A Faiuthful and Humble Witness to Christ before the Delegation

Outline

John’s faithful and humble witness to Christ in response to the official inquiry

a. Not the Christ, but a voice

b. Witness to the superiority of Christ

c. Four points of application

Introduction

Lets take a quick moment to retrace our steps as we looked at the prologue 6 weeks ago:

The Prologue is the word before or the overture into this lofty and majestic gospel account

We learned that the Word is the eternal God in an eternal relation to the Father. He is the creator of all things with the Father. He is “The Light”, He has life in Himself.

Though he is these things, the fallen, dark, and sinful world did not recognize him and try to overcome him

We learned that in the midst of this great rejection, there are those receiving him by the gift of God.

We found that the same Word that created all flesh, became flesh and tabernacled among us showing us this great redemptive shift in God’s promise to dwell with His people. He will now do so in Christ, and ultimately in Christ by His Spirit.

We came to understand that there was grace and truth in Moses economy, but they are greatly surpassed by the grace and truth that have come in abundance in Jesus Christ

We also learned that Jesus as the eternally begotten Son and Word of the Father has come and explained the Father to us. Fully disclosed the Fathers plan and mind. We could say that this whole gospel account is one ongoing display of the unity and equality of the Father and the Son declared and displayed in Jesus works and words. Everything the Son says and does tells us something of the Father.

And as we transition into our text concerning the witness of John the Baptist, we remember that we’ve already learned that John was not the Light but came to bear witness to the Light. And that John testified concerning Jesus superiority to Him.

Which brings us to our text which begins the the historical account proper in introducing Jesus. Our text is part of a larger section which divides the book into largely two major sections:

Chapters 1:19-Chapter 12 is the book of signs. This section highlights the identity of Jesus as the Christ the Son of the living God through his Words and works. We find 7 signs or miracles in this section that demonstrate this , beginning with the turning of water into wine and culminating with the resurrection of Lazarus. It also highlights the overwhelming rejection of Jesus amongst his people, especially the religious leaders. But as mentioned, Jesus does call disciples to himself all throughout.

Chapters 13-21 are titled the book of glory. This section highlights Jesus equipping his disciples for his departure and return back to glory with the Father leading up to his passion and resurrection, commissioning His disciples.

The Smaller section of our text is 1:19-2:11 recalling the first week of Jesus ministry. Some say, and I agree, that this first week is meant to show us that Jesus is the author of the new creation, culminating with the revelation of Jesus glory in His first sign, a blessing at the wedding in Cana.

And now to our text. John the evangelist brings this account before us expecting that we already know a bit about John the Baptist from the synoptic gospels. John gives us a very unique account of the Baptist here. What’s most significant about John the Baptist according to the Evangelist is his insignificance. And it’s all for the purpose of contrasting him with Jesus. John the evangelist must use various metaphor’s and names to communicate the extraordinary person and work of the eternal Son come in the flesh(living water, bread of heaven, light of the world, etc.). We get the impression that Jesus cannot be fully captured in words. John on the other hand, is more characterized by what he is not than what he is. He is not many things(not the light, not the Christ, not Elijah nor the prophet, not the one baptising with the Holy Spirit.) What he is will have to be squeezed out of him as we’ll see.

Verse 19

19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

The Jews send out a delegation. It is an official delegation. It was right for the Jews to keep tabs on figures such as John because of the Messianic hopes , because of false Messiahs, and because of other such revolutionaries who had come and stir up trouble. (Messianic Expectations: As you all know there were high Messianic expectations at this time. But it’s important to know that these expectations were; first, not unified. There opinions differed regarding how, when, what it would look like. Second, they were largely not Scriptural understandings of the coming Messiah. For example, the Pharisees thought that their guarding of the law would be the means by which they would bring about the Messiah.) And so they’re just doing their job in one sense. But there are negative connotations with this label “the Jews”. These are the main opponents of Jesus throughout the FG and they will be the ones who ultimately plot to kill him and do so.

We should note, thousands from all walks of life had now already flooded out to John as Luke records for us in Chapter 3 of his gospel. This is a big deal. It carries with it the feel of a trial and John being called to the stand. His testimony has massive implications as it concerns the Incarnate Son of God. It’s The Message of salvation. John is going to bear faithful witness to what he has seen, heard, and believed concerning Jesus. We might call him the first Christian witness because this testimony entails more than just a historical record. It is a testimony of the Christian faith.

