herald

The mission of the Baptist often is described as heralding or proclaiming the coming of Jesus. It’s worth exploring this idea in greater detail as it gives insight into John and his relationship with Jesus.

The Greek verb προκηρύσσω (proskerusso) comes from the word κῆρυξ (kerux), which means “herald.” A herald holds an official role generally serving someone in power whose job is to make official announcements or proclamations and to get the word out. A herald is distinct from a messenger in that a messenger would be more likely to deliver a message from one authority to another while a herald would deliver news from an authority to the people.

What do you think it means that John’s job is described as herald? Whom does he serve? What’s his message? What can we learn from this terminology about John’s relationship with God?

you also may like our study of the Gospel According to John
The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth, a 25-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, examines the Fourth Gospel’s view of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, with special emphasis on the institution of the sacraments of the Church as the means by which Christians are purified and made holy. This recently revised study includes maps and additional commentary, and takes a closer look at the way in which Jesus relates to individual men and women. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.

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