I’m No Prophet or Messiah: Daily Devo, John 1:19-34

John the Baptizer begins his public ministry, comprising mostly preaching Old Testament messianic passages and baptizing Jews who come to him. Some leading Jews come out from Jerusalem to question John, but John was not trying to be the next public teaching figure. Unlike others, he was not claiming to be the literal resurrection of Elijah, the messiah, or even a simple prophet. John had one mission in fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1—prepare the way for the true messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.

John’s baptism had no power. It was merely water. Yet, it put attention on the need for personal purification. I think we can learn much from John the Baptizer’s ministry. Our words, actions, ordinances, sacraments, and whatever else we do have no power. They are merely material practices. But, perhaps our religion can be used to introduce people to the only one with true power to forgive sin—Jesus Christ. If we are bringing people to church by the power of our words, programs, and ordinances, they will fail. If we are simply preparing the way for Jesus to cut to the heart, divide bone and marrow, soul and spirit, He will never fail. It isn’t for us to cut through the chaos because we are not powerful to do so. It is prideful to think we are. It is for us to sit and learn from Jesus, who is the only one offering rest.

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.” Then 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, but 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. The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God” (John 1:19-34).