19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” 24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” —John 1:19-34

Our culture suggests that believing in Christ as the Savior of the world requires a

I. The interrogation of John the Baptist 1:19-28

• A. Who are you? 1:19-20, 22, 24

  1. Why did they ask? Deuteronomy 13:1-5, 18:20-22

     1 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. 5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. —Deuteronomy 13:1-5
     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. —Deuteronomy 18:20-22

  2. John’s response – “I am not the Christ” 1:20
     

• B. What then? 1:21-24
  

  1. Three possible solutions
     a. Fraud
     b. Elijah
     c. Prophet
  2. John’s clarification 1:22 – Isaiah 40:3
     

     A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. —Isaiah 40:3
     

• C. Then why are you baptizing 1:25-28

  1. Types of baptisms
     a. Ritual washings/baptisms – Hebrews 6:2

     and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. —Hebrews 6:2

     b. Proselyte baptism – Jewish group when someone converted to Judaism
     c. John the Baptist’s – repentance (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; Acts 13:24; 19:4) and Kingdom alignment (Ezekiel 36:25, 33; 37:23; Zechariah 13:1)

     “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. —Matthew 3:11
     John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. —Mark 1:4
     And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. —Luke 3:3
     Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. —Acts 13:24
     And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” —Acts 19:4
     25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. … 33 “Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be rebuilt. —Ezekiel 36:25, 33
     They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. —Ezekiel 37:23
     “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness. —Zechariah 13:1

     d. Believer’s baptism – Matthew 28:18-20

     18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” —Matthew 28:18-20

  2. The limitations of John’s baptism 1:26a

  3. The anticipation of the Messiah 1:26b-27

II. The identification by John 1:29-34

• A. Sacrificial lamb 1:29-32
  
  1. The title “lamb of God” is only used by John 1:29a
  2. The emphasis is on Christ’s sacrifice on the cross 1:29b
  3. John’s purpose is to announce Christ to Israel 1:30-32

• B. Sign of the Spirit 1:33

  1. The sign predicted 1:33a (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22)

     And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; —Matthew 3:16
     And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. —Mark 1:10
     and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” —Luke 3:22

  2. The sign’s purpose 1:33b – proof of Messiahship

• C. Son of God 1:34
  
  1. John’s verification
  2. Christ’s identification

There can be no greater mission than to

Small Group Questions

1. What did God teach you through this passage and sermon? Share the work of God in your heart with the group.

2. What questions did this passage and sermon raise in your mind?

3. What do we learn from John the Baptist about speaking of Jesus with humility and boldness?

4. What obstacles keep people from coming to Christ, and how can we make the way straight?

5. How can we point others to Christ in our culture?