John 1:19–34 – The Testimony of John the Baptist
(Luke Kephart)
*Editor’s Note: This post was updated around 8:57 am on March 5. After sending me the draft copy, Luke made some important updates to his blog post, including references to the practice of repentance in the first century. However, I mistakenly used the original post and didn’t notice until Wednesday morning. The corrections were made and the post below is the one that was intended. (MK)
John 1:19–34 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” 24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
John the Baptist has been preaching a message “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 3:2) and baptizing those who would accept his teaching. He made enough of a stir that the Pharisees sent Priests and Levites to find out who he was claiming to be. They specifically asked if he was the Messiah, a reincarnate Elijah, or a Prophet like Moses, all of which were within their interpretation of scriptural prophecy. John confessed that he was none of them, and the examiners asked him who he was, essentially, what authority he had to teach and to baptize. His answer, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” He further added that there was someone greater coming.
The next day, Jesus comes into the picture, and John, after claiming very little about himself, makes extraordinary claims about Jesus:
- He is God’s sacrificial lamb for the sin of the world.
- He “ranks before me, (John) because he was before me.” (John was older.)
- God “he who sent me” had revealed to him that when He saw the Spirit of God descending on Jesus like a dove, that was the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit.
- John testified that from this proof, Jesus was the Son of God.
We’ve been warned that there’s more in each of these sections than we can possibly cover in the space we have, but I want to think about three questions:
Who is the sender of John the Baptist?
What is John doing to prepare the way?
What is the result of what John does and says?
Who is the sender of John the Baptist? If you were in the first Adult Ed class with Josiah, or heard Matt comment on it in the sermon, they pointed out that the book of John is theocentric, that is, while it is about the person of Jesus it is even more so about what God is doing through the person of Jesus. This is made very clear in this passage, because the “he who sent me” that John speaks of is God. Jesus was not sent into the world to independently find a way to resolve a crisis, He was sent as the culmination of God’s whole plan on our behalf. John was sent to both prepare the way, but also to witness God’s confirmation through the Holy Spirit that Jesus is the one who Baptizes with the Holy Spirit and is the Messiah and God’s Son. The entirety of God is deeply engaged.
What is John doing to prepare the way? To prepare the way for the Lord, John does three things, he preaches repentance, he baptizes with water, and he proclaims Jesus as the Messiah. Repentance and the need to turn from evil and toward God were familiar and important parts of the scriptures. Psalm 51 acknowledges sin and the need for cleansing: > “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin!” (Psalm 51:1-2, ESV)
Also, a primary message of the prophets was repentance. John’s teaching returned to that call and resonated with those who heard. Perhaps the practice of the times, focused on ritual observance and adherence to the Law of Moses and the sacrificial system, had lost the focus on genuine inner change. John’s teaching and the symbolism of baptism pointed to a cleansing and a true change.
Finally, John testifies that Jesus is the Messiah. The fact that he was referred to as John the Baptist, points to the significance of that action. Josiah pointed out to me that it was a commonly held Messianic expectation that the Messiah would come and cleanse the people. Therefore, John’s decision to baptize could have been viewed by his first century audience as an indicator that John was presenting himself as the Messiah. In this case, however, John clearly denies that he is the Messiah and points to Jesus.
What is the result of what John does and says? John’s role was to prepare the way for the Lord. What we should realize is that the prepared “way” is a groundswell of people who recognize and repent of their sin and understand their lack of ability to save themselves. They are ready to meet the Messiah. The book of John is known for the “I am” statements that Jesus makes. Here John says, “I am not”, pointing firmly away from himself and toward Jesus.
Think about how prepared you are to meet the Messiah and be His disciple today. Do you recognize your sin, desire to change, and see that change is impossible without Jesus?
Weekly Prayer Focus: Congregational Renewal
Daily Prayer Request: “Patience Together.” That we would be patient with each other as we navigate a complicated process and account for various opinions.