Sermon Notes: John 1:19-34 (I Am Not, but He Is)

Please turn to the Gospel of John, chapter 1.

We’ll be considering verses 19-34 this morning.

As you are turning there, let me say that the Gospel of John is a beautiful literary work. Greek scholars marvel at its elegance. Its words are simple, yet it has a depth of poetic beauty in how its themes are interwoven.

And because of that, the Gospel of John speaks to both those with little or no background in the Christian faith as well as to those who have studied the Scriptures their whole lives.

· On one level, the apostle John makes clear who Jesus is, what he has done, and why it matters.

· And on another level, we are given profound theological insights in a rich literary form.

We’ll continue to see that as we work our way through the book.

As I read, you will hear about John in these verses. This is referring to John the Baptist, not the apostle.

Reading of John 1:19-34.

Back in first grade, I was asked to give the opening comments for our first-grade play. That involved standing in front of the big curtain. I had a script which welcomed everyone, thanked the teachers, and gave a brief highlight of what they were about to see.

The drama teacher told me multiple times to talk slowly and to keep my hands out of my pockets. Which of course, I forgot to do. But nonetheless, I did my part, and then the curtain opened and the play began.

Well, the opening 18 verses of John’s Gospel are like the prologue to a play. They set the stage for what is to come. We’re given the book’s background and themes and we’re introduced to the main character.

As we’ve studied, verses 1-18 speak of Christ’s divine nature as creator and as the light of the world. We were also introduced to John the Baptist who bore witness to the light. We were told of what it means to believe. And then last week, we learned that the Word of God has come to us in the flesh, in the person of Jesus. And when he came, God displayed his glory and grace.

All of that was introductory. And as we now get to verse 19, the curtain opens. We don’t just hear about Jesus, but we are given story after story of his life and ministry.

To say it in another way, verses 1-18 are the theological treatise for the book… and verses 19 to the very end are the historical witness of the book. John makes the upfront argument that Jesus is God in the flesh and that salvation is found in him, and then from verse 19 on, he shows us that this is true by showing us Jesus’ life and ministry.

Speaking of a prologue, that was my prologue for this sermon.

Two points this morning. You can see them in your bulletin.

Point number 1: I am not

…and point number 2: But he is

I am not, but he is.

John the Baptist very clearly states that he is not the Christ, but he, that is Jesus, is.

1. I Am Not

So, #1. I am not.

Let me begin with a little context. It mentions here that John the Baptist was in the town of Bethany… specifically it’s just beyond the Jordan River. This is a different town than the other Bethany which was near Jerusalem just over the Mount of Olives. This one was much farther away. It would have taken a day or two to travel there by foot.

And in Bethany, John had attracted a crowd and a following. And one of the things he was doing was baptizing.

Well, despite the distance, that caused a stir in Jerusalem. News reached the ears of the Jewish leaders, and so, as we read, they sent a delegate. They had two main questions: who are you? (verse 19) and why are you baptizing (verse 25)?

John does answer both questions, but he does it in a way that redirects them away from himself and to Christ.

I learned something interesting this week. There are people today who believe that John the Baptist was the greatest prophet. They not only venerate John the Baptist, you know, worship him in a way… but they also reject Jesus as the Messiah. Now, it’s a relatively small group, several thousand. They live on the border of modern day Iraq and Iran. Their recorded history goes back to the 300s, so they’ve been around a while. And it’s very possible that their roots go all the way back to the 1st century when this book was written.

You see, one reason why the apostle John writes these things, is to make absolutely clear (1) who John the Baptist was and wasn’t and (2) who Jesus is. And he quotes John the Baptist’s words.

· He was not the prophet Elijah. Yes, he came in the spirit of Elijah – but he was not Elijah in the flesh. The Jews expected Elijah to return.

· He also makes clear that he was not “the prophet.” That is likely a reference to Moses or even the greater Prophet who was to come after Moses, namely Christ. John denies that as well.

