The Gospel of John: John 1.6-34

Read and meditate on John 1.6-34.
Today’s reading will encompass all the ministry of John the Baptist as we have seen it thus far. Pay attention to how many times witness or some version of, or action describing this activity occurs. Jesus said John was the greatest man born of women (Matt. 11.11). Here at the beginning of John’s gospel, where the apostle gives so much attention to the Baptist, we do well to reflect deeply on him.

²⁹The next day, Jesus came to John, and he
declared, “Behold! The Lamb of God, Who takes
away our sins – the world’s sin – and Who makes
us whole! ³⁰Yes, this is He, this is the One
of Whom I said, ‘One after me will come
Who is preferred before me, for He was
before me.’ ³¹And I knew Him not because
He was to be revealed to Israel. So
I came baptizing, that you all might know
Him.”

           ³²John bore further witness saying, “I
saw when the Spirit of our God on high
descended on Him like a dove, and on
Him rested and remained. ³³I knew Him not
until that moment, but I had been taught
by Him Who sent me here to baptize, “On
the One you see the Holy Spirit come,
descending and remaining on Him, He
will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” ³⁴See,
He is the Son of God! For on Him rests
the Spirit of the eternal God, most blessed!”

- John 1.29-34

Reflect
1.  As you review the work of John the Baptist, what traits or attributes stand out to you about him? Complete this prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to see the greatness You saw in John, so that…

2.  What did John see concerning Jesus? How did he see this? How did he describe Jesus, and how would he have applied what he saw to himself? How did he regard himself in relation to Jesus? Like John the Baptist, Lord, I want to…

3.  Summarize the testimony or witness John gave to Jesus. How does this guide you in thinking about your own witness for the Lord (Acts 1.8)? Lord, help me be alert to opportunities to bear witness to You. As I go out into my Personal Mission Field today…

4.  If we assume that John the apostle is using John the Baptist to introduce the primary themes he will deal with throughout his gospel, what should we be looking for as we read and study on in the Gospel of John? Lord, help me to bring together, and to keep in my soul, all that You are teaching me…

5.  We’re not quite finished with John the Baptist, as we shall see. Though what John has told us about him is spare, it is fraught with significance, both for the Word-become-flesh, the gospel that John is writing, and for us as readers of this gospel and recipients of John the Baptist’s witness. Explain. Bring your prayers from questions 1-4 together into a single prayer.

Summary
“A confident witness is one who not only sees but actually speaks about what he has seen. [John] surely was not ignorant of what was written, “Tell what your eyes have seen.” “I saw” then, he says, the sign, and I understood what was signified by it. I bear witness “that this is the Son of God,” who was proclaimed by the law through Moses and heralded by the voice of the holy prophets. The blessed Evangelist seems to me again to say with supreme confidence, “This is the Son of God,” that is, the one and only one who is by nature the unique heir of the Father to whom we too, sons by adoption, are conformed and through whom we are called by grace to the dignity of sonship.” Cyril of Alexandria (374-444 AD)

We shall see that John the Baptist’s ministry had the desired effect: It turned the attention of others to Jesus. How did he do that? What should we take away from this for our own callings in life?

Closing Prayer
O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me!
Let them be confounded and consumed
Who are adversaries of my life;
Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor
Who seek my hurt.
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.

Psalm 71.12-16

Psalm 71.12-16, 3 (Solid Rock: My Hope is Built on Nothing Less)
O God, be not too far from me; my ever-present Helper be!
Consume and shame my enemies; let them reproached and humbled be.
  A Rock of habitation be; command Your Word to rescue me;
  My Rock and Fortress ever be!

But as for me, my voice I raise to sing in hope and constant praise!
With saving grace my voice will swell, Your never-ending grace to tell.
  A Rock of habitation be; command Your Word to rescue me;
  My Rock and Fortress ever be!

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.