Gospel in Art: The Birth, Naming and Circumcision of St John the Baptist

The Birth, Naming, and Circumcision of St John the Baptist, by Giovanni Baronzio © National Gallery of Art, Washington

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 23 December 2022
Luke 1:57-66

The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son; and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had shown her so great a kindness, they shared her joy.

Now on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up. 'No,' she said 'he is to be called John.' They said to her, 'But no one in your family has that name', and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, 'His name is John.' And they were all astonished. At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God. All their neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judaea. All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. 'What will this child turn out to be?' they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.

Reflection on the painting

Our painted panel, dating back to 1335 (around the same time as yesterday's painting), again shows the transition from late Gothic painting into early Renaissance painting. The architecture is still largely gothic (look at the windows), but the figures and scene is already more three-dimensional and more true to reality. Our panel was once part of a larger altarpiece devoted to St John the Baptist, incorporating other similar, smaller panels. Giovanni Baronzio incorporates three episodes from the life of John the Baptist into one busy scene.

We see on the left John's mother, Elizabeth, resting, whilst two women attend to the newborn baby. Elizabeth's left hand is placed on her womb and her right hand points towards her husband, Zechariah, who is writing the baby's name on a scroll. At that moment he miraculously regained the power of speech, which had been taken from him as punishment for doubting the angel's announcement that he and Elizabeth would have a child. On the right, a third scene is depicted where baby John is putting up a struggle during his circumcision, a sign of the covenant between God and the people of Israel… but a new convenant is soon to come… Christmas is only two days away…

The two main figures in our painting are Elizabeth and Zechariah. Both elderly, they considered it to be a miracle to have been 'given' a baby boy. They had received an unexpected gift. They must have been filled with joy and gratitude. God sent them a wondrous gift, after probably years and years of prayers… We often pray for a special intention for a long period of time and seemingly do not get any answers. But God doesn't answer our prayers in our own time frame. The timing in our life is not ours to control, know nor understand... our part is to pray and to trust.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/

Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-1-57-66-2022/