John the Baptizer

John was a forerunner of Christ, as we hear frequently, but why? Why did Jesus need a forerunner? Jesus himself says that John was the fulfillment of the old testament prophets (Matthew 3:4), by pointing directly to the Messiah, rather than forward to Him. Mark 1:3 explains how John was the "voice of one crying in the wilderness" prophesied in Isaiah 40:3. He was a kind of Elijah (Malachi 4:5) before Lord.

But, why and how did John prepare the way? John was like a triage diagnosis before seeing the doctor. Jesus brings medicine, but people need to know they are sick.

Also, John preaches and practices baptism, repentance, forgiveness of sins, just like in our liturgy. The whole ministry of John is essentially reproduced at beginning of service, followed by the service of the Holy Communion, just like Jesus dying and shedding his body and blood after John. At the end of John's ministry he states that he must decrease so that Jesus can increase. This is just like the Pastor's vestments, which covers him and why he stands behind a pulpit when preaching the gospel.

Augustine of Hippo

Augustine of Hippo (Nov 13, 354 - Aug 28, 430) is a church father who was one of the four great Latin fathers, so one of the eight doctors of the church. He is best known for writing his Confessions and City of God. He also helped to start the idea of Just War Theory and documented the doctrine of original sin, total depravity, and predestination for the first time.  He was influenced by Ambrose, mother Monica.

Original Sin

Sola Gratia

The Lord's Supper

Bartholomew (Nathanael) the Apostle

Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him,“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” -John 1:45-49

Tradition has it he was martyred either in Derbent, north of present day Badu on the Caspian sea, or in what is now India by being flayed or skinned alive and then beheaded.

Johann Gerhard

Johann Gerhard (Oct 17, 1582 – Aug 17, 1637) studied theology and philosophy (and a couple years of medicine) and graduated in 1605.  By 1616, when he was only 33 years old, he became the senior theological professor at Jena and was soon considered the greatest theologian of his time. He was also a prolific author.

Gerhard helped to develop Lutheran scholasticims during the Lutheran High Orthodoxy period, which lasted from 1600 to 1685. The main purpose of this was to educate people to defend the faith, especially against the Jesuits at the time.

One interesting thing that he contributed was the seven duties of a pastor in his "Commonplaces: Locus on the Ministry"

1. Preaching the heavenly Word
2. Administering the sacraments
3. Praying for the flock entrusted to him
4. Honorable managers of their life and behavior
5. Take care of the administration of church discipline
6. Preserve ecclesiastical rights
7. Take care of the poor and visit the sick

Isaac

Isaac's birth was miraculous because his father Abraham was 100 years old when he was born and his mother Sarah was 90 years old (Genesis 21). His birth was also the fulfillment of God's covenant with Abraham, that his descendants would be a great nation and God's chosen people. When Isaac was a young boy, God told Abraham to take him up to mountain to sacrifice him. Abraham obeyed thinking that God would raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:17-19), but at the last minute God told him to stop and provided another sacrifice. (Genesis 22). I always wondered what Isaac thought of that. Did he resent his father for it or admire him?

At the age of 40, Isaac married Rebecca (Genesis 25:20). After they had been married for 20 years, they had twin sons, Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:23-26). Jacob eventually became the sole heir of the promise when Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of stew (Genesis 25:29-34), and Jacob obtained the blessing through deception of the then nearly blind Isaac (Genesis 27:1-40).

Isaac lived a very long life before dying at Hebron. There, he was buried by Jacob and Esau in the "Tomb of The Patriarchs" which is the burial place of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob/Israel and Leah. (Genesis 35:28-29, 49:31).

In the New Testament, Isaac is commonly references as a Patriarch of the Jewish people.  In fact, he is listed in Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, Romans, Galatians, Hebrews as such.

Mary, Mother of Jesus

Mary the Mother of Jesus lived from approximately 18BC - 41 AD. In Greek, she is known as the "Theotokos" or "God-bearer"? The English equivalent is Mother of God.

The Magnificat  (aka the "Song of Mary", the "Canticle of Mary", or the "Ode of the Theotokos") is from Luke 1:46-55 and is sung after she visits her pregnant cousin Elizabeth, John the Baptist jumps in her womb, and Elizabeth praises Mary for her faith:

My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior;

For He has regarded

the lowliness of His handmaiden.

For behold, from this day

all generations will call me blessed.

For the Mighty One has done great things to me,

and holy is His name;

And His mercy is on those who fear Him

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;

He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones

and has exalted the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich He has sent empty away.

He has helped his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy

as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.

Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

Lawrence (225-258) was one of the seven deacons in ancient Rome that were martyred under Emperor Valerian on August. Not much is really known about his life and ministry, but there are many legends about miracles he performed and his connection to the Holy Grail.

Joanna, Mary, Salome

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles -Luke 24:1-10

Bringing the myrrh, which was an embalming oil and symbol of death, completed the "bookends" of Jesus life along with the three wise men bringing myrrh at the epiphany.

Possible Myrrh-bearers
Mary Magdalene
Joanna, healed by Jesus, manager of Herad Antipas's Household
Salome (Mary), the mother of James and John, wife to Zebedee
Mary, the wife of Cleopas
Mary, Mother of Jesus
Mary of Bethany
Martha of Bethany
Susanna
Joseph of Arimathea
Nicodemus