But most importantly, in verse 20 – he states unequivocally that he is not the Christ. He is not the promised Savior who was to come. In the Greek, it’s the phrase “ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ὁ χριστός.” I am not the Christ. By the way, “ἐγὼ εἰμὶ” in the Greek is the phrase “I am.” It’s the same Greek words that Jesus used in his “I am” statements throughout the book. I am the light of the world. I am the vine. I am the great shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep, etc.

And so when John the Baptist says he is not the Christ, it is in part setting up the rest of the narrative in the book. Who is Jesus? He is the Christ - the promised Savior.

A few years ago, a friend of mine passed away. He had a sudden heart attack. He was a single guy in his 40s, so he wasn’t that old. Vocationally he was a nurse, but interestingly he had also been to seminary. He was a great guy. He loved to participate in ministry and mission work including medical missions. He also had a great Scottish accent. He was originally from the Isle of Skye.

As one of his pastors I went to the funeral home shortly after they received his body. I was there with a close friend of his. And I learned something about him that I didn’t know before. On his chest, he had a tatoo. It was a Greek phrase. “ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ὁ χριστός.” I am not the Christ.

You see, he had been so moved by this verse in John 1, that he wanted to remind himself each day in the mirror who he was not and to whom he should direct people. He was not the Christ… he was not his own savior nor a savior for others, but he had a savior who has come.

That is what John the Baptist was doing in these verses. He was redirecting people away from himself and to Jesus.

I count 6 times in these verses where John redirects people away from himself and to Christ. No, I am not him but let me tell you and show you who he is.

A couple of examples are found in his further answers to the delegation. By the way, they were very persistent, as we read. They asked him, ok, then if you are not Elijah nor the prophet nor Christ, then who are you and why are you baptizing?

· First, John answers who he was. He quotes the prophet Isaiah. He says, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” You see, Isaiah had prophesied that one would come. This prophet’s very purpose was to prepare the way for the Messiah. John was saying that he is that one. His whole ministry was to direct people to Christ. It was to prepare the people for the arrival of the Lord.

· And second, John answered why he was baptizing. His answer also revealed Christ. Verse 31 makes that clear. John said, “I came baptizing with water that he might be revealed to Israel.”

Here’s what that means. John’s baptism was about calling people to repentance and warning them about judgment. The water symbolized the cleansing that they needed. It showed them that they needed God to truly cleanse them… and it reminded them that a Savior was promised who would bear their judgment.

By the way, this is why we don’t connect John’s baptism with the baptism that Jesus established.

· #1, John’s baptism was a ceremonial cleansings from the old covenant. That’s why the delegate was asking him why he was baptizing since he was not Elijah nor the prophet.

· #2. John’s baptism was not done in the name of Jesus nor the Trinity as Jesus directed. It was very different.

· #3 …perhaps the clearest reason. In the book of Acts, chapter 19, some of John the Baptists disciples were living in Ephesus. They had only been baptized into John’s baptism. The apostle Paul explained to them that John’s baptism was only a baptism of repentance. So, John’s disciples were then baptized into Jesus’ baptism – that is, into the new covenant baptism in Jesus’ name.

To say it again, John’s baptism was to prepare the people’s hearts for the coming of Christ. They needed to see their need for a Savior and repent.

Ok, to summarize main point #1: John’s identity in these verses is directly related to Christ, both in the negative and the positive. The negative - I am not him. And the positive - the very purpose of my life is to point people to him.

And point to him, he does.

2. But He Is

Which bring us to #2. But He Is

John is not the Christ, as he says, and implicit in that statement is that the one to whom John directs people is the Christ.

Look at verse 29. This is a new subsection. We read that it’s now the very next day. The previous day, John had been answering the delegation about who he was not and that his purpose was to direct people to the Lord. But now, Jesus has come to John. And with absolute clarity, John gives witness to who Jesus is.

Look how John describes Jesus in 29. He says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Remember, the apostle John’s primary audience was J...