Every year on July 7, all Orthodox Ukrainians celebrate Nativity of the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John. On this day, believers remember and honor the memory of John the Baptist – one of the most revered saints, the forerunner of Jesus Christ (that’s why he is called the Forerunner) and his baptizer.

The Prophet Ivan was born in the family of the priest Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth, who is considered a relative of the mother of Jesus, about six months before the birth of Christ (6-2 years before the birth of Christ according to historians). The birth of Ivan and his subsequent life can be called God’s mercy. His parents were already old at that time, and the times in which he was born were terrible: Ivan managed to survive during the mass murder of newborns in Bethlehem by order of Herod the Great.

And all this is not for nothing, because it was John who was prepared to predict the coming of the Son of God, it was he who had to recognize him among other people and tell everyone about his appearance, and then baptize Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan.

Like most saints, Ivan the Baptist (popular name) died in agony. The father of the same Herod Antipas ordered to behead the prophet approximately 30 years after the birth of Christ.