Verse 20

He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

“He confessed”. This is a solemn and emphatic confession noted by the repetition and negation. And this solemnity and emphasis is meant to control the rest of this pericope. Verse 34 will serve as the inclusio( meaning everything in between these two verses fills out the bookended statements). Everything John says is without wavering, without second guesses, without a doubt.

“I” is emphatic. “I” in contrast to the “Messiah”.

The evangelist wants us to see these two figures side by side. With the one figure slowly fading away and the other ever increasing. That’s John Baptists desire as well as we see in Ch 3. “He must increase, but I must decrease”

Verse 21

They expected an Elijah like figure who would introduce the Messiah. And they’re right in one sense, as he did come in the spirit and power of Elijah. But not actually come in the flesh, which many expected, which is why John responds in the negative. Are you the long awaited prophet? This is reference to the prophet like Moses. Some distinguished between the prophet and the Messiah, some did not, whatever the case John gives his most abrupt negative, simply and emphatically, No!

Here is what John has told them so far: I am not the Christ, I am not, No!

There seems to be some tension and awkwardness looming now. They’re all out of options.

And we get the sense here that John understands that their inquiry is not a genuine one. They had several ideas of what should be going on and they wanted control of the situation. John is not complying! They either want to confirm his person according to their misapprehensions, or they want to squash it and put him in prison and ultimately to death.

And think about this for a moment. John has the ability to escape. He can get himself out of this by saying something about himself. Anything positive John! I am of priestly descent, I am a prophet of God(greater than a prophet…). He probably understands that eventually they are going to arrest him if he doesn’t give them some kind of answer according to what they want.

But he doesn’t, because he’s a faithful and humble witness, who knows that their need along with everyone else, is to come to see the Messiah that he has been called to witness to and point out.

Verse 22

Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”

They are ever pressing John about his person, and what does John do? He points them to his office. Give us something in the positive! What’s John’s response??? Okay here you go!

Verse 23

He said: “I am

‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

“Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’

He is no one. He is nothing but a voice. He is a voice bringing the testimony of God concerning His anointed Son. That’s all that matters. This is what you need to know. You keep asking about me, but I’m of no significance. Again, the significance of John is his insignificance. It’s all about the One I bear testimony to.

A little over 10 years ago a famous baptist preacher went on Sabbatical...............

And it was apparent that many weren’t there for a message about Christ, but for the preacher. They were in it for the personality not the Person he pointed to.

John Owen at 26 probably unconverted, is going to hear the famous preacher Edmund Calamy preach. Calamy couldn’t preach for whatever reason, and is filled in by a country preacher, Owen considers going elsewhere to hear some other popular preacher, but ends up staying. The country preachers sermon was from Matthew 8:26 “And He said to them, “Why are you so cowardly, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.”

This would be the sermon that probably converts Owen. Who was that country preacher? Owen could not recall his name, and no one since has been able to figure it out. It was “just a voice of a faithful witness to the Christ.”

That’s all John is and that’s what every minister and Christian is to be.

But we are not beyond those folks at the Baptist church or the young John Owen are we? We get excited about internet preachers and figures, specific theologians, or whatever. And in one sense there’s nothing wrong with getting excited about a gifted teacher or preacher, but what are we excited about? There gifts, there talents, their presentation? Or is it the one they point us to?

One thing I appreciate about preacher so and so, is that he points me to the glory of my savior, I always go away thinking more of my God and Savior.

What are we to make of this text in Isaiah?

What is this “making ready?” He is calling people to repentance for the kingdom of God is at hand? The lofty and mountainous proud hearts are to brought low. All crooked ways are to be made straight. Whatever hinders God from coming into the heart of sinful man is to be cleared out.

It is predominantly a message about repentance, but it’s more than that. He is also preaching the gospel to them according to Luke.

Luke 3:18 “So with many other exhortations he proclaimed the gospel to the people.”

He is speaking to the valleys( the lowly, the downcast, the disheartened).

