19And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
20And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
21And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
22Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
23He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
24And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
25And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
26John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
27He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
28These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
1* (1:19) Introduction: The witness of John the Baptist is a dynamic example for every servant of God.John was questioned by the religionist who were very suspicious of him.These were fact finders sent from Jersalem,the headquarters of Jewish religion.
1* (1:19) Introduction: The witness of John the Baptist is a dynamic example for every servant of God.John was questioned by the religionist who were very suspicious of him.These were fact finders sent from Jersalem,the headquarters of Jewish religion.
Thought 1. Too often we are suspicious of and question those who seem different from us. Many times those who are serious about there walk with the Lord are often challenged by those who have there own agenda's.You will find the closer one gets to the Lord,the more opposition he is met with by others who claim the same faith.
2*(1:20-22) Minister,Humility: The messenger was a man who knew who he was.Others questioned who he was ,but not John.He knew God had sent him into the world with a specific ministry.He was from God,called and commissioned by God, therefore,He knew exactly who he was and what he was doing.John was not Elijah,John was not that prophet,Jeremiah or Isaiah.John was not the light ,but he was to bear witness to the light.
Thought 1. The lesson is clear,The servants,minister,or layman of God must not,claim to be Christ or any other great prophet,pretent to be any other great man of God,seek recognition,assume some honor that don't belong to him,allow God's power upon his life and ministry to turn his head toward , pride, thinking more highly of himself than he ought to.
3* (1:23-24) Jesus Christ,Messiah-John the Baptist,Forerunner:The messenger was only a voice, only a forerunner for the Lord.Why was it necessary for the messiah to have a forerunner?Why did John have to run ahead of Christ crying "prepare,make straight the way of the Lord?"People needed their concept of the Messiah straightened out.
1)Few had ever seen "the seed" promised to Adam and Abraham as referring to the Messiah. They interpeted the seed as the nation Israel,as all circumcised Jews."We are Abraham's seed" as they told Christ.Few saw the Messiah as the seed in whom all the promises to Abraham were fulfilled.
2)The Jews saw the Messiah primarily as the Son of David: David had liberated and led their nation to it's highest peak,so they saw the Messiah following in David's footsteps.One who was going to liberate them from their enemies and restore the nation to great glory.The Jews saw themselves as the subjects of the Messiah's salvation(Deliverance),and saw all other people (gentiles)as the subject of the Messiah's judgment.The people needed their religion straighten out,and John the forerunner had to begin cracking through the crust of these errors.Salvation was not a national thing,institutional thing,or even a religious thing,is was and is a personal matter, a spiritual matter of the heart and life.A man has to personally want forgiveness of sins and then repent and be baptized if he wished to be saved.This was and still is the message of the Messiah.
Thought 1. The same can be said of men today.Many need their concept of the Messiah straightened out.Some don't know Christ as the promised seed.Some think they are special and priviledged of God, blind to their sins and need for personal salvation.Many need to simply hear the plain truth about the Messiah and His purpose for dying on the cross.
Thought 2. The mesenger of God is only a voice,only a forerunner for the Lord.He must speak up for the Lord,he must be a clear voice with a clear message.
4* (1:25-26) Baptism,John The Baptist,Baptism of: the mesenger was a baptizer.John as asked why he baptized.a) His baptism shocked the Jewish nation,for Jews were never baptized.Baptism was for non-Jewish persons who were converted to the Jewish faith.It was for all the uncleaned who needed to be cleaned to be acceptable to God,and the Jews felt they were acceptable to God in any matter because they were of the seed of Abraham.The old testament prophets had cried to Israel to wash themselves and be cleansed of their filthiness.John used baptism to show that a man was turning from his sins and turning to God,seeking forgiveness of sins.
Thought 1. Baptism is critical.the believer is to be baptized, but he is to be baptized because he is truly repenting and sincerely turning to God.
5* (1:27) Servant,Humility: The messenger of God was an unworthy servant.John proclaimed and confessed that Jesus was prefered before him,John said he wasn't worthy to even unloose the shoe latchet of Jesus sandals.The same confession of unworthiness must be made by every servant of God.
6* (1:28) John the Baptist , Minister :The messenger was a man who brought honor to a place. A servant of God who is faithful in his witness and ministry(like John) will bring honor to a place.In God's eyes a place is honored because believers are there(Genesis 18:16)
