John 1: 19-34

I want to really hear what John says - what both Johns say. I want to understand how he says it and why. I want to know what it was like to hear the gospel for the first time; to not have preconceived notions about the message.

This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." They asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not " "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." 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?" He said, "I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,' as Isaiah the prophet said."

Make straight the way of the Lord. John is not concerned with anything other than the truth. He's not the Christ, he's not Elijah. He's a messenger and his message is to get ready for the coming of the Lord.

Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, and said to him, "Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" John answered them saying, "I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. "It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! "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.' "I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water." John testified saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. "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.' "I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God."

John was given a vision by God and here it is realized. John recognizes Jesus as the sacrificial lamb who comes to take the sin from the world.

John actually tells us a lot of what we can expect in the coming story. If I were hearing this for the first time, I might not understand the foreshadowing here. John's comparison to Jesus with a lamb is important as is the note that Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit.

Something tells me we'll hear that again and that it'll be important.