August 13, 2006

 

Chap.1, verses 19-28- in the narrative portion we hear John Baptist in a

discussion with priests and Levites and his explanation of his identity.

It is framed within a series of references to “days” (vs.29, 35,43 and 2:1).

It may match the ending of the book:

    First series                                        Last series

   1:19-28- first day                            12:1-11- 6 days before Passover

   1:29-34- second day                        12:12- next day

   1:35-42- third day                           13:1- last supper

   1:43-51-fourth day (King of Israel)    18:19-37- rejection of King

     2 days of silence -5^th & 6^th days      19:38-42 –silence in tomb

   2:1- “third day”- 7^th day                   20- Resurrection

    First miracle                                   21- Last miracle

 

  John is asked 4 questions: “Who are you?, Are you Elijah?, Are you the Prophet?, Who are you?” - which give him opportunity to declare his identity.  It is likely that the baptism of Jesus by John has already occurred- Mt. 3:13-17. 

  Clearly an atmosphere of expectation of Messiah was in the people of Israel

and was being spread partially through John’s preaching- Mark 1:1-7 as well as Jesus’ preaching- Mark 1:14-15.  It was a time of spiritual disillusionment and distress by Israel- Matt. 11:16-19.  Human tradition had choked the clear precepts of Law- Matt. 15:3-14. The common people lacked vital spiritual guidance- Matt.9:36.

  John Baptist answers each question with clarity, finally quoting Isaiah 40:3

that he was a “voice crying in the wilderness”- this placed John as a forerunner of the Messiah [see Isaiah 40:5- “glory shall be revealed…”].

Their next question related to his practice of baptism—which is then used by John to focus on the Coming One.  He said “I baptize with water, but there stand One….who…is preferred before me..”  So, again John is a witness

for the Lord Jesus. The location of these events is Bethabara (Tex.Receptus) or

Bethany (Majority text, Vaticanus & P75).

 

Chapter 1, verses 29-34- moving from John’s remarks about  Jesus to John’s remarks to Jesus—John identifies Jesus as the “lamb of God who takes away

the sin of the world”- Jesus is not only the Bearer of Israel’s sin, but that of the world (3:16, 4:42).  Has John understood the correlation between OT animal

sacrifice and Jesus as the True Sacrifice fulfilling OT types?  Such terminology is

not found in the synoptic gospels.  It is generally believed that the chronological order of events would be 1. John Baptist preaches  2. Jesus comes to him to be baptized  3. Jesus goes into the wilderness for testing   4. Jesus comes to John and is identified as “Lamb of God”  4. First miracle   5. Jesus’ ministry begins

 

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“After me comes  a Man who is preferred before me..”- carefully John the apostle records John Baptist’s repeated promotion of Jesus over himself.

Then John Baptist admits “I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel,…I came baptizing with water.”  The phrase “I did not know Him” does not refer to acquainted with, but know in the sense of as the Messiah.  Again, note that Jesus came in ministry to Israel  as is evidenced in many facets of His public & private life- Matt.4:23- synagogues, 5:17 –not destroy Israel’s law, 8:4- adherence to Law, 10:5-instructions to disciples.

  In vs. 32-33, John Baptist refers to his careful obedience to the heavenly Father’s directive concerning how the Messiah would be identified.  He adds

“I have seen and testified that his is the Son of God”.  The title “Son of God” (after 1:49) doesn’t show up again until 3:18, although “Son of Man” is used in 1:51. 

             So, in the first chapter, Jesus is called a number of titles:

the Word,  the true Light,  only begotten of the Father,  Lamb of God,  Son of God, Messiah,  the Christ,  King of Israel,  Rabbi,  Jesus of Nazareth and  Son of Man.  It would require chapters in the synoptic gospels to use all these titles!