John 1:19

John begins a day by day explanation.

After having spoken from the eternal perspective for 18 verse John begins to talk about events that began the day Jesus returned after forty days in the wilderness to the area where John the Baptist.

1:19 The first day

- A delegation of Jews from Jerusalem come to John

1:29 The Second day

- Public point to Jesus

1:35 The Third day

- Two disciples of John the Baptist (John and Andrew) follow Jesus

- John and Andrew leave to get their brothers

1:43 The Fourth day

- Phillip and Nathaniel meet Jesus

- Jesus leaves for Cana

Travel – The Fifth day

Travel – The Sixth day

2:1 The Seventh day (“on the third day”)

- Jesus arrives at the wedding in Cana

Just like the book starts like Genesis 1:1-2 with “In the beginning” and then covers the background information for the next 18 verses.
This book follows the introduction with 7 days. Genesis where the 7 days of creation. These may be considered the 7 days of the new creation.

1:19-24

Jews where sent out to John the Baptist in Matt. 3:5-6

“Jews” is used 71 times in John and very little by other writers

- it is usually in a hostile sense

- it usually refers to the Jews in Judea

- sometimes Jewish people have confrontations with the “Jews”

Christ is the Greek word for the Hebrew word Messiah. Both mean “anointed one.”

Three guesses to John the Baptist’s Identity:

1) Christ – Daniel 9:25 made it clear the time was close.

2) Elijah – Malachi 4:5-6 promised that before the Messiah came Elijah would return.

3) The Prophet – Moses promised and warned the people that another prophet like himself would arise from the Jewish people and they must listen to him – Dt.18:15

See John 7:40

John’s answer was from Isaiah 40:3, “voice” for the Word but not the Word himself.

John’s Ministry was to prepare the People for the Messiah and to Identify and introduce the Messiah.

If the Messiah was to appear soon then the people assumed the final judgment was near.

1:25

Inappropriate for John to Baptize according to the Jews.

They asked not “what is the meaning of your baptism” but “why do YOU baptize?

What authority did John have? At this time baptismal candidates baptized themselves.

1:26

John’s Answer:

1) The one who is coming has authorized me

2) He is my superior who gives me orders.

3) This ties the Lord of Isaiah 40 directly to being Jesus the one who is coming

4) The stress is on the greater one coming

1:27

Rabbi’s didn’t get paid for teaching scriptures. It was unheard of because they didn’t want the rabbi teaching what the student wanted to hear. The truth was too valuable to allow someone to receive power or pay that might corrupt it.

But, students would do small favors for their teachers.

There was a limit to what a student would be expected to do.
One of the things that a student was never expected to do was to loosen the sandal thongs and remove the rabbi’s shoes

This is a quote recorded by the rabbi’s around 250 AD (probably a much older statement):

“Every service which a slave performs for his master shall a disciple do for his teacher except the

loosing of his sandal-thongs.”

It was tool low a service for a student, in fact, it was reserved for the lowest slave.

John says he is not worthy to do even the lowest service.

1:28

Bethany was on the East side of the Jordan across from Jerusalem, but its exact location is not known.

1:29

Jesus just returned from the 40 days in the wilderness

“Lamb of God” refers to one that would provide as a substitute

a) Isaiah 53:7, 12

b) Genesis 4:4

c) Genesis 8:20

d) Genesis 22:8, 13, 14

e) Exodus 12:3-17

“Lamb” refers to innocence, voluntary sacrifice

“of God” refers to the fact that God provides this sacrifice. It is God’s provision. It is God’s Work. It is not a sacrifice that men or a man brings.

“Lamb” (amnoV) appears in NT 4 times (John 1 twice, Acts 8:32, 1 Peter 1:19).

(“lamb” in the book of Revelation is “arnion”)

“Sin” is not “Sins”

John did understand this part of Jesus ministry but his culture and religion of the day had corrupted his understanding of the Messiah and held that the Messiah was a political liberator. (Mark 11:2-3; Luke 7:19)

John received the testimony of the Spirit. Others would depend on John’s testimony.

1:32

The Spirit “remained” on Jesus

1:34

“Son of God” John knew he was God others thought the Messiah would be a great man.

This was the climax of John’s Ministry when he recognized Jesus and said, “This is the Son of God.”

“seen” and “testify” are in the perfect tense and DO NOT mean “I saw in the past” but mean there was a continuing effect by what John “saw” and “testified” to.

John saw and testified and the results continue.