The Witness of John the Baptist

We saw as we began this series that John tells us his purpose in writing this gospel.

John 20:31 ESV

31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

The purpose of John 1:1-18, is to present Jesus as just that, the incarnate Son of God, the Logos who reveals God perfectly to us. No one more like the Father than the Son and both God, the same God. The Son of God who has come to save the world from sin and the harm and death that it brings.

We’ve all seen courtrooms and trials, even if it’s on TV. When there is a case being made, witnesses are called. That’s what John the Apostles says that God brought John the Baptist to do. To testify, to be a witness to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God.

Notice how John the Apostle begins in v.19.

John 1:19 ESV

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

In our verses today, we are going to see John the Baptist make this case so that he ends by proclaiming:

John 1:34 ESV

34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

So this morning, I want us to hear from this witness. And I prayerfully hope that you will walk away from today convinced by his testimony.

To understand what is happening, you have to understand just a bit of the backstory. John is a pretty eccentric guy. He’s not really a socialite. He’s a loner. He has gone out into the wilderness of the desert to live alone.

Matthew 3:4 ESV

4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

Why do you think Matthew makes a point of describing John’s appearance. He never really describes the appearance of any of the other disciples or even Jesus. It’s because this is strange. Not even in 1st century Israel did people look at someone wearing camel’s hair and eating bugs normal. This guy should not be attracting crowds of people. But he was. What was bringing the people was his message. He was preaching a message of repentance of sin and the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 3:1–2 ESV

1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

As people repented, he baptized them as a sign of their repentance and a desire to be right of God. The issue was that this was very similar to the baptism given to proselytes coming from other nations or religions to become Jews. They were required to renounce all evil, immersed in water, then reclothed as a member of the holy community.

The people in charge wanted to know what exactly was going on in the wilderness. So they sent representatives to find out.

John 1:19 ESV

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

We know about the priests they were concerned with the theological practices of the nation and the Levites were especially helpful to the priests as they helped conduct the rituals and services in the temple. They had one big question for John the Baptist, “Who are you?” (v.19).

Isn’t it interesting that in a book about who Jesus is, the first question asked is about who John the Baptist is? John the Baptist corrects this and tells them, “You are asking the wrong question. You should be asking about who I am. You should be asking about who the Christ is.” Because “I am not him.” He says very clearly that he is not the Christ (v.20)

But they don’t get the hint. Their job was to find out who John the Baptist is so they press on.

John 1:21 ESV

21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”

Why would they want to know if he was Elijah? It was because the OT prophesied that Elijah would return before the coming of the Messiah. And the Jews were looking for the Messiah.

Malachi 4:5 ESV

5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.

There was some speculation among the Jewish leaders that maybe John the Baptist was the return of Elijah because they had two commonalities.

Both Elijah and John the Baptist were wilderness men.

They both had very bold confrontational personalities. If you remember Elijah once challenged 850 prophets of Baal and Ashera to a test of the gods. Yahweh had a great victory over

these gods and Elijah slaughtered 450 prophets of Baal. He then faced off against evil King Ahab and Queen Jezebaal. Then John the Baptist faced off with King Herod who was having a sexual relationship with his brother Philip’s wife, Herodias. John the Baptist was seized and thrown into prison because of this and then due to Herodias’ influence John the Baptist was beheaded.

That’s why some thought he was the second coming of Elijah. What’s interesting is that John the Baptist didn’t think of himself as the second coming of Elijah. But, do you know who did think of him as the prophesied coming of Elijah. Or more accurately a figure like Elijah? Jesus. Listen to what he told his disciples.

Matthew 17:10–13 ESV

10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

John the Baptist also said that he wasn’t the Prophet. Now, don’t misread that and think it said “a prophet.” He was certainly “a prophet.” When they asked if he was “the Prophet?” They were talking about a prophecy that Moses had given.

Deuteronomy 18:15 ESV

15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—

Of course God gave a line of prophets to guide the nation Jews in God’s will. But by this time the Jews were looking for a final prophet like Moses to lead them. The NT identifies that final prophet as Jesus.

