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Sermon

I Am Not the Christ

Speaker
David Capoccia
Scripture
John 1:19-28

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In this sermon, Pastor Dave Capoccia examines John the Baptist’s testimony about himself in John 1:19-28. The author, John the Apostle, presents John the Baptist’s three-part testimony about himself so that you will believe and exult in Jesus alone. John the Baptist testifies in the same three ways that you should testify about yourself as a disciple of Christ:

1. I Am No One Special (vv. 19-21)
2. I Am Just a Voice (vv. 22-23)
3. I Am an Unworthy Slave (vv. 24-28)

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Note: This transcript and summary was autogenerated. It has not yet been proofread or edited by a human.

Summary

This passage in John 1:19-28 presents John the Baptist’s testimony about himself, revealing that the greatest Old Testament prophet was wholly committed to pointing people away from himself and toward Jesus Christ. We are reminded that true discipleship means making everything about Christ and nothing about ourselves.

Key Lessons:

  1. John the Baptist was the greatest Old Testament prophet not because of miracles or longevity, but because he was uniquely commissioned as the forerunner of Christ himself.
  2. True witnesses of Jesus emphatically deny their own importance, refusing to let others elevate them above their proper place.
  3. John identified himself as merely “a voice” — invisible and temporary — whose sole purpose was to direct attention to the coming Lord.
  4. Genuine humility before Christ means considering ourselves unworthy slaves, counting even the lowest acts of service as a privilege rather than a burden.

Application: We are called to examine whether our lives, attitudes, and service truly reflect John the Baptist’s example of radical self-denial and Christ-exaltation. We must repent wherever we have made life, ministry, or church about ourselves rather than about Jesus, and we must embrace the identity of unworthy slaves who count it a joyful privilege to serve Christ in any capacity.

Discussion Questions:

  1. In what areas of your life are you tempted to draw attention to yourself rather than pointing others to Christ?
  2. John the Baptist described himself as merely “a voice” — how does this challenge the way you think about your identity and purpose as a follower of Jesus?
  3. What would it look like practically for you to adopt the attitude of an “unworthy slave” in your daily service to Christ and others?

Scripture Focus: John 1:19-28 records the Baptist’s testimony; Isaiah 40:3-5 provides his self-identification as a voice preparing the way; Malachi 4:5-6 explains the expectation of Elijah; Deuteronomy 18:18-19 describes the expected prophet; Matthew 11:11 records Jesus declaring John the greatest born of women; Luke 17:10 commands the attitude of an unworthy slave.

Outline

Introduction

Thank you so much. We’re skillfully leading us in worship to our God. Just a quick heads up—I called an audible. A slightly different sermon title and passage for today. We’re still in John, don’t worry, but if you see a different title, don’t be like, “What happened?”

Let’s go before the Lord in prayer. Great God, oh Lord, you are so worthy of all worship. You are worthy of our entire lives being dedicated to you. Only you are worthy of this, not we ourselves, not any person, not any created thing.

Only you would speak to us, encourage us, instruct us, convict us so that we may be your holy witnesses in the world. In Jesus’ name, amen.

The Greatest Old Testament Prophet

Little Bible quiz question to start off this morning—something for you to think about. Who was the greatest prophet of the Old Testament era? Don’t answer that out loud, just think about it.

Under the old covenant, who was the prophet with the greatest ministry and significance? Perhaps the most obvious answer would be the prophet Moses.

Moses — A Great Prophet

Moses, after all, led Israel out of bondage in Egypt. They had been in bondage for hundreds of years, and through the wilderness to the promised land. Moses did many miracles. He even brought down cataclysmic judgments from God on wicked Egyptians.

He gave Israel God’s law and instructed the people in Israel’s unique covenant with God. He wrote for us the first five books of the Bible, and he spoke to God, as it were, face to face. The Bible says he enjoyed unique and intimate fellowship with God himself.

Moses was truly a great prophet, and Jews today still hold him in the highest esteem.

“Moses spoke to God face to face, enjoying unique and intimate fellowship with God himself.”

Elijah — Even Greater

But Moses, according to the Bible, was not the greatest Old Testament prophet. There was another prophet who was spectacular in his own way—the prophet Elijah.

Elijah lived during the divided kingdom period and served in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He was like the boogeyman of wicked Israelite kings. He would show up out of nowhere from the wilderness, wearing his funny clothes.

He would denounce kings like Ahab for their wickedness, proclaim God’s judgment, and then just disappear. Like Moses, Elijah did many miracles, both of judgment and of healing and restoration.

He had a famous confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. The culmination of which was Elijah’s simple prayer to God, in which God sent fire from heaven—that is, lightning—and it consumed a dripping wet sacrifice, the stone altar in which the sacrifice was laid, and even the water around the altar. It licked it all up. Magnificent.

