Who Are You?

The Passage

John 1:19-34

19Now 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."

21 And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?"

He said, "I am not."

"Are you the Prophet?"

And he answered, "No."

22 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?"

23 He said: "I [am] 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the LORD," ' as the prophet Isaiah said."

24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.

25 And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"

26 John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 "It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."

28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29 The next day John 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 is preferred before me, for He was before me.' 31 "I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."

32 And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 "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.' 34 "And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."

A Little Background

...Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!   I like to say that the Old Testament is Jesus concealed.  The New Testament is Jesus Revealed.  In fact, the Bible speaks of Jesus and His atonement as a mystery—something hidden to those living before Jesus, but later revealed.  This quote of John’s is a perfect example of this, and why it is so important to understand the Old Testament in order to make sense of the New.  John isn’t using flowery speech in metaphor—he’s making a very specific claim about the Lord Jesus Christ.  This statement brings together two pictures of ancient Hebrew worship that identify Jesus. 

We have talked about the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt and the tabernacle system of worship that God instituted during that time.  When Israel was in Egypt, they were severely abused as slaves by Pharaoh and the Egyptians.  God sent Moses to bring them out, but Pharaoh refused to allow them to leave.  God sent nine plagues on the Egyptians, but still they refused.  Finally, God instructed that the people were to kill a lamb and place its blood on the doorposts and lintels of their houses.  God would pacah or pass over (actually make a covenant with them in their homes) those who had the blood on their door.  But for those who refused, the angel of death would come into the home and kill the firstborn of each home.  The next morning there was not one home of all the Egyptians that did not have a death in the family.  Pharaoh and the Egyptians quickly expelled the Israelites from Egypt.  From that time on, God decreed that the Israelites remember that event in a feast known as Passover or “Pecach”.  1 Corinthians 5:7 tells us that Jesus is our Passover!  In fact he was arrested during the Passover feast.  All of this will come together in an amazing way as we read in the days ahead.  John the Baptizer was speaking prophetically that Jesus would be killed just like the Passover lamb (Behold the Lamb of God) to complete or fulfill Israel’s covenant with God.

Also as part of the tabernacle system was a day known as the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur.  All throughout the year, the Israelites were to bring sacrifices to the tabernacle.[1]  However on one day of every year, the High Priest would sacrifice a bull for his own sin and one of two goats in atonement for the sins of the people.  He would take the blood into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle it on the Mercy Seat.  This was a special place in the tabernacle that was so holy that only the High Priest could enter only one day of the entire year.  He had very strict laws to follow that would prepare him to enter behind the veil.  The second goat was to be presented before the people.  The priest would lay his hands on that goat and declare the sins of the nation over the goat.  The goat would then be released into the wilderness, not to return to the camp.  The second part of the phrase, “who takes away the sin of the world” tells us that Jesus would complete or fulfill the Day of Atonement.  Hebrews 9 tells us that Jesus is our High Priest who sacrificed Himself for us, once and for all, taking our sin completely away. 

John was saying that Jesus would be sacrificed to bring atonement for sin.

Some Explanation

Although John is baptizing here and Jesus comes by, this incident is not part of His baptism.  When Jesus was baptized, the Bible tells us that He immediatelywent into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan.  In this account, the Bible says, “the next day” John saw Jesus again.   And we read that disciples followed Him.  This incident seems to be after Jesus returned from His temptation experience.

As news of John’s baptism spread, the people came.  As we mentioned before, the Pharisees[2] were threatened by the attention of the people toward John the Baptizer.  So this time the Pharisees in Jerusalem (the Jews, also identified as Pharisees in v. 24) sent priests and Levites[3] to find out who John was and what he was up to.  These men were not coming with open hearts to hear John’s message; they wanted to check out what was happening and report it back to Jerusalem.

They asked him if he was the Christ (Christos—Greek for Messiah).  John was clear in all his answers.  He was not the Messiah/Christ, Elijah, nor the Prophet.  John again stated that he was sent to make the people ready for the coming of the Lord—the promised Messiah. 

The next day, John saw Jesus, and proclaimed to all who stood by, “Look!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”  Previously when John baptized Jesus, he recognized Him, and affirmed his own unworthiness (v. 27 ).    However, when he saw the spirit descending on Jesus, he remembered what God told him by the Holy Spirit.  The role of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ baptism was to complete the fullness of the trinity, and to signify to both John and those witnessing the event that Jesus, the Son of God, was the Anointed One who John was preaching. 

Observations and Insights

I like John’s humility.  It would have been tempting, I’m sure, for John to justify himself.  He could have told of all the special revelation that He received by the Holy Spirit to WOW these Pharisees who questioned who he was.  He could also have claimed his family relationship to Jesus and talked up his position as forerunner to the Messiah King. 

Indeed, John did come in the power and spirit of Elijah—the same Elijah who called down fire from heaven that burned up the sacrifice before the prophets of Baal.  But, John understood his unique calling and role, "It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." 

Everyday my identity is challenged.  I can justify myself or I can simply look to the Lord Jesus Christ.  I can crave self-affirmation or I can rest in the faith that God justifies me, affirms me, and approves me through faith in Jesus’ sacrificial death on my behalf.  Like John, may I simply lift up Jesus the author and finisher of my faith.

Next: John 1:35-51

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[1] Later a larger temple was built that replaced the tabernacle.  They system of sacrificial worship remained the same, but the building itself was upgraded from a crude portable tent to a large and ornate temple.

[2] There were Pharisees throughout Israel in various towns at the synagogues.  These priests and Levites were sent by the Pharisees in Jerusalem.

[3] Levi was one of Jacob sons from which the tribe of Levi came.  This tribe was set apart for the care of the entire worship system.  Priests were selected from Levi to administer the sacrifices.  Additionally, Levites who were not priests cared for the other tasks involved in the worship system.