Did Jesus and John the Baptist know each other before their ministries?

[JDGaney]

I would have assumed so, since they are cousins. But I was reading John’s gospel, which reads at 1:33-34 I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

Just curious.

 

[COPLAND_3]

This is from St. Thomas Aquinas

And so, excluding this, John says, And I did not know him!; for John had lived in the desert from boyhood. And although many miracles happened during the birth of Christ, such as the Magi and the star and so on, they were not known to John: both because he was an infant at the time, and because, after withdrawing to the desert, he had no association with Christ. In the interim between his birth and baptism, Christ did not perform any miracles, but led a life similar to any other person, and his power remained unknown to all.

 

[Jon_S_1]

They knew each other.

John was preparing the way for someone he knew,

It had most likely been many years since they had seen each other.

 

[Todd977]

John probably recognized Jesus as his cousin but he did not recognize Jesus as his Messiah until his baptism.

 

[irenaeuslyons]

I would have assumed so, since they are cousins. But I was reading John’s gospel, which reads at 1:33-34 I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
Just curious.

John and his mother knew of his presence.

“And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:…And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”
Lk 1:41

 

[Judas_Thaddeus]

They are cousins, so it’s not impossible, but there’s no manuscript that I know of suggesting this.