Though wicked people saw Elijah’s death again and again, nobody could catch him. Nobody could kill him. In fact, he didn’t even die.

“Elijah was given the unique privilege of being taken alive to heaven in a fiery chariot.”

Elijah was given the unique privilege of being taken alive to heaven in a fiery chariot. Moses lived a long time, but even he didn’t get that.

John the Baptist — The Greatest

It was Elijah—the greatest Old Testament prophet. Well, Elijah was great, yet not even Elijah was the greatest. So who was God’s greatest divinely commissioned spokesman then? Was it Abraham? David? Daniel? Isaiah? Malachi? None of them. According to Jesus in Matthew 11:11, the greatest prophet of the old covenant period was John the Baptist.

“According to Jesus, the greatest prophet of the old covenant period was John the Baptist.”

The Remarkable Life of John the Baptist

John the Baptist? Does that surprise you? I mean, there are certainly some remarkable aspects to the life and ministry of John. According to Luke 1, John had several miracles take place in connection with his birth. He was the son of the righteous priest Zacharias and Zacharias’ wife Elizabeth. They were both too old to have children, and yet God enabled them to have John. An angel even appeared to Zacharias to prophesy John’s birth and his purpose in life. This same angel struck Zacharias mute for a time because Zacharias would not believe right away.

In accordance with the angel’s instruction, John was raised under a form of the Nazarite vow. He never tasted wine or alcohol but lived as an ascetic for most of his life in set-apart service to God. John was a relative of Jesus, probably a cousin through Elizabeth and Mary’s relation. He was uniquely filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb—even memorably once leaping for joy in utero at the sound of Mary’s voice when she was pregnant with Jesus.

“John was uniquely filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb.”

John, like Elijah, lived alone in the wilderness for most of his life, even dressing like Elijah did. According to Luke 3, a word of new revelation came to John in the wilderness when he was about thirty years old. Around A.D. 27, John began preaching a message to the people of Israel—a message of repentance in light of the coming kingdom and judgment of God. Note that Israel had previously not heard a word from God in about four hundred years.

Now, John wasn’t just given a new message. He was commissioned to bring a new ritual to Israel. That ritual was baptism, or immersion in water—a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The scripture says that ceremonial washing was not a new concept for Israel or even for the surrounding nations. Jews often baptized Gentile converts as a symbol of their giving up their old, sinful, unclean way of life. But never had Jews themselves been called to participate en masse in this immersion ritual, this baptism ritual. John brings this.

John’s Unique Prophetic Commission

And in addition to all these, John was a bold and powerful preacher, unafraid to confront even the greatest persons either in the religious system or the political system over their hypocrisy and sin. He became quite popular.

Though many Old Testament prophets encountered only stubborn resistance to their ministries, Matthew 3:5 says that all the people of Jerusalem, Judea, and the surrounding area of the Jordan were going out into the bleak, uncomfortable wilderness just to see John, to listen to him, and to be baptized by him. John quickly gained a group of dedicated disciples and was generally regarded by the common people as someone special.

They revered him. They wondered if he even might be the Messiah.

“John was a bold and powerful preacher, unafraid to confront even the greatest persons over their hypocrisy and sin.”

Now, all that being said, it is notable that John the Baptist never did any miracles. And unlike Moses and Elijah, John met an ignoble end. He was imprisoned and then beheaded by Herod Antipas for confronting that supposedly Jewish ruler over adultery.

Why would Jesus say that John the Baptist was the greatest prophet existing up to Jesus’ own day? And not just the greatest prophet, but the greatest person born from a woman—that is, the greatest human being? Why would Jesus say John is the greatest?

Why John Was the Greatest Prophet

Well, the answer lies in the special role that John, and only John, got to enjoy as a prophet—to be the forerunner of Jesus the Messiah himself. John wasn’t just the last Old Testament prophet. He was the one specifically commissioned to announce the imminent arrival of the Christ and to make the people ready to hear and receive their Christ.

There’s no one greater than Jesus Christ. He’s the eternal Word made flesh. He’s the Son of God. Therefore, to be the forerunner of this one—the Incarnate Word—to announce the coming of Yahweh himself into the world, that is the greatest responsibility. That is the greatest privilege. That is the greatest honor any human prophet could be given.

“To announce the coming of Yahweh himself into the world — that is the greatest honor any human prophet could be given.”

This is who John the Baptist was. He was the greatest Old Testament prophet because he was the forerunner of Christ himself. But what did John think about himself and his position? When the religious authorities of the day inevitably investigated John for his activities in ministry, what testimony did John the Baptist offer them?

The Purpose of John’s Testimony

As we proceed this morning into our first narrative section of the Gospel of John, we’re going to see these questions answered and discover that the greatest Old Testament prophet was absolutely committed to not drawing people after himself, instead pointing people to the one who’s truly great—Jesus Christ.

