The first event of the New Testament, chronologically, is the conception of the Forerunner. Only St. Luke deals with the Baptist’s conception and birth, but three of the four Gospels begin St. John’s testimony in some form or other. As the holy apostle and evangelist John the Theologian writes, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.” The holy Forerunner sums up in his teaching and ministry the testimony of all the patriarchs, prophets, and righteous before him, pointing us toward Christ as the expected one, the fulfillment, the Messiah. Today, the Forerunner’s witness and supplications still point us toward Christ as our sole salvation. Jesus Christ alone is the author of our existence and the fulfillment of our deepest longings.
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