THE RECORD OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
#856 THE RECORD OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Scripture John 1:19-34 Orig. Date 9/29/1989
Rewr. Dates none
Passage: 19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders[a] in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”
22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 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.’”[b]
24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 “I baptize with[c] water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
John Testifies About Jesus
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”[d
Purpose: In a series from the gospel, here showing John the Baptist in his role of harbinger of the gospel.
Keywords: Bible Study of John Biography of John the Baptist
Timeline/Series: John
Introduction
To include the word “record” in the title may be a mistake. People begin to think of things far removed from the gospel. The teenager drifts away to the pop-charts, and the latest ear-splitting music. But “records” in this sense are on their way out. The next generation, if there is one, will be giving over to music video, and, believe me it will be no blessing.
To the sports buff, young and not-so-young “record” suggests manly feat, or womanly. That’s f-e-a-t. The record for f-e-e-t may be right here in Bernice.
But the record of which I speak this morning is that attested of John the Apostle in regard to John the Baptist. He is noteworthy for many things, his [heritage], his life, his dedication, his message, but mostly for his announcement of the Messiah.
Some of our folks mentioned to me recently that they had been to Little Rock to the Billy Graham Crusade. Billy Graham has been for forty years the leading proponent of the gospel in the world. That’s a record worth talking about. John the Baptist was cast into that role as well.
W.O. Vaught tells about a prior Little Rock Crusade back in the fifties. He was sent with a committee from the ministerial association to Fort Worth to check out Mr. Graham. And, he said, though they brought back a glowing report of Graham’s message and manner, twenty-three of his ministerial colleagues signed a petition saying in effect, “this is not the kind of man we need in Little Rock.” John the Baptist had his critics also, but they will get very little of our attention this morning.
I. What We Know about John 1:19 “This is the record of John.” First, about his life. Son of a priest, Zacharias, and wife Elizabeth, also of priestly family. As they were much older at his birth, he is thought to have been reared by the Essenes. Luke 1:80: “was in the deserts until the day of his showing to Israel.” The name given to Zacharias from Gabriel means “Yahweh gives grace.”
Second, his message. This is the real record of John. He declared (a) the coming kingdom (Matthew 3:2); (b) repentance (Luke 3:3); (c) a change of life (Luke 3:8-11); and (d) baptism. If that sounds up-to-date gospel, I assure you it is more than coincidental.
II. What We Need to Know. 1:19 “Who art Thou?” The religious leaders sent a committee to explore this man’s credentials. Like the committee from Little Rock. These were religious professionals checking on a preacher drawing crowds.
Some have said Zacharias was High Priest. They surely knew he was descendant of Aaron, Levi. But [John the Baptist] wasn’t acting typical. Three parallels are put forth. Vs 20 and 21: “Messiah, Elijah, that prophet,” all of which John denies. He is certainly not the “anointed.” He may have ways like Elijah of old, but “No!” Nor is he “that prophet.” Ref. Deuteronomy 18:15, “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee.”
These men, however, seem to me like men intimidated. They were accountable. They must report. There is a question about this strange act called “baptism.” Water has always been the cleanser. At Sinai (Exodus 19:10) “wash garments.” Exodus 29:4: Priests had to bathe to minister. To John, parable of inner cleansing.
They then asked John what they could report to their superiors. V22 “What sayest thou thyself?” He is a “voice” (Jeremiah 15:19). Lockyer says “Not the Light, but sent to bear witness of it, not the Sun but the star that announces the dawn, and wanes in its growing Light; not the Bridegroom, but the Bridegroom’s friend; not the Shepherd, but the porter to open the door into the fold.” (John 3:29.)
Someone else writes about John “The Greatest Man Who Ever Took Second Place.” Isaiah (40:1f) was instructed to “cry unto Jerusalem.” Luke 7:28, Matthew 23:39. Virtually every prophet understood. The message must be greater than the man. The ANOINTED “was the Word,” he was no more than a “voice” delivering it.
John tells us what else he is. He is a “baptizer.” The priests were angry that he baptized Jews. It was a reflection. It was okay to baptize gentiles, pagans, it revealed baseness. But the Jews were the “people of God.” They needed no such self-effacement. Indeed, it was heresy.
Hear me this morning, if your baptism was anything less than that described here, it was worthless. A baptism of repentance is introduction into the Kingdom of God; it is trusting Christ, God’s Son, the Saviour, to save; it is new birth.
He deals with this next. One is among them (1:26) who will baptize in a way John cannot.
Next week we will “Behold the Lamb!” It is man’s (generic) sin. Christ expunges it.
John is “revealer.” John points to the incarnation: “There standeth one among you.” Was He in the crowd that day? It seems so. John would surely have recognized Him as they were cousins. Luke 1:36. Is he only reminding them that One like them has come from God?
There is yet another lesson that we need to learn from this man, John the baptizer. “He is coming after me. He is preferred before me. I am not worthy to be His body slave, unloosing His sandals and washing His feet.” “I am nobody,” he says, “I am a voice telling you to get ready.” We are not ready, without an appropriate dose of humility.
Pridefulness, haughtiness is a stench in God’s nostrils. There was a rabbinic saying (G47p62) that a disciple might do anything for his master that a slave would do except unloose his shoes. John says that there are NO exceptions.
The King is coming. Get ready. [Know] the gist of John’s life, the glory of his message, and the gamble of his faith—and of yours and mine.
Finally, noting where all this took place. “These things were done in Bethabara.” Word meaning “place of the passing.” But the Greek is “Bethany.” (Not of Mary and Martha.) Early scholar (Origen) changed to Bethabara because he found such a place. The Old Testament “Gilgal” (Joshua 4:1f) word for “passing” used repeatedly. The link is a forced one.
Conclusion
It is interesting that some of the same imagery used in Isaiah 40 to describe the need to prepare for the Lord’s coming, “making straight in the desert a highway for our God,” is used also in Isaiah 45 of the coming of Cyrus as the instrument of God to restore the fortunes of God’s people Israel. Make sure that you are prepared for the coming of God’s Son rather than the pagan prince.