The role of John the Baptist in the Gospel tradition

Abstract

In this paper, I will try to present John the Baptist as one of the main characters mentioned in all the four Gospels. I will examine his role in the Synoptic Gospels and in the Gospel of John. In Mark and Matthew, John's main role is that of baptizing Jesus while Luke seems to avoid this detail by placing the Baptist in prison before narrating the baptism of Jesus. I will try to exam why Luke does so. I will also probe into the Baptist's question about the identity of Jesus. I will also analyze the role of John the Baptist in the Fourth Gospel, namely that of witness to Jesus and as a friend of Jesus the Bridegroom.