The priests and Levites were like, “well if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet, i.e. the people that we’ve been told to expect from the Lord, then who are you?” The people that sent us want an answer, so you told us who you aren’t. “What do you say about yourself?” He quoted from Isaiah 40:3-5.

John 1:23 ESV

23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

To understand how John the Baptist saw his role we have to go to Isaiah 40:3-5.

Isaiah 40:3–5 ESV

3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Isaiah is using figurative language here. The wilderness was no place fit for a King to travel. The terrain was terrible. It was uneven, bumpy terrain. The trip would beat you to death.

*It was like traveling on Bro. Mike’s driveway. You haven’t seen holes in a driveway until you have traveled up their driveway. It’s like driving on the moon. Isaiah said, “We need to prepare a pathway through the wilderness of our sinful and unrepentant hearts that is fit for a king to travel on. Smooth out the road. Take the valleys and fill them in so they are level. Take the high places and knock them low until they are level. Make a road that the King of Kings will be pleased to travel to us. “So that the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh may see it together.”

John the Baptist said, “That’s me. I’m the road builder. I’ve come to prepare the way for the KIng of Kings, the Messiah to come to us.”

The priests and the Levites just ignore his answer. They get to the real issue of why they are there. It’s here in v.24 that we find that the Pharisees are the muscle behind the priests and Levites being there. Pharisees were a 6000 member influential and political group that inforced a very strict interpretation of the Law. Many of them would eventually hate Jesus because he interpreted the Law different than they did. What they really wanted to know from John is, “What gives you the credentials to be baptizing people since you say you are not Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet. You ain’t no body.”

John the Baptist returns to the what he has said about being “road builder” for the King of Kings. In a sense he says, “You’re right, I am no body. But I am preparing the way for a Somebody. A King!” How important is he?

John 1:26–27 ESV

26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”

John the Baptist draws this reference to untying the sandal of the coming one from the practice of using the lowest slave of a household to remove the sandals of guests and wash their feet. John the Baptist essentially says, “I’m the forerunner prophesied by Isaiah and compared to the coming King I’m not even as significant as the lowest of slaves.

Now this begs the question, “Who is this exalted coming King?” It’s answered in vv.29-30.

John 1:29–30 ESV

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’

Notice how John describes Jesus. “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” John’s first description of Jesus is to point to the atoning work that he was there to accomplish. “The Lamb God” points to the sacrificial nature of Christ’s mission. Lambs were used as sacrifices in the temple as an offering to cover the sins of the people. But these were insufficient. Jesus had come to complete what all those other animal sacrifice simply symbolized. He came to bear our sin and die in our place.

Peter would later describe Jesus in a similar way.

1 Peter 1:18–19 ESV

18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

How did John know that Jesus was this Messiah. Because God the Father confirmed it with his word and the sign of the Holy Spirit.

John 1:31–33 ESV

31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

John didn’t know Jesus was the Messiah until the Father confirmed it through John the Baptist witnessed the Spirit descend upon Jesus.

This gives us an understanding of the important work of the Holy Spirit. He has come to authenticate the mission of Jesus. And he has also come to seal the work of Jesus upon the lives of individual believers. Notice that John doesn’t pretend to impart the Spirit to his followers. He just announces that Jesus will do that work.

Jesus has come to “baptize with the Holy Spirit.” What does that mean? Just as the baptism of water signifies repentance and confession of sin and receiving new life in Christ, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to give us new life. Those who repent and believe find themselves with their lives changed because the Spirit indwells us and changes us.

In light of what John had witnessed in work of God in his life and the signs given to Jesus. John proclaimed his testimony:

John 1:34 ESV

34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

3 Takeaways

1. Humility: If John thought he wasn’t worthy to wash Jesus’ feet, let us not think too much of ourselves.

2. Repentance: To prepare the way for the King, we must get off his throne and let God do road renovation.

3. Holy Spirit Transformation: Repentance is to lead to the Spirit’s indwelling. Water baptism is to symbolize a spiritual transformation in Christ.

What does your heart look like? A wilderness? Ask the Lord to begin preparing your heart for Christ. To transform its terrain. To smooth out the rough places. To lift up the valleys and to lower the mountains and the hills. To smooth out a path for Christ to save you and for the Holy Spirit to change you. That looks like repentance and confession and faith.