Third Week of Advent

The Expectation

Origen (3rd Cent) ... that at this time the people had already begun to be impressed with the idea that Christ’s advent was at hand, in consequence of the interpretations which the lawyers had collected out of the sacred writings to that effect. Thus Theudas had been enabled to collect together a considerable body, on the strength of his pretending to be the Christ; and after him Judas, in the days of the taxation, had done the same. (Acts 5) Such being the strong expectation of Christ’s advent then prevalent, the Jews send to John, intending by the question, Who art thou? to extract from him whether he were the Christ.

Thomas Aquinas. (1845). Catena Aurea: Commentary on the Four Gospels, Collected out of the Works of the Fathers: St. John (J. H. Newman, Ed.; Vol. 4, p. 46). John Henry Parker.

Why did they come to ask John?

They were expecting the Messias to do the baptizing , preaching etc…

Cornelius a Lapide on John 1:19

The reason of this embassy was because the chief priests saw John leading in the desert an angelic life, preaching with great power, baptizing, and moving men to repentance, as none of the other prophets had done. The chief priests thought therefore that it was their duty to ask him who he was, especially because they knew that the sceptre had passed from Judah to Herod, and the seventy weeks of Daniel being completed, the coming of Messias must be nigh at hand. Wherefore, suspecting that John was the Messias, they ask him, Who art thou?

Cornelius à Lapide. (1908). The Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide: S. John’s Gospel—Chapters 1 to 11 (T. W. Mossman, Trans.; Third Edition, Vol. 5, pp. 59–60). John Grant.

This was the time of their visitation… and they knew it!

Ignatius Catholic Study Bible - John 1:21

1:21 Elijah?: Israel anticipated the return of the prophet Elijah. ● Malachi foretold that Elijah would make final preparations for the arrival of Israel’s messianic Lord (Sir 48:10; Mal 4:5). John is not Elijah come again in the flesh, but he fulfills his mission in spirit (Lk 1:17) (CCC 718). See note on Mk 9:11. the prophet?: Israel awaited the coming of a prophet in the likeness of Moses. ● That the authorities question whether John is the prophet and not simply a prophet suggests they are thinking of this Mosaic figure foretold in Deut 18:15–19. John is not the messianic prophet; it is Jesus who fulfills this role as the new Moses (4:20–26; 6:14; 7:40).

Mitch, C. (2010). Introduction to the Gospels. In The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The New Testament (p. 162). Ignatius Press.

They were looking for the GREAT DAY of Judgment… not Christmas! It’s too soon for Elijah yet.

When John denied that he was the Christ, the messengers asked him if he were Elias. For him God took away, that he might be the forerunner of Christ. And of him they were then in expectation, according to the words of Malachi (4:5), “Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord come,” meaning the day of judgment, when Christ shall return to be the Judge of all. But the Scribes did not understand this. They thought that there would be but one advent of Christ, and that a glorious one, the precursor of which would be Elias. Thus the Jews think even now that Christ has not yet come, but is about to come with Elias. And yet they ought to have known from the same Malachi (3:1) that there would be another precursor of Christ’s first coming in the flesh, even John the Baptist. “For I,” saith the Lord, “do send My messenger, and he shall prepare My way before My face.”

Cornelius à Lapide. (1908). The Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide: S. John’s Gospel—Chapters 1 to 11 (T. W. Mossman, Trans.; Third Edition, Vol. 5, p. 58). John Grant.

The authority that binds … John and Jesus obey… Mt. 23

But although there might be some envy mingled with it, the true reason was, as I have said, that it was the counsel of God so to exalt John, that the chief priests might be driven to ask him whether he were the Christ or not, that being asked he might authoritatively answer that which was the truth, namely, that not he, but Jesus, was the Messias, and that, being convicted by this testimony of John, they might be compelled either to receive Jesus as the Messias or to be without excuse.

Cornelius à Lapide. (1908). The Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide: S. John’s Gospel—Chapters 1 to 11 (T. W. Mossman, Trans.; Third Edition, Vol. 5, p. 55). John Grant.

He was a Priest… so not some outsider.

Moreover, they were aware that John was the son of the priest Zacharias, and therefore a priest himself. When therefore they say, Who art thou? they ask virtually. What office hast thou received from God? With what object has God sent thee to preach and baptize? For God was wont to commit greater offices to priests.

Cornelius à Lapide. (1908). The Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide: S. John’s Gospel—Chapters 1 to 11 (T. W. Mossman, Trans.; Third Edition, Vol. 5, pp. 55–56). John Grant.

The temptation must have been great!

Observe the great humility of S. John: how firmly he refused the name of Christ when it was offered to him. For he loved the truth, and Jesus, to whom this name belonged. Men of the world love to boast, and say, I am a nobleman, a governor, a canon, a bishop. But John teaches us to say, “I am nothing,” because if I am anything, I have it from God.

Cornelius à Lapide. (1908). The Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide: S. John’s Gospel—Chapters 1 to 11 (T. W. Mossman, Trans.; Third Edition, Vol. 5, p. 58). John Grant.

John’s Gospel is replete with the Baptism theme… BAPTISM!

Baptism here, Must be born again, then baptism again.

These messengers who were sent to John were Pharisees, and therefore were well versed in the Scriptures. Consequently they knew that Messiah would baptize for the remission of sins, because Ezekiel (36:25) and Zechariah (13:1) had predicted that He would do so. But concerning other prophets and saints they had not read in Scripture that they would baptize.

Cornelius à Lapide. (1908). The Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide: S. John’s Gospel—Chapters 1 to 11 (T. W. Mossman, Trans.; Third Edition, Vol. 5, p. 59). John Grant.

“These Pharisees,” says S. Cyril, “in their arrogancy insult John, as though they said, Neither Elias, nor Eliseus, nor any of the other prophets dared to take upon themselves the office of baptizing. With what face then, or boldness, dost thou, who art not a prophet, arrogate this office to thyself?”

S. Chrysostom says, “My baptism is only a disposition and preparation for the baptism of Christ. Mine is of water and corporeal, Christ’s is of fire and spiritual.”1

1 Cornelius à Lapide. (1908). The Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide: S. John’s Gospel—Chapters 1 to 11 (T. W. Mossman, Trans.; Third Edition, Vol. 5, pp. 59–60). John Grant.

WHERE? where Gideon slew the Midianites & the crossing of the River into the promised land… baptism!

This was the place in which the Hebrews, when they came out of Egypt, first crossed the Jordan under the leadership of Joshua, to enter the promised land. For Bethabara means in Hebrew a house of passage; Bethany, a house of ships.

John, then, chose this place wherein to baptize for several reasons, because of the abundance of water, also in memory of the ancient passage of the Israelites. S. Jerome says (loc. Hebrœis), “Even at this present time many of our brethren who believe, desiring there to be born again, are baptized in the life-giving flood.” They did this in memory of Christ, who was there baptized by John.1

1 Cornelius à Lapide. (1908). The Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide: S. John’s Gospel—Chapters 1 to 11 (T. W. Mossman, Trans.; Third Edition, Vol. 5, p. 60). John Grant.

What comes next??? BEHOLD the Lamb of God