Juan used baptism as the central sacrament of his messianic movement. Most scholars agree that Juan baptised Jesus. Some scholars believe Jesus was a disciple of Juan, and several gospels recount that some of Jesus’s followers had previously been disciples of Juan. Saint John the Baptist was also mentioned by the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus. Some experts maintain that Juan was influenced by the Essenes, a sect with certain ascetic traits that awaited an apocalypse and practised rituals closely related to baptism, although there is no evidence to support this hypothesis.<\/p>\n\n
According to the New Testament, Juan anticipated a messianic figure greater than himself, and the one who came was Jesus. Christians speak of Juan as the forerunner of Jesus, for having announced his coming. Juan also shares elements in common with the prophet Elijah.<\/p>\n\n
Accounts of San Juan Bautista in the Bible<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<\/a>Birth of San Juan Bautista (Artemisia Gentileschi), 1635 painting<\/p>\n\nSaint John the Baptist is mentioned in the four canonical gospels and in the non-canonical Gospel of the Nazarenes. The synoptic gospels (Mark, Matthew and Luke) describe the baptism of Jesus. The Gospel of John<\/em> contains a tacit mention of the event (John 1:32-34).<\/p>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/caminodesantiagofrances.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/02\/San-Juan-Bautista-Camino-de-Santiago-Frances.jpg\")
San Juan Bautista<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\nIn the Gospel of John<\/h3>\n\n
San Juan Evangelista<\/strong> describes Saint John the Baptist<\/strong> as \u00aba man sent by God\u00bb who \u00abwas not the light\u00bb but who \u00abcame as a witness to testify to the light, so that through him all might believe\u00bb (John 1:6-8). Juan Bautista clearly denied being the Christ, Elijah or \u00abthe prophet\u00bb, and instead described himself as \u00abthe voice crying out in the wilderness\u00bb.49<\/p>\n\nOn a literal reading, it is clear that Juan is the \u00abwitness and confessor par excellence\u00bb, especially when compared with figures such as Nicodemus.50<\/p>\n\n
The baptism of Jesus is implied but not narrated directly. It is recounted that \u00abthe Spirit was seen descending from heaven like a dove and resting on him\u00bb. Saint John the Baptist explicitly announces that Jesus is the only one who \u00abbaptises with the Holy Spirit\u00bb, who is the \u00abSon of God\u00bb and \u00abthe Lamb of God\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n
The Gospel of John reports that Jesus’s disciples were baptised and that there was a debate between some of Juan’s disciples and other Jews about purification (John 3:22-36). In this debate Saint John the Baptist argued that Jesus \u00abmust increase\u00bb in importance while he himself should \u00abdecrease\u00bb (John 3:30) in relevance.<\/p>\n\n
This gospel says that Jesus’s disciples subsequently baptised more people than Juan’s disciples. It goes on to say that Jesus saw Juan as \u00aba burning and shining lamp\u00bb, and that \u00abthey were willing for a while to rejoice in his light\u00bb (John 5:35).<\/p>\n\n
What Juan knew about Jesus<\/h2>\n\n
Juan’s understanding of Jesus varies depending on the gospel. In Mark’s account, Juan preaches the coming of a leader but gives no sign that Jesus is that leader. In Matthew’s account, however, Juan immediately recognises Jesus and questions whether he is fit to baptise him. In both Matthew and Luke, Juan asks: \u00abAre you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?\u00bb. In Luke’s account, Juan is a relative of Jesus, and both of their births were foretold by the angel Gabriel. According to San Juan Evangelista, Saint John the Baptist witnessed the Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove and explicitly preached that Jesus is the Son of God.<\/p>\n\n
Juan and Elijah<\/h2>\n\n
