Preaching of John the Baptist / Baptism of Jesus - Domenico Ghirlandaio ( 1448 -1494)

“Christian iconography expresses in images the same Gospel message that Scripture communicates by words. Image and word illuminate each other.” (CCC 1160)

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The Preaching of John the Baptist - Domenico Ghirlandaio (c. 1486)

This early renaissance fresco of The Preaching of John the Baptist by Domenico Ghirlandaio c. 1486 depicts the scene from the Gospel of Luke chapter 3 verses 1 through 18.   John is preaching to the crowds that have followed him out into the desert.  John proclaims baptism in water for the forgiveness of sins and announces that one mightier than he will come and baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.  This fresco may be found on the wall of the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy along with the fresco of the Baptism of Jesus. 

Luke 3: 1 - 18 

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilenem during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. 

He went throughout the whole region of the Jordan proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah; 

"A voice of one crying out in the desert: 

Prepare the way of the Lord, 

make straight his paths, 

Every valley shall be filled

and every mountain and hill shall be made low. 

The winding roads shall be made straight, 

and the rough ways made smooth, 

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." 

He said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of viper! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  Produce good fruits as evidence of your repentance; and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father', for I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.   Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree that does not produce good fruit will be

 cut down and thrown into the fire."

And the crowds asked him, What should we do?"  He said to them in reply "Whoever has two tunics should share with the person who has none.  And whoever has food should do likewise"  Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, "Teacher, what should we do?  "He answered them, "Stop collecting more than what is prescribed."  Soldiers also asked him, "And what is it that we should do?"  He told them, "Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone and be satisfied with your wages."  

Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah.  John answered them all, saying, "I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming.  I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."  Exhorting them in many ways, he preached good news to the people.

John Baptizes Jesus - Domenico Ghirlandaio  (Luke 3: 21 -22)

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Picture Source - Public Domain
The Role of Religious Art in Faith Formation - Month of December 2019 Index

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