As we think back John the Baptist seems to be what advent is. He is there telling us to straighten our ways. John calls to us to live the life that is holy and joyous. He can be intimidating as he showed last week with the Pharisee and Sadducees.
Yet he has a singular purpose which we tend to forget. He is to decrease while Jesus the Christ is to increase. But how long was John preaching. There are a number of thoughts on this. There is probably not an answer that would be definitive, but the range is thought to be between 3 months and three years. We heard last week that people were coming from all over.
“At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region were going out to him and were being baptized…”
Matthew 3
Lets look at Judea
The region of Judea is not a huge area. From the south maybe around Beersheba to where John was maybe 26 to 30 hour walk. (Using todays transportation system about a 2-hour drive) From Jaffa about 18 hours of walking. (about the same 2-hour driving time.) So word of his baptisms would have spread fairly quickly. Having that wide an area hear of him, his ministry, and his purpose would not have been instantaneous. Obviously this is not the days of you tube or vimeo like a viral video would be… but for its day pretty quick.
So the range surmised seems like a plausible timeframe, but once he was well known by the region he would certainly have gotten the attention of the Temple (as we heard 2 weeks ago, and by that time his eventual murderer Herod knew him far too well for John’s health.
But still, why ask the question?
But it is right after John baptizes Jesus that Jesus begins his public ministry. This is akin to the sun rising during the early morning, becomes brighter and brighter… John has been arrested he is now as we heard this week taking his Followers and pointing them to the true Messiah, Jesus. We are affronted with the question; why did he send his followers over to Jesus to ask the question are you the one? Yet the answer is obvious… having someone else tell you the truth versus finding out the truth ourselves… the latter is always better for our hearts, mind and soul.
John knew from within the womb that Jesus was the promised Messiah. But he knew very well it was better for people to meet and talk and see Jesus directly than just telling them. As it mentions in the Gospel, they could actually see the great deeds being done. If John simply told them, while they would certainly beleive him, until they actually saw the great deeds done, there would be a doubt in their minds.
John’s impact upon the world
With John, sending them to Jesus there would be nothing to question. A simple case of human psychology. And this can be seen as we look to these stories. We have faith, not because we have seen, but becasue we have heard and we have witnessed the change in the world. Jesus the Messiah has come. We know because the Gospel message gives us the sight and the viewpoint to hear, see, feel, and touch all that Jesus gives to us.
This is why each year we hear about John the Baptist. for 3 weeks he is center stage. He gives up all that he has to lead us to Jesus and that is wehy no man born of woman is greater than John the Baptist. He is a Saint, we know him to be in Heaven. And for 2000 years he leads us.. not just from the area of Judea but throughout the entire world!