John’s Gospel is a “book of signs” that reveal Jesus Christ. There are many undeniable signs or proofs that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of God. Along with the signs, John discloses some of Christ’s public ministry. This is a progressive revelation of Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. The revelation of Jesus’ early ministry is found in John 1:19 – John 4:54.
Before his public ministry began, John the Baptist was sent by God in the power of Elijah to bear witness of Jesus. John 1:19-28 shows the second witness of John the Baptist. Earlier, the gospel spoke about John the Baptist coming to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. Now the text begins talking about the testimony of John.
The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priest and Levites to question John to see who he was and what he was doing.
In the first century, many people were looking for the coming of the Messiah. The last prophets who were sent to Israel gave promise that the Messiah would come and bring relief and a new kingdom. John’s ministry had been highly successful and people from all over Israel had come to be baptized by John in the Jordan. Many were thinking that John might be the Messiah.
When the Priest and Levites arrived, their first question was: “Who are you?”
John 1:19 NKJV Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
John the Baptist’s ministry had become so influential that it drew the attention of the leaders in the Jerusalem synagogue. Since everyone was looking for the Messiah, the Jews thought that John was possibly Him. That is why they asked John, “Who are you?”
John 1:20-21 NKJV He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
It is important for us to see that John knew that he was sent from God to bear witness of the Light, (John 1:7). When John confessed that he was not the Christ, they wanted to know who he was.
Why did they ask these questions? They were looking for the Messiah. John’s ministry was so powerful that many believed that he might be the Christ. Jesus said “John was more than a prophet” and that there was “no greater prophet than John the Baptist.” The Jews thought the Messiah was going to be the king who would deliver them from their enemies. John had the personality, demeanor and anointing of someone who could deliver Israel from their oppressors.
John clearly stated, “I am not the Christ (the Messiah).”
This was John’s confession. Both “Christ” [christos] and “Messiah” [ha-Mashiach] mean the “Anointed One.” Jesus Christ is the Messiah, Yeshua ha-Mashiach.
John the Baptist knew that he was not the Messiah. The Priest and Levites asked, “Are you Elijah?” Since John confessed that he was not the Messiah, they thought he might be the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophesy.
Malachi 4:5 NKJV Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
Many speculated that John was Elijah. In 1 Kings 17, Elijah appeared with great signs and miracles. He rebuked Israel’s idolatry and turned them back to God.
John had an Elijah-type ministry, but He was not Elijah. John appeared on the scene suddenly with the power and authority of Elijah. He was turning people back to God, just like Elijah did.
Again, their focus was on the coming of the Messiah. Malachi said, Elijah would come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. They knew that Elijah was a sign of the coming of Messiah.
Although John the Baptist denied that he was that Elijah, Jesus gave this testimony about him.
Matthew 17:10–13 NET The disciples asked him, “Why then do the experts in the law say that Elijah must come first?” He answered, “Elijah does indeed come first and will restore all things. And I tell you that Elijah has already come. Yet they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. In the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.
Many thought that John was that Prophet.
Deuteronomy 18:15 NKJV Moses said: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear.”
John said: “No.” I am not that Prophet.
In Acts 3, when Peter was preaching in Solomon’s Portico after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, he identified that Prophet as Jesus the Messiah.
Acts 3:19-23 NKJV Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’
The Answer for the world is Jesus Christ. His word is truth and it is life.
Acts 3:26 NKJV To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”
Any who will listen to the Lord will find relief and release from their iniquities. When these Priest and Levites came to John the Baptist, they and all of the religious leaders were looking for the Messiah.
They wanted to know who John was.
John 1:22-23 NKJV Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
John’s answer was not what they were expecting to hear. John said: “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord.” John was a voice [phone /fo·nay/]. Jesus is the Word (Logos). John was there to prepare a way for One Who was the Living Word of God.
John’s message was the same voice that Isaiah declared.
Isaiah 40:1-5 NKJV “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God. “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the Lord’s hand Double for all her sins.” The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah and John the Baptist called out to the people to prepare the way for the Lord and His glory. These prophets were “voices” that only declared what God had given them.The Hebrew word for “voice” means a thunderous sound or noise. John’s message in the wilderness was filled with that urgency “prepare a highway for Jesus Christ.” He was calling a remnant of people out of the wilderness to receive the Messiah. I feel the Holy Spirit making that same urgent thunderous sound today. Prepare a way for the Lord. When we make room for Jesus, “the crooked places will be made straight, the rough places will be made smooth, and the glory of the Lord will be revealed.”
John 1:25-27 NKJV And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”
John was saying, “I know Who Jesus is.” From the time John was in the womb, the Holy Spirit had prepared him to be the voice of one crying out, “I know Who Jesus is.”
John’s third witness is found in John 1:29-34.
This next paragraph shows the way that John was walking by faith and by the power of the Holy Spirit. All John knew was he was to go out and prepare the way for the Lord.
John 1:29-34 NKJVThe next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
When John started preparing a way for Jesus the Messiah, but he did not know who He was. The One who sent John to baptize told him how to identify Jesus. He was told the Holy Spirit would descend and remain on the Messiah. John saw something that had never happened before or after.
John saw the invisible Spirit of God come from heaven in a form like a Dove.
Mark 1:9–11 NKJV It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
This was the sign that John was looking for. Take note that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were present when Jesus was baptized in the water.
In John 1:34 John said: “I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” The title “Son of God” refers to Jesus only. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. On the basis of what John heard and saw, he positively testified that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God. This means the hope of the world has come.
John said: “I saw the Holy Spirit descend on HIM.”
“I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him and a voice came from heaven that said, “You are My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.” Before that moment John did not know Him. This was the sign that John needed. Once John saw the Holy Spirit descend from heaven, he knew who Jesus was. This is a witness directly from heaven that Jesus is the Messiah. As a result of the action of the Holy Spirit, John the Baptist knew Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God.
John 1:35-36 NKJV Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
The title “the Lamb of God” presents the purpose for Christ’s coming to this world.
John 1:29 NKJV “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Before Jesus told His disciples what would happen on the cross, John saw Jesus as the sacrificial Lamb that would die for the sin of the world.
1 Peter 1:18-19 NKJV You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
Jesus the Christ is the Lamb of God who takes and bears away the sin of the world.
Isaiah 53:5-7 NKJV But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
We can put all of our trust in Jesus, the sacrifice Lamb of God.