John 1:19-34 The Testimony of John

1:19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
And this is the record of John — He persisted in this assertion, testifying to the Jews that this Jesus was THE CHRIST.

They that were sent were, 

Priests and Levites, probably members of the council, men of learning, gravity, and authority. John Baptist was himself a priest of the seed of Aaron, and therefore it was not fit that he should be examined by any but priests. It was prophesied concerning John's ministry that it should purify the Sons of Levi (Malachi 3:3), and therefore they were jealous of him and his reformation. 

1:20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

He confessed, and denied not; but confessed — A common mode of Jewish phraseology. John renounces himself, that Jesus may be all in all. 

1:21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

Art thou Elias? — The scribes themselves had taught that Elijah was to come before the Messiah.
Art thou that prophet? — the prophet spoken of by Moses, Deuteronomy 18:15, Deuteronomy 18:18. This text they had also misunderstood: for the prophet or teacher promised by Moses was no other than the Messiah himself. See Acts 3:22.

1:22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

That we may give an answer to them that sent us — These Pharisees were probably a deputation from the grand Sanhedrin; the members of which, hearing of the success of the Baptist's preaching, were puzzled to know what to make of him, and seriously desired to hear from himself what he professed to be.

1:23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
You see, even as a voice, John was not original. 

---That straining after originality, of which we see so much today, finds no warrant among the true servants of God. Even though John is only a voice, yet he is a voice that quotes the Scriptures: “Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.”

1:24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

They did not send for John to them, probably because they feared the people, lest the people where John was should be provoked to rise, or lest the people where they were should be brought acquainted with him; they thought it was good to keep him at a distance. 

They enquire concerning him, 

1. To satisfy their curiosity; as the Athenians enquired concerning Paul's doctrine, for the novelty of it, Acts 17:19, 20. Such a proud conceit they had of themselves that the doctrine of repentance was to them strange doctrine. 

2. It was to show their authority.

1:25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
Why baptizest thou then? — Baptism was a very common ceremony among the Jews, who never received a proselyte into the full enjoyment of a Jew's privileges, till he was both baptized and circumcised. But such baptisms were never performed except by an ordinance of the Sanhedrin, or in the presence of three magistrates: besides, they never baptized any Jew or Jewess, nor even those who were the children of their proselytes; for, as all these were considered as born in the covenant, they had no need of baptism, which was used only as an introductory rite. Now, as John had, in this respect, altered the common custom so very essentially, admitting to his baptism the Jews in general, the Sanhedrin took it for granted that no man had authority to make such changes, unless especially commissioned from on high; and that only the prophet, or Elijah, or the Messiah himself; could have authority to act as John did.

1:26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
He owned himself to be only the minister of the outward sign: "I baptize with water, and that is all; I am no more, and do no more, than what you see; I have no other title than John the Baptist; I cannot confer the spiritual grace signified by it."

1:27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
John was first in his day, the morning-star of the Light of the gospel, yet even he felt that he was not worthy to do the least thing for Christ. 

Q: Where shall you and I put ourselves?

1:28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Bethabara signifies the house of passage; some think it was the very place where Israel passed over Jordan into the land of promise under the conduct of Joshua; there was opened the way into the gospel state by Jesus Christ.

1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Behold the Lamb of God - This was said in allusion to what was spoken Isaiah 53:7. Jesus was the true Lamb or Sacrifice required and appointed by God, of which those offered daily in the tabernacle and temple.

That Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, which bespeaks Him the great sacrifice, by which atonement is made for sin, and man reconciled to God. 

Of all the legal sacrifices he chooses to allude to the lambs that were offered, not only because a lamb is an emblem of meekness, and Christ must be led as a lamb to the slaughter (Isa. 53:7), but with a special reference, 

[1.] To the daily sacrifice, which was offered every morning and evening continually, and that was always a lamb (Ex. 29:38), which was a type of Christ, as the everlasting propitiation, whose blood continually speaks. 

[2.] To the paschal lamb, the blood of which, being sprinkled upon the door-posts, secured the Israelites from the stroke of the destroying angel. Christ is our passover, 1 Cor. 5:7. He is the Lamb of God; He is appointed by Him (Rom. 3:25), and he was accepted with Him; in Him he was well pleased. 

[3.] The lot which fell on the goat that was to be offered for a sin-offering was called the Lord's lot (Lev. 16:8, 9); so Christ, who was to make atonement for sin, is called the Lamb of God.

1:30 This is He of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for He was before me.
This is He - He sees Him now.

1:31 And I knew Him not: but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
Although John knew the Savior personally, he did not know Him officially. He had a token given to him by God, by which he was to know the Messiah; and he did not officially know him till he had that token fulfilled.

1:32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him.
When he saw the Holy Ghost descend upon Him, then he knew that it was even He.

1:33 And I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
He that sent me - said unto me — From this we may clearly perceive that John had a most intimate acquaintance with the Divine Being; and received not only his call and mission at first, but every subsequent direction, by immediate, unequivocal inspiration.
Baptism with water made way for the manifesting of Christ, as it supposed our corruption and filthiness, and signified our cleansing by him who is the fountain opened.

1:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

Hear ye, then, the witness of John.

John 1:14-18 The Word Made Flesh

1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

And the Word was made flesh — That very person who was in the beginning-who was with God-and who was God, John 1:1, in the fulness of time became flesh-became incarnated by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the virgin.
And dwelt among us — και εσκηνωσεν εν ημιν, And tabernacled among us: the human nature which he took of the virgin, being as the shrine, house, or temple, in which his immaculate Deity condescended to dwell.

1:15 John bare witness of Him, and cried, saying, This was He of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for He was before me.

He appeals to what he had said at the beginning of his ministry, when he had directed them to expect one that should come after him, whose forerunner he was, and never intended any other than to lead them to Him, and to prepare his way.
Was before me — Speaking by the prophets, and warning your fathers to repent and return to God, as I now warn you;

1:16 And of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

And of His fulness — Of the plenitude of His grace and mercy, by which He made an atonement for sin; and of the plenitude of His wisdom and truth, by which the mysteries of heaven have been revealed.
We have received grace for grace -- Our receivings by Christ are all summed up in this one word, grace; we have received kai charin—even grace.

1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
The law of Moses, however excellent in itself, was little in comparison of the Gospel: as it proceeded from the justice and holiness of God, and was intended to convict men of sin, that the way of the Gospel might be the better prepared, it was a law of rigor, condemnation, and death: Romans 4:15; 2 Corinthians 3:7-8. 

It was a law of shadows, types, and figures: Hebrews 10:1, and incapable of expiating sin by its sacrifices: Romans 8:3; Hebrews 10:11. 

But Christ has brought that grace which is opposed to condemnation: Romans 5:15; Romans 8:1; and He is Himself the spirit and substance of all those shadows: Colossians 2:19; Hebrews 10:1.

Jesus Christ — JESUS the CHRIST, the Messiah, or anointed prophet, priest, and king, sent from heaven.

1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.

No man hath seen God at any time — Moses and others heard His voice, and saw the cloud and the fire, which were the symbols of His presence; 

but such a manifestation of God as had now taken place, in the person of Jesus Christ, had never before been exhibited to the world.

No man hath seen God at any time - Who can look on the sun? What mind can look on God? But Christ does not hide the Father; He manifests Him.
He hath declared God to us, whom no man hath seen at any time. This was the grace and truth which came by Christ, the knowledge of God and an acquaintance with Him.