John Chrysostom, On Saint John the Forerunner

turning the wheel as you wish; who fills with all sanctification the heads that bow to you; who is contained nowhere; you who gush forth rivers of compassion, do you wish to descend into this river? And you, the maker of the streams, have you chosen to associate with them? And do you ask for the baptism, which you yourself have given to me to give to those who need it? And where do you have need of a baptism of repentance, you who yourself have mercy on the repentant? where do you have need 50.802 of such a remedy, you who heal the wounds of others by a command alone? where is there need of repentance for you, who do things worthy of praise? Did you not condescend to men, as the only lover of mankind? You wear the form of a servant, which you fashioned for yourself; and through this you have sanctified your image, which the devil shattered, renewing it as you willed; you have become the progenitor of us all. Is not the exiled Adam recalled in you? Does not the once-condemned race reign in you? Did you not, through Mary, raise up the fallen Eve? Do you not go about, wishing to make men equal to angels? Do you not cast out lawlessness from the earth as a plotter against the race? Do you not introduce good law into life as the nurse of humanity? Do you not drive away the gloomy night of deceit? Do you not cause the day of the knowledge of God to dawn for those who wish to see its beauty? Do you not spread the light of truth over the souls of all? Do you not scatter the clouds of impiety like smoke? Are you not, as the sun of righteousness clothed in the white cloud of the body, sowing everywhere the rays of divinity? Are you not a virgin in gaze, and gait, and appearance, and reasoning, and mind, and soul? Did you not fashion for yourself a virgin body from a virgin? Do not these things require understanding and contrition? For what reason then shall I baptize you now, Creator of the river, and Giver of baptism, and through love for mankind a man? No trace of lawlessness is in you, nor has a stain of sin defiled your undefiled flesh, nor has deceit ever sat by your mouth. The venom of asps is hidden on Judaic lips; for they are the offspring of vipers, and their tongues are deceitful; but in your mouth gush forth fountains of eternal life; for being life, you speak and grant life. How then, giver of present and future life, do you step into poor streams? All others being baptized by me hear these things from me: 'Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand; and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God.' But when you are being baptized, what shall I say? what shall I utter? Should I say, 'Repent'? So that who might receive your repentance? For what other God is greater than you? Should I say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand'? And shall I preach the kingdom to the kingdom? And shall I speak to you about yourself? For are you ignorant of what you are by nature? Do you not know the kingdom of the heavens, which you have come from heaven bringing to men? Should I say to you: 'Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ'? Shall I urge you to believe in yourself? And who has ever been admonished to believe in himself? For he who comes must believe that God exists; but you are God, and the Son of God, even if in appearance you are a man, and you are worthy to be believed by all. But should I say to you: 'Believe in your Father'? For when were you seen to be unfaithful and an enemy to the Father? And when were you separated from the divinity of God who begot you?

What then shall I say to you? 'Believe in the Holy Spirit'? But it is established in you, and with you. I have need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? the only-begotten Son of God to the son of Zacharias? the one from the virgin to the one from the barren woman? the one who did not loose his mother's virginity, to the one who loosed his mother's barrenness? the one worshipped from the womb to the one who recognized your lordship from the belly? the one who became man to the voice of the wilderness? the one so high to the one so humble? the Lord of all creation to the servant unworthy of your goodness? the rich by nature to the poor by nature,

