The Conception of John the Baptist

The holiday, which falls on October 6, is not one of the most famous — but it is with it that the chain of events leading to the Nativity of Christ begins. We tell you what happened in the Jerusalem temple, why Zechariah became speechless and what does the Old Testament prophet Malachi have to do with it.

Spouses without children

The Gospel of Luke tells about a priest named Zechariah. He served in the Jerusalem Temple and belonged to a priestly family — the descendants of Aaron. His wife Elizabeth also came from a noble family: she was from the tribe of Levi, or more precisely, from the house of King David. They were righteous people, they lived according to the commandments — but they were childless.

For a modern person, this is simply a fact of biography. In ancient Judea, infertility was perceived differently. The absence of children was often considered a sign that God had turned his back on the family. A childless woman was pitied and sometimes openly condemned. Elizabeth herself will later say this directly: “He took away from me the reproach among people.” Zechariah and Elizabeth were already far behind by that time… In general, it would seem that they could not hope for offspring.

But they continued to pray.

Angel in the temple

In those days, the service in the temple was organized in turns — each priestly order carried out the service at its own time. When Zechariah’s turn came, his lot fell to enter the interior of the temple — the Sanctuary — and burn incense. It was an honor that fell to a priest once in his life, and sometimes less often.

The people stood outside and prayed at that time. Zechariah entered, stood in front of the altar, and suddenly saw someone on the right side of the altar. It was Archangel Gabriel.

Zechariah was dumbfounded. Gabriel said, “Don’t be afraid. Your prayer has been answered. Your wife will give birth to a son, you will call his name John. He will be great before the Lord, will not drink wine or strong drink, and will be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb.” Gabriel added that John would come “in the spirit and power of Elijah” — that is, he would continue the work of the Old Testament prophet Elijah — in order to “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children” and prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah.

There is an important nuance here. Zechariah was not surprised that the angel spoke to him. He doubted the content of the message: how is this possible at their age? And he asked for a sign — confirmation that Gabriel’s words were true.

The answer was harsh. The angel said: “I am Gabriel, who stands before God, and was sent to speak to you. But because you didn’t believe, you will remain silent — and you will not be able to speak until the day it comes true.” Zechariah left the temple mute. The people realized that something unusual had happened inside — by the priest’s face, by his gestures. But he couldn’t explain anything.

Meeting of two mothers

Elizabeth conceived. For five months she hid her pregnancy, repeating: “So the Lord has done for me in these days.” Then a scene occurred that is known as the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth.

The Virgin Mary, who was already carrying Jesus under her heart, came to visit a relative. Elizabeth, as soon as she heard the greeting, was filled with the Holy Spirit — and uttered the words that the Church repeats to this day: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” And John “jumped” in his mother’s womb — that is, according to the interpretation of the holy fathers, he began to move, as if welcoming the unborn Savior.

This is the first moment in the Gospel when John fulfills his destiny — points to Christ. Although he himself had not yet been born.

The Prophet Malachi and the “spirit of Elijah”

The Old Testament prophet Malachi, who lived several centuries before these events, left a prophecy: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.” Jesus Christ will later directly say that John is the same “Elijah who is to come” — not in the sense of transmigration of the soul, but in the sense of prophetic ministry: the same power, the same directness, the same calling to reprove and call to repentance.

John is the last prophet of the Old Testament and at the same time the first who pointed to Christ during his lifetime. The border between two eras runs right through it.

Christmas and the name

When Elizabeth had a son, neighbors and relatives wanted to name him Zechariah — after his father’s name. Elizabeth objected: “John.” They started arguing — after all, no one in the family was called that. We turned to Zechariah. He, still mute, asked for a tablet and wrote: “John is his name.”

At that moment he spoke again. First — a blessing to God, then a prophecy about a son, which the Church calls the “Song of Zechariah” and which is heard every day in the morning service: “And you, little child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways.”

What the Church celebrates on October 6

Feast The conception of John the Baptist falls on October 6 (new style). It is not one of the great twelve, but has the status of a memorable holiday — it is marked in a special way in the liturgical charter. On this day, an excerpt from the Gospel of Luke (the beginning of the 1st chapter) is read — the same story about Zechariah and Gabriel.

The holiday has been known since the 5th century. The service includes chants dating back to the Byzantine tradition, and the canon for the holiday is attributed to John of Damascus, one of the main church hymnographers.

It is interesting that in the church calendar there are only three holidays dedicated to the conception, which was announced by the Archangel Gabriel: the conception of John the Baptist, the conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Righteous Anna) and the Annunciation — the conception of Christ Himself. Three events, three proclamations, three beginnings that lead to one point — the Nativity of the Savior.

Memorial Day
October 6