Aug 30, 2020
Scripture Reading: John 1:19-28
The overall purpose of the gospel of John is that "you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name" (Jn 20:31). To that end, in writing this gospel, John is making a case for the nature of Jesus. Jesus is presented as the Son of God and is, in fact, God in human flesh.
In language that has a legal air to it, John presents evidence, which he calls 'witnesses,' of the person of Jesus. In one form or another John uses the word 'witness' 47 times in this book. (Matthew, Mark, and Luke, combined, only use this word 6 times).
The first of these 'witnesses' is John the Baptist. John (the author) presents John the Baptist as a witness very early in this gospel. "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light" (Jn 1:6-8).
In today's passage John (the author) begins to present the verbal witness of John the Baptist. In a display of genuine humility, John the Baptist exalts Christ and vehemently recoils from the slightest suggestion that he might be the Messiah (Jn 1:19,20). He is but a "voice crying out in the wilderness" to prepare Israel for the Coming One.
John is a sterling example to us of the humility that results from being consumed with the person of Christ. It is a lifelong struggle for our proud human hearts to be enthralled with the glories of Jesus. Let us consider John the Baptist that we might be drawn to give Jesus His rightful due in our minds and hearts.