June 24 is the feast of St. John the Baptist. He was Jesus' cousin and the last prophet to proclaim the coming of the Messiah. We know quite a bit about John because he is mentioned in all four Gospels.
In his time, John was quite famous and had his own followers. His ministry led him to the desert, where he lived on locusts and honey and more camel skin for clothes. His preaching focused on preparing for the coming of the Messiah by repenting, and starting fresh after baptism. John even baptized Jesus at the start of His ministry.
He was known as a radical, fiery preacher and a bit of a wild man. Yet his preaching was instrumental in preparing people for Jesus. Eventually, John was imprisoned and then beheaded by Herod (read that crazy story here).
Get to know the great prophet through this Spotify playlist inspired by his life and legacy — featuring artists Penny and Sparrow and The Oh Hellos, and themes of wilderness and redemption.
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