“The greatest Old Testament prophet was absolutely committed to not drawing people after himself, instead pointing people to Jesus Christ.”

Please take your Bibles and open to John 1. If you’re using the pew Bibles, it’s on page 1058. My new title for today’s message is “I Am Not the Christ.”

John 1 contains the testimony of John the Baptist in verses 19 to 34. Today we’re going to focus on the first half of John’s testimony, which is his testimony about himself in verses 19 to 28.

Next week, we’ll look at the other half of John’s testimony, which is his testimony concerning Jesus in verses 29 to 34.

Reading the Text: John 1:19-28

But John 1:19-28 is our text today. And let’s read the passage.

“This is the testimony of John. When the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’ They asked him, ‘What then?

Are you Elijah?’ And he said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the prophet?’ And he answered, ‘No.’ And they said to him, ‘Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?’

He said, ‘I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as Isaiah the prophet said.’ Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him and said to him, ‘Why then are you baptizing if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’

John answered them, saying, ‘I baptize in water, and among you stands one whom you do not know. It is he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.’ These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan where John was baptizing.”

John 1:20: “He confessed and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’”

Now, there are several purposes that come together in this first part of John’s related testimony. Our author shows John the Baptist to be a great example to imitate, but also a leader not to be ultimately followed. He’s a great example of a witness, but he’s not the leader that you should be looking to.

Instead, like John the Baptist himself, our author is directing us to believe in, serve, and follow Jesus Christ alone. I think we can roll those different purposes together in one statement. Our passage’s main idea is this: In John 1:19-28, the author presents John the Baptist’s three-part testimony about himself so that you will believe and exult in Jesus alone.

The author presents John the Baptist’s three-part testimony about himself so that you will believe and exalt in Jesus alone—not yourself, not John, not anyone else. Jesus alone.

“The author presents John the Baptist’s testimony so that you will believe and exult in Jesus alone.”

Part One: I Am No One Special (vv. 19-21)

The first part of John’s testimony about himself appears in verses 19 to 21. We’re going to see three parts to this first side of his testimony. The first part, in verses 19 to 21, where John declares: Number one, I am no one special. I am no one special.

Look at the first part of verse 19.

“This is the testimony of John.” Here’s a nice summary statement of what this next section of the Gospel is all about. Verses 19 to 34 is John’s testimony regarding himself and regarding Jesus.

Now, the word translated “testimony” here is the Greek word “marturia,” meaning testimony or witness. It’s where we get the English word “martyr.” A martyr is someone who dies testifying on behalf of a person or cause.

“Marturia” is courtroom-type language—testimony or evidence presented to prove a case. In this case, John wants to prove something about himself and Jesus.

The reference to John here in verse 19 is to John the Baptist, and not John the Apostle. As we discussed in our book introduction sermon, our author, John the son of Zebedee, never refers to himself as John in this book. Rather, he refers to the phrase “the disciple whom Jesus loved” to identify himself. So when you hear the name John, when you see the name John, we’re talking about John the Baptist.

Notice in verse 19 and following that our author does not provide any historical background information about John the Baptist before presenting his testimony. He assumes that you, as the reader or listener, are already familiar enough with John the Baptist’s life and ministry so you will appreciate the significance of his testimony. He just goes right into the testimony. He assumes you already know about John the Baptist.

The Jews Send a Delegation

Now, when was this testimony from John given? We’ll look at the next line in verse 19. It says, “When the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’”

Here’s the first time we see the term “the Jews” in this book. I already told you a little bit about this term in our introduction sermon. Remember that generally—not exclusively, but generally—when you see the term “the Jews” in this gospel, it is referring to the Jewish opponents of Jesus, those who ultimately reject and seek to destroy him. It would be true as the nation as a whole, but it certainly means his opponents in particular.

In this specific passage, “the Jews” points to the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. They would be the Sadducees and the scribes. They have sent some of their lower-level temple personnel—priests and Levites—to go check out this John the Baptist fellow and what he’s doing.

So we have this delegation from the Jews—that is, the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem—coming to check out John. As we’ll see from some details later in this passage and in the rest of John 1, this visit is taking place after Jesus’ first meeting with John, in which Jesus was baptized. That’s already taken place in the past.

In fact, Jesus has already had his time of temptation in the wilderness by this point. Jesus is actually on his way back at this moment, at the beginning of verse 19, to visit John where he is and to collect Jesus’ first disciples. We’re going to see that at the end of chapter one.

It just so happens that the day before Jesus shows up to visit John the Baptist again, this delegation from Jerusalem arrives to question John. This makes sense because at this point in history, the religious authorities in Jerusalem would have noticed John’s great popularity. They would have heard about his notable preaching and baptizing ministry, and they wanted to make sure they knew and dealt with, if necessary, what was going on.

