Lesson 4467

 (Lesson 4467)(04-26-24) John 1:19-24 

“And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.” 

 

Today’s quote recounts the testimony of John the Baptist when Jewish leaders from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. Those religious officials, sent by the Pharisees, asked John directly if he was the Messiah, which he quickly denied. They continued by asking if he is Elijah or "that prophet" (referring to a figure like Moses, as foretold in Deuteronomy), to which John also denied being either. In response to their question, "Who art thou?" John declared himself to be "the voice of one crying in the wilderness," as prophesied by Isaiah, whose mission was to make straight the way of the Lord. The Pharisees then asked why John baptized if he was not the Christ, Elijah, or the prophet, they were trying to determine the authority by which he preached. The quote set the stage for John's role as the forerunner to Jesus, it emphasized his own recognizing of his place in God’s divine plan.~