John 1:19-28
As a Pastor a strange feeling comes over you when someone from the Conference office wants to visit with you. That feeling is more intense when the conference sends a representative to your church. Not so they can preach a sermon, but to hear you preach.
I wonder if John the Baptizer felt similar on the day when not just one person but a delegation of priests and Levits made the trip from Jerusalem to hear him preach in the wilderness near the Jordan River.
Interestingly, within the passage, a transition occurred in heaven’s narrative regarding the Word to now the witness and his testimony. What is fascinating is John’s testimony lasts for three days.
So Members of the Sanhedrin, the religious and civil authorities traveled into the wilderness and came to John, asking, “Who are you?” This was a legitimate question. These people are entrusted with preserving the Jewish Political and Religious systems. The Sanhedrin was made up of Pharisees and Sadducees. Both groups were fierce political and religious rivals. Today’s liberals, conservatives, democrats, republicans have their hotly contested political debates, but imagine it many times worse as the Pharisees and Sadducees battled it out for civil and religious control of the people.
John’s response to their question, “Who are you?” was a resounding, “I am not the Christ.” It was as if John read their minds. They had all be wondering, but they dared not ask. But John answered the unasked question: “I am not the Christ.”
The religious leaders then asked, “Well, if you are not the Christ, who are you then. Are you Elijah?” John responded, “I am not.”
The authorities, now asked, Are you a prophet? “No,” John replied. This was not the answer these political and religious authorities wanted to hear, for they had come to ease the minds of those still in Jerusalem.
John’s reply is a mixture of two Old Testament texts. The first is from Isaiah 40:1-3 and the second is Malichi 3:1. “I will send my messenger who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the LORD you are seeking will come to His temple; The messenger of the covenant whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty (Malichi 3:1).
John by his own admission, was acting the role of a modern-day publicist who prepares the way for the star or performer to come and perform. The advance team comes up with the advertising, finds a venue and alerts the fans that the star is coming to perform.
Like Elijah of old, John the Baptizer is calling or asking the people to decide. The decision is to repent and follow Jeus. Why repent and follow Jeus? For he will soon be here, and this Jesus wants to free you from the burden of this world. So that those who believe in Jesus will have a guilt free life in Christ and receive rest.
John continues, “I am not him; I am not the Messiah. I am not Elijah, although my message is similar to Elliah’s. I am not a prophet, but I have come to prepare the heart of the people to receive God who is coming as the Messiah to set His followers free.
It is clear, the essence of John’s message was not himself, but upon Jesus and the nearness of the Messiah’s coming.
What fascinates me is that John’s message is just as important today as it was in his day. “Why?” Because Jesus was about to burst upon the scene in Palestine, Jesus is about to return for the second time. The message of john was for the people to be prepared for the soon coming of the Messiah. This is the same message that should be given to the world today. Jesus, the Messiah is about to return again. Therefore, prepare you hearts and minds. As stated in Isiah 40:3, be “the voice of one calling in the wilderness, prepare the way of the LORD: Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
This is the calling of every Christian today. Make straight the way for the coming of our LORD in the clouds of glory on the day of his second coming. So, Johns message should be our message. John waw the advance team, preparing a people to meet the messiah. Our message and mission are the same.
In Johns answer to the authorities, he begins to give evidence of the difference between himself and Jesus. All this was because the authorities wanted to know why John was preaching and baptizing.
John answered, “I baptize with water. Among you stand one whom you do not recognize who comes after me. I am not worthy to untie the straps of His sandal.” John the author of the gospel, makes it appear as if Jesus witnessed this exchange between the religious leaders and John the baptizer.
I mentioned at the start of this post that this was a three-day testimony given by John, the witness. In our next post we will examine day two. But the truth is, day one should leave us all knowing that if you are a follower of Christ, you, like John the Baptizer, have the responsibility to prepare the way for Christ’s second coming. But John also makes it abundantly clear that the message is not about self and what I am doing but what Christ can do for us.
The only question still hanging in the air is this. “You are prepared to make straight the way of the LORD? To do the advance work in preparing a people receptive to God’s return in the clouds of glory?” Then repent and be baptized.
The Bible In Your Hand 