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John the Baptist Gives Witness - John 1
John the Baptist Gives Witness - John 1
Giving ‘testimony’. Picture, if you will, a courtroom where Jesus is on trial. In this session, John the Baptist is called to the witness stand to give his testimony of what he has seen, heard, and know. “There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light” (1:6-7). Such testimony is NOT ‘hear-say’, but John was there. John, the apostle and writer of this gospel, is then like the court-reporter. Yet even the apostle’s testimony is a record of the 1st-century claims concerning Jesus. What was the testimony of John the Baptist concerning who Jesus is? Let him speak:
- Jesus existed before me (although you may recall that John was born FIRST) 1:15
- Truth and grace REALIZED through Jesus 1:17
- Jesus has ‘explained’ God to us 1:18
- Jesus is the ONLY BEGOTTEN GOD who IS in the bosom of the Father 1:18
- Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world 1:29 (also 1:36)
- Jesus is of higher rank than John for He existed BEFORE me – 1:30
- It is Jesus who baptized in the Holy Spirit 1:33
- THIS Jesus IS THE SON OF GOD 1:34
As in any courtroom, the jury hears, contemplates, and then passes judgment upon the truthfulness and validity of the testimony. The gospel of John will ‘call many more witnesses’ to give additional testimony. Yet, you must decide if John’s testimony here is true or not. Two of John’s disciples, having heard this from John, LEFT John and became disciples of the greater one! (John 1:35-37).
Having ‘heard’, what do you think? Jesus is said to be the Christ, the son of God. What do you say?
Hugh DeLong
