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-These are stories of the saints.

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John the baptist was born to be a holy messenger.

His mother, elizabeth, was descended from aaron,

Who was the brother of moses

And the first priest of the israelites.

His father zechariah was a levite, a descendant of levi.

He assisted the priests in worship.

So john knew his scripture and he knew religious practice.

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[ speaking native language ]

-Amen.

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-Do you remember last week

When we were on our way to the temple?

When we saw the sadducees?

-Yes.

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-Out of our way.

Move.

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-The man dropped the money on the ground?

-Yes.

-Was that evil? -Oh, yes.

-Was it as evil as old king herod?

-That was a greater evil. Far greater.

But he and the new herod are edomites.

The converts to our faith. -Converts?

-By the point of the sword.

They are not the descendants of abraham like us.

So we can only pray that their wisdom and compassion increases.

-What made the sadducees evil?

Which commandment did they not follow?

-The first -- you shall worship no god but me.

-What god were they worshiping?

-Themselves?

-If you thought they did evil, then why did you smile at them?

-As a sign of respect. We are levites.

These men oversee the temple.

-How can holy men do evil?

-The torah tells us it always crouches in the doorway.

-But I still don't understand.

You thought they did evil.

Then why did you smile at them?

-The world of jerusalem,

In the years when john came of age,

Was just boiling over with political

And spiritual tensions.

I mean, there was widespread distrust

Of the jewish power structure,

In particular the aristocratic sadducees.

People thought they were too accommodating to the romans.

Distrust of the roman appointed tetrarch,

Or regional ruler herod antipas, was even greater.

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John searched for a path.

But a path to what? Knowledge?

Enlightenment?

Truth?

All of those things at once?

He'd been trained to serve in the temple

And ritualistic and ceremonial functions,

But he walked away from it all.

Searching for a higher truth

Which would be untainted by corrupt political calculations.

There were others who had staked out a different spiritual path.

They were shunning the cities and the temple worship

And just retreating to the wilderness.

-Good evening, brother.

-Good evening, brother.

-The essenes lives communally

Near the caves of qumran.

And, of course, they're thought to have been

The authors of the dead sea scrolls.

-You look hungry and thirsty.

-I thank you, brother.

-I have no food to offer you.

-I have some of my own.

(coughs)

-Many thanks.

Where are you coming from?

-Jerusalem.

-I see.

But where are you already traveling to?

-I don't know.

(sighs) I don't know.

-You've walked away from something, then?

-It seems that it's towards something.

I'm the son of a levite, zachariah,

But he's been gone for some time now.

He and, uh, my mother.

-Oh, yes.

So you're levite.

Would you follow your father's way?

-No.

To be among the sadducees and the pharisees

Breaking bread with the romans?

No.

No. I'll have to find another way.

-By going into the wilderness,

You are saying yes to god.

As far as the scholars,

All men with authority and power become tangled.

Their words, their actions, their thoughts.

-Do you live out here on your own?

-I live with my friends.

My brothers. We all left as well.

Just like you.

We choose to wait for the messiah here in the quiet.

-The messiah?

Have you or your friends had a revelation of his coming?

-No.

We just share the belief

That it's right to leave our lives in waiting for him.

-Some preach that he'll come soon.

-People can believe what they like.

We just devote ourselves to his calling.

Would you like more water?

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-At this period, in the long history of judaism,

Belief in the coming of the messiah

Was a bedrock of the faith,

A human messiah, descendant of king david,

A warrior who would redeem the jewish people

And restore the monarchy.

That's what the people were waiting for.

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(jugs clink)

-Woman, there's nothing to be afraid of.

Do you hear me? I'm not a roman.

-Are you a tax collector?

-I'm not.

Look at me.

-You need to bathe.

-Yes, I suppose I do.

When you reach the edge of the jordan's waters,

Go and stand in the river.

-What's that you're saying?

-That's what the lord told joshua.

-Who's joshua?

-An ancient prophet.

He led our people after moses had gone to god.

-You're a learned man?

-I'm a levite.

Or I should say, my, uh, my father was.

-Tell me, why would the tax collectors pursue me?

I'm a widow with children.

I keep them hidden away.

What would the tax collectors want with me?

The romans?

No, the jews.

They're collecting taxes for the temple

They say to us, sent by herod.

-Herod, the edomite king?

The hypocrite!

-Be careful. They're everywhere.

-Don't be afraid.

-What's your name?

-I'm not going to tell you my name or my town.

Tell me.

You think the messiah is coming?

-I don't know.

-It's what everyone says when I ask.

You know, my greatest wish is that

The messiah will come in my lifetime

And lead us to freedom again.

-Yes.

-Let me help you with that.

-I'm fine.

How will I know the messiah when he comes?

