St John the Baptist stands at the
crossroads between the Old and New Testaments. He was a cousin of
Jesus, child of Elizabeth and Zechariah. John appeared in the
wilderness calling people to repentance and baptising them for
the forgiveness of their sins. He had a large following, and he
had the courage to speak out against corruption and evil. John
lived an austere life, eating locusts and honey and dressing
himself in a hair shirt. When asked if he was the Messiah, he
told people that he was the voice in the wilderness crying out
"Make straight the paths of the Lord". John recognised Jesus as
the Lamb of God. Jesus came to him for baptism before embarking
on his own ministry. Not long after this, John was arrested by
Herod, who objected to his criticism of his marriage to Herodias,
his brother's wife. From prison, John sent messengers to Jesus to
ask if he were indeed the Messiah, receiving the reply that he
only has to see what Jesus is doing to know. Herod had John
executed at the request of his wife and her daughter, who danced
for Herod and persuaded him to have John beheaded