Marcus: The Centurion's Journey to Faith - Episode #11

Journal Entry-Monday, October 19, 26 A.D

Journal Entry - Marcus Aelius Vitalis
Date: Monday, October 19, 26 A.D. (Year of the Consulship of Lentulus and Agrippa, 778 Ab urbe condita)

Today I met with Jonah again, and something he told me has left me more unsettled than I care to admit. Rumors have been circulating about a man called John the Baptist. His name keeps coming up in conversations, more often now, and it’s not just idle talk. There’s something in the way people speak about him—a mixture of awe and fear. They say he’s a prophet, someone with the power to draw crowds wherever he goes, preaching about repentance and the coming of someone greater.

Jonah was nervous when he told me about it. He’s always nervous, of course—part of him still doesn’t trust that I’ll hold up my end of the bargain, though I’ve given him no reason to doubt me yet. But today, there was something else. The fear in his eyes was different. He wasn’t just scared for himself or his sister; he was scared because of what he’d heard.

“Centurion,” Jonah said, his voice barely above a whisper, “the people are talking about this man, John. They’re saying he’s out in the wilderness, baptizing people in the Jordan River. They say he’s preparing the way for the Messiah.”