The Testimony of John
19 This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
21 They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”
23 He said, “I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”
24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.
25 They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 John answered them saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know.
27 “It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
30 “This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’
31 “I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.”
32 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.
33 “I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’
34 “I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
12 comments:
In verse 26 John says there is the One among you that they do not know. Then in verses 31 and 33 he says that he did not recognize Him either!
Evidently, John thought he was baptizing his cousin Jesus and then after the baptizism-"Wow!" What all must have happened!!
We find it interesting that the Lord chose members of the same family to deliver such a critical message to the world. With all the oppritunies throughout the centuries, the Lord used this time to bring his Son and his messenger (John)to the world with very little fan fare born to commoners.
John's preaching and baptizing must have caused quite a stir for the Sanhedrin to send this group of scribes and Pharisees to ask John who he thinks he is. Baptism signifies cleansing and why would the Jews need baptism? Even before Jesus began his ministry there is suspicion of his successor and beginning opposition to His message.
I’m still thinking about John’s recognition of Jesus.
I’m also wandering what the Pharisees knew about the requirements of baptism. Vs. 25 they asked John why he was baptizing if he was not the Christ, Elijah or a prophet. They must have know or been aware of baptism.
Surely John new Jesus as a boy and probably heard of his birth with the heavenly host proclaiming his birth but he still needed God to point him out by having the Spirit descend on him and remain on him.
Are we sure that John knew that Jesus was to be the Messiah when he was a child playing with him. I believe that John did know Jesus, but was not aware that he was the person to whom he was preparing the way.
I would agree that John probably did know and play with Jesus, but did not know that he was to be the Messiah. I also wonder when Jesus himself knew who he was.
I don't believe that the Bible talks about the early years of Jesus until age 12. Did he know at age 2,3,4,5,... that he was the son of God? Did Mary tell him? Did Mary comprehend what he would do?Did Jesus prior to age 12comprehend what he was to do?
Do we know what the age difference is between John & Jesus? As Scott mentioned, the Bible starts talking about Jesus at age 12- at what age was John baptizing?
Regarding John and Jesus. We do know that Mary went to visit Elizabeth and they were both expecting;so, John was several months older than Jesus. It seems that they valued family and therefore would visit. Then each year Jesus would go to Jerusalem with a whole multitude of people and since everybody, meaning John the Baptist family and Jesus family would have go on that yearly trek because they obeyed the law. I would think that it would have been a long walk and John and Jesus would have been together. Even when Jesus was 12 and on this journey and his family had traveled a bit before they realized that Jesus was not with them. In big families we often might run into a similar situation where each one thinks they are with an uncle or aunt or cousin etc... Did they know that Jesus was the Messiah? No. However, his parents did and they still could not comprehend it. We know that John was aware of the goodness of Jesus and I think that is why when he saw Jesus coming to be baptized that he said to him"I should be baptized by you."
Lisa ask the age difference in Jesus and John. Luke 1:36 states that Elisabeth was in her 6th month when Gabriel was speaking to Mary telling her she would conceiveand and bear a son. She also ask at what age John was baptizing. Luck 3:21 Jesus was baptized by John and in verse 23 it states that Jesus was about 30 years of age when He began His ministry.
Lisa ask the age difference in Jesus and John. Luke 1:36 states that Elisabeth was in her 6th month when Gabriel was speaking to Mary telling her she would conceiveand and bear a son. She also ask at what age John was baptizing. Luck 3:21 Jesus was baptized by John and in verse 23 it states that Jesus was about 30 years of age when He began His ministry.
Has anyone researched the history of baptism? I thought it was just associated with John the Baptist and Jesus, but someone Sunday told me that it had been around longer than that?
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