John 1:19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." 21 And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." 22 Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" 23 He said: "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the LORD,"' as the prophet Isaiah said." 24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" 26 John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.
We’ve seen the testimony of John about Christ, now we see the powers that be asking John who he is and why he is doing all the things he is doing, especially baptizing. They are worried about who he is and why he has come and why so many people are flocking to him out in the desert. John will not even speak about who he is but does what he always does, his job, which is to point others to Jesus. The ones who are sent go away without the answer of who he is, but heard something much more important that they do not even listen to or care about. How sad for them.
The Presentation by John The Baptist
Who was John? …The cousin of Jesus
We see the early years of John the Baptist in Luke 1:5-80
His birth is foretold by Gabriel to His father Zacharias in 1: 5-25
Zacharias rendered speechless
Jesus birth is foretold to Mary in 1:26-38
Mary’s visit to Elizabeth in 1:39-45
Baby leaped for Joy (John)
Mary sings a song of joy in 1:46-56
John’s birth in 1:57-66 ….Named him John
Zacharias’ prophetic song in 1:67-79
John’s growth and early life in 1:80
He lived in the wilderness, wore a camel hair coat and ate locusts and honey
We see his Public Ministry in Luke 3:1-18
1. John’s Presentation of Christ to the religious leaders – verses 19-28
Verse19 - Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.
· Jews used about seventy times in John’s Gospel. Refers to the Sanhedrin or governing body of Jews
· Made up of legalistic Pharisees who had about 600 laws that they kept in addition to the 10 Commandments
· They traveled 26 miles to question John
· This shows 7 things
1. Sending persons of such character and figure, was showing John a great deal of honor
2. Serves to make his testimony of Christ the more public and remarkable
3. It also shows what a noise John's ministry and baptism made among the Jews, that it even reached Jerusalem, and the great council of the nation;
4. They thought he was the Messiah, it shows the opinion that was entertained of him
Luke 3:15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ.
5. They were afraid that there may be something to what he was saying. They were the top dogs and might lose their position of power.
6. They thought they needed no repentance, so could not stand someone preaching it
7. It was a show of power, they sought to stop him from his ministry
Verse - 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ." Or Messiah... both mean
