John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And the whole Judean region and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
(Mark 1:4-8, NRSVue)
"The Voice Crying in the Wilderness" took on flesh and blood in John the Baptist, the ascetic desert-dweller who prepared the way for the Messiah in a revival movement, marked by cleansing with water as a sign of repentence. Jesus appeared among the crowds flocking to see the Baptizer and took his family relation by surprise in coming forward for baptism, the moment when the Spirit of God descended upon him like a dove. Not known for his descriptive details, Mark the Gospel writer seems quite taken by the Baptizer's clothes and diet. Lyuba Yatskiv is one of the leading representatives of the new school of Ukrainian Greek Catholic iconography based in the city of Lviv in West Ukraine. She follows Eastern Orthodox practice in depicting John the Baptister with wings, since, like the angels, he was a messenger of God. John holds his head on a platter in emblem of his martyrdom at the hands of King Herod Antipas. The Ukrainian text on his scroll reads: “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord.” (John Kohan)