John 1:19-34: A Voice in the Wilderness

John 1:19-34: A Voice in the Wilderness

This morning, we’re going to continue our sermon series working our way through the Gospel of John passage by passage. And our passage this morning directs our attention to a man who—to say the least—is quite interesting. And here’s why I believe he’s so interesting. If you were looking for someone to listen to and learn from, who would you look to? Depending on what you wanted to learn about, you’d probably look to a university professor or a successful businessman or some kind of recognized authority. You probably wouldn’t look to some hillbilly in the mountains of West Virginia who only had a single tooth and smelled like he hadn’t taken a bath in years. We’re not typically inclined to pay much attention to the things people like that say. We don’t typically view them as very intelligent or insightful or reliable. 

And yet, here’s what’s so interesting: that’s exactly the kind of person highlighted in our text as someone we should listen to. His name, in this case, is John the Baptist or John the Baptizer. Now, keep in mind, this isn’t the same John who wrote the Gospel of John that we’re studying—that’s the Apostle John. This is John the Baptizer. And if John lived in our society today, I believe he would probably be deemed insane and committed to a psychiatric hospital. The Bible tells us that he spent most of his time out in the desert and wore clothing of camel’s hair and that his meals consisted of locusts (or grasshoppers) and wild honey. I mean, this guy was out there. He was a wild man. And yet, Jesus said of him in Luke 7:28, “I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John.” And as I mentioned, our text this morning presents John as someone worth listening to. 

So let’s read more about him. Please turn with me in your Bible to John 1. If you’re using the Story Bibles we provide, that’s on page 735. Our main text will be verses 19-34 of the chapter, but first, let’s backtrack a bit and look at verses 6-8 where John is first introduced. John 1:6-8: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light [that is, Jesus], that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.” Then skip down to verses 19-34: “And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." 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?" 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." (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) They asked him, "Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.' I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel." And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 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.' And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

Here’s the main thing you need to know about John: John’s life was all about making Jesus famous. That’s the main thrust of everything recorded in this passage. John’s life was all about making Jesus famous. And we’re going to look at John under two headings: John’s ministry and John’s message. John’s ministry is recorded in verses 6-8 and 19-28, and then John’s message is recorded in verses 29-34.

John’s Ministry (verses 19-28)

First, we see an overarching statement about John’s ministry in verses 6-8: “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.” So John came as a “witness.” When you think of a witness, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? For most of us, probably a witness in a courtroom setting, right? In a court of law, people commonly look to witnesses as they try to determine the guilt or innocence of the person who’s been charged with a crime. And a witness’s role is very simple: to describe what they saw or what they heard or what they know. They actually take an oath to do that—to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” That’s their job. They’re not responsible for making people believe something—that’s the lawyer’s job. And they’re not responsible for making authoritative decisions about the case—that’s the jury’s job. They’re just responsible for giving a truthful testimony. And that was John the Baptizer’s role as well. God sent him to bear witness about the light—to testify to the truth about Jesus—and thereby prepare the way for Jesus’ public ministry.

And that’s what John did. In verses 19-22, he explains that he’s not the Christ (or Messiah), nor is he Elijah (a prophet who was predicted to return), nor is he another prophet who was predicted in Deuteronomy 18. Instead, look at what John says about himself, verse 23: "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord.’” And that’s a quotation from Isaiah 40. So John’s basically saying: “I’m no one special. I’m just a voice—a voice crying out in the middle of nowhere. So don’t look at me: look at Jesus. Make straight the way of the Lord.” Back in ancient times, when a dignitary like a king or someone really important wanted to visit a province under his rule, his servants would go out ahead of him and prepare the way for his coming by removing all obstacles from the road and making it as smooth as possible. Remember: they didn’t exactly have asphalt back then. The road had to be prepared. And that’s what John’s ministry was all about: preparing people’s hearts for the coming of Jesus. Getting them ready to hear the things Jesus would teach. Getting them ready to receive the things Jesus would offer. Doing everything he could to “make straight the way of the Lord.” I guess today you could compare it to a famous band touring around the country with another band that’s not quite as famous serving as an opening act. The purpose of the opening act is to warm the crowd up so that when the featured act (or “headliner”) comes on, the crowd is already exited and enthusiastic. And that was John’s role. His job was to warm people up to hear Jesus. 

Then look at verse 25: “They asked him, ‘Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?’”  You see, in Jewish society, baptism was a little different than it is for Christians today. The Jews administered baptism whenever there was someone who wasn’t a Jew but wanted to become a Jew and be included in the people of God. Whenever someone came along like that, the Jews would baptize them to symbolize their cleansing and purification. But John was doing something slightly provocative: he was breaking with tradition and baptizing people who were already Jews, implying that even though they were ethnically part of God’s chosen people, they were still defiled. They too needed to repent, and John was having them express their repentance in baptism. So the religious leaders are basically asking him, “Who do you think you are that you can administer baptism in this way?” And again, John turns the spotlight to Jesus. Verse 26: “John answered them, ‘I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.’”

