#019 John Declares His Mission (John 1:19-28) - Life of Christ = Week 04 - Thursday

John Explains His Ministry (Bethany)
John 1:19-28

John Identifies Jesus as the Messiah

John 1:19–34

¹⁹This is John’s testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites^† to ask him, “Who are you?”

²⁰He confessed and did not deny, declaring, “I am not the Messiah.”

^21a“What then?” they asked him. “Are you Elijah?”

^21b“I am not,” he said.

^21c“Are you the Prophet?”

^21d“No,” he answered.

²²“Who are you, then?” they asked. “We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What can you tell us about yourself?”

²³He said, “I am ‘A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord’—just as Isaiah the prophet said.”

²⁴Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. ²⁵So they asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”

²⁶“I baptize with water,” John answered them. “But among you stands Someone you don’t know. ²⁷He is the One coming after me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.”

²⁸All this happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.^[1]

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^[1] Knight, G. W. (2001). A simplified harmony of the Gospels (pp. 31–32). Holman Bible Publishers.

The Jewish leaders sent priests and assistant priests from Jerusalem to ask John whether he claimed to be the Messiah.
He denied it flatly. "I am not the Christ," he said. "Well then, who are you?" they asked.
"Are you Elijah?"
"No," he replied.
"Are you the Prophet?"
"No."

Then those who were sent by the Pharisees asked him, "If you aren't the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?"
John told them, "I merely baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you have never met, who will soon begin his ministry among you, and I am not even fit to be his slave." This incident took place at Bethany, a village on the other side of the Jordan River where John was baptizing.

• God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
• We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
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• I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How will I
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• You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.

Who Was John the Baptist?
In the Pharisees' minds, there were four options regarding John the Baptist's identity: He was (1) the prophet foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15), (2) Elijah (Malachi 4:5), (3) the Prophet (the Messiah), or (4) a false prophet. John denied being any of the first three personages. Instead he called himself, in the words of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, "A voice from the barren wilderness, shouting, 'Get ready for the coming of the Lord!'" (Isaiah 40:3). The leaders kept pressing John to say who he was because people were expecting the Messiah to come (Luke 3:15). But John emphasized only why he had come—to prepare the way for the Messiah. The Pharisees missed the point. They wanted to know who John was, but John wanted to point them to Jesus. Believers need to be like John, preparing the way for the Savior. What can you do to point people to Christ?


The priests and assistant priests were respected religious leaders in Jerusalem. Priests served in the Temple. These leaders that came to see John were Pharisees. Many of them outwardly obeyed God's Laws to look pious, while inwardly their hearts were filled with pride and greed. They believed that their own oral traditions were just as important as God's inspired Word.

To Forgive Sins

John was baptizing Jews. The Essenes (a strict, monastic sect of Judaism) practiced baptism for purification, but normally only non-Jews (Gentiles) were baptized when they converted to Judaism. When the Pharisees questioned John's authority to baptize, they were asking who gave John the right to treat God's chosen people like Gentiles. John said, "I merely baptize with water"—he was helping the people perform a symbolic act of repentance. But soon one would come who would truly forgive sins, something only the Son of God—the Messiah—could do. Jesus can forgive your sins, no matter how big or small they may be. Have you accepted his forgiveness? Confess to Christ.

John the Baptist said he was not even worthy to be Christ's slave. But according to Luke 7:28, Jesus said that John was the greatest of all prophets. If such a great person felt inadequate even to be Christ's slave, how much more should we lay aside our pride to serve Christ!

Other Resources:

Having A Personal Relationship With Jesus John 1 https://virtualbiblestudy.com/john/1/