I imagine Him preaching something like this:

Take heart, our faithful God is coming, He is coming to fulfill His promises. All flesh is like grass, but the Word of the LORD endures forever. He has not forgotten his promises. He will do it. The LORD himself is coming, bear fruit in keeping with repentance. He is coming with glory, He is coming with power, His salvation is with Him, our salvation is with Him.

This is not just for them, this is for us today. The glory of the Lord has appeared in Jesus Christ. The eternal Son of God has become man, has lived and died for us, has conquered sin and death for us. He has risen from the grave and exalted to the Fathers right hand and has sent forth His Spirit into our hearts even now so that we might see the Father’s glory in His face.

2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

Where do we see the arm and power of the Lord? where do we see the wisdom of God? Where do we see the glory of our God? It’s in the proclamation of the gospel!

Every Lord’s Day when the gospel is preached the glory of God is there. His power to save and sanctify is there.

Is there a further coming of His glory and power? Yes. His glory is here but it’s also coming. Nicene Creed, “and He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead.”

So what do we do? We prepare our hearts. As the end of each week approaches all of us have felt the weight of our remaining sinfulness in some way. If we have been proud, level that mountainous pride by the Spirit in you. If you have been lowly and downcast look up and see that your savior was made lowly that you might be raised up and exalted with Him. Prepare your hearts and look to the gospel in faith once again. Prepare your hearts each and every Lord’s Day and prepare your hearts for His second coming in glory. Week in and week out, pray for it, anticipate it, long for it!

Verse 24,25

There is no break in the action here. I believe the Pharisees are a part of the delegation and that we should read it as “and the Pharisees also were also sent”.

It’s the same delegation taking a different angle. And notice there indifference to the Baptists announcement. And their thorough demonstration that they; 1) as we’ve already hinted, they are committed to a predetermined conclusion and 2) they have no interest in coming to a new understanding.

And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

In other words, “by what authority do you do these things?” We’ll here that later on in the gospel.

Verse 26,27

John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”

Agian the “I” is emphatic contrasting with “One coming after me”

My baptism is legitimate, but if my baptism is to be of any effect, it will be relative to the One coming after me, who will in fact baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire. I can’t change hearts. He is so great that He can. He can give to us that eschatological Spirit that Jeremiah spoke of! You’re putting too much effort into who I am, I am only a voice here to point you to one who is far superior to me both in his person and office.

Removing the strap of the sandal is the lowest task of a slave, John isn’t worthy to perform that task on Jesus. That is how incomparably Great Jesus is compared to John.

“There stand One among you whom you do not know”

what does he mean here?

Listen to Calvin, “When he says that Christ standeth in the midst of them, it is that he may excite their desire and their exertion to know him. The amount of what he says is, that he wishes to place himself as low as possible, lest any degree of honour improperly bestowed on him might obscure the excellence of Christ. It is probable that he had these sentences frequently in his mouth, when he saw himself immoderately extolled by the perverse opinions of men.”

I agree with this and I think perhaps there’s a double meaning here.

All the while the One they think they are looking for is in their midst. Right there among them. He is hidden and unrecognizable because of the darkness of their unbelief. John’s answer should have without a doubt prompted further questioning by them. But they have no interest, no heart for it. They’ve got the answer they came for and they don’t need any further conversation with the baptist.

And the time of looking forward is stopped as the one it points to is already in your midst. The Messiah is here, the new age is here. As we’ll see next time, He is going to be presented by John before the crowds.

So what kind of application can we now draw from the witness of John the Baptist? I want to look at 5 points.

I’m largely indebted to Richard Phillips for these application points, though reworked.

Application

1. We are living witnesses. Is there a sanctification or holiness about us that would draw others in to ask; who are you? What is it about you that’s different from the world? There’s something different, there’s something strange, there’s something attractive about you and I want to know more.

Listen to Richard Phillips:

“John led a holy life and taught God’s truth. St. Augustine says, “So great was the excellence of John, that men might have believed him to be the Christ.”

..........Likewise, our lives and ministry are to cause people to ask us who we are and what we represent. Peter instructed, “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that … they may see your good deeds and glorify God” (1 Peter 2:12).”

There is a holy jealousy that we as Christians want to stir in others. We want them to want what we have. Which is Christ.

And how do you start witnessing? Start with your life, your conduct.