Most of the Jews at this time are at a high level of Messianic and eschatological—that is, end-time—expectation. They believed that God’s kingdom was certainly drawing near, judgment was about to arrive, and Messiah himself is coming. John the Baptist seemed to be someone who was, or at least pretended to be, an important person for these expected end-time events.

The Jewish leaders need to find out: What’s the deal with John? Hence their question at the end of verse 19: “Who are you?”

“The Jewish leaders need to find out: What’s the deal with John?”

Now, John the Baptist knows what this delegation is really after. So he doesn’t supply an answer to their question like, “Well, I’m John.” No, he doesn’t say that. Instead, we see verse 20.

John’s Emphatic Denial: I Am Not the Christ

“And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’”

Now, I think you can notice in the beginning of this verse that we have the same idea given three different times—twice positively, once negatively. “He confessed, did not deny, he confessed.” What’s the point of that repetition? Isn’t that just like using too many words? No, it’s about emphasis. This is about strong emphasis.

Actually, the pronoun he uses in his statement is also emphatic. The “I” is emphatic in Greek. So it’s like John is saying this in response to the delegation visiting him: “I, I myself, am absolutely, positively, definitely not the Christ. I know you’re all wondering if I’m going to claim to be the Christ, but I’m telling you, nothing could be further from my mind. I am not the Christ.”

“Nothing could be further from my mind. I am not the Christ.”

But what does “Christ” mean? Well, that’s just the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Mashiach”—Messiah. And it means “anointed one.” Messiah and Christ, they both mean “anointed one.”

In the Old Testament, Israelite prophets, priests, and kings were often anointed with holy oil as a symbol of being set apart by God for some special service or rule. Sometimes these persons, especially kings in Judah, were called “anointed ones,” Messiahs.

Over time, though, especially after the Old Testament was completed, Jews saw a special anointed one as coming—an ultimate Messiah, an ultimate Christ, or Christos. This would be the ultimate servant and savior set apart by God to fulfill the promises of the Old Testament about bringing judgment on the world and a restoration of the kingdom to Israel.

They’re looking for this Messiah, this Christ. And John says, “That’s not me. I’m definitely not him.”

Well, the issue of Messiah should be cleared up. The delegation has a few follow-up questions for John. Look at the beginning of verse 21.

Are You Elijah?

“They asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ And he said, ‘I am not.’”

You might be wondering, “Why do they ask about Elijah? That seems kind of random.” Actually, it’s not random at all. The last prophet before John, Malachi, closed his prophecy in Malachi 4:5-6 with these words. God speaking: “Behold, I’m going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord—that is, Yahweh. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”

Now, the Jews knew about this verse from Malachi, and they believed it. Before the great events of the end, when God himself is coming to the earth to restore Israel, judge the world, and purify his own people, God is going to send Elijah first.

Since the Christ is also tied up with these eschatological events, the Jews came to believe that Elijah would come before the Christ. So God’s coming, Christ’s coming—Elijah is going to come first, before Christ and God.

Malachi 4:5: “Behold, I’m going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.”

And considering that the Old Testament Elijah never died, the Jews actually believed that the same Elijah would come back. He’s just going to come right back, and he’s going to be the forerunner of the Messiah. So maybe John the Baptist is Elijah. But John says, “I am not. I am not Elijah. I’m not the Elijah that you have been expecting.”

Now, that reply may make you scratch your head a little bit if you’re familiar with the other Gospels, because Jesus testifies later, after this point, recorded in Matthew 11:14 and also Mark 9:13. He says to his disciples, “And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.”

Harmonizing Jesus and John on Elijah

Oh boy. Jesus says John is Elijah, but John says he is not Elijah. What’s going on? Was John the Baptist lying? Or is this a contradiction in the Bible?

Well, we who have come to know God and be saved in Jesus Christ recognize that the Bible is God’s perfect word. It is the very revelation of God himself. As Jesus said, “Scripture cannot be broken.” This is not a true contradiction. There must be some reasonable way to harmonize these two statements from Jesus and John. How do we do that?

“The Bible is God’s perfect word. As Jesus said, ‘Scripture cannot be broken.’”

There are three main ways interpreters have sought to harmonize the statements of Jesus and John.

Possibility one: John was not denying having the role of Elijah, but denying being the man Elijah himself. After all, that was the Jewish expectation—Elijah himself would come back and perceive the Messiah. But John says, “I am not a lie to return. I’m a different person, though I am the one fulfilling the role of Elijah.”

Notably, Luke 1:17 says that John does not come as Elijah, but this was the angel speaking to Zacharias. “In the spirit and power of Elijah.” That’s possibility one.

