Everyone in ancient Judea was looking for the Messiah; someone to break the shackles of Roman oppression and deliver the Jewish people from foreign rule. There had been many men who claimed to be the promised Messiah only to have their movements crushed and their claims proven false. The Pharisees, who saw themselves as the guardians of the Torah, had their own ideas of who the Messiah should be. In their pride, the Pharisees believed that their zealous, yet self-righteous, preservation of the Jewish law would earn them a privileged place in the Messiah’s Kingdom. And that is why they took great interest in John the Baptist. Their cross-questioning of him reveals the state of their hearts.
Yet John’s humility stands in contrast to the Pharisees’ pride. He consistently asserts that he is not the Messiah; rather, he is the “voice of one crying in the wilderness” calling all to repentance and preparing the way for the Lord, the True Messiah (v. 23). John’s ministry involved water baptism. This perplexed the Pharisees. Ritual immersion in water was something that the priesthood did to purifying themselves before entering into God’s presence. The Pharisees thought that by baptising others, John was claiming that he had the power to forgive and cleanse sin. But this was not the reason for John’s baptism. There is no power in the act of immersion itself. Rather, John’s purpose was to point towards the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Only Jesus has the authority and power to forgive sins and to cleanse believers from unrighteousness. Water baptism is an outward symbol of the inner reality of Christ’s transformative work in the believer’s life.
When John meets Jesus, he is quick to acknowledge who He is, “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Likewise, too, John’s two disciples along with Andrew, Simon, Philip, and Nathanael. On two occasions in verses 29-51, Jesus reveals that He is divine. The first is when He says to John in verse 33 that, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” The second is when Jesus demonstrates His omniscience by telling Nathanael that He saw him under the fig tree. How beautiful to know that Jesus lovingly sees us and invites us to a deeper relationship with our Heavenly Father.
Read the passage prayerfully a few times over and then answer the questions – John 1:19-51
Questions:
- How would you describe the interaction between John the Baptist and the Pharisees? What stands out to you? John 1:19-28
- What is the significance of baptism? Why was Jesus baptized? John 1:29-34, cf. Matthew 3:1-17
- How did Jesus’ first disciples respond to His call? What do you observe about each one’s response? John 1:35-51
Application:
- How does the fact that God sees you, as He did Nathanael, and gives you a new identity in Christ, as He did with Simon Peter, deepen your worship of Him?
Conclusion & Heart Prayer:
Lord, what are You saying to me? And what are You calling me to do about it?
