John 1:19 -28. The testimony of John the Baptist.
Last week we uncovered the deep spiritual insights into his identity of Jesus (divine nature), his incarnation ( humanity) & his purpose (to save those who receive Him). We now commence the historical journey, with the beginnings of Jesus earthly ministry and the impact it had upon those around at the time. It begins not with the witness of Christ but with the testimony of another, John the Baptist (v19). Who was the forerunner to Jesus, a witness sent from God (Jhn1:6-8) to point others to the true light. just like the other three gospel writers John too mentions the testimony and work of John the Baptist (Matt3:1, Mark 1: 1-11, Luke 3: 2).
Today I want us to unpack a little of the life of John the Baptist and show that his life & character is a true example of the life & character that all true saints of God should endeavour to live out on a daily basis before others, whatever our gifting in the Lord. We shall also see the opportunities that type of character will give us as we come into contact with others.
But before we do let’s look at a bit of the background.
John the Baptist (The man)
John was born at the same time as Jesus, and was born as a result of prayer & promise given by the Angel of the Lord in the temple to Zechariah (luke1:13). John was a Levite & his family line had a priestly heritage his Father came from priestly division of Abijah & his mother was from the priestly line of Aaron (luke1:5). John was also related to Jesus; Elizabeth was a relative to Mary (earthly family). Even in the womb of Elizabeth his mother, John was filled with the Holy Spirit (15) The whole of Johns life was given over to Gods call, to serve Gods specific purpose to be the forerunner to Jesus ministry pointing others ultimately not just to repentance but to the Christ.
John the Baptist (His ministry)
Jesus & Johns ministries overlap and interconnect as Jesus was proclaiming the kingdom of God & calling his disciples, Johns ministry was prophesised by Isaiah (Isaiah 40:3) upon his birth his father also prophesied too echoing the words of Isaiah (Luke 1:76- 80) John spent his time in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Isreal. John began preparing the ground for the Messiah, bringing people to a baptism of repentance, also pointing others to Jesus as the Messiah, specifically as the Lamb of God ( John 1:29) who would die for sinners, He pointed to the greater baptism of that Jesus would deliver with the Holy Spirit (John 1:33). John simply said of himself that he was the one as the prophet Isaiah foretold “The one called to prepare the way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness; Prepare the way of the Lord make his paths straight.” (Jhn 1:23)
John also baptises Jesus this Jesus undertakes this act although he had no sin in order to fulfil all righteousness (Mat t2:15) Here Jesus is also identifying himself with sinful humanity, yet without sin, it’s the inauguration of his own earthly ministry. John the Baptist would find himself getting into hot water over his outspoken words, specifically to Herod the Tetrarch who was having an affair with his brother’s wife Herodias after at a dinner party he eventually found himself be headed as a result of his heart searching words.
John the Baptist (The moment)
The times were expectant & volatile. With messianic expectations, ( under Roman control) and volatile with the usurping of power with the raising up of so called messianic groups, we see it in the questioning of John. John had been causing a stir all over Palestine and it had even reached the higher echelons of the temple in Jerusalem and so a group of delegates from the Sanhedrin are sent out to question him (19-23). John had a powerful preaching ministry, with a fresh and radical call to repentance as a result, large masses of people were submitting to baptism of repentance in the river Jordan and elsewhere , with a growing band of disciples, not to mention his peculiar looks & eating habits, John was making a real impact and it had reached the big guns (The Sanhedrin) in Jerusalem word had got out and so a group of delegates made up of priests & Levites are sent out to question him. V19 “Who are you?”
• The author wants us to know the hostility towards Jesus, John, his disciple’s right in the beginning of the ministry. ( The Jews : 68 times in Greek text of John the word Jews is used sometimes in the neutral 2:6, positive 4:22, but in the main its hostile throughout Johns gospel; not by all Jews though).
So we’ve seen something of the man, his ministry and the moment let’s look at the character of the man a little more and the impact he makes on those around him and see if we can apply any of it to ourselves.
1. John’s life is filled with Christian humility v 19-23.
John was a great and eminent man of God, a fore runner to Jesus, with a hugely successful ministry with hundreds being baptised daily in the river Jordan, with his own band of disciples. Jesus said of John the Baptist Matt: 11:11. Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist, he also said that Jhn 5:35. John was alight amongst men.
And yet despite the flattering titles given towards him by the delegation (19 -23) ( whether he was Messiah, Elijah & the prophet) he declined such titles, each time he simply said “no” he merely humbly stated he was a voice calling out in the wilderness (23).
John’s testimony, his ministry never pointed to himself it was a testimony & ministry which always pointed people away from himself and onto Christ, (1: 26-27 , 29 -30, 36, 3:28 -30,) his preaching ministry continually pointed to the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world and his continually refrain to others was that He (Jesus) must become greater; I must become lesser . John knew that Jesus had come from above and that he was from the earth and that Jesus was above all (3:31).
Notice what he says (27) the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I’m not worthy to untie. (A student of a rabbi would untie the sandals of his teacher, but John is not even worthy to do that task).
Application: It could have been quite easily humanly speaking to allow all that has been taking place to go to Johns head and pride to surface in his ministry - as hundreds follow and are baptised. It t is the human tendency to raise oneself up and even for others to raise those who are successful up upon a pedestal ( and it’s even possible to get carried away oneself).
