John Chrysostom, On the Birth of Saint John the Prophet

The grace of the Holy Spirit came upon her, she gave birth beyond nature; for the matter of nature is one thing, and the work of grace is another. For what was happening with John was a wonder; and he did not have so much of his paternal lineage as of the Word of God.

And the witness of this is the archangel Gabriel himself, saying to Zechariah: Behold, your wife will bear you a son, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb, and he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God; and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah. O, the birth of the child is of another wondrous nature! It was wondrous, and not natural; for the one who begets, begets with pleasure, but the one who gives birth, gives birth in pain. Since, therefore, Zechariah disbelieved, but Elizabeth did not doubt, receiving the child of her old age against hope, for this reason, she is said to 'give birth' and to 'bear,' the one on account of nature, the other on account of faith. For the one who begets, as I said before, begets with pleasure; but the one who gives birth, gives birth in pain. But what pain was there for Elizabeth, where there was the presence of the Holy Spirit, and not the rounds of an inexperienced midwife? when it was the work of grace, not the burden of nature? And how, listen. The pain was pitiful in comparison to the joy. For John did not receive grace at his birth, but having received the robe of sanctification from his mother's womb itself, he became a wondrous general, as the angel said: He will be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah.

Who will go before whom? John before the Lord Christ; for this reason he is called the Forerunner, as one can hear John himself saying about the Savior: A man comes after me, who has come to be before me; after, on account of time; before, on account of the throne. But why did Gabriel say that John would go before the king, Christ, in the spirit and power of Elijah the Tishbite? Listen with understanding: Elijah is interpreted as 'God'. Since, therefore, John had God in himself, for he was filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb, and the Spirit is God; for about him the Lord spoke through the prophet many ages ago: Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you, and will turn many from error to the truth; for this reason John goes before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah; since John also had many things similar to Elijah. Indeed, the infant is born, and the voice is restored to the father. For when Zechariah was asked, it says, what he would want the child to be called, He asked for a small tablet, and wrote, saying: John is his name; He who did not 61.762 believe the angel's words, was now compelled to write the vision, proclaiming it in writing; he who did not then receive with his hearing what was said, now legislates with his hand, writing what was happening.

And having given the name to the child, he received back his voice; Wherefore, it says, all were amazed. For immediately his mouth was opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. O, the wondrous and strange miracle! A child's name is written, and a mute father's mouth is opened; he is called John, and the tongue of the one who calls is restored. Do you see how he did not err, and we, having unhinderedly stated the fitting explanation, have not erred? For behold, the name of the just man himself opens a silent mouth, and stirs a sluggish tongue. For thus is John's voice shown to be crying out, that even the name itself becomes an energy of voice. I am, he says, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. O, the wonder! The Word arrives, and a voice proclaims beforehand; The Master comes, and a servant is sent ahead; The King arrives, and a soldier is prepared beforehand. Let us rejoice, therefore, and be glad, that Elizabeth gave birth, and Zechariah spoke; that the barren one bore a child, and the old man cried out, that

Πνεύματος ἁγίου χάρις ἐπέστη, ὑπὲρ φύσιν ἐγέννησεν· ἄλλο γὰρ φύσεως πρᾶγμα, καὶ ἄλλο χάριτος ἔργον. Θαῦμα γὰρ ἦν τὸ γινόμενον ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου· καὶ οὐ τοσοῦτον εἶχε τοῦ πατρικοῦ γένους ὅσον τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου.

Καὶ τούτου μάρτυς αὐτὸς ὁ ἀρχάγγελος Γαβριὴλ λέγων πρὸς Ζαχαρίαν· Ἰδοὺ ἡ γυνή σου γεννήσει υἱόν σοι, καὶ Πνεύματος ἁγίου πλησθήσεται ἔτι ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς αὑτοῦ, καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἐπιστρέψει ἐπὶ Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν αὐτῶν· καὶ αὐτὸς προελεύσεται ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ἐν πνεύματι καὶ δυνάμει Ἠλίου. Ὢ ἄλλης παραδόξου φύσεως ὁ τόκος τοῦ παιδός! ἦ παράδοξος, καὶ οὐ φυσικός· ὁ γὰρ γεννῶν, σὺν ἡδονῇ γεννᾷ, ἡ δὲ τίκτουσα, ἐν λύπαις τίκτει. Ἐπεὶ οὖν Ζαχαρίας ἠπίστησεν, ἡ δὲ Ἐλισάβετ οὐκ ἀμφέβαλε, τὸν ὀψίγονον παρ' ἐλπίδα δεχομένη παῖδα, τούτου χάριν, τίκτειν καὶ γεννᾷν προσαγορεύεται, τὸ μὲν διὰ τὴν φύσιν, τὸ δὲ διὰ τὴν πίστιν. Ὁ γεννῶν γὰρ, καθὼς προεῖπον, σὺν ἡδονῇ γεννᾷ· ἡ δὲ τίκτουσα, ἐν λύπαις τίκτει. Ποία δὲ λύπη ἐπὶ τῆς Ἐλισάβετ, ὅπου Πνεύματος ἁγίου παρουσία, οὐχὶ δὲ μαίας ἀπείρου περιοδεία; ἡνίκα τῆς χάριτος τὸ ἔργον, οὐ τῆς φύσεως τὸ βάρος; καὶ πῶς, ἄκουε. Οἰκτρὸς ἦν ὁ πόνος πρὸς σύγκρισιν τῆς χαρμοσύνης. Οὐ γὰρ κατὰ τὸ γεννηθῆναι ὁ Ἰωάννης τὴν χάριν ἐδέξατο, ἀλλ' ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς μητρικῆς νηδύος τὴν στολὴν τοῦ ἁγιασμοῦ δεξάμενος, στρατηγὸς παράδοξος γέγονε, καθὼς ἔφη ὁ ἄγγελος· Πνεύματος ἁγίου πλησθήσεται ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς προελεύσεται ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ἐν πνεύματι καὶ δυνάμει Ἠλίου.

