Who Was John the Baptist? | Understanding John 1:19-23

Topic: Who Was John the Baptist?

Reading: John 1:19-23

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, he 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 They said to him then, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

Introduction and Overview

In this section of scripture today, we see an intriguing question. It was posed by the priests and Levites of the Jews. They wanted to know who was John the Baptist? So, the priests were sent to speak to him to see what he had to say for himself.

It is clear that John the Baptist was an important figure in those days. The people held him to be a prophet. All of Jerusalem went out to him and to listen to his preaching. He implemented a process of baptism for the repentance of sins. And we see that the teachings of John the Baptist went far and wide. We even see a group of his disciples in the hill country of Ephesus when Paul first visited them (see Acts 19:1-6).

So, John the Baptist was an important religious figure of his day. But who was John the Baptist from a spiritual perspective? What was his role in the work of Jesus Christ, the Gospel, and the New Covenant? These are things we begin to unravel in these words today.

Key points from reading:

John the Baptist was not the Christ
Contrary to the words of Christ, John the Baptist did not see himself as the prophet Elijah.
The mission and work of John the Baptist was to prepare the way for the Lord by bringing the people to repentance.

Discussion:

Scripture: John 1:19-20 – John the Baptist was NOT the Christ
- The Jewish leaders with the priests and the Levites recognised John the Baptist as a powerful figure. His words struck a chord with the people. Even some of the Pharisees came to him to be baptised for repentance. Clearly he had a very imposing and charismatic way about him that led the Jewish leaders to wonder if or where he fit into the prophecies of the Old Testament.
- We must remember that the Jews were looking for a saviour. They were looking for and hoping for the coming of the Messiah. Israel had been under the thumb of the Roman Empire for a number of years, and the Jews did not like that situation. They knew that the Messiah would come as king, and He would remove all other governments. This was their hope.
- When John the Baptist appeared, the Jews had hoped that he would be the Messiah or Christ. They hoped that he would be the one to lead the people out of the oppression of the Romans to the freedom they so desired. But John knocked that idea on the head. He said clearly and conclusively, “I am not the Christ!” He stated in unequivocal terms that he was not the redeemer and saviour they were hoping for. But John knew who he was and what his role was meant to be in relation to the Christ who was to come.
Scripture: John 1:21 – Who could John the Baptist be?
- When the Jews heard that John the Baptists was not the Christ, they were still unsatisfied. It was clear to them that John was an important figure. They knew there were other people mentioned in the Old Testament prophecies who were to come. The Jews wondered whether perhaps John was one of those others. So, they asked him.
- The Jews asked if John was the prophet to come, or if he was Elijah to come. In all cases John the Baptist said that he was not. And now this becomes interesting.
- John said that he was not Elijah, but Jesus said that he was. Speaking of John the Baptist we see Jesus say these words:
  
  “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Eli’jah who is to come. (Matthew 11:13-14)”
- At that time some of the people were of the belief that Elijah himself would return or perhaps be reincarnated. We must recall that Elijah did not die, but was taken into heaven by God in a flaming chariot of fire (see 2 Kings 2:1-11). However, The Lord clarified this in the prophecy given to Zechariah, the father of John, by the angel Gabriel saying:
  
  11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechari’ah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechari’ah, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth; 15 for he will be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Eli’jah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (Luke 1:11-17)
  
  So, it was not Elijah himself who returned, but John the Baptist’s ministry was executed in the “spirit and power” of Elijah. We will look at what this means in the next post.
Scripture: John 1:22-23 – John the Baptist responds
- The priests and the Levites continued to press John for an answer. They needed to take something back to the Jewish leaders. They knew there was something special and important about the ministry of John the Baptist, and queried what his role might be.
- It is evident from John’s response that he knew who he was. He certainly would have known that he was operating in the spirit and power of Elijah, but not that he was actually Elijah himself. We can see his insight into who he was and what his role was in the final verse in this section.
- John quoted old testament prophecy to those who questioned him saying, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” John the Baptist revealed that he had appeared to fulfil this particular prophecy. But even more than that, he appeared for the express purpose of preparing the way for the appearance of Jesus and His ministry. John taught repentance, which is the first preparation for receiving the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To come to Christ, a person must first repent. And we see elsewhere that John the Baptist also taught the people to believe in the one who would come after him (Refer Acts 19:1-6).

Prayer Points:

Pray and ask God for help understanding the work of John the Baptist. His message is still relevant today as this world is in need of repentance and to find Christ.
Pray and ask God to help you as you walk also; that repentance becomes part of the way you walk with Christ.