For the first time in nearly 50 years, a casual yet informative method to learn about John the Baptist… "Why did each of the four evangelists make John the gateway to the Gospel, the first preacher of Good News? What were the reasons for the early Church's intense interest in a desert hermit whose public ministry lasted two years or less? Why in early Christian tradition was John the Baptist accorded an exalted religious stature, almost equal to that of Mary? The irony is that most modern scholarship on John has missed the true sources of his religious significance…in his links to Christ and to the very earliest beginnings of the Christian religion."—from the Introduction Alexander Burke pieces together the mystery of this well-known disciple of Jesus one chapter at a time, covering John's preaching, arrest and execution, his role in Eastern and Western Christian Tradition, and the many paradoxes surrounding him. An excellent resource for group or individual study, John the Baptist offers questions for reflection at the end of each chapter. Discover a fresh perspective of John the Baptist. Let him rise to the top of the beadroll of Christian heroes where Jesus believed he belonged. Step back and see the beautiful mosaic of mysteries that made up this fascinating saint's life.

Was John the Baptist the greatest man who ever lived and if so what does that mean for us today? John the Baptist was a relative and friend of Jesus' but also described by him as among the greatest people who have ever lived. This book examines the life and teaching of John, his interactions with Jesus and the influence he had on the early church.

Hitherto few scholars have treated John the Baptist as an independent personality, apart from the subordinate position accorded him in the Gospels of forerunner to Jesus. The policy of the Gospel writers, crystallized in the saying put into the mouth of the Baptist in the Fourth Gospel, “He must increase, but I must decrease,” was consistently directed to utilizing this historic figure as the supreme witness to the Messiahship of Jesus, and then, his purpose served, to relegate him to the limbo of forgetfulness. Here and there, however, even in the Gospels, we catch a glimpse of a higher role which many of his generation assigned to the Baptist. The history of the Baptists after the death of John is a very strange one, and still remains in many places obscure. Some further particulars, however, have in recent years become available by the publication of part of the literature of the Mandaeans of the lower Euphrates, the present-day survivors of the sect. This short introduction on the Baptist and his disciples will have served its purpose if it has drawn attention to the Messianic character of the life and teaching of John in the period of Jewish history which more than any other was full of Messianic expectation, and also to the undoubted fact that John was regarded as Messiah by a numerous following.

Through this inspiring Bible-based novel, the author tells the story of John the Baptist. Sharing the ins and outs of John's daily life and the events surrounding the coming of Jesus, Yochanan shares an encouraging story of hope, faith, and the calling of God, while bringing fresh perspective to the story of Jesus. The author's character development, plot points, scene, and setting allow readers to put themselves in the shoes of one living during the time. Yochanan is eloquent and informative, through which the author weaves a tapestry of prose that excites, enthralls, and captivates the reader. Wonderful descriptions, brilliant interactions between characters, and story dialogue are realistic, emotive, and thoughtful, providing great flow and structure. With little narrative, the author allows character dialogue to reveal important information about the plot. Yochanan portrays a vivid realization of the struggle of the godly in an ungodly world, while masterfully balancing biblical teaching from the gospel story with an engaging storyline focusing on John, the man God used to usher forth His Son. The author is a retired law enforcement officer following a thirty-three-year career, eight of which he served as chief of police. He is a graduate of the Delinquency Control Institute from USC, the FBI National Academy from Quantico Virginia, and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from National University in La Jolla, California. He is proud of his family: wife Robin for more than forty years, two sons and two grandsons.

America’s favorite inspirational novelist offers a fictional view of six of the family members of Jesus, all anchored by Scriptural truth, creating a life-changing and unprecedented emotional connection to the Bible.Through The Family of Jesus, readers will develop an emotional connection to the family members of Jesus, learning about their lives and falling in love with Scripture along the way. Bible studies and devotionals abound, and in churches everywhere people gather to seek a deeper understanding of God’s Word and its application to their lives. But too often these studies engage only the analytic approach to Bible learning. In The Family of Jesus Karen Kingsbury will make you laugh, cry, and ultimately care more deeply about the Bible by helping you grasp the truths in Scripture not just with your mind, but with your heart. The characters in these short stories were among those closest to Jesus – Mary, Joseph, Jesus’ brother James, John the Baptist, Zechariah and Elizabeth. Each has a compelling tale to tell. Kingsbury intersperses fictional, emotionally gripping details anchored in Scripture with historical and theological insights and questions that will guide soul-searching and reflection. The Family of Jesus not only provides a deeper understanding of the relatives of our Saviour, but also helps readers acquire tools that will draw them closer to Christ, to the Scriptures, and to each other.

The search for the real historical person known as John the Baptist and the traditions that began with him • Explores why John the Baptist is so crucially important to the Freemasons, who were originally known as “St. John’s Men” • Reveals how John and Jesus were equal partners and shared a common spiritual vision to rebuild Israel and overcome corruption in the Temple of Jerusalem • Explains the connections between John as lord of the summer solstice, his mysterious severed head, fertility rites, and ancient Jewish harvest festivals Few Freemasons today understand why the most significant date in the Masonic calendar is June 24th--the Feast of the Birth of St. John the Baptist and the traditional date for appointing Grand Masters. Nor do many of them know that Masons used to be known as “St. John’s Men” or that John the Baptist was fundamental to the original Masonic philosophy of personal transformation. Starting with the mystery of John in Freemasonry, Tobias Churton searches out the historical Baptist through the gospels and ancient histories, unearthing the real story behind the figure lauded by Jesus’s words “no greater man was ever born of woman.” He investigates John’s links with the Essenes and the Gnostics, links that flourish to this day. Exposing how the apostle Paul challenged John’s following, twisting his message and creating the image of John as “merely” a herald of Jesus, the author shows how Paul may have been behind the executions of both John and Jesus and reveals a precise date for the crucifixion and the astonishing meaning of the phrase “the third day.” He examines the significance of John’s severed head to holy knights, such as the Knights Templar, and of Leonardo’s famous painting of John. Churton also explains connections between John, the summer solstice, fertility rites, and ancient Jewish harvest festivals. Revealing John as a courageous, revolutionary figure as vital to the origins of Christianity as his cousin Jesus himself, Churton shows how John and Jesus, as equal partners, launched a covert spiritual operation to overcome corruption in the Temple of Jerusalem, re-initiate Israel, and resurrect Creation.

History and fiction merge beautifully in K. Ford K.'s vibrant, breathtaking novel about the mysterious man who became John the Baptist and the woman who loved him, his wife. Hessa, the daughter of a rich Greek trader, has an unusual talent, but in preparation for her marriage to a wealthy man, she is taught that she will have no real destiny of her own. Instead, she is to be the spinner of her husband's fate and share his fate to her death. But when Hessa meets a charismatic, young man named John, who is rumored to be a prophet, she falls in love and runs away to marry him. Thrown into the turmoil of Roman-occupied Judea, Hessa struggles to protect her husband, but what if her actions unwittingly lead to the destiny she fears most? The Wife of John the Baptist is a novel, rich with historical insight. It uncovers the mystery of a man who was greatly admired in his time, and who changed our way of thinking forever. A victory of the heart, this intimate portrayal of a marriage is a tribute to the timeless and unshakable love that triumphs when all else is lost.