-I don't know.

-He'll like every other man, they say.

-I don't know.

-I wonder what will make him different.

-We'll know when he's among us.

Let me help you with that.

-Goodbye, and don't forget to bathe.

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-Was the traditional messiah what people actually needed?

Or did they really need comfort and love?

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For people who can't wait, who need comfort now,

Who live among men who call themselves holy

And who ignored them,

Well, how long could they wait for the messiah?

Days?

Months?

Year?

What would it do for them to wait endlessly?

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The answer was that they didn't have to wait for the messiah.

He was already here somewhere,

And john felt he would help to call him forth.

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-Repent.

Turn back to god.

His kingdom is here.

Repent.

The kingdom of god is here!

Repentance!

The messiah is among us!

Come and be baptized in the river jordan and repent.

-What are you going on about?

-You're scaring the fish away.

-What are you doing, brother?

Why are you standing in the jordan?

-God's kingdom is here.

And I'm -- I'm proclaiming the news.

Come.

Be baptized and repent.

Come.

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-So, you are the messiah?

-(laughs)

I'm not! I'm not the messiah!

I'm here to announce the news of his coming!

Yes!

That's my purpose.

Come.

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-Ritual bathing and immersion

Was an ancient jewish practice of purification.

And it was very much a part of the levi tradition.

So, naturally, john called on people to be baptized

As an act of repentance.

-The foul stench of evil

In jerusalem comes from the palace of the edomites

Convert tetrarch, who does the bidding of the romans.

Herod antipas is a common adulterer,

Married to his brother's wife with a harlot for a daughter.

He's no better than his evil father.

He and his horse claim to be jews,

But they live in violation of our laws.

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-I've come to be baptized.

-Have you now? -Yeah.

-Why? To repent?

-No. Really?

-Tell me.

Are you elijah?

Are you the messiah?

-Vipers! You and your whole generation!

You walk with all this pride and this pomp among us.

So proud to be descendants of abraham.

You came to be baptized? You --

You came to be baptized? Okay.

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-Blasphemy!

-A cry of blasphemy from you?

Viper!

-Blasphemer!

Come to the temple to worship.

This man is not what he claims.

-This man is a levite and he's a man of god.

-I'm preparing the way for another.

The one who's coming, and I'm not even fit

To tie the straps of his sandals.

And neither are you, nor your brethren.

Now get out of these waters so that these men and women

Can be baptized.

-Don't be a fooled

By this blasphemer!

-Don't listen to him. It's worthless.

Look at him. Dressed like a beggar.

-And look at you. -(laughs)

Dressed like a prince.

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-Ah.

-Your highness.

-And...?

-We need to alert you to something.

-Alright, alert me.

-There's a man named john. He's a levite.

Born to the old man zacharias --

-Don't tell me a tale. Alert me.

-This man john has gone to the wilderness --

-Get to the point.

-He's standing in the jordan river

And baptizing our people.

-Baptizing?

-Ceremonial cleansing,

But of anyone who stands in the line.

Anyone.

It doesn't repent and prepare

For the coming of the messiah.

-So?

Aren't the streets and alleys

Lined with preachers who say this and that?

-He preaches against you.

-What does he say about me?

-That you're an adulterer. -And?

-That you married the woman who divorced your own brother,

And that her daughter is a harlot?

-Where is this man?

-He preaches by the river, queen herodias.

-I'm salome.

Here's my mother.

-Ask pardon of my wife and our daughter.

-I'm sorry.

-Your pardon is accepted.

-This is trouble.

I can't have my wife and our daughter spoken of that way

To the people of jerusalem.

-They're coming from all over judea to be baptized.

-I will send word to the romans.

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-Baptize me.

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-You're the one who should be baptizing me.

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-Is this good?

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What else can be said?

-Nothing. Nothing else can be said.

So much needs to be done.

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-Goodbye.

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-Goodbye.

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I have come to baptize you with water.

But this man who's now among us...

He'll baptize you with fire.

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-In his heart, john must have instantaneously

Seen and felt jesus.

Who and what he was was wholly different

From the common idea of the messiah.

John was a man out of the old jewish world

With a righteous belief in justice.

He stood firm and unwavering.

But jesus brought another force to the world,

The force of comfort, a forgiveness

Of redemption, of love.

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-I'm the one they call the baptist.

My name is john.

Take me to see herod.

(fire crackling)

-You're john the baptist?

-I am.

-Why are you looking at me like that?

Turn your head away.

That's a command.

-The only commands I answer to

Come from god.

-We both worship the same god.

-There's only one god.

I have no time to spare.

-You'll have all the time in the world

If you only do one thing, recant.

Then you can walk out of here a free man.

-Recant what?

-The column you spread about me and my wife and daughter.

