19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Christ.”
21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
24 Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
John the Baptist first makes it clear that he is not the Messiah, and he is not Elijah incarnate (though he is the Elijah-like prophet prophecied about in the OT).
Then, in v 26 & 27 he testifies to the amazing fact that yes, the Messiah is here. He is among you and you haven't even noticed yet. And He is so worthy that John is not even worthy to untie his sandals, a job that was for the lowliest of slaves.
John the Baptist - one of the greatest of all prophets - felt himself unworthy to even be Christ's slave! When we know who Christ really is, all our own self-importance and pride just falls away.
That is how great Jesus is and how unworthy we are.
He is here. That is John's testimony. He is here.
Tomorrow's scripture focus: John 1:29-34
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