John the Baptist, having first encountered Jesus while still in Elizabeth’s womb, leaping with joy at Mary’s visitation, served as the forerunner to the Messiah. Living in the desert and preaching Christ’s coming, he prepared the way for the King of the Jews, eventually baptizing him. After Jesus had been baptized by John he went into the wilderness for forty days and forty nights to be tempted by the devil, thus beginning his ministry as the New Adam. Upon his return, Jesus would call the twelve Apostles: Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Nathanael, Matthew, Simon, James, Thomas, Jude, and Judas Iscariot.
A text version of this project is under production by ActsXXIX. See www.primematters.com/text.