Possibility two: John didn’t know, or John didn’t believe, that he himself was Elijah. When he actually was not lying, he’s just ignorant. The idea here is that John is too humble to claim to be Elijah, but Jesus tells it like it is. He’s quite willing to honor John by clarifying for the other disciples later that John really is Elijah promised from the Old Testament. That’s possibility two.

Possibility three: John was like the promised Elijah and fulfilled the same role, but the real Elijah prophesied in Malachi is still coming. So John the Baptist was actually being truthful and accurate in his denial. According to this view, the same Old Testament Elijah who went to heaven, never died, will actually appear again before Jesus’ second coming, perhaps as one of the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11.

So which interpretation of these is best? I think possibility one is certainly true. I’m open to possibility three. But whatever the exact answer, there’s no real contradiction of scripture here. John was telling the truth when he clarified that he was not the Elijah that the Jews were expecting.

Are You the Prophet?

That question answered. The delegation proceeds to the third question at the end of verse 21.

“Are you the prophet?” And he answered, “No.”

Now, who’s this prophet they’re referring to? Well, that would be the prophet mentioned by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:18-19.

God says to Moses in Deuteronomy 18:18-19: “I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. It shall come about that whoever will not listen to my words which he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.”

God promises in Deuteronomy that there would come a prophet like Moses to authoritatively teach and lead God’s people. Not just more prophets, but a special prophet like Moses. This is actually a Messianic prophecy, and it is fulfilled in Jesus, as the apostles point out in Acts 3 and as Stephen points out in Acts 7.

Deuteronomy 18:18: “I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put my words in his mouth.”

But many Jews in Jesus’ day thought that the prophet was someone separate from the Messiah and separate from Elijah. Really, Christ, Elijah, and the prophet were, for the Jews at that time, the three major personalities associated with Jewish eschatological hope and the judgment of the world.

When they’re looking for the end of all things, they’re looking for three people to show up: the Christ, Elijah, and the prophet.

So that’s why they’re checking if John is or claims to be any of these people. But John’s answer regarding whether he’s the prophet is like the others. This time he simply says, “No.”

By the end of verse 21, John has stated quite emphatically that he is not some great or special person associated with Jewish end-time expectations. This presents a certain problem for the delegation sent to investigate John. He’s given a whole bunch of denials to them, but he still hasn’t explained who he actually is or what he’s doing with this whole preaching and baptism thing.

Part Two: I Am Just a Voice (vv. 22-23)

The delegation presses John further in the next section, which is where we see the second part of John’s testimony about himself in verses 22 to 23. John declares next: Number two, I am just the voice. I am just a voice.

Let’s look at those two verses, 22-23.

“And they said to him, ‘Who are you, so we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?’ He said, ‘I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as Isaiah the prophet said.’”

John 1:23 (quoting Isaiah 40:3): “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’”

You can see in verse 22 the delegation is not willing to go back with at least something positive to say, some substantial designation of who John the Baptist is. So John is forced to say something more about himself. The positive declaration that John does give in verse 23 is a quotation of Isaiah 40:3, which is part of the section we read earlier in the service.

Remember, the context of those verses is that God promises a restoration to Israel after judgment. “Comfort, comfort my people. Their iniquity has ended.” Part of this restoration includes God himself coming to the earth. The cities of Judah, even Jerusalem, will behold their God as he comes to shepherd his people.

Listen again to what Isaiah 40:3-5 mentions about a voice calling for the preparation of the land for God’s arrival.

Isaiah 40:3-5: “A voice is calling, ‘Clear the way for Yahweh in the wilderness. Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low, and let the rough ground become a plane, and the rugged terrain a valley. Then the glory of Yahweh will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together, for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.’”

A Voice Preparing the Way for God

You can understand that it was customary in those days. If a great person like a king was going to travel, someone, or more likely a group of people, would go before him to smooth the way—even alter the terrain—so that the king would not encounter any annoying obstacles or uncomfortable difficulties on the way or when he arrived.

Isaiah 40:3 and 40:5 say that such would be needed in the wilderness, the desert portion of Israel, to make the way ready for God. This way, all would be able to see the glory of Yahweh.

John’s answer to the Jews in John 1 declares that he is simply fulfilling that scripture. Not literally, obviously, as if John were driving a bulldozer or assembling a team of Jews to build earth and ramps or break down stone obstacles. But in the wilderness, John is preparing the way spiritually for God, calling on people to recognize their sin, their need for repentance and cleansing and forgiveness from God. He’s spiritually preparing the people of Israel for the arrival of their Messiah.

That may sound like a pretty prestigious job—something John could exult in. But notice Isaiah 40:3 identifies the person fulfilling this role simply as “a voice,” not “the voice,” not “the voice of the great spokesman of God,” just “a voice.” You can’t even see a voice, but you can hear it.

