The Gospel of John: John 1.19-28

Read and meditate on John 1.19-28.
This historical stage is now set for the drama that will begin to unfold in verse 29. We are to understand that John the Baptist and John the apostle are telling a story they want us to hear, embrace, and repeat. Whatever our place, and as many as may be the people God brings to us, we must be ready, like both Johns, to point people to Jesus, threats and intimidations notwithstanding.

¹⁹The Jews sent priests and Levites unto John, 
who from Jerusalem arrived as one
to hear his testimony. “Who are you?”
they asked. ²⁰John answered, and he said unto
them, “I am not the Christ.” ²¹And when they pressed
him, asking, “Then Elijah?” he confessed,
“No, I am not Elijah.” “Are you then
the Prophet?” they persisted. He again
denied, and answered simply, “No.” ²²But they
kept at him: “Who are you? What do you say
about yourself? We need an answer for
the ones who here have sent us. So once more:
What do you say about yourself?” ²³But John
said only, “I am but the voice of one
who cries out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight
the pathways of the LORD, and hesitate
no longer,’ as Isaiah prophesied.”

²⁴Now those who questioned him had from the side
of rulers known as Pharisees been sent.
²⁵And so they asked him, and would not relent,
“Why then do you baptize, if you are not
the Christ, Elijah, nor the Prophet?” ²⁶But
he answered, “I baptize with water. One
among you stands, Whom you have not begun
to know. ²⁷He’s coming after me, but He
must be preferred and honored more than me,
I am unworthy even to untie
His sandal.”

                            ²⁸These events all happened by
the Jordan River, near to Bethany.

- John 1.19-28

Reflect
1.  John the apostle and John the Baptist establish a template for those who explain their lives in terms of Jesus Christ: Be His witness! In what ways does this describe your own relationship to Jesus? Complete this prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to be a consistent witness. Help me to…

2.  John described his relationship to Christ in terms of voice, unworthiness, pathways, and preference. Use those four words to write a prayer explaining your relationship to Christ.

3.  In this first chapter of the gospel of John we are given a lesson on how to understand the Old Testament, from Genesis (vv. 1-3) through the Law (v. 21b), to the last book of the Old Testament (v. 21a), and including the place of Moses and the Law (v. 17). John will continue this subliminal lesson throughout his gospel. How is he teaching us to read the Old Testament? How should this affect the way you read and study the Old Testament? Lord, help me, as I read the Old Testament, to…

4.  John was faithful in his calling, and the Lord brought multitudes to him. Whom has the Lord brought into your life? Where is your “Bethany beyond the Jordan”? In what ways should you expect to be a witness to the Word-become-flesh in your place? Today, Lord, let me be like John the Baptist, so that…

5.  Jesus described John the Baptist as the greatest person ever born (Matt. 11.11). Yet John seems to have regarded himself as lowly and humble. Was Jesus wrong? Was John? Were they both right? Explain. Bring your prayers from questions 1-4 together into a single prayer.

Conclusion
“[John] marks the places [Bethany beyond Jordan] also for another reason. Since he was not about to relate matters that were out of date, but rather those that had happened just a little before, he makes those who were present and had seen everything witnesses of his words and supplies proof from the places themselves. Confident that nothing was added by himself to what was said, but that he simply and with truth described things as they were, he draws a testimony from the places which, as I said, would be no common demonstration of his veracity.” John Chrysostom (344-407 AD)

The stage is set for Christ to appear, and for the story of the Gospel to begin. The stage is always set in your Personal Mission Field. Are you as ready as John the Baptist to live your witness for the Lord? How do you prepare daily to go out into your “Bethany beyond the Jordan” as a witness for Christ?

Closing Prayer
I said, “I will guard my ways,
Lest I sin with my tongue;
I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,
While the wicked are before me.”
I was mute with silence,
I held my peace even from good;
And my sorrow was stirred up.
My heart was hot within me;
While I was musing, the fire burned.
Then I spoke with my tongue:
“LORD, make me to know my end,
And what is the measure of my days,
ThatI may know how frail I am.
Indeed, You have made my days ashandbreadths,
And my age isas nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.
Selah
Surely every man walks about like a shadow;
Surely they busy themselves in vain;
He heaps up riches,
And does not know who will gather them.
“And now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope isin You.”

Psalm 39.1-7

Psalm 39.1-13 (Woodworth: Just As I Am)
I said, “My ways now let me guard, that I may not sin against You, Lord;
When wicked men surround me hard, then guard my mouth, I pray, O Lord!”

No word I spoke, and sorrow grew; with burning soul I turned to You:
“Lord, make me know what I must do to live this fleeting life for You.”

Though life is short and men are vain, who labor but for wealth and gain,
Lord, rescue me from sin and pain.  Redeem me, Lord, from ev’ry stain!

Remove from me Your heavy hand; against You let me no more stand.
Reprove me by Your firm command – how brief the life of ev’ry man!

O Lord, give ear and hear my cry!  No more be silent to my sigh!
Look gladly on me with Your eye through all my life, until I die.

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.