How do you want people to think of you? I guess it depends on the situation-and your age. When I was younger I wanted to be cool, and I was so not. Today I could be thought of in many roles: husband, son, father, pastor, writer, or musician. When I’m with other pastors I could want to be thought of as insightful or funny or sort aloof and above it all. As a father I could wish to be viewed as all knowing, all powerful, all benevolent.
One of the reasons for these roles is that people want to know: what gives you the right to be heard? What are your credentials? Well, today we’re going to see a guy who has credentials like crazy. In fact, Jesus called him the greatest man ever born. Yet he out and out refuses to let those around him define him by those credentials-by who he is. He defines himself by something, or in this case, someone else.
14 - 18
The Word became flesh. Some in John’s day believed that Jesus only seemed human. Making Jesus something other than a flesh and blood human being has been the theme of several cults, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, who claim Jesus returned in 1918 as a spirit. John wrote later that anyone who did not confess that Jesus came in the flesh was not saved (1 John 4:3).
Jesus was completely human, but he was also completely God. Jesus "dwelt" , "tabernacled" or "pitched his tent" among us. He was the human Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting. Jesus is where we meet God. Jesus wasn’t anything special on the outside, but inside He was the very glory of God. Jesus is "the only begotten" which means unique and special: one-of-a-kind. He is not one of a series of reincarnated "Christs".
Jesus is full of grace and truth. Jesus is the real thing - He is the holy God, but He also offers a free gift to all who accept it.
19 - 23
The religious leaders of the day were curious about John. They needed to check out any new teaching, check the credentials of the person teaching, and were probably threatened and jealous of the following John was getting.
They pressed to know who he was. To them there were four possibilities: The Messiah, Elijah, The Prophet spoken of by Moses, or a false prophet.
First, John emphatically denies being the Messiah. The last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, promised that one would come to "prepare the way before me" (Mal 3:1). In 4:5-6 Elijah himself is identified as coming before "the great and awesome day of the Lord." John said he was not Elijah. Jesus Himself said that John came like Elijah:
Matthew 11:11-14 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.
He also said he was not "The Prophet" which refers to Deut 18:15. This also speaks to the false prophet:
Deuteronomy 18:15-22 "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- 16 just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ’Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 17 And the Lord said to me, ’They are right in what they have spoken. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ 21 And if you say in your heart, ’How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’- 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.
So they must have been thinking perhaps John was among the many false prophets that had arisen. They demand to know who he is. But John is more interested in sharing why he came, not who he is. So he quotes from Isaiah 40:3
I wonder - how much do we worry about people recognizing us for who we are - the position we’ve attained, the degrees we’ve earned, the power we hold, the beauty or physical prowess we’ve accomplished - rather than why we are here, which is the same reason John came - to point out Jesus the Messiah.
24 - 28
The Pharisees asked John why he baptized since he wasn’t the Christ or Elijah because though baptism itself was not new - it was new for Jews to be baptized. Normally it was for Gentiles converting to Judaism.
There stands among us one whom we do not yet know. Jesus enters a life quietly, standing in the background, unrecognized. Then when he is highlighted by a witness we have the opportunity to decide if we want to know Him. Don’t look for Jesus to amaze and enthrall you at first.
Untying the sandal was considered such a menial task that not even the lowest slave was asked to do it. But here John takes on a position lower than the lowest slave when compared to the Messiah.
I’m sure these words set off quite a buzz among the people. They weren’t to have to wait long.
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John was an agent for Jesus. He allowed himself to be used in order to be the agent by which power came into and out of Jesus in the form of the Holy Spirit. God didn’t have to do it this way. Jesus is humbling himself through the water baptism. It’s not a baptism of repentance but of humbleness before the Father.
Calling Jesus "the Lamb of God" would have instantly brought to mind the Passover lamb of Exodus 12. But not just taking away the sins of a family, this Passover Lamb takes away the sins of the whole world!
John and Jesus were cousins so of course they knew each other, but John did not know Jesus was the Messiah until God provided a sign. Later John seems to doubt that sign because Jesus apparently wasn’t acting like the Messiah John was looking for, but Jesus corrects that then.
Only John and Jesus saw the Holy Spirit descend. Others said it thundered (Matthew 3). In the synoptic accounts a voice came with the sign: "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."
And so not only was Jesus baptized by the Spirit but his mission will be to baptize us with that same Spirit.
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