Τίς τίνος προελεύσεται; Ἰωάννης τοῦ ∆εσπότου Χριστοῦ· διὰ τοῦτο Πρόδρομος ὀνομάζεται, ὡς ἔστιν αὐτοῦ τοῦ Ἰωάννου ἀκοῦσαι λέγοντος περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος· Ἔρχεται ὀπίσω μου ἀνὴρ, ὃς ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν· ὀπίσω, διὰ τὸν χρόνον· ἔμπροσθεν, διὰ τὸν θρόνον. ∆ιὰ τί δὲ ἐν πνεύματι καὶ δυνάμει· Ἠλίου τοῦ Θεσβίτου ὁ Γαβριὴλ τὸν Ἰωάννην προϊππάζειν τοῦ βασιλέως Χριστοῦ ἔλεγεν; Ἄκουε συνετῶς· Ἠλίας, Θεὸς ἑρμηνεύεται. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ὁ Ἰωάννης τὸν Θεὸν εἶχεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, Πνεύματος γὰρ ἁγίου ἐπλήσθη ἔτι ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς αὑτοῦ, τὸ δὲ Πνεῦμα ὁ Θεός ἐστι· περὶ αὐτοῦ γὰρ ἔλεγεν ὁ Κύριος διὰ τοῦ προφήτου ἐκ πολλῶν τῶν χρόνων· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου, ὃς κατασκευάσει τὴν ὁδόν σου ἔμπροσθέν σου, καὶ πολλοὺς ἐπιστρέψει ἀπὸ τῆς πλάνης εἰς τὴν ἀλήθειαν· τούτου χάριν ἐν πνεύματι καὶ δυνάμει Ἠλίου ὁ Ἰωάννης προοδεύει τοῦ Κυρίου· ἐπειδὴ καὶ πολλὰ παραπλήσια τοῦ Ἠλίου εἶχεν ὁ Ἰωάννης. Ἀμέλει τὸ βρέφος τίκτεται, καὶ ἡ φωνὴ τῷ πατρὶ ἀποδίδοται. Ἐρωτώμενος γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ Ζαχαρίας, τὸ τί ἂν θέλοι τὸ παιδίον καλεῖσθαι, Ἤτησε πινακίδιον, καὶ ἔγραψε λέγων· Ἰωάννης ἐστὶ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ· Ὁ μὴ πι 61.762 στεύσας τοῦ ἀγγέλου τοῖς λόγοις, νῦν ἠναγκάσθη γράψαι τὴν ὀπτασίαν, ἐγγράφως κηρύττων· ὁ μὴ δεξάμενος τότε τῇ ἀκοῇ τὰ λεχθέντα, νῦν νομοθετεῖ τῇ χειρὶ τὰ γινόμενα γράφων.

Καὶ τὴν προσηγορίαν ἀποδοὺς τῷ παιδὶ, ἀπέλαβε τὴν φωνήν· Ὅθεν, φησὶν, ἐθαύμασαν πάντες. Ἀνεῴχθη γὰρ παραχρῆμα τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐλύθη ὁ δεσμὸς τῆς γλώττης αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐλάλει εὐλογῶν τὸν Θεόν. Ὢ τοῦ παραδόξου καὶ ξένου θαύματος! ὄνομα γράφεται τέκνου, καὶ στόμα πατρὸς κωφὸν διανοίγεται· Ἰωάννης καλεῖται, καὶ τοῦ καλοῦντος ἡ γλῶττα ῥυθμίζεται. Ὁρᾷς ὡς οὐ διήμαρτε, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀπαρεμποδίστως εἰπόντες τὴν πρέπουσαν ἐξήγησιν, οὐ διημάρτομεν; Ἰδοὺ γὰρ αὐτοῦ τοῦ δικαίου τὸ ὄνομα στόμα σιωπῆς διανοίγει, καὶ γλῶσσαν δυσκίνητον διεγείρει. Οὕτω γὰρ δείκνυται βοῶσα ἡ Ἰωάννου φωνὴ, ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ὄνομα φωνῆς ἐνέργεια γίνεται. Ἐγὼ, φησὶ, φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ· Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ. Ὢ τοῦ θαύματος! Λόγος ἐπιδημεῖ, καὶ φωνὴ προκηρύττει· ∆εσπότης ἔρχεται, καὶ δοῦλος προαποστέλλεται· Βασιλεὺς παραγίνεται, καὶ στρατιώτης προετοιμάζεται. Χαίρωμεν οὖν καὶ εὐφρανθῶμεν, ὅτι ἡ Ἐλισάβετ ἐγέννησε, καὶ ὁ Ζαχαρίας ἐλάλησεν· ὅτι στεῖρα ἔτεκε, καὶ ὁ πρεσβύτης ἐβόησεν, ὅτι