This gospel is unusual in that its focus is entirely on St John the Baptist. There is no mention of Jesus, even in utero. However, the message of John, and the response to him (Jn 1: 25), are much the same as those to Jesus (eg. Mk 8: 27-28). One important detail to notice is that John, the son of a priest, operates not in Jerusalem but in the wilderness near the River Jordan. In this way he can be seen as mounting a critique of the priestly elite in Jerusalem especially in their running of the Temple. By baptizing he is effectively inviting his followers to "re-Judaize" themselves. The society has been so compromised by Hellenization, that is, Greek and Roman cultural influences, that it needs to be cleansed and purged so as to bring about a renewal ahead of the impending arrival of the Messiah. The first followers of Jesus were also followers of John the Baptist. They were dissatisfied with the situation of Israel and longed for a righteous government not by the priestly elite but by God. Likewise: "... we wait for a new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will be at home." (2 Pt 3: 13) That is why we stand in the tradition of those early disciples who followed John the Baptist and found the Messiah he preached about in Jesus Christ. We also find the inbreaking of the new heavens and the new earth in the Church which continues the mission and presence of the risen Christ.
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