Явление Христа народу

The preaching of John the Baptist and the multitude of people who came to him to be baptized attracted the attention of the Jewish Sanhedrin, which sent priests and Levites to him to ask: “Are you the Messiah?” John, with all decisiveness, once and for all, answered: “I am not Christ.” In his deep humility, characteristic of truly great people, he refused the names Elijah and Prophet, although he had the right to adopt these names for himself, as the second Elijah, foreshadowed by the prophet Malachi, and as the highest of all the prophets. He said about himself: “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, straighten the way of the Lord... I baptize in water, but there is someone standing among you whom you do not know... I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals (John 1:23...27). The next day after this testimony, before those sent from the Sanhedrin, John stood at the Jordan, surrounded by people. Suddenly he sees Jesus coming towards him. Filled with spiritual delight, John exclaimed: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (humanity). This is the One about whom I said: “A man is coming after me, who stood before me, because he was before me. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me: On whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, He is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” Among those surrounding John were disciples devoted to him, and Pharisees, proud of their imaginary righteousness, and Sadducees, who denied everything spiritual, and simple people who listened to every word of the great prophet. They all heard his inspired word about the Lord Savior. How strong the impression was from John’s words can be seen from the fact that the next day two of his disciples, following his word alone: ​​“Behold the Lamb of God,” without being forced by anyone, voluntarily and decisively rushed after the Lord Jesus. One of them is named in the Gospel: it was Andrew, who is therefore called the first-called. The other is not named, but that is why they think that it was the Evangelist himself who told about this event - John the Theologian. These two followers of the Savior began the bright line of His apostles. It was the seed from which the holy, catholic and apostolic church arose. The appearance of Christ to the people. From a painting Alexander Andreevich Ivanov (1806 – 1858). The painting was in Moscow, in the Rumyantsev Museum, and since 1924 it has been kept in the Tretyakov Gallery. You might be interested in: