John Declares His Mission

John Explains His Ministry (Bethany)

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]}

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

Text with Highlights

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PICTURE

Reminder: Pray to God to set your heart right as you engage His word. The text you are about to study was not written to you but is written for you. So, before applying we must ask the following questions:

What did it mean to the original reader or original audience?

VIDEO

Harmony of the Gospels on Founder's Passion
Parallel Gospels = Luke's Explanation of His Own Research
Harmony of the Four Gospels on Step Bible (After going to the site, click on resources on the top menu. Then click on Harmony of the Gospels to locate the section you want.
Harmony of the Gospels on BlueLetterBible.org

Logos AI Sermon Summary

READ THE SCRIPTURE (Multiple times & translations and notice the words that standout)

Consider the harmonies of the gospel and its parallels. This blog is designed to be a harmony, and I provide links to other resources.

Biblegateway (NIV, ESV, NLT, CSB, LEB) (My choice of all-round site. It is a great app, better on computers or on a cellphone)

Summarize the main story: Describe the events of the scriptural story in your own words.

Review and retell the story.

Potential Sermon Titles: ??

Intro Questions to get us thinking:

Have you ever been embarrassed by mistaking a stranger for an acquaintance? What happened?

OBSERVATIONS (Reflect on the topic and build the concept the writer is trying to communicate to the original audience)

Thematic Bible (Books and Chapters Structure)

(JOHN 1:19-28)

John the writer describes the ministry of John the Baptist.

Facts Concerning the Incarnate Christ (1:6–51)

A. The men (1:6–9, 15–51)

1. Christ’s faithful forerunner (1:6–9, 15–34)

a. John the Baptist and the Crowds (1:6–9, 15–18): John makes three key statements to the people.

(1) He is to serve as a witness to Christ (1:6–9).

(2) Christ is greater than John or Moses (1:15–17).

b. John the Baptist and the critics (1:19–28): John speaks to the Pharisees who are sent to cross-examine him.

(1) John says that he is not the Messiah (1:19–20).

(2) John says that he is not Elijah (1:21).

(3) John says that he has been sent to prepare the way for the Lord (1:22–28).

Aria

STUDY RESOURCES (This takes some work and here are more resources than you can go through completely)

ThomasTheologyHub.org (My friend Rhys N. Thomas's Site) has lessons that focus on the character of Jesus.

Through The Word (Audio Commentary)

Listeners Commentary (Audio Commentary)

NETBible (New English Translation) (Great for original text information)

BibleHub (HCSB) (Good on computer or app/phone with lots of well-organized information.)

BlueLetter (King James Version) (A variety of resources and good on Phones / better on Computers)

StudyLight (Amplified Bible) (Great site with commentaries by Burton Coffman)

BibleRef.com (New King James Version) Basic able to compare core translations.

KnowingJesus (Phone / Computer and great for comparing translations)

https://www.openbible.info

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.

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!

God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
What questions do the priests and Levites ask John? What do these questions reveal about the reason why they were sent?
Why does John respond so abruptly? What would you have said in his situation?
What is John's purpose in life according to John 1:22-23, 26-27; Isaiah 40:3-5?

Link to More Questions

This blog is designed to be a harmony itself and I try to provide links to other resources. Some will place some passages in different locations, so here are more links below.

APPLICATION (God wants us all to arrive at action, life-changing faith)

More Thought for Thought Translations (helps some with application)

Precept Austin Devotionals

Scripture Graphics

Verse of the Day

Bible.org search site

Who "made straight the way for the Lord" in your life?
I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
What transformative move needs to be made?
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.

Take Away Challenges

What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage? How will you apply it to your life this week?
Whom do you know who needs to hear this?
What is God bringing to your attention in this discussion? What beliefs, thoughts, or actions need to be addressed or changed?

PRAYER: In the Name of Jesus.