John the Baptist finds a voice to be the best description he can give about who he himself is. “I am just a voice, a voice ordained by God to call you to prepare for his coming. That’s all. Don’t try to look at me. Instead, look to your God. Look to your Messiah.”

“I am just a voice ordained by God to call you to prepare for his coming. Don’t try to look at me — look to your Messiah.”

With this answer, John seems to satisfy most of the delegation. One person in that sent group isn’t yet happy. Persons of this group are going to ask John one more question. In response, he provides the third part of his testimony about himself, which we see in verses 24 to 28.

Part Three: I Am an Unworthy Slave (vv. 24-28)

John declares finally: Number three, I am an unworthy slave. I am an unworthy slave.

Look at verse 24.

“Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.”

Verse 24 is a difficult sentence to translate. In Greek, it could be translated multiple ways. The most literal translation is the one that I read to you—the one that appears in the New American Standard 95 Edition. But there is a logical problem with this translation. What’s the problem?

Verse 19 has already told us that the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem were the ones who sent priests and Levites to John. Those leaders would not have been Pharisees and would not have gotten along with the Pharisees. Who are the Pharisees again?

Well, if the Sadducees were the official religious leaders, the ones in control of the temple in Jerusalem, the Pharisees were the popular religious leaders. They were the ones in control of the synagogues.

We often hear about the Pharisees in the other Gospels. They were thought of by the common people as super righteous, the most guaranteed to make it into the kingdom of God, because they were the most fastidious, the most zealous keepers of God’s law. That was the popular conception.

In reality, as Jesus and John and others would point out, the Pharisees externalize the law of God. They added man-made traditions to invalidate the law or to keep instead of the law. They neglected the most important aspect of the law—the heart. They are actually some of the worst offenders against God.

But the Pharisees were certainly not good friends of the Sadducees. They were rival groups. It’s highly unlikely that those sending the delegation were Pharisees, as we might translate it.

Another way we could translate the sentence would be to say that the sent ones were Pharisees—the delegation is made up of Pharisees. But that too is unlikely, since Pharisees generally were not priests and Levites, and the Sadducees would not be very comfortable sending their opponents as their official delegation to John.

So the best way to understand verse 24 is that the sent delegation included some Pharisees. It’s those of the Pharisee faction within the delegation that speak up next, even though the Sadducees didn’t like the Pharisees. They recognized that Pharisees had considerable influence. They didn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble, so they begrudgingly allowed some Pharisees to join this group going out to check out what John is doing.

The Pharisees Challenge John’s Baptism

So it’s after John answers the previous question about himself—saying, “I’m just a voice”—that the contingent of Pharisees pipes up with their own question for John. And this is not so subtly a criticism of John. Look at their question in verse 25.

“They asked him and said to him, ‘Why then are you baptizing if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’”

Can you hear what they’re implying? “Hey, John, this baptism thing you’re doing with all the Jews—it’s a little weird. You’re suggesting that we God-fearing Jews need to be purified in some profound way. That’s a pretty bold claim to make.

And it’s extra bold that you ordain yourself to be the administrator of this baptism, rather than letting all the Jews do it to themselves, which is how ceremonial washing usually went. How can you, John, justify what you’re doing since you yourself confess that you are not the Christ, not Elijah, and not the prophet?

Maybe one of these special persons of eschatological significance could be allowed to do this. But why should we let you carry on with this when you yourself say you’re no one special?”

“How can you justify what you’re doing since you confess that you are not the Christ, not Elijah, and not the prophet?”

How does John reply? Look at verse 26.

One Stands Among You Whom You Do Not Know

“John answered them, saying, ‘I baptize in water, and among you stands one whom you do not know.’”

John replies by first noting that he does indeed baptize with water. This confession is set up to give a contrast between John and someone else. If you’re familiar with the other gospels, you were probably expecting John to say something like, “I baptize with water, but one coming after me baptizes with something even greater than water.” That’s not the way John responds here, not yet. He will say something like that later in the chapter.

But there’s still something self-effacing there. There is indeed a contrast that John is setting up. John is admitting, “I’m merely baptizing with water. You Pharisees are uncomfortable. You think I’m doing some crazy thing with this water baptism. I’m telling you, this is nothing. This is water, and I’m nothing special for doing it. But I’ll tell you why I’m doing it. The reason is someone greater, someone truly special, has arrived and even stands among you whom you have not recognized yet.”

Now, when John says that someone stands among them, he need not mean that literally, as if Jesus were in the crowd listening to this conversation. That’s possible, but it need not be what John means. By this point, as I said, John has already met Jesus. He’s baptized Jesus. Jesus went into the wilderness. John knows that the Messiah has arrived.

But he doesn’t know exactly where he is at this point. He knows he’s somewhere in Israel, he is among the Jews, but doesn’t know where exactly. Neither does anybody else.