I was speaking with a brother just the other day and he was telling me about how his wife had a relative call her up and let her know that she’s thinking she needs to start going to church again. There was something about this woman that gave her relative the freedom to call her to talk about spiritual matters in her life.

When a coworker, family member, or friend thinks to reach out to someone about a spiritual matter, would you be someone they would think to call or reach out to? That’s a question we should ask ourselves.

2. Are we witnesses that don’t point to ourselves

Faithful Christian witness will attract people. But often, they are attracted by the virtuous qualities rather than the One who gives them, rather than the One they should be pointing too. They are happy to applaud your virtue, so long as Christ stays at bay. I was one and a half years a Christian when I ran into an acquaintance from high school. He heard I had become a Christian but had no interest in hearing about what God had done in my life. I was persistent to tell him to praise God for what He had done in my life and he kept telling me no that it was all me and left the conversation visibly unhappy.

People will applaud your good behavior and we are to refuse that applaud just as John does. Divert people away from it.

Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Part of his will is that all glory, and honor, and praise, and might would be ascribed exclusively to Him.

3. Do we point them to Christ; his person and work?

You’ve all seen a beautiful building lit up at night. It could be a skyscraper, capital building, maybe a beautiful home. How many of you have ever seen that building and pulled the car over and ran up and said, “wow! those are amazing lights!” No one does that, but that’s the picture of who we are to be as Christians. The lights aren’t there to be admired, but to magnify the building, to draw out some architectural glory of the building. If people are putting the time and energy to show the splendor and glory of a building, how much more should we strive to be living lights, pointing folks to the glory and splendor of our Incarnate Lord and Savior.

4. Call people to repentance and Faith

Probably the most challenging part of our witness. You’re cutting to the fiber of somebodies being and telling them that they need to be radically disrupted. Thankfully we are not dependent upon ourselves for the results, but we must call them.

“Look, I don’t know what sin it is that is so dear to you, but you need to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Tomorrow is promised to no one, today is the day for salvation.”

5. There is no wasted witness. There is no witness too week or clumsy.

John, Volumes 1 & 2 John 1:19–28

Perhaps the greatest obstacle to our usefulness as Christians is the false belief that our witness does not matter

Verse 28

These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

What is this little detail doing here? Any time you see something like this in John or in the Bible, it usually means that something’s going on at least something more than what’s on the surface.

John 10:40–42 “And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there. And many came to Him and were saying, “While John did no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true.” And many believed in Him there.”

John the Baptist never got to see these folks believe. But it was his testimony that ultimately resulted in their coming to faith.

Our witness to Jesus is never a lost cause. We might think it is. We might think we’ve miserably failed, but that’s never how we ought to think. We don’t know what might come of that conversation, that sharing of the gospel, of calling someone to repent and trust in Christ. 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 , 40, 50 years. We’ve heard the stories!

I say too clumsy or week because we’ve heard of these stories as well. You fumble over your words. You say something that doesn’t seem as clear or elegant as you wish it would have been.

We’ll conclude with this wonderful account recorded by Richard Philips in his commentary on John:

John, Volumes 1 & 2 No Witness Wasted

Another person who might think poorly of her testimony is a woman who attempted to witness to a man she had met. He was moving into an apartment right when she was moving out next door, and he carried one box of books to her car. After thanking him, she asked whether he was looking for a church to attend. The man’s body language made it clear that he did not welcome this kind of conversation. So she quickly stammered, “If you are ever looking for a church, I would recommend this particular church a few blocks away.” With that, she drove off, and he never saw her again. I have often imagined her kicking herself for her weak attempt to witness. It was a pretty minimal witness, and she probably felt she had failed, but at least she had tried. And for that I am eternally grateful, because I was the young man to whom she spoke. A few months later when the Holy Spirit had prepared a way for the Lord into my heart, I remembered her words, went to that church, heard and believed the gospel, and was saved.

You may think that you are just one “voice” and that your witness doesn’t matter. But if Jesus is the Word that your voice brings—and if he is One you know and who is living in you—then your witness is mighty to cast down strongholds and lead dying sinners to salvation.

Let’s take these things with us into the coming weeks, months, and years as we desire to be faithful witnesses to our Lord and Savior.

Lets pray the Lord’s blessing upon the preaching and hearing of His Word.