Foreshadowing Jesus’ Fate

Foreshadowing Jesus’ Fate

John 1:19-34

Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz

John 1:19 This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 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?” 23 He said, “I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

John 1:24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. 27 “It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 “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.’ 31 “I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” 32 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 “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.’ 34 “I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

Knowing the culture of Judea and Galilee in Jesus’ day is essential to understanding any of the narratives in John’s Gospel. You may have heard that scholars believe this Gospel was written for a Gentile community of believers. This section of chapter one probably moved many persons over the centuries to that conclusion. Why do you ask? Because John the Baptist is clear that he is not Elijah.

Right off the bat, we examine a statement of John’s based on his culture. This demonstrates why the day’s culture is vital to understanding the narratives. The prophet Malachi said that the prophet Elijah would return before the Messiah. Elijah would prepare the people’s hearts so that they would be ready. The messianic age always had the component of the LORD’s return. This event was called the “Day of the LORD.” This day invoked the end of time, the apocalypse, the final judgment, and the end of the world as we know it.

According to John’s Gospel, the Day of the LORD could not happen through John because he was not Elijah. Inside the Gospel, Jesus never calls John the prophet Elijah. Oh, by the way, in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus calls John the prophet Elijah. This raises some questions for Jews who are looking at the life of Jesus and determining if He is the Messiah promised by the LORD.

John refers to Jesus as the “lamb of God.” This title appears twice in the Bible. Both appearances are in John’s Gospel, verses 29 and 36. What does it mean to be called the “lamb of God.” In order to discover this meaning, we have to examine the culture of Jesus’ day. To be honest with you, several biblical scholars of today cannot offer a good explanation of this phrase. One of the academic commentaries I used in Seminary, and still refer to today, could not give a definitive answer to what the phrase meant.

Luckily for you, I study the culture of Jesus’ day. The “lamb of God” was a particular sheep selected in the springtime by a farmer. The family would select the perfect sheep from their flock, usually a newborn, and would prepare that animal to be sacrificed in the fall to the LORD. Jews believed and still do that the LORD has ownership in everything. After all, the LORD created the Heavens, the Earth, animals, and us. Therefore, God owns a piece of the sheep that was selected.

During the summer months, the sheep would have had exceptional care. It received plenty of food and water to grow and be healthy. The lamb of God was destined from its selection to be sacrificed to the LORD. The meat of the sheep would have been boiled and shared among the people in the town as a tribute to the LORD.