John 1:25-34

This year we are covering the four Gospel Accounts together in chronological order.

In the previous post, we covered Matthew 4:8-11, Luke 4:5-8,13 & Mark 1:12-13. Here was the conclusion:

Jesus successfully responded to the devil's second temptation (which involved having faith in God) by quoting God's Word. Afterward, angels ministered to Jesus.


Last Friday, we covered John 1:25-28 in order to explain why John the Baptist didn't lie about not being "Elijah" and not being a prophet: John the Baptist couldn't facilitate his own purpose and progress.

We made that point at that time so that we could better understand why Jesus needed to be baptized by John the Baptist. We saw the first act of Jesus' Ministry was to be led of the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of Satan. Once Jesus completed this temptation, He returned to where John the Baptist was baptizing. However, John's Gospel Account did not document Jesus' Baptism...

Now we see that John 1:25-28 actually occurred after Jesus' temptation. Jesus was Baptized and immediately was led of the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. THEN, Jesus came back to where John the Baptist was baptizing. Now, read John 1:25-28 again recognizing that it occurred after Jesus' temptation in the wilderness:

"25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why then baptizest thou, if thou art not the Christ, neither Elijah, neither the prophet?
26 John answered them, saying, I baptize in water: in the midst of you standeth one whom ye know not,
27 even he that cometh after me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose.
28 These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing."

Verse 26 could also have been John the Baptist's allusion that the Christ's Ministry had begun and the religious leaders didn't know Him. Sometime after Jesus completed His temptation in the wilderness, He returned to the Jordan where John the Baptist was baptizing.

Now we can continue the narrative from John's Gospel Account...


John 1
"29 On the morrow he seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!"

(The day after John the Baptist answered the religious leaders, John the Baptist testified that Jesus was the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Jesus was the Messiah!)

"30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man who is become before me: for he was before me."

(John the Baptist specifically referenced what he said in John 1:27. John the Baptist confirmed that he had been speaking of Jesus.)

"31 And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing in water."

(John the Baptist stated Jesus' Baptism was the cause for his ministry. It looked like John the Baptist had fulfilled his mission.)

"32 And John bare witness, saying, I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven; and it abode upon him.
33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize in water, he said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and abiding upon him, the same is he that baptizeth in the Holy Spirit."

(In the post titled, "Mark 1:9-11, Matthew 3:16-17 & Luke 3:21-22", we read how Jesus saw the Holy Spirit descend on Himself as a dove. Here, John the Baptist testified that he had seen the same thing. John the Baptist also shared that the One who sent him to baptize stated the One whom you see the Spirit descend upon is the one that will baptize in the Holy Spirit. Remember, John didn't state this before it happened. John had gotten prophecy from God...and waited for the circumstances to confirm it rather than try to make it happen by telling everyone about it. This may have been what John the Baptist meant in verse 31 when he said, "And I knew him not..." He could have been stating he didn't do anything to make this happen to the point he did not previously know of Jesus until he was approached by Jesus.)

"34 And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."

(John the Baptist blatantly stated Jesus is the Son of God. In the post titled, "Mark 1:9-11, Matthew 3:16-17 & Luke 3:21-22", we saw that God the Father testified that Jesus is the Son of God.)


CONCLUSION
John the Baptist blatantly stated that Jesus is the Son of God.

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