But the main point of John’s reply is this: “I baptize with water, not because I’m special, but because someone truly special is here, even among the people of Israel, though he has not been recognized yet. He’s not been publicly identified.”

“Someone truly special is here among the people of Israel, though he has not been recognized yet.”

John then testifies further about how special this other one is in verse 27. Look there.

Not Worthy to Untie His Sandal

“It is he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”

You’ll recognize in the beginning of verse 27 a statement that we’ve already heard from John the Baptist in this gospel. Just go back to John 1:15. John mentioned that there’s one coming after John who actually existed before John. He’s talking about that same person.

Even though it doesn’t give the full description here—it doesn’t mention that person’s eternality—notice what John does say in addition about this other person, this special one who comes or appears after John.

John says, “I am not worthy to untie the thong or the strap of his sandal.”

Now, I think even without extra background, we recognize that as a statement of humility. But let me give you a little bit of background so you can appreciate just how momentous that statement is.

In ancient Israel, religious teachers—that is, rabbis—were not paid for their teaching. It seemed wrong to the Jews that someone who teaches about God or the scriptures should do it for money. But they did allow for some level of compensation.

Instead of payment, rabbis understood that they could count on their students, their disciples, to provide services for their master. So, for example, a disciple might go into town to get food for his rabbi, rather than the rabbi doing it himself. Or a disciple might prepare a meal for his rabbi with said food—just little services.

But there were understood limits as to what a disciple might be expected to do for his teacher, his master. And one of those limits involved feet and footwear.

Feet are usually not a part of the body you feel great about touching, especially other people’s feet. And why is that? Because feet stink. They get dirty. They get corns. They get calluses.

And if we feel that way even about our own feet sometimes, and we wear modern shoes and socks, imagine what it’s like dealing with feet in the ancient world. Everyone’s wearing some version of open-toed sandals or no shoes at all, often walking for miles a day, traveling on dusty roads and all sorts of weather. You can imagine feet got pretty gross.

And who’s going to want to touch those feet, take off shoes, give those feet a bath? Nobody. That’s who.

So in those days, undoing your shoes and washing your feet—those often went together. That was something you had to do yourself or have a slave do for you if there’s one in the household in which you are. And if there are multiple slaves in that household, undoing shoes—that’s a task that fell to the lowest slave.

And when it came to rabbis, taking off the rabbi’s shoes and washing his feet, that was one service that rabbis could not expect from their disciples. There’s actually a rabbinical saying recorded in 80:250, but probably originating much earlier, that says this: “Every service which a slave performs for his master shall a disciple do for his teacher, except the loosing of his sandal thong.”

So with all that in mind, consider again what John the Baptist says to the Pharisees in verse 27.

“It is he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”

Do you hear that? John the Baptist says that the one coming after him is so great that John does not feel worthy to perform even the lowliest, most disgusting, the most slave-level act of service to be asked when tying that one’s sandals. So John, that would not be a presumptuous humiliation. That would be an honor which John would never dare to take upon himself.

He wouldn’t do that unless you were specifically told to be too much of an honor to come back to the Pharisees’ question: “Why is John baptizing?”

“John does not feel worthy to perform even the lowliest act of service — untying that one’s sandals would be too great an honor.”

Not because John is worthy of it, but because the one who is coming, the one for whom John is preparing the way, he is worthy of it. Who is that coming one? John hasn’t explicitly identified it for the crowd yet, but he soon will in the next section of the passage.

That coming one is Jesus, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Far from arrogantly exalting himself, John acknowledges that he is really just an unworthy slave of God and an unworthy slave of Christ.

Bethany Beyond the Jordan

Verse 28 then finishes off this first section of narrative.

“These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan where John was baptizing.”

I actually don’t know where Bethany beyond the Jordan was today. Apparently, it was some town or region on the eastern side of the Jordan which had enough water close by for John to baptize those who came to him. We don’t know exactly where it was.

John 1:28: “These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan where John was baptizing.”

Application: Following John’s Example

Thus concludes the first half of John the Baptist’s testimony—the testimony about himself. And consider already how profound John’s testimony is. If John the Baptist, the greatest prophet up to that time, responded in such a way, gave such a testimony, that is very instructive for us.

In John, we see the attitudes, the words, the behavior of a true witness and disciple of Jesus. And what the same things ought to be true for us—any of us here who claim to be disciples and witnesses of Jesus. But is it, brethren?

Can each of you acknowledge, as John does, can you say with the same amount of emphasis, that the same amount of zeal—because you don’t want anybody to get the wrong idea—”I am not the Christ”? Will you confess and not deny, but confess you are no one special? You are not one worthy of honor and exultation. Only the Lord is.

You are not one ultimately that other people need to behold and learn from or imitate. Jesus is. You are not the one who can give people what they really need for their souls. You can’t give them life. You can’t give them salvation. But Christ can.

