Flashback Episode — Learning from John: John 1:19-34


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Before Jesus stepped into the spotlight during His life on earth, God had arranged for Jesus to have a front-runner in ministry. The goal of this individual’s life would be to tell everyone who would listen that God was about to do something. In essence, this individual was to announce the Messiah’s arrival.

The gospel of John tells us about Jesus’ forerunner in ministry, who also happened to be named John. To keep these two John’s separate for our episode, I’ll refer to one as John the disciple, who authored the gospel that bears his name, and the other John as John the Baptist, who was the forerunner and the focus of our passage in this episode.

Let’s read what John the disciple has to say about John the Baptist. This can be found in the gospel of John, chapter 1 and we’ll be reading from the New American Standard Bible translation. Starting in verse 19, we learn that:

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.

Let’s pause reading here to draw our attention onto what John the disciple says about John the Baptist. In this gospel, we learn that John the Baptist had been asked directly about who he was, and what role he was filling. John the Baptist openly denies that he is the Messiah, or Christ, and he also openly denies that he is Elijah, who was foreshadowed to come before the Messiah. John the Baptist also chose not to claim the role of the Prophet either, and he was asked this because the Jews were also expecting someone who fit the description of prophet as well.

Instead, John the Baptist points them to a potentially ignored portion of prophecy where Isaiah describes one who is a voice crying in the wilderness.

When challenged about choosing to baptize people with water, John the Baptist simply redirects their question with an answer pointing forward to the coming Messiah, who is Someone they do not yet recognize.

Continuing our reading in verse 29, John the disciple tells us that:

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.”

What stands out as amazing to me in this declaration is that John the Baptist knows exactly who Jesus is at this point. Prior to this meeting, Jesus had come to the place where John the Baptist was preaching, and Jesus had asked to be baptized. However, immediately following His baptism, Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to fast and to be tempted.

This encounter with John the Baptist that John the disciple shares in his gospel likely happened as Jesus was coming back from being tempted and fasting. During the forty days Jesus had spent in the wilderness following His baptism, John the Baptist likely shifted his message from “the Messiah coming soon” to “the Messiah is here right now”. John the Baptist probably didn’t know that Jesus had left to fast and be tempted in the wilderness following His baptism, but here in our passage for this episode, we see a clear proclamation from John the Baptist that Jesus is “the Son of God”.

If we look closely at this passage, John the Baptist’s call to baptize people was partly to give those he baptized a public way to show that they were returning to God and leaving a life of sin. However, it also gave God and the Holy Spirit the perfect opening and way to show John the Baptist exactly who the Messiah was. Reading from the other gospels about Jesus’ baptism event, it seems likely that John knew beforehand that Jesus was the One, however what happened during Jesus’ baptism simply confirmed it.

In the lives of both John the Baptist and John the disciple, I see a call for each of us. This call is to be pointing people to Jesus. John the Baptist was able to point people forward to Jesus, and he was able to clearly identify God’s Messiah for those present. In contrast, we can’t point people to a physical person who happens to be walking by and identify that individual as Jesus. However, we can model our lives after Jesus, and choose to be like Him, love like Him, and care for those around us like He did. Jesus came to love those who were hurting and challenge those who were self-righteous. We can do the same in our lives today.

John the disciple was able to spend one-on-one time with Jesus and then after Jesus had returned to heaven, John was able to point people back to what Jesus had done. John the disciple even wrote about His experiences with Jesus first-hand and His gospel has helped people ever since grow closer to Jesus even if they lived after Jesus had returned to heaven. While we don’t have the ability to sit down with Jesus face-to-face like John the disciple did, we are able to spend time in prayer and through honest, heartfelt prayer, the Holy Spirit lifts us into God’s presence, where we are able to spend time with Jesus, and share life with Him.

These two Johns challenge me to live a life that is within God’s will and that includes living like Jesus both in public and in private. Perhaps these two Johns are challenging you to do the same.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally choose to focus your life on God above everything else. Intentionally seek Him, spend time with Him, and learn from Him – instead of taking someone else’s word for it.

The best way to do this is through heartfelt, prayer-filled Bible study, and specifically personal Bible study. By praying and studying the Bible for yourself, you are able to learn firsthand from God and the Holy Spirit, and He is able to change your heart and life in ways that no other method of hearing the gospel can. While a podcast or a preacher can inspire change from the outside, Bible study with the Holy Spirit inspires change from the inside.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Flashback Episode: Year 3 – Episode 4: As John’s gospel opens, we discover Jesus’ forerunner in ministry, and when we look at what this gospel tells us, we can learn a lot from John the Baptist’s ministry.

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