Many Around the World Honor John the Baptist on June 24. Here's Why the Day is Celebrated and What It Means.

If you still buy a daily planner, you might notice the heading Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day for June 24. For most Americans, this is a rather obscure observance. But for residents of the Canadian province of Quebec, the day is analogous to Independence Day, a celebration of French Canadian culture and heritage. Coinciding with the summer solstice, the day was particularly popular in France, and thus became a cultural identity that could be transferred to the expatriate community in North America.

But the day is also commemorated, in a more religious context, in many European countries where Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Lutheranism predominate.

Bereft of cultural celebrations and stripped down to its original meaning, the day recognizes the birth of Jesus Christ's cousin and forerunner, a major figure in all four New Testament Gospels.

John the Baptist may be one of the unsung heroes of the New Testament. The Apostle John, Simon Peter, the Virgin Mary and the Apostle Paul have a much higher profile in the global church today.

But Jesus Himself stated "among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist" (Matthew 11:11), a reminder of the great significance of this man.

Here are some fast facts on John the Baptist:

• Like Jesus Himself, John the Baptist had a miraculous birth. Though not virgin conceived, John was the child of a barren couple who were well past the age of childbearing (Luke 1).
• Upon the dedication of the infant John, the Baptist's father, the priest Zacharias, proclaimed the Benedictus, a hymn of praise and thanksgiving that is similar in some respects to the Virgin Mary's Magnificat.
• In all four Gospels, John the Baptist introduces the Christian Gospel.
• As a young man, John the Baptist may have had a connection with the Essene community, a group of religious Jewish ascetics that preserved the famed Dead Sea Scrolls.
• John the Baptist's diet was quite unique. According to Matthew 3:4, he ate locusts and wild honey. To modern Western tastes, locusts might seem to be a weird delicacy, but they are actually a very nutritious protein.
• John the Baptist spoke to the tension between religious belief and government service. In a time in which Roman rule was resented by many, the Baptist did not direct his followers to avoid government careers. Instead, he focused on personal integrity within these vocations:

Then?tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them,?“Collect no more than what is appointed for you.” Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not?intimidate anyone?or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”

Luke 3:12-14 NKJV

• Most significantly, John the Baptist recognized Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He declared after baptizing Jesus, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). He also said of Jesus, "He must increase; I must decrease" (John 3:30). The traditional spot where John the Baptist baptized Jesus is recognized and protected by the United Nations today.
• John the Baptist was ultimately martyred by Herod Antipas after speaking out against the king's immoral living. While in prison before his untimely death, John the Baptist questioned whether Jesus truly was the Son of God after all. Jesus provided the assurances needed. This episode in the Baptist's life is recounted in the song "Go Tell John" performed by The Petersens family bluegrass band. (The fortress where John the Baptist spent his final days is known as Machaerus and can be visited today).

For more on John the Baptist and his impact, consult the book Prepare the Way for the Lord: Advent and the Message of John the Baptist, written by Methodist preacher Adam Hamilton in 2022.