Back in that time period, the way you obtained theological training was to be mentored by a rabbi. You would become a student of a rabbi and follow him around and be taught by him. And instead of paying money to learn from the rabbi, students would typically function as servants of their rabbi, doing whatever he needed them to do. If he told them to clean his house, they would clean his house. If he needed someone to run an errand, they would run the errand. If he said to jump, they would ask, “How high?” It doesn’t seem quite as organized as paying a standard rate per credit hour, but I guess it got the job done. However, there was one task that students were not required to do. And that was to remove the rabbi’s sandals and wash his feet. Back then, the streets were dusty and people’s feet got dusty and smelly, so they needed their feet washed whenever they went indoors. And rabbis were no exception to this. The rabbis may have been brilliant teachers, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have some smelly feet. And the job of removing their sandals and washing their smelly feet was so disgusting that it was considered too lowly even for the freshmen students. But look back at what John says. He describes Jesus as “he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” That’s how glorious and great Jesus is. John says he’s unworthy to do even the lowest task for him. 

So just from this quick snapshot, we see already that John’s ministry was all about making Jesus famous. That was his mission. He wasn’t trying to make a name for himself or draw attention to himself. He wasn’t concerned about wealth or fame or comfort or luxury. No, he had a singular vision: making much of Jesus. You know, I wonder how much we share that vision—those of us that call ourselves Christians. We say we want to live for Jesus, but are we really all about Jesus the way John was? Yes, John was kind of a strange character—definitely not the kind of person you’d invite to your kid’s birthday party. My kids already think we make them take baths way too often. But think about how clear John was about his purpose in life. He really understood that his purpose was to make Jesus famous. He really grasped that. And I think so often, we don’t grasp that the way John did. I know I often don’t. We often live as if our purpose is something other than that, something less than that, something more related to our own comfort and goals and priorities and desires. 

I challenge you to do an honest assessment of your life. Go over your schedule this past month—the number of hours you’ve spent doing the different things things you do—and ask yourself, “What does my schedule say about my priorities?” Get on your bank website or credit card website and examine your spending habits—maybe not last month since that included Christmas, but perhaps from November—and ask yourself, “What do my spending habits say about my priorities?” Think through your prayer life and the kinds of things you find yourself praying for, and ask yourself, “What does my prayer life say about my priorities? Do I pray mostly only for my own comfort and well-being or for the name of Christ to be exalted in this world?” Think about your social life and the goals you often pursue in your interactions with others, and ask yourself, “What does my social life reveal about my priorities? Is my main goal in social interactions usually self-centered as I strive to be popular and impressive and highly regarded, or is my main goal Christ-centered? And just think about a typical day of your life and the mental energy you give to different things and the kinds of things your mind naturally drifts towards when you have a spare moment, and ask yourself, “What does my thought life say about my priorities?” 

That’s why I appreciate John the Baptizer’s example so much and why I find it so challenging. He understood that the reason God had him on this earth was to make much of Jesus, to prepare the way for Jesus, to make Jesus famous. And that’s why we’re still on earth as well. That’s why God doesn’t immediately take us up to heaven when we’re saved. He leaves us here to accomplish a purpose. Some of you have jobs where your employer occasionally sends you on trips to different cities. Perhaps it’s related to a conference or a training opportunity or a specific task. And while you’re in that city, your job is to do what your employer sent you there to do. Maybe sometimes you get a day to relax and see the sights of the city. But the main thing you should be doing in that city is the assignment you’ve been given. You’re not free to spend all day every day just doing whatever it is you feel like doing. You’ve been sent there with a purpose. And our purpose here on earth is to spread the fame of Jesus as much as we possibly can. That’s our foremost calling and our greatest joy. 

John’s Message (verses 29-34)

And as we see in the next portion of our main text, the main way we do that is with our mouth, by sharing the gospel message whenever we have opportunity. Of course, it’s critical that we’re not just sharing the gospel with our mouth—that we’re also living lives that testify to the power and love of Jesus. But a godly life by itself isn’t enough. We have to actually point people to Jesus verbally. I think one of the worst quotes that’s commonly tossed around in Christian circles is from Francis of Assisi, where he says that we should do everything we can to spread the gospel and use words if necessary. Let me tell you: words are necessary. John the Baptizer found them necessary, Jesus himself found them necessary, and they’re necessary for us as well. And that’s because the gospel isn’t primarily an ethic—although it certainly has ethical implications for the way we live. Most fundamentally, the gospel is a message, the message of Jesus—who Jesus is and what he’s done on the cross to save us. And that’s what we see in our text. John the Baptizer shares this message of Jesus. 

