Today marks the honoring of the brother of Jesus, John the Baptist for his Martyrdom. He remains a key figure in the early Christian church, being responsible for the baptism of Jesus and countless other Christians. For his faith, he was persecuted and later beheaded by King Herod under the orders of Herodias’s daughter. Although this happened millennia again, many saints and religious leaders throughout the years have honored his memories.
The Early Martyr of Christianity
John the Baptist was one of the earliest preachers in Christianity, talking about the importance of repentance through baptism, and soon gained a large following. It grew so large that he managed to challenge even the king of Galilee, Herod the Great. In particular, he criticized him for marrying his brother’s widow which led to John’s. imprisonment.
Herod’s wife, Herodias held a grudge against John for this slight that on Herod’s birthday, she brought out his daughter, Salome to dance for her step-father. Impressed by this, Herod promised Salome a gift and she asked for John the Baptist’s head, something that Herod reluctantly agreed with. However, Christians honored his sacrifice and saw it as him being punished for speaking the truth.
Among those who honored him was Saint Ignatius of Antioch, an early Christian bishop during the reign of Emperor Trajan. He wrote many letters and statements, to different Christian communities, urging them to stand united and honor John’s memory. He used his martyrdom as an example for other Christians to follow. However, he would soon practice what he preached as he was arrested by Emperor Trajan and executed in Rome.
“I am writing to all the Churches and I enjoin all, that I am dying willingly for God’s sake, if only you do not hinder it. I beseech you; do not be an unseasonable kindness to me. Suffer me to be the food of wild beasts, whereby I may attain to God. I am God’s wheat, and I shall be ground by the teeth of wild beasts, that I may become the pure bread of Christ.”
-Saint Ignatius, Christan Bishop.
If you want to create vintage letters with your own or other people’s famous lines, our Vintage Letter service allows you to make and send them here.