Even in the Church we can think of the saints of old with tinted glasses ( John Wesley – George Whitefield, John Calvin - John Owen, C.H Spurgeon – DL Moody – Corrie ten Boom – Amy Carmichael) to saints of the present like Billy Graham - John Piper – John MacArthur & exalt such people. But like John the Baptist all these people have differing gifts and abilities, but all are crowned with the Christian trait of humility like all true saints - they would have nothing of it .
• George Whitefield often signed his letters, Biography: Less than the least of All. G.W.
If we are Christians at all then we must possess the spirit of humility, we should never high thoughts of ourselves if our Christian testimony is anything at all it should never be pointing to ourselves but to Jesus Christ, it should never be self exalting but Christ exalting, it always most seek to magnify Jesus not oneself, all of us like the saints of old must be clothed with the spirit of Humility.
No excuses: 1 Peter 5: 5 All of you clothe yourselves with humility towards one another . Like John the Baptist we must be willing to decrease and Christ Increase, in so doing we will be ultimately exalted (Luke 14:11).
Then as Jesus promises those who humble themselves will be exalted and those who exalt themselves will be humbled.
2. John’s life is filled with Christian integrity. 19 -23.
Wikipedia: Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations and outcomes. In western ethics, integrity is regarded as the quality of having an intuitive sense of honesty and truthfulness in regard to the motivations for one's actions] Integrity can be regarded as the opposite of hypocrisy,[1] in that it regards internal consistency as a virtue, and suggests that parties holding apparently conflicting values should account for the discrepancy or alter their beliefs
On being questioned by the delegates from Jerusalem in regard to his identity, he answers with honesty & truthfulness with complete integrity he puts no spin on his reply whatsoever.
(AV, ESV) v20 he freely confessed, he denied not (NIV) He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, I am not the Christ” and again when asked whether he was Elijah returned or the prophet promised he simply stated No he was not. He spoke with complete integrity which embodied honesty , truthfulness and when asked who then he told them exactly who he was as promised through the prophet Isaiah (22-23).
• Also when questioned v25 “why do you baptise?” He simply stated (26- 27) “I baptise with water, His baptisms were on profession of repentance of sin , but also as an outward sign of the spiritual blessings to be conferred on them by the Messiah, who was amongst them, John is saying his baptisms prepares and leads people to the Messaih who is amongst them who would baptise them with the Holy Spirit .
This might not seem like a big deal to you, but its massive. I believe as Christians our character should ooze out integrity, I am deeply challenged on a personal level with this issue of integrity it’s one thing to say and believe but it’s another to practice it in our lives.
• Charles Simpson. - God will not allow you to profess a doctrine in the abstract. If you confess to a truth, you will be put to the test to incorporate that into your life. Pick one: faith, integrity, truthfulness, love, patience, temperance, forgiveness. OH – You must not only “know” a doctrine as a teaching but also really know it for yourself
• This will happen all the time in our daily lives ( what we espouse will be challenged in practice) For instance in the beliefs & practices of this Church it’s one thing saying we believe ( the Bible teaching , uphold the Church constitution, but in practice we have found out we actually don’t , that’s the way we ,measure whether we are people of integrity or not. God will always put us to the test to see whether we believe what we say in practice. “Is our Yes, Yes & our No, No as Jesus calls it to be in practice?”
3. John’s life was filled with heart searching questions for others. 24-28.
When our lives are filled with Christian humility & integrity it will leave others with heart searching questions “ Who is this guy” “why is this person so different?” “What does that mean?” “ I don’t like what hes saying?” it will give us great opportunities to leave people with heart searching questions upon their own lives, when it comes to another ‘Jesus Christ’ Such was the case for John here he left these people with a heart searching question for themselves to consider......
Look when questioned v25 “why do you baptise?” (26- 27) “I baptise with water, but among you stands one you do not know.” Whose sandals I’m not even fit to untie , they wanted to put grand titles upon John the Baptist as the Christ, Elijah, Prophet, yet John says there is One you who is here, you do not know, who is even greater and I’m not even worthy to untie his sandals.
He answered their question but also turns it around by pointing to the one his baptisms point to and prepare the ground for the Messiah himself. John’s answer to their question left them with some heart searching ( You do not Know).
• What we say and do as Christians should be married together in such a way that they naturally lead others too some heart searching questions. (Rom 12:1 a transforming influence, not conforming) As we share the word & live in the world and not of it, it’s going to be very apparent before others that were different and its going to leave them with heart searching questions. I happens last Sunday Danielle & myself had a lovely opportunity to share with her mother about the New birth after she was searching her heart on Sunday morning, she had some heart searching questions.
We must be cautious as Gods people not manifest a false humility that shyly retreats from the limelight or a false integrity that fails to practice what it preaches, but desires simply to please all. We must be prepared to be like John to be humbly in our conduct pointing others to Christ.
To live out a life before a watching world with complete integrity and speak the truth into the lives of others, when confronted with difficult questions or situations.
At times that might mean great hardship and suffering and cost to oneself consider John the Baptist before Herod the Tetrarch who was having an immoral affair with his brother’s wife. John in his humility with great integrity never hid in a corner or turn a blind eye, he spoke heart searching questions into the life of Herod and he didn’t like it, but John spoke none the less in Humility and with integrity, it cost him his head on a platter.
But Jesus said of John the Baptist Matt: 11:11. Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist, he also said that Jhn 5:35. John was alight amongst men .
What will Jesus say of us ......... let us endeavour to walk Humbly, to be people of integrity who practice what they preach , lets point others to Christ leaving others with heart searching questions.......