The gospels vary in their descriptions of Juan’s relationship with Elijah. Matthew and Mark describe Juan’s clothing in a way that recalls the description of Elijah in 2 Kings 1:8, who also wore garments of hair and a leather belt. In the Gospel of Matthew<\/em>, Jesus explicitly teaches that Juan is the \u00abElijah who was to come\u00bb (Matthew 11:14 and Matthew 17:11-13); many Christian theologians have said this means Juan is the successor of Elijah. In the Gospel of John<\/em>, Saint John the Baptist explicitly denies being Elijah. In Luke’s account of the annunciation, an angel appears to Zechariah, Juan’s father, telling him that his son \u00abwill turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God\u00bb and that he will have \u00abthe spirit and power of Elijah\u00bb (Luke 1:16-17).<\/p>\n\nSan Juan Bautista<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
Saint John the Baptist is mentioned in the four canonical gospels and in the non-canonical Gospel of the Nazarenes. The synoptic gospels (Mark, Matthew and Luke) describe the baptism of Jesus. The Gospel of John<\/em> contains a tacit mention of the event (John 1:32-34).<\/p>\n\n\n San Juan Evangelista<\/strong> describes Saint John the Baptist<\/strong> as \u00aba man sent by God\u00bb who \u00abwas not the light\u00bb but who \u00abcame as a witness to testify to the light, so that through him all might believe\u00bb (John 1:6-8). Juan Bautista clearly denied being the Christ, Elijah or \u00abthe prophet\u00bb, and instead described himself as \u00abthe voice crying out in the wilderness\u00bb.49<\/p>\n\n On a literal reading, it is clear that Juan is the \u00abwitness and confessor par excellence\u00bb, especially when compared with figures such as Nicodemus.50<\/p>\n\n The baptism of Jesus is implied but not narrated directly. It is recounted that \u00abthe Spirit was seen descending from heaven like a dove and resting on him\u00bb. Saint John the Baptist explicitly announces that Jesus is the only one who \u00abbaptises with the Holy Spirit\u00bb, who is the \u00abSon of God\u00bb and \u00abthe Lamb of God\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n The Gospel of John reports that Jesus’s disciples were baptised and that there was a debate between some of Juan’s disciples and other Jews about purification (John 3:22-36). In this debate Saint John the Baptist argued that Jesus \u00abmust increase\u00bb in importance while he himself should \u00abdecrease\u00bb (John 3:30) in relevance.<\/p>\n\n This gospel says that Jesus’s disciples subsequently baptised more people than Juan’s disciples. It goes on to say that Jesus saw Juan as \u00aba burning and shining lamp\u00bb, and that \u00abthey were willing for a while to rejoice in his light\u00bb (John 5:35).<\/p>\n\n Juan’s understanding of Jesus varies depending on the gospel. In Mark’s account, Juan preaches the coming of a leader but gives no sign that Jesus is that leader. In Matthew’s account, however, Juan immediately recognises Jesus and questions whether he is fit to baptise him. In both Matthew and Luke, Juan asks: \u00abAre you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?\u00bb. In Luke’s account, Juan is a relative of Jesus, and both of their births were foretold by the angel Gabriel. According to San Juan Evangelista, Saint John the Baptist witnessed the Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove and explicitly preached that Jesus is the Son of God.<\/p>\n\n The gospels vary in their descriptions of Juan’s relationship with Elijah. Matthew and Mark describe Juan’s clothing in a way that recalls the description of Elijah in 2 Kings 1:8, who also wore garments of hair and a leather belt. In the Gospel of Matthew<\/em>, Jesus explicitly teaches that Juan is the \u00abElijah who was to come\u00bb (Matthew 11:14 and Matthew 17:11-13); many Christian theologians have said this means Juan is the successor of Elijah. In the Gospel of John<\/em>, Saint John the Baptist explicitly denies being Elijah. In Luke’s account of the annunciation, an angel appears to Zechariah, Juan’s father, telling him that his son \u00abwill turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God\u00bb and that he will have \u00abthe spirit and power of Elijah\u00bb (Luke 1:16-17).<\/p>\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20211025111328\/https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Nacimiento_de_San_Juan_Bautista_(Artemisia_Gentileschi).jpg\")
In the Gospel of John<\/h3>\n\n
What Juan knew about Jesus<\/h2>\n\n
Juan and Elijah<\/h2>\n\n
San Juan Bautista<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n