Who is Jesus? While Matthew and Luke emphasize John the Baptist’s teaching on our need for repentance, John’s gospel zeros in on this essential question. And his answer must have been astounding to his listeners.
Who is Jesus? Well, even though John the Baptist was a true prophet of God, he said that Jesus somehow held greater rank, that he wasn’t even worthy to untie Jesus’ shoes (1:30, 27). This is because even though John confessed that Jesus was a man (John 1:30), he insisted that Jesus is at the same time the Son of God (1:34).
No, John explained that he was just the messenger, preparing the way of the Lord, as Isaiah had predicted hundreds of years before (Isaiah 40:3). But John made it just as clear that Jesus was the Messiah for whom God’s people had been waiting all that time, the One Who would baptize His people with the Holy Spirit (John 1:33).
But how exactly would Jesus rule over His people? How would He bless us with the presence of God within us? While most of John’s listeners probably expected Jesus to wield military power, John instead testified that Jesus was “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). John thus taught that, even though Jesus was the almighty Son of God, Jesus would nevertheless give Himself up as a completely human sacrifice to satisfy the death penalty that all our sins deserve. Jesus would thus wield His divine power through meekness, that He would save all His people by giving up His own life.
No, all of this may not make sense to us. But if that’s really Who Jesus is, shouldn’t we join John in admitting His power and authority over us? Shouldn’t we accept the pardon Jesus offers us? Shouldn’t we ask Him to fill us with His Spirit? And shouldn’t we follow Him?
John 1:19-34 (ESV)
19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
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.”
24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.)
25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
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.”
28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
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.’
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.’
34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