-I have no time for you or your freedom

Or your horse!

-You die for that.

-And I live in the light of the one who's come,

Who's here.

-I've come to offer you another chance to recant.

-I told you already I have no time for you.

No time.

-I will decide how much time you have.

-You brought your concubine to look at me.

-Who is that?

Is that a baptizer?

-Be quiet.

To say such a thing in my daughter's presence

Means that you'll suffer.

-Your words mean nothing to me, herod.

-Scourge him.

-You'll kneel and grovel before the one who's among us.

-Who is this man you keep speaking of?

Scourge him.

(whip cracks)

-Our daughter must be avenged.

-I will decide who's to be avenged.

-He called her a whore and a concubine.

And he called me a whore.

And he's right here in our prison.

-Yes. -Is your spine made of jelly?

Why are you disgracing yourself and your family?

How much longer are you going to let this filth stay alive?

-I will decide who's to be avenged and when!

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Baptist, come here.

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I've come to reason with you.

I recognize that you're a man of god.

You and this man you keep telling me about,

Now I know his name because others are talking about him.

Jesus of nazareth.

He hasn't spread any lies about me,

But you have

And people have listened to you.

And I've offered you the chance to live

If you would simply just recant.

Because, as you can see, I'm reasonable.

So I don't understand. Why are you so harsh with me?

-Because you're a hypocrite before god.

Because you speak one way

And you act another way before god.

Because your right hand is kept from seeing what

Your left hand is doing.

-I don't understand.

Herod, there's no -- there's no time.

You have to justify yourself now before god or --

Or you'll be flattened by other lesser sinners stampeding

On the road to hell.

You're afraid of me and those who follow me.

I'm nothing.

But the one I've paved the way for...

He-- he's the one you should fear.

I baptize with water, but he'll --

He'll baptize with fire.

Not the fire that burns your miserable skin.

The fire of truth.

The fire -- the fire of love.

(chuckles)

(upbeat music playing, people cheering)

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You're driving me mad come here.

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What do you want?

Anything, I promise.

Anything. Just tell me what you want.

-His head.

-Who's head?

-The baptizer's on a platter.

(music, cheering continues)

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-Baptizer, get down on your knees!

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-My god!

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I've made the road straight and smooth

For the one who's come.

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-(grunts)

(head thuds)

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(mid-tempo music playing)

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(music stops)

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-What's to become of me?

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-I always found it very interesting

Because of the difference between jesus sense

Of the spiritual and john the baptist

Sense of the spiritual.

This is a great mystery I always felt between the two of them,

And so it's very special.

He immediately recognizes him at the river jordan.

And jesus' sense of spirituality is love.

The baptist is preaching something else,

And I think this is the crux of it.

-Repent. Mm-hmm.

-Repent. -Repent, metanoia,

Which is a kind of thoroughgoing change of mind and heart.

We usually think of repentance

As being just being sorry for your sins,

But it's really a whole change, a whole reorientation.

Even christians today wonder why is jesus getting baptized?

-Yes. -Why is the sinless

Son of god getting baptized

When john is preaching a repentance of sins?

And I think you see a little bit of the interchange there?

-Well, he says to him, I shouldn't be doing this for you.

You should be doing it for me.

-John the baptist did baptize jesus,

And it confused people, probably, even back then.

But what I like to think

Is that jesus is really immersing himself even more

In humanity by standing in line with the rest of the people

And getting baptized

And showing his desire to inaugurate the reign of god.

-Well, I also think that it's jesus sanctioning

John the baptist, giving he credibility.

-Yeah. -He's a real baptist.

-Yeah. -I always wondered about

Jesus starting his ministry,

Because there are those long lost years

And then this is the moment.

And we think of it as this grand moment,

And yet it's a little river.

So, you know, it's not vast and endless.

-Although, it's a very symbolic river, you know?

-Of course it is. -Salvation to the people

And redemption and journey. -Joshua.

-Joshua. -Yup.

-And so he knows what he's doing.

John knows what he's doing at the jordan.

I think it's wonderful that the gospels say all of jerusalem

Comes out to see him.

And so he -- he himself would have been a very popular figure.

-And this was at a time,

It was an apocalyptic conversation was going on,

Was threaded through daily life in a way.

-So jesus is divine and human. He has religious desire.

You figure he's jesus.

He's going to be attracted to the rituals of religion.

Baptist is coming to that bank of the jordan.

He's feeling it. He wants to be there.

And the same desire that those of us

Who were drawn to this stuff feel,

To think that jesus felt that himself, to me, really powerful.

-I like to think at the baptism,

God stood in line with everybody else and...

-Pick a number. -Taken up his place.

And his -- his message is -- is much more fiery

Than jesus' message.

