 3 : 1). His sermons of repentance (the admission and turning away from sins) brought many Jews to repent and to be baptised in water as a symbolic sign of their decision. His message was uncompromising and included telling soldiers and tax collectors to change their ways and having the courage to call the Pharisees and Sadducess (Jewish religious leaders) a 'brood of vipers!'.

However, John's main task was to point to the Lord who was to come, Jesus Christ as the Old Testament had predicted. So in Matthew 3 : 11 John the Baptist says ' I baptise you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire'.

Jesus came to John the Baptist, at the river Jordan, to be baptised and whilst He was baptised, the holy spirit descended on Jesus as a dove, and a voice said 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased' (Mark 1 : 9-11). This amazing moment was the beginning of the ministry of Jesus, described in the Gospels of the Bible, that was ultimately to lead to His death on the cross and His resurrection.

After this John the Baptist moves into the background as the Lord he had announced took centre stage. Indeed, two of John the Baptist's followers left him to follow Jesus. John's task had been achieved; his followers could now follow the Lord he had prepared the way for.

However, this is not the last we hear of John the Baptist. He continued to baptise and talk of the Lord to come (John 3 : 22-36). Although, it is noted in Luke 7 :18-23, that Jesus had to ease John's doubt that He was that Lord.

Finally, he was arrested by the local ruler, Herod, as his uncompromising preaching included condemnations of Herods's marriage to his brother's wife, Herodias (which was illegal). Herod could not bring himself to kill John the Baptist as he respected him as a holy man and liked to listen to him, although he would be disturbed by him. However, Herodias hated John and tricked her husband into promising to give her daughter what she wanted, which turned out to be the head of John the Baptist. So John was killed. A warning to all who follow Jesus that severe opposition is to be expected.

John the Baptist is a good 'patron' saint for Enderby Parish Church, because as we look at him, we can see him pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is a great example to us as Christians; he preached the need for forgiveness for sins with an uncompromising passion that even led to opposition whilst pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only way to the true forgiveness of those sins and to eternal life with God.

John the Baptist was sent as the messanger to prepare for and announce the coming of Jesus Christ.

Isaiah and Malachi prophesied the coming of a messenger to announce the coming of the Lord.

John the Baptist preached the need to turn from sin and repent, and baptised those that did in water.

John the Baptist baptised Jesus at the start of his ministry.

John the Baptist was killed by Herod after his wife tricked him into doing so.

St. Paul used the term'saint' in refering to all believing Christians in his letters.

A saint is characterised by being 'set apart' from the world because of his faith, but should still be 'in the world'.

Below is a version of the lamb design used on the front of the parish magazine in the 20's and 30's that refers to when John the Baptist points out Jesus as the 'lamb of God'.

Easton's Bible Dictionary Definition of Saint

One separated from the world and consecrated to God; one holy by profession and by covenant; a believer in Christ (Ps. 16:3; Rom. 1:7; 8:27; Phil. 1:1; Heb. 6:10).
The "saints" spoken of in Jude 1:14 are probably not the disciples of Christ, but the "innumerable company of angels" (Heb. 12:22; Ps. 68:17), with reference to Deut. 33:2.
This word is also used of the holy dead (Matt. 27:52; Rev. 18:24). It was not used as a distinctive title of the apostles and evangelists and of a "spiritual nobility" till the fourth century. In that sense it is not a scriptural title.

Easton's Bible Dictionary Definition of John the Baptist

The "forerunner of our Lord." We have but fragmentary and imperfect accounts of him in the Gospels. He was of priestly descent. His father, Zacharias, was a priest of the course of Abia (1 Chr. 24:10), and his mother, Elisabeth, was of the daughters of Aaron (Luke 1:5). The mission of John was the subject of prophecy (Matt. 3:3; Isa. 40:3; Mal. 3:1). His birth, which took place six months before that of Jesus, was foretold by an angel. Zacharias, deprived of the power of speech as a token of God's truth and a reproof of his own incredulity with reference to the birth of his son, had the power of speech restored to him on the occasion of his circumcision (Luke 1:64). After this no more is recorded of him for thirty years than what is mentioned in Luke 1:80. John was a Nazarite from his birth (Luke 1:15; Num. 6:1-12). He spent his early years in the mountainous tract of Judah lying between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea (Matt. 3:1-12).
At length he came forth into public life, and great multitudes from "every quarter" were attracted to him. The sum of his preaching was the necessity of repentance. He denounced the Sadducees and Pharisees as a "generation of vipers," and warned them of the folly of trusting to external privileges (Luke 3:8). "As a preacher, John was eminently practical and discriminating. Self-love and covetousness were the prevalent sins of the people at large. On them, therefore, he enjoined charity and consideration for others. The publicans he cautioned against extortion, the soldiers against crime and plunder." His doctrine and manner of life roused the entire south of Palestine, and the people from all parts flocked to the place where he was, on the banks of the Jordan. There he baptized thousands unto repentance.
The fame of John reached the ears of Jesus in Nazareth (Matt. 3:5), and he came from Galilee to Jordan to be baptized of John, on the special ground that it became him to "fulfil all righteousness" (3:15). John's special office ceased with the baptism of Jesus, who must now "increase" as the King come to his kingdom. He continued, however, for a while to bear testimony to the Messiahship of Jesus. He pointed him out to his disciples, saying, "Behold the Lamb of God." His public ministry was suddenly (after about six months probably) brought to a close by his being cast into prison by Herod, whom he had reproved for the sin of having taken to himself the wife of his brother Philip (Luke 3:19). He was shut up in the castle of Machaerus (q.v.), a fortress on the southern extremity of Peraea, 9 miles east of the Dead Sea, and here he was beheaded. His disciples, having consigned the headless body to the grave, went and told Jesus all that had occurred (Matt. 14:3-12). John's death occurred apparently just before the third Passover of our Lord's ministry. Our Lord himself testified regarding him that he was a "burning and a shining light" (John 5:35).