Bible Study Notes – Gospel of John 1:19-42

We continue our study of the Gospel of John, “Encountering Jesus.”  The great apostle of love writes this gospel to share the human side of Almighty God whom Jesus personifies during His earthly journey.  In Jesus, we glimpse the essence of God’s unconditional love.  Jesus declares the “Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us.”  In Jesus, God identifies directly with our daily challenges.  As we study John, we will focus upon Jesus’ teachings and the life changing encounters of the people who meet him.

In this passage, John identifies Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”  The religious leaders from Jerusalem send a delegation to the countryside to ascertain the rising population of John the Baptist.  They interrogate him to determine the impulse behind the increasing crowd.  They ask John to explain his appeal and authority.  As an Essene adherent, John preaches about purification and offers a baptism of cleansing and repentance.  However, with the arrival of Jesus, John freely and unequivocally announces the completion of John’s purpose.  Jesus’ baptism eliminates any further need for ritualistic cleansing.  His sinless life will atone for the totality of human sin, past, present and future.

Consider the following ideas and questions as you study the passage.

·         The evangelist puts John the Baptist on center stage.  A group of priests and Levites leave Jerusalem’s urban setting and journey to the Judean countryside to find out who John the Baptist is.  Ironically, these learned religious leaders from a booming metropolis travel to a rural area to ask an uneducated spiritual leader how to interpret Old Testament prophecy.

·         Specifically, they ask him of he is the Christ, Elijah or the Prophet.  Although endowed with a most formidable ego, John humbly acknowledges he is not any of these persons.  

·         Rather, John clearly identifies himself as the forerunner of the Messiah in accordance with Isaiah’s prophecy.

·         Then, the Pharisees who had the equivalent of a contemporary law degree or earned doctorate question John’s baptisms if he is not the Christ.

·         John responds with contrasting the worth of his baptism with the forthcoming work of Jesus Christ.  John’s baptism enables adherents to maintain right relationship with God through ritualistic cleansing and observance.  Repetition is necessary. 

·         In contrast, Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit who will bestow the internal power (mental, emotional and spiritual) to cultivate the willingness and choices to remain in right relationship with our Lord.  The repetition of religious rites and practice of rituals are no longer the sole basis for developing a relationship with God.

·         Parenthetically, I hasten to add observing Holy Communion can digress to personal religiosity and self-righteousness if disciples fail to see its observance as a means of developing a greater relationship with our Lord instead of outwardly demonstrating Christian attributes.

·         John utilizes a very graphic image to contrast his role in the eternal plan of salvation.  His subordinate role does not even yield the right to stoop to the ground and untie Christ’s sandals.

·         Essentially, John tells the Pharisees that Messiah has come in the Person of Jesus Christ.  He, John, straightforwardly fulfills his eternal purpose in making this declaration.

·         The next day, John encounters Jesus whom John declares is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

·         Jesus is the great Passover Lamb whose pure blood atones for the sin of humankind and eliminates the possibility of death.

·         In the next few verses, John verifies God revelation of Himself in Christ. He details God’s sanction on Christ as the Spirit descends upon Him with the sign of a dove.

·         In the thirty-fourth verse, John testifies straightforwardly “And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

·         On the next day, John and two of his disciples observe Jesus walking.  Again, John proclaims “Behold the Lamb of God!”  In response to John the Baptist’s characterization of Jesus, these two disciples of his leave and begin following Jesus.

·         The evangelist utilizes this scene to depict vividly John’s role as the forerunner for Jesus.

·         This transfer of authority, power and allegiance clearly demonstrates John firmly understands his role.  In no wise does he ever attempt to usurp Christ’s role or expand John’s own role.  He adheres steadfastly to the mission and purpose for which John is born.

·         The two followers who leave John the Baptist and begin following Jesus must answer a question which Jesus poses to them.  “What do you seek?”

·         Interestingly, anyone who comes to the Lord Jesus must answer this question!  People who backslide from the Christian faith inevitably came to the Lord with ulterior motives.  Disciples who persevere in the personal process of developing genuine spirituality face continually the challenge of seeking the will of God and desiring relationship with Christ for their intrinsic worth.

·         Incredibly, one of the two of John the Baptist’s followers who became a disciple of Jesus is Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter.  Both of them become one of the eleven original apostles of the Christian faith.

·         In fulfilling his role as the forerunner, John the Baptist actually prepares two of the original apostles of the Christian faith.  I marvel at John’s ability to remain focused and yield center stage in accordance with God’s perfect plan.

·         This passage concludes with Andrew witnessing to his brother.  Andrew’s example shows us the importance of fulfilling “The Great Commission.”