-I was going to say in my mind,

It always had a sense of violence to it.

-But also that he was more impulsive,

That jesus, just in how he addresses people,

Is -- is -- has a discipline. -He answers sideways, yeah.

-It's parables.

It's getting people to question things.

It's poetic things. -It's telling stories.

It's telling stories instead of lecturing.

-The thing with john is that somebody had to hear him,

So he had to yell. -Yeah.

-He had to be that voice crying in the wilderness.

But that brought jesus and that changes.

-Was john one of those people

Who wanted to topple the roman authority?

-I would think ultimately we'd be going there,

And it was a perfect time for him to attack herod.

Because herod -- those guys were put in place by the romans.

-I know. -You know?

It was a puppet government to the jewish population

And jewish religion.

What? You know, get them out.

Attack! -And his bluntness.

-Yeah. -He's the final expression

Of a kind of zealous, angry mood of prophecy.

-Right. -But also understanding

What was going to go down

With herod and salome and all of that.

-Oh, you say it so casually, salome and all of that.

-All of that. Well, the reality --

All of that was that his time was up.

-John's time. -John's time was up,

And he knew it. -He's in prison,

Not going to get out.

-He ain't -- he's not getting out of there,

And he knew that this was what his fate was

For the new covenant.

-I mean, we're not talking about his head on a platter.

Are we -- are we avoiding this?

-No, it's my next question. -Okay, go ahead.

No, it's my next question. -No, no, it's you.

-We're always fascinated by the question

Of what drove salome to ask for john's head on a platter.

Was it really herodias?

It's always been rather obvious to me.

Rather than being frightened of the man as a as a holy man

And this sort of thing, no.

As it is, herod, he's not completely jewish.

He already is someone who doesn't have the right to rule.

He's put there by the romans. -Right.

-And this man is not only provoking, he's attacking.

-Yeah. -He's got to go.

-And my sense is that herod, out of a sense of pride,

You know, having promised to salome,

I'll do whatever you tell me and then is kind of put on the spot.

Ironically, the man who likes to listen

To john the baptist ends up, through his pride, I think,

Through his kind of sinful pride eliminating him.

-I think his pride. Yeah, his pride.

-And she's detected in him this weakness.

The man of power, his weakness is that he has

An admiration for his critic, john the baptist.

And she spots that and she's going to --

-And maybe that's what she's -- that's really good.

-Yeah. It could undo everything.

-And remember, his father ordered

The massacre of the innocents.

So they have no trouble in that family,

You know, with getting rid of people

That are going to be threatened.

-Oh, yeah. Yeah, absolutely.

-I also find it interesting that john,

Who was a leader in his own right,

Is able to take second stage to jesus,

Which I think is very beautiful.

I was doing a bible study in a prison years and years ago.

And I said to the inmates,

"do you think it was hard for john to step back?"

And one guy raised his hand and said, "no,

Because he was a man of god."

And the other guy raised his hand, true story,

And said, "yes, it was hard because he was human."

And I thought that that was really an interesting --

-Well, I believe it was hard for him to step back,

But I actually got the impression was that there was

A real split at one point,

And there was almost a jealousy of...

-Rival factions -...Rival factions

In the groups, yeah.

That jesus was baptizing more people than he was.

-Well, there's a little of that in the gospels

When you see the consistent sort of quotes from john

In all the gospels, I must decrease, he must increase.

I'm not worthy to untie his sandal straps.

Why are you -- why are you coming to me?

And I think a lot of the new testament scholars

Say that around the time that the gospels were written,

There were still followers of john around.

-That's what I mean.

Wow, there were still followers of john?

-That's really interesting.

-And so there's a conscious effort in the gospels

To play up, you know, which john probably said,

The humility of the baptist

To show you know who's in charge now, right?

This is the messiah,

And john is really his forerunner.

-Right. -So it's just -- it's just --

-Yeah, but there's still some followers saying,

No, we prefer john.

He has the right idea.

-Get rid of the romans. -Take the tree down,

Kill the romans. Kill the romans?

They're not going to get away with that.

I mean, it's a major empire, you know?

I think there was still some die--

Die-hards, so to speak. -Die-hards.

-Well, there are, I mean, you know --

They're all die-hards.

-If you favored -- if you favored john's way, right?

If you favored john's way, what are you going to make of,

You know... -Blessed are the meek.

-Or a god who was crucified?

-I mean, really, yes.

-Or god who says, turn the other cheek.

Our god who says, who lives by the sword, dies by the sword.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah. -So certainly,

Though the messiah that they got, jesus,...

-Was not -...Was a surprise

To most people.

-Exactly. -He's still a surprise to me.

-He's a big surprise. -A big surprise.

-I agree. -Yeah.

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