τὸν τροχὸν κυλίων ὡς βούλει· ὁ παντὸς ἁγιασμοῦ πληρῶν τὰς κλινομένας σοι κεφαλάς· ὁ μὴ χωρούμενος μηδαμοῦ· ὁ βλύζων ποταμοὺς οἰκτιρμῶν, εἰς τοῦτον θέλεις συγ καταδῦναι τὸν ποταμόν; καὶ τῶν ναμάτων ὁ ποιη τὴς, τούτοις προσομιλῆσαι προῄρησαι; καὶ τὸ βά πτισμα αἰτεῖς, ὅπερ σύ μοι δέδωκας εἰς τὸ διδόναι τοῖς δεομένοις; Καὶ ποῦ χρείαν ἔχεις βαπτίσματος μετανοίας, αὐτὸς μετανοοῦντας ἐλεῶν; ποῦ χρείαν 50.802 ἔχεις τοῦ τοιούτου φαρμάκου, προστάγματι μόνῳ θεραπεύων τὰς τῶν ἄλλων πληγάς; ποῦ σοι δεῖ με τανοίας, εὐφημίας ἄξια πράττοντι; οὐ συγκατέβης τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ὡς μόνος φιλάνθρωπος; Σὺ τὴν τοῦ δούλου μορφὴν φορεῖς, ἣν ἔπλασας σεαυτῷ· καὶ διὰ ταύτης ἡγίασάς σου τὴν εἰκόνα, ἣν συνέτριψεν ὁ διάβολος, ἀνακαινίσας ὡς ἠθέλησας· σὺ γεννήτωρ γέγονας πάντων ἡμῶν. Οὐκ ἐν σοὶ ὁ ἐξόριστος Ἀδὰμ ἀνακέκληται; οὐκ ἐν σοὶ βασιλεύει τό ποτε κατάκρι τον φῦλον; οὐ διὰ τῆς Μαρίας τὴν πεσοῦσαν Εὔαν ἀνέστησας; οὐ περιέρχῃ, τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἰσαγγέλους ποιῆσαι βουλόμενος; οὐ τὴν ἀνομίαν ὡς ἐπίβουλον τοῦ γένους ἐκδιώκεις τῆς γῆς; οὐ τὴν εὐνομίαν ὡς τροφὸν τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος ἐπεισάγεις τῷ βίῳ; οὐ τὴν ζοφερὰν νύκτα τῆς ἀπάτης ἀποσοβεῖς; οὐ τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς θεογνωσίας ἀνατέλλεις τοῖς βουλομένοις τὸ ταύτης κάλλος ὁρᾷν; οὐ τὸ φῶς τῆς ἀληθείας ἐφ απλοῖς ταῖς πάντων ψυχαῖς; οὐ τὰ νέφη τῆς δυσσεβείας ὡς καπνὸν διαλύεις; οὐχ ὡς ἥλιος δικαιοσύ νης περιβεβλημένος τὸ λευκὸν νέφος τοῦ σώματος, σπείρεις πανταχοῦ τῆς θεότητος τὰς ἀκτῖνας; οὐ παρθένος εἶ τὸ βλέμμα, καὶ τὸ βῆμα, καὶ τὸ σχῆμα, καὶ τὸν λογισμὸν, καὶ τὸν νοῦν, καὶ τὴν ψυχήν; οὐκ ἐκ παρθένου παρθένον σῶμα σαυτῷ κατεσκεύασας; Μὴ ταῦτα διανοίας δεῖται καὶ κατανύξεως; Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκα βαπτίσω σε νῦν, τοῦ ποταμοῦ δημιουργὲ, καὶ τοῦ βαπτίσματος χορηγὲ, καὶ διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν ἄνθρωπε; Ἀνομίας ἴχνος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν σοὶ, οὔτε κηλὶς ἁμαρτίας ἔχρανέ σου τὴν ἄχραντον σάρκα, οὔτε τῷ στόματί σού ποτε δόλος παρήδρευσεν. Ἰὸς ἀσπίδων τοῖς Ἰουδαϊκοῖς ἐπικρύπτεται χείλεσι· γεννήματα γάρ εἰσιν ἐχιδνῶν, καὶ τούτων αἱ γλῶσσαι τυγχάνουσι δόλιαι· σοῦ δὲ ἐν τῷ στόματι ζωῆς ἀεννάου βρύουσι πηγαί· ζωὴ γὰρ ὑπάρχων, ζωὴν φθέγγῃ καὶ χορηγεῖς. Πῶς οὖν ὁ χορηγὸς τῆς παρούσης καὶ τῆς μελλούσης ζωῆς, τῶν πτωχῶν ἐπιβαίνεις ῥευμάτων; Οἱ ἄλλοι πάντες ὑπ' ἐμοῦ βαπτιζόμενοι ταῦτα ἀκούουσι παρ' ἐμοῦ· Μετανοεῖτε· ἤγγικε γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐ ρανῶν· καὶ πιστεύσατε εἰς τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ. Ἐπὶ σοῦ δὲ βαπτιζομένου τί λαλήσω; τί φθέγξομαι; εἴπω, Μετανόη σον; ἵνα τίς σου τὴν μετάνοιαν δέξηται; τίς γὰρ ἄλλος ἐστί σου μείζων Θεός; Εἴπω, Μετανόησον· Ἤγγικε γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν; καὶ τῇ βασι λείᾳ τὴν βασιλείαν εὐαγγελίσομαι; καὶ σοὶ διαλεχθῶ περὶ σοῦ; ἀγνοεῖς γὰρ ὃ πέφυκας; οὐκ ἐπίστασαι τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἣν φέρων τοῖς ἀνθρώ ποις οὐρανόθεν ἐλήλυθας; Εἴπω πρὸς σέ· Πίστευσον εἰς τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν; σὲ σοὶ πιστεῦσαι παρεγγυήσω; καὶ τίς ποτε νενουθέτηται αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ πιστεῦσαι; Πιστεῦσαι γὰρ δεῖ τὸν προσερχόμενον, ὅτι ἔστι Θεός· σὺ δὲ Θεὸς εἶ, καὶ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, εἰ καὶ ἄνθρωπος εἶ τὸ φαινόμενον, καὶ πιστεύεσθαι δίκαιος εἶ παρὰ πάντων. Ἀλλ' εἴπω πρὸς σέ· Πί στευσον εἰς τὸν Πατέρα τὸν σόν; Πότε γὰρ ὤφθης ἄπιστος καὶ πολέμιος τῷ Πατρί; πότε δὲ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ γεγεννηκότος ἐχωρίσθης θεότητος;

Τί οὖν εἴπω πρὸς σέ; Πίστευσον εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον; Ἀλλ' ἐν σοὶ, καὶ σὺν σοὶ τοῦτο καθέστηκεν. Ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι, καὶ σὺ ἔρχῃ πρὸς μέ; ὁ μονογενὴς Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ Ζαχαρίου; ὁ ἐκ τῆς παρθένου πρὸς τὸν ἐκ τῆς στεί ρας; ὁ μὴ λύσας τὴν παρθενίαν τῆς μητρὸς, πρὸς τὸν λύσαντα τῆς τεκούσης τὴν στείρωσιν; ὁ ἐκ γαστρὸς προσκυνηθεὶς πρὸς τὸν ἐκ κοιλίας ἐπιγνόντα τὴν σὴν δεσποτείαν; ὁ ἐνανθρωπήσας πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἐρή μου φωνήν; ὁ τοσοῦτος ὑψηλὸς πρὸς τὸν τοσοῦτον εὐτελῆ; ὁ Κύριος πάσης τῆς κτίσεως πρὸς τὸν ἀνάξιον τῆς σῆς ἀγαθότητος ὑπηρέτην; ὁ πλούσιος κατὰ φύσιν πρὸς τὸν πένητα κατὰ φύσιν,