Jesus said, "From Adam to John the Baptist, among those born of women, no one is so much greater than John the Baptist that his eyes should not be averted. But I have said that whoever among you becomes a child will recognize the (Father's) imperial rule and will become greater than John." (45 Thomas)

The relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist fascinates me. The Baptizer is much more prominent than Jesus in the accounts of Josephus written 30 to 40 years after the crucifixion.

Jesus almost certainly studied with John. The Koran re-tells several ancient stories of the relationship between teacher and student. The Muslim scripture also accords to John a status much higher than the gospels.

In the New Testament we read of Apollos, a highly educated Alexandrian Jew, who was apparently a follower of John the Baptist (Acts 18:24-28). This was at least two decades after the crucifixion.'

It is clear that many in the early Church were keen to differentiate Jesus from John and were sometimes consciously competing with the reform movement that survived John's murder.

There is a small, ancient, and often persecuted community of Mandaeans (sometimes the Subba) who understand John - and not Jesus - to be God's most trust-worthy prophet.

The Gospel of Thomas treats John the Baptist in a manner very similar to the gospels of Matthew and Luke. So, in Matthew we read, "Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." (Matthew 11:11)

The implication of Thomas is that as much honor as is due John, he failed to to perceive the immediacy of God's presence. John was preparing the faithful for something already very much at hand. Jesus teaches us to grasp a greater reality in which we can choose to abide today.


Excerpts from the Mandaean Book of John the Baptist are available from the Gnostic Library. To the left is a depiction of John baptizing Jesus.