Who Are You?
John 1:19-34
Main Idea: A faithful witness makes little of himself and much of Jesus.
I. Know Who You Are Not (1:19-21)
John 1:19: And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
John 1:20–21: 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.”
Deuteronomy 18:15–18: The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly… And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
Faithful witness begins with knowing who you are not.
Jesus would say some astounding things about John. Matthew 11:11: Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.
And Jesus would assign the proper title to John. Matthew 11:13–15: For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
If we don’t know who we are not, we will steal glory that isn’t ours.
II. Know Who You Are (1:22-28)
John 1:22: 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?”
John 1:23: 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.”
John 1:24–28: 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.
A faithful witness is not the message — simply the messenger.
III. Know Who Jesus Is (1:29-34)
John 1:29: The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Who saves us from death? —The Lamb of God!
Who takes our sin away? —The Lamb of God!
Who bears our shame? —The Lamb of God!
Who wins the victory? —The Lamb of God!
Who saves us forever? —The Lamb of God!
A faithful witness always points to the Lamb.
John 1:30–33: 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.
John 1:34: And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