Beginning in verse 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! This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.' I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.’” Notice that title in verse 29: “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” “The Lamb of God.” You may remember the story, recorded in the book of Exodus, of what’s commonly called the Passover. The Israelites are enslaved and oppressed by the Egyptians. And when God tells the Egyptian king to let the Israelites go, the king stubbornly refuses. Even after a series of divine judgments on the nation, the king continues to refuse to release them and bascially thumbs his nose at God. So in response, God states in Exodus 12:12: “For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.”  So God announces his plan of killing all the firstborn children and animals as a way of judging the Egyptian nation for their wickedness and arrogance. But he provides a way for the Israelites to be spared from this judgment on the firstborn. He tells them to have each Israelite family kill a lamb and to take the blood of that lamb and smear it on the doorpost of their homes. And when they do that, as God explains in Exodus 12:13, “The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.”  So God promises that when he sees the lamb’s blood on the doorposts, he’ll pass over them and spare them from his judgment on the nation of Egypt.  All of those lambs would die so that the Israelites themselves could be spared.  Their death would be the key to Israel’s salvation.

So going back to our main text in John 1, Jesus is called the “Lamb of God” because, just like those lambs in Exodus had to be slaughtered so that the Israelites could be spared from God’s judgment, Jesus also had to be slaughtered on the cross so we too could be spared from God’s judgment on our sin. You see, just like the Egyptians, we too have ignored God’s instructions and rebelled against his righteous rule. And just like the Egyptians, we too deserve to be judged. But Jesus voluntarily went to the cross to serve as our substitute and pay the price for our sin. He suffered the judgment of God so we wouldn’t have to. And then he rose from the dead to complete his saving work. That’s why John calls him “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

And not only does John call Jesus the Lamb of God, but he also calls him the Son of God. Verse 34: “And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” In ancient times, people would commonly talk about being a “son” of someone or something as a way of pointing out a similarity. Elsewhere in the Bible, the disciples James and John have the nickname “sons of thunder,” presumably because of their fiery temperament. Also, the antichrist is called the “son of destruction.” And the Jewish religious leaders prided themselves in being “sons of Abraham.” So to be a son implies a resemblance. It’s kind of like when one of my children does something mischievous like go in the bathroom and unroll all the toilet paper as one of them did not too long ago, and my wife says to me, “He’s your son.” We assume a resemblance between a son and his father. And that’s the point John’s making. And notice how John doesn’t say Jesus is just “a” Son of God; he says he’s “the” Son of God. Jesus bears a resemblance to God in a way that no one else does. Most of all, as we examined in detail two weeks ago, he shares the Father’s deity. He’s just as much God as the Father is God. Remember, I told you we’d see that theme over and over as we go through the Gospel of John. 

Conclusion

And because Jesus is the Lamb of God and the Son of God, he has the power to save everyone who will come to him, everyone will embrace him, everyone who will admit that they’re totally incapable of saving themselves and instead put their trust in Jesus to save them. It’s not about what you do to rescue yourself—you can’t. It’s about what Jesus has already done in dying on the cross and rising from the dead. Listen to John’s testimony this morning—pay attention to what he says—and put your trust in Jesus as your only hope of salvation.

And if you’ve already done that, think carefully about the purpose you’ve adopted for your life. Ask yourself those self-examination questions we talked about earlier. And think about what it would look like to truly devote your life to making Jesus famous. You may not want to adopt all the aspects of John the Baptizer’s lifestyle—I could do without the locusts myself—but we’ve been given a high and holy calling to live for a purpose bigger than ourselves, a mission that spans the centuries and encompasses every person and every nation. Like John, we’ve been called to make Jesus famous. 

And that doesn’t mean we have to take on some sort of public preaching ministry, either. John did that, and some people today are called to that. But for most of us, the way we make Jesus famous is simply by talking about him in the context of ordinary relationships and everyday conversations. Like when someone says something sort of meaningful from a spiritual perspective, think about ways you can turn that conversation to Jesus. When you’re going through a difficult time, don’t mask your struggle with the difficulty, but at the same time, don’t neglect to share with people how God is revealing himself to you and sustaining you and being so faithful to you even in the midst of your suffering. That’s how you can suffer well and use your suffering to testify about Jesus. And on the flip side, when you’re going through a time of blessing, use that also as an opportunity to talk about the source of all the goodness in your life. And in addition to all of this, from time to time you’ll even get the opportunity to share your testimony about how God revealed himself to you and opened your eyes spiritually and saved you. Don’t waste those opportunities. To state it concisely, let the gospel message of Jesus so fill your heart that it naturally comes out in your conversations. Make Jesus famous.