“You are not the one who can give people what they really need for their souls. You can’t give them life. But Christ can.”

Lord, forgive us for where we make life and even church ministry about ourselves and not the Lord.

Brethren, can you all confess in truth that you are no more than a voice for Jesus? Is your life purpose, like John’s, to point people to Christ and make them ready for his appearing? Does it bother you to see people making much of you when they should be making much of him? Are you actually happy when people forget about you and they’re just focused on Jesus?

Can you finally say, in sincerity, from your heart, that you are an unworthy slave of God and Christ? Is Christ that great in your estimation?

Jesus actually commanded this attitude for his followers. Luke 17:10. Jesus says, “So you too, speaking to his disciples, when you do all the things which are commanded, you say, ‘We are unworthy slaves. We have done only that which we ought to have done.’”

Brethren, this was the apostles’ attitude. We see it in their letters. They open it with “James, the slave of Christ,” “Paul, a slave of Christ.” Is that our attitude? Not just the thing we say, but what actually shows up in our lives?

Do we count it a glad privilege to serve Jesus in the lowest way, the most painful way, the most long-lasting way, the most humiliating way, the most unacknowledged way? Or do we instead exalt ourselves? We refuse to serve in any low or humiliating way. We refuse to act as a witness for Jesus because that would cost us too much.

We become angry or depressed when people do not acknowledge our godliness, how much we serve. We expect actually other people to serve us, even God himself, meeting all our desires, rather than if we don’t have John the Baptist’s own attitude.

He really is presented to us like an ideal disciple. We need to repent if you’re not like John. You need to repent. You’ve been making it about yourself. You need to put Jesus back into the supreme place in which he belongs. Amen.

Believe and Exult in Jesus Alone

No one is worthy of your faith and devotion except Jesus Christ. Not you, and not anyone else. Not your spouse, not your parents, not your children, not your boss, not your pastors, not Moses, not John the Baptist, not Mary, not the pope, not any Christian saints alive or dead. These are not the Christ. Jesus is the Christ.

And if John the Baptist, the greatest Old Testament prophet, commissioned by God, filled from the womb with the Holy Spirit, if he testifies that Jesus is so much greater than him, he doesn’t even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence, and surely Jesus is worthy of our devotion, of giving our lives to him.

“No one is worthy of your faith and devotion except Jesus Christ. Not you, and not anyone else.”

We are to heed the testimony of John in that way. As I said in the beginning, the testimony from John has been supplied so that you will believe and exult in Jesus alone.

Do you believe in Jesus? I mean, really believe? Have you repented of your sin, in your own way, and all your self-righteous efforts to get to God and secure salvation and his approval for yourself?

If you repented of that, have you actually given yourself over in faith to Christ, saying, “You’re my Lord. You’re my Savior. Your righteous life, your death, your resurrection, is the only thing that can bring me to God, and in you I am absolutely safe forever”? Do you believe?

I think many of you confess that you do, and I praise God for that. But I say again: if you do, does your belief show up in your life the way it showed up in John the Baptist’s life?

Has it transformed your attitude, the way you think, the way you talk, the way that you act and serve, the way that it transformed John?

May God indeed accomplish this transformation and continue it in each one of us.

Closing Prayer

Let’s pray.

Jesus Christ, it is all about you, God. So easily we make it about ourselves. We begin to say to ourselves, “Why hasn’t God done exactly what I want him to do? Why is God making me to serve in this way? Why did God take this from me?” Instead of saying, “Oh Lord, I can’t believe I have the privilege to know you, to serve you, even by untying the thong of a sandal.”

Forgive us, Lord, for our sinful self-exultation. But thank you that you do forgive us, that you are near to the brokenhearted and the contrite, that when the wicked forsakes his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts, you welcome him in. You pardon him. You forgive him. And that’s because of Jesus Christ.

Oh Jesus, you are worthy of all glory. Everybody should be looking to you and not us. God, help us not to be lazy witnesses, unfaithful witnesses, proud witnesses, but Lord, let us be humble witnesses, diligent witnesses, bold witnesses, because you’re worthy of it. We’re not special. You, Lord God, you’re special.

Oh Jesus, there is no one like you. May that be the testimony of our hearts. And if we don’t know that, don’t appreciate that yet, God, I pray that you would cause us to.

Anybody who doesn’t know you here, listening to this message, God, that they would believe in you and be saved. And those that do believe in you, they’d come to know you more. They’d say, “Yes, I am glad to suffer for Christ. I am glad to be spent for Christ. It is my honor. It is my privilege. This is not my mere duty. Jesus is worthy of it. He is that lovely, and I love to enjoy him by just serving him.”

Lord, let that be true more and more of everybody in this congregation. We know that’s where joy is and you being glorified.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

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