(John the Baptist)
by Callie B. Griggs, PM
Early in our Masonic travels we were
told that we were seeking admission to a lodge, erected
to God and dedicated to the Holy Sts. John. God, we
know, for we had to state that we believed in God
to be considered for membership. (Note that this belief
was later elevated to the point of trust.) Who are
these Sts. John? They were considered to be appropriate
models for us. We have two days on which we recognize
and remember them. 
The first St. John, the Baptist, is
recognized by a special day, June 24th. The other,
St. John the Evangelist, or apostle, has been designated
a day, December 27th. Why these dates were considered,
I do not know. There is one line of thought that credits
these dates as being related to the summer and winter
solstices, which are on or about June 22nd. and Dec.
22nd. This description will center on John the Baptist.
The description of John the Evangelist will be presented
later.
As we turn to our Rule and Guide, we
find that John the Baptist is verified by John the
Evangelist. In the Gospel of John, 1:6, we find these
words: "There was a man sent from God, whose
name was John. He came to bear witness of the light,
that all men through him might believe." So at
this point, we find the man and the mission; John
was to tell of the Light to come.
In Luke 1:5, we find an account which
gives the parents of John, Zacharias and Elizabeth,
who were both righteous before God. That is, they
found favor with God in the performance of their priestly
duties. As Zacharias performed his duties, an angel
of God told him he would have a son as his prayer
had been heard and would be answered. He further stated
that his name would be called John.
He was also told, "Many shall rejoice.
He shall not drink strong wine, and he will make ready
a people for the coming Messiah. He would also assume
the vows of a Nazirite for life. (This was common
but only for short periods of time, three months,
six months, etc.) Only three people, according to
scripture, took the vows for life; Samuel, Samson
and John the Baptist. This vow simply stated "you
would serve God with your entire being."
As a Jewish male, there were two very
important days within the lifetime. The first was
on the eighth day when the parents presented the male
child to the priests for circumcision. At this point
the parents accepted the responsibility to rear the
child according to the law.(Lev 10:11, Deut, 4:10,
Deut. 6:7, Deut. 11:19) At twelve years of age, the
second important day, the child is again presented
to the priests, and becomes an adult, now numbered
in the census.
When presented to the priests on the
eighth day Zacharias probably offered the prayer,
or its equivalent: Vouchsafe thine aid, God of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob, to this our present gathering, and
grand that this candidate for your service may dedicate
and devote his life to your service, and become a
true and faithful servant among us. Endue him with
a sufficiency of Thy divine wisdom that by the influence
of your pure principles, he may display the beauties
of holiness to Your name. (Note that his life is dedicated
to service to God.)
Having dedicated and offered the child
to God's glory alone and Service, Zacharias and Elizabeth
probably spent the next twelve years in carrying out
the awesome challenge of rearing a child acceptable
to the committed vows.
At age twelve, he was again presented
to the temple priests and re-presented to the people
as a servant of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
He was probably given instructions similar to this:
"You are charged strictly to act and walk uprightly,
wherever you might be, and in whatever you do, before
God and man, keeping your heart and conscience as
pure and spotless as the sacrificial lamb." He
was probably given further instructions similar to
the following: "The vow you are about to assume
is extremely weighty, and carries with it may serious
responsibilities. Were it not that your trust is in
God, and that you have been taught to apply to him
for strength and wisdom, you might well shrink from
assuming it, for it cannot be repudiated nor laid
aside." Prevailing scriptures indicate that he
answered in the affirmative.
This really marks the beginning of John's
ministry. After several years of preparation, he assumed
his divine calling, fulfilling the mission he was
sent to do. That is, to prepare the nation of Israel
for the coming Messiah.
The law under which the nation of Israel
lived was the law as given to Moses and interpreted
by religious leaders. The law of Moses, the Ten Commandments,
was the basis of all action. This was before the great
commandment given by the Messiah, the law of Love
and Charity, was given.
John's message, Repent and be Baptized
was the theme of John's ministry. Repent, or change
your behavior, and be baptized as a symbol of cleaning,
and as a public profession of repentance. John gained
a large following of disciples even to the extent
of being given the name of John the Baptizer. These
followers were in many cases reluctant to become followers
of the Messiah later.
One question often asked after repentance
baptism was, "What shall I do?" In Luke,
John upset the religious leaders by saying, "If
you have two coats, give one to someone who needs
it." That also applies to one who has more than
enough food. Share it! None of the Ten Commandments
required this. They prohibited taking or coveting
it, but did not advocate giving it away. He could
have said, "If you ever see a member of the human
family in a destitute condition and you can relieve
his distress, do so, for this is the principle upon
which the Kingdom of God is erected. In Luke 3: 12-13,
John tells the tax collector to take no more than
that to which you are entitled, even if it be legal.
He also had a message for an employee-employer, merchant-customer
and landlord-tenant relationship.
In Luke 3:14, John the Baptist instructed
the soldier, even though it be legal, not to use their
position in life to take advantage of anyone in another
position.
John the Baptist is probably known by
more people for his stand taken with Herod, whom he
told his relationship with his brother's wife was
outside the will of God. To stand up against the ones
in power is not the easiest thing to do. He could
have said "Everybody is doing it" or "its
none of my business" or even "This is an
alternative lifestyle." or maybe "They love
each other." In either case, his life would not
have had the same ending. We as Master Masons know
the effect of "laying down one's life rather
than violate his vows." What lesson could be
taught if we violated our vow and saved our life?
In John's case standing up for what was right resulted
in his imprisonment and subsequently his being beheaded.
Finally, in summing up the place of
John the Baptist as a patron saint of Masonry, may
we ask the question: "If John the Baptist spent
his entire life seeking, finding and following the
Lamb of the tribe of Judah, can we as Master Masons
do any less.
