By the time the priests and Levites came to question John the Baptist in John 1:19–28, it had been nearly 400 years since God spoke to the Israelites through a prophet. The last prophet sent by God was Malachi, who prophesied the return of Elijah before the day of the Lord (Malachi 4:5-6). As his questioners learned, John exemplifies the humility and purpose of a true witness. He consistently pointed away from himself and toward the Messiah. In this passage we learn more about who John was and his mission to testify about the Light who became flesh.
The people recognized John as a prophet and the masses came to him to hear what he preached and be baptized by him. As crowds flocked to John, the Jewish leaders wanted to find out who he was. They sent priests and Levites to question him. Finding John, they asked him if he was the Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet. John repeatedly denied being any of these just as he was described as not being the Light earlier John 1:6-8.
A Voice and The Word
Growing impatient with his denials, John’s questioners asked him who he is. At this point John responded “I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” John was identifying himself as the forerunner to the Messiah that Isaiah spoke of centuries earlier. By calling himself “a voice” rather than “the voice”, John drew a distinction between himself and the Word he came to testify about.
But the leaders weren’t just interested in who he was. They also challenged his right to baptize. At this John quickly redirected them to the One he was sent to testify about. While he was preaching and baptizing with urgency preparing the people for Jesus’ arrival, he still diminished his baptism as only “with water”, quickly turning their attention to Jesus. John made two things clear to them: you don’t know Him even though He stands among you, and that he, John, is not worthy to untie His sandals.
Recognizing the Christ
John tells these men that they do not recognize Jesus as the Christ, echoing the theme from the gospel’s introduction where the world, and even His own people, did not recognize or receive Him (see The Word Became Flesh). The Christ, the One the Jews had been waiting for had arrived. They knew He was coming. They had been told what to look for. John was here testifying about Him. And yet they did not recognize Him and receive Him. John’s witness shined light reveal who Jesus is, but they were not ready to receive it.
He then explained to them that they really didn’t know John either. They thought he was a great prophet or maybe even the Messiah, but in reality John was unworthy to untie Jesus’ sandals. Compared to Jesus, John wasn’t even worthy to be His lowest slave. Jesus is God incarnate. He is infinitely greater than John, even though John was prophesied about and was gaining a large following. John turned attention away from himself and toward Jesus.
John’s only mission was to point people to Jesus as the promised Messiah. And he remained faithful to it. What about us? Do we point people at ourselves or at Jesus? What do we have in our lives that gets in our way? What stops us from fully receiving Jesus and reflecting His light into the world?