A Voice In The Wilderness!!!

John 1:19-34

In the central part of this first chapter of the Gospel of John, the disciple of Jesus steps into the historical timeline of Jesus’ ministry and outlines the role of John the Baptist in ushering in the ministry of Jesus Christ.

John the Baptists actions and more importantly his words are expressed in clarity for us. They show John the Baptist’s understanding of both who Jesus was (the Messiah), and his knowledge of the Old Testament scriptures.

(artwork by Schism)

John 1:19-34 says…

Verses 19-20: “Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”

• The author (John) starts by showing us that what John the Baptist was doing was testifying about the coming messiah. And he was testifying before the religious ruling elite who had come to question him about who he was and what his message contained.

• They were worried that it might subvert their claims and their position on the interpretation of the Old Testament scriptures - particularly about the coming messiah.

• It must be noted that in 1st Century Israel, the prevailing belief that the messiah was going to be a ‘Davidic’ figure - meaning that the messiah would be a warrior king who would overthrow the Roman occupation and oppression.

• It is also interesting that John the Baptist clearly stated that he was not the ‘Messiah’.

Verse 21-23: “They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not. “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself”, John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

• They questioned John the Baptist quite vigorously - in part because they knew the Old Testament prophecies. Like Malachi 4:5 which says “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.” - They were correct in assuming that was John the Baptist role, but they took the designation literally and thought that we was actually Elijah who had come back to usher in the messiah.

• John denied that he is ‘actually Elijah’, which confused the priests and experts in the Old Testament. So they ask him again, who he is.

• John the Baptist quotes directly from Isaiah 40:3 which says, “A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” - they should have understood what John the Baptist was saying.

Verses 24-27: “Now the Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, “Why then do you baptise if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” “I baptise with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

• The fact John the Baptist talks about the fact he baptises with water is very interesting. The ‘mikvah’ is a structure (typically near the temple or synagogues) where people immersed themselves in water to be ritually clean - both from physical dirt and from sin.

• So, the concept of baptism is not new, and it is one that the priests and officials would have been aware of.

• But John the Baptist takes it a step or two further - basically, he tells them that the ‘Messiah’ is actually here and you are so blind in your religiousness that you cannot see him, even though you know the scriptures.

• John the Baptist clearly states that the ‘Messiah’ is there, in their time and in their region, and the Messiah will follow on the heels of his ministry.

• John the Baptist also knows that the coming ‘Messiah’ Jesus, his cousin, is more worth than everyone, including him.

Verse 28: “This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.”

• Context is everything when understanding the scriptures, and physical location is an important aspect to that understanding.

• The Bethany that John (the author) is referring to is not the Bethany that is only a few miles away from Jerusalem - where Jesus’ friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus live.

• Rather, he is referring to a site that is on the eastern shores of the Jordan river, that is opposite of the direction the town of Jericho is (looking west from Bethany beyond the Jordan). North of the Dead Sea.

• Here we find that John the Baptist was in a region close by the Jordan river (one of the few permanent water sources, where he conducted his ministry - calling for repentance from sins and for baptism.

• It is a reminder that there are practical aspects we need to consider when we are undertaking in a ‘ministry’ program.

Verses 29-31: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptising with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

• Now Jesus arrives on the scene. And John the Baptist was full of joy and reverent awe about it. It begs the question - “How would we react if we saw Jesus physically walking towards us?”

• On a practical matter, the fact that Jesus had to have travelled to get to John the Baptist. This shows intentionality by Jesus to get baptised and to begin his ministry by being ministered to by John the Baptist. Either Jesus travelled from the Galilee region (which is a long way from where John the Baptist was ministering), or from Jerusalem (which was still many miles away. Jesus intentionally went there. He went out of the way to be filled with the spirit and to be ministered to.

• We need to follow Jesus’ pattern. We need to position ourselves in the proximity of ministries that are spirit-filled and are actively doing the will and ministry of God’s Kingdom.

• It is now that John the Baptist reminds his audience that Jesus is the sacrifice that had been propelled about when he calls Jesus the ‘Lamb of God’. In Isaiah 53:7 we see that it is prophecies that “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”

• John (the author of the gospel) uses the ‘Lamb of God’ again when writing the book of Revelation - and much of what he states there is what he saw personally, or was told to him by Jesus or an angelic figure.

• What it should have done for the people within earshot of John the Baptist is called to their memory both Isaiah’s prophecy, but also the Exodus (Passover seder feast) and the salvation of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt.

• Here was the ‘Lamb of God’ who would be the atoning sacrifice for all of humanity.

Verses 32-34: “Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptise with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

• Then John the Baptist makes a pronouncement that still resonates to this day. He says that Jesus is indeed “God’s Chosen One” meaning the messiah. This revelation was not through human intuition, or knowledge - but came directly from God.

• He also notes that the Holy Spirit defended on Jesus (as a dove), meaning that Jesus was being an example to us who believe (for we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit).

• We also see a broader description of the Godhead (the Trinity) in these events. We have God (Yahweh) as the author of the events, we have the Holy Spirit, and we have Jesus (the Son of God).

We have seen in these verses of the first chapter of the book of John, that the cohesion of scripture across 1500 years, and multiple authors is clearly seen as prophecies from the likes of Isaiah and Malachi begin to be fulfilled in these verses.

We see John the Baptist being that loud voice calling for people’s repentance and baptism to bring them back to a right relationship with God. And we see the arrival of Jesus the Messiah on the scene. Jesus the ‘Lamb of God’ - the coming sacrifice that would was away the sins of humanity.

As we move into the rest of the book of John we will see the choosing of some of the disciples.

May God bless you with peace, strength and wisdom in these days.