Read John 1:15-37; 3:22-36
Is there any new piece of information that Holy Spirit has brought to light in the testimony of John the Baptist during your reading?
We have already seen that testimony was a very important construct for Jewish legal understanding during the days of Jesus. This is so key because later in John (as in all of the gospels) we will see that the Pharisees are desperate to find reason to convict Jesus of blasphemy, to therefore impose a death sentence on Him, to crucify Him. (Matthew 26:57-65) Eventually they resort to accusing Him of the very truth that John the Baptist reveals in our passage today.
Jesus is the Son of God
I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God. John 1:34
This little piece of testimony is precisely what the Apostle has set out to show his readers.
“…but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” John 20:31
One could argue that the Apostle John arrived at this conclusion through personal experience. John the Baptist, on the other hand received a revelation indicating that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. (John 1:32) He tells his disciples and the curious who had started to follow him around that he didn’t know Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, until he received this vision or revelation, that of the Holy Spirit descending like a dove and settling on Him. (John 1:33) Keep in mind that Jesus and John the Baptist were relatives through their mothers. It is likely that their paths crossed numerous points in time before God revealed to John just exactly who Jesus was. (Luke 1) When John receives the revelation, he waits for the dove (i.e. Spirit) to settle on the Christ. That happens when Jesus comes to John to be baptized.
Every gospel writer except John makes mention of the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22), with Matthew giving the most detail. It is in these gospels that we see the details of the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus like a dove and alighting on Him. Matthew, John Mark and Luke all indicate that God spoke as Jesus was being baptized, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” (Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22) The apostle John doesn’t give details of the baptism, but he does highlight the presence of the Holy Spirit with Jesus in the Baptizer’s reference. This Holy Spirit’s presence, according to John the Baptist’s testimony, signifies that Jesus is the Son of God.
How were you shown that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God?
Jesus is The Bridegroom
He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. John 3:29
Bridegroom. What do you think when you hear that word? If you’re like most people (me included), you immediately think of a wedding, the start of a new relationship.
It was John the Baptist’s calling to usher in the era of new covenant or relationship. He was the “voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the LORD.’” (Matthew 3:3, quoting Isaiah 40:3) So when his followers question him about some new teacher who is baptizing as well but garnering more attention than their master, John replies,
“A person cannot receive even one thing unless God bestows it. He is the Bridegroom, and the bride belongs to him. I am the friend of the Bridegroom who stands nearby and listens with great joy to the Bridegroom’s voice. And because of his words my joy is complete and overflows! So it’s necessary for him to increase and for me to be diminished.” John 3:27, 29 – TPT
The Baptizer here uses the language of relationship to help his disciples understand that he’s okay with this “new guy” on the scene. In the culture of the day it’s the groom (or technically the groom’s father) who gets the party started. (More on this later…) When the okay is given, the groom parades through the street to sweep away his bride. This act on the groom’s part signifies to anyone observing that a new relationship is beginning. It brings joy to the participants and observers. (We’re going to have an opportunity to step into such a celebration very soon.)
The objective of the bridegroom is to take a bride. John explains that is what Jesus is doing…and he’s not worried about it. In fact, he’s happy about it! John is unconcerned about his diminishing role in the story. He basically declares that it’s not his story to tell. His calling was to point others to a relationship with Jesus. His actions and teaching were not the main event. He was just the warm-up act. Jesus, God’s Kingdom Bridegroom, is now taking center stage!
Who has acted as a “John the Baptist” for you? How are you being called to point others to a relationship with Jesus? To be a “John the Baptist” for someone else?
One final note. More of an aside really. But one worthy of contemplation. Jesus doesn’t seek to drink in all the glory.
Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John…He left Judea and went away again into Galilee. John 4:1, 3
Ponder that a moment. What does this tell us about Jesus?