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John 1:19-28
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19Now this was John’s
testimony when the Jewish leaders in
20He did not fail to confess,
but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”
21They asked him, “Then who
are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He
answered, “No.”
22Finally they said, “Who are
you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about
yourself?”
23John replied in the words
of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make
straight the way for the Lord.’”
24Now the Pharisees who had
been sent
25questioned him, “Why then
do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26“I baptize with water,”
John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know.
27He is the one who comes
after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
28This all happened at
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1)
What is a better
translation than ‘the Jewish leaders’ in verse 19?
o A better translation is ‘the Jews’.
2)
What did the
writer of the gospel account intend to mean by ‘the Jews’?
o It is intended to mean ‘the Jewish leaders’.
3)
How are we going
to handle references of ‘the Jews’ in the gospel account?
o We are going to regard many of the references as
meaning ‘the Jewish leaders’.
o It will be decided by the context.
4)
How was the high
priest selected during that time, given that it had become a political position
for dealing with the Jews on behalf of the Romans?
o The high priest was appointed by the Romans.
5)
How did the
zealots during that time attempt to break free from the rule of the Romans?
o They were inciting the Jews to rebel against the Romans.
6)
What would the
Jewish leaders in
o They would be worried that the individual might incite
rebellion against the Romans.
7)
What was the
quickest way during that time for an individual to rally popular support among the
Jews to rebel against the Romans?
o The quickest way was for the individual to claim to be
a character prophesied in the bible to be coming to the Jews.
8)
Which character prophesied
in the bible was the top choice for rebels to claim to be for the sake of rallying
popular support for themselves and why?
o The Christ was the top choice.
o Because
o The Jews during that time had a heightened expectation
of the coming of the Christ to deliver them from the rule of the Romans.
9)
Why did the
Jewish leaders in
o They were concerned that crowds of people were
flocking to John.
o They were trying to find out how to deal with him.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Mark 1:4-5 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
4John the Baptist appeared in
the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
5And all the country of Judea
was going out to him, and all the people of
+++++++++++++++++++++
10)
What does the title
‘the Christ’ mean?
o It means the anointed one.
11)
Where did the priests and Levites expect John to draw the
possible replies from when they asked him who he was, given verses 20 and 21, Daniel
9:25-26, Malachi 4:5-6 and Deuteronomy 18:15?
o They expected him to draw the possible replies from characters
prophesied in the bible to be coming to the Jews.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Daniel 9:25-26 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
25“Know and understand this:
From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the
Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two
‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.
26After the sixty-two
‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The
people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The
end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations
have been decreed.
+++++++++++++++++++++
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Malachi 4:5-6 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
5“See, I will send the
prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.
6He will turn the hearts of
the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents;
or else I will come and strike the land with total
destruction.”
+++++++++++++++++++++
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Deuteronomy 18:15 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
15The Lord your God will
raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites.
You must listen to him.
+++++++++++++++++++++
12)
According to
verses 19 and 20 what was John’s
testimony when he was asked who he was?
o He confessed freely that he was not the Messiah or the
Christ.
13)
Why did John
think that the Jewish leaders were trying to find out if he was the Christ
without being asked the exact question?
o It is because the Christ was the top choice for rebels
to claim to be.
14)
According to
verse 21 what was the ensuing dialog?
o They asked him,
§
“Then who are
you?
§
Are you Elijah?”
o He said, “I am not.”
o “Are you the Prophet?”
o He answered, “No.”
15)
Why did the priests
and Levites ask John if he was Elijah when he said he was not the Christ, given
Malachi 4:5-6?
o The Jews think that
God will send the prophet Elijah before the coming of the Christ because of Malachi
4:5-6.
o It follows naturally that the next question to ask John
was whether he was Elijah.
o When
o He said he was not the Christ.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Malachi 4:5-6 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
5“See, I will send the
prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.
6He will turn the hearts of
the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents;
or else I will come and strike the land with total
destruction.”
+++++++++++++++++++++
16)
Who is the
Prophet the priests and Levites were referring to, given Deuteronomy 18:15?
o It is the prophet like Moses.
o That
o God would raise up from among the Israelites.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Deuteronomy 18:15 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
15The Lord your God will
raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites.
You must listen to him.
+++++++++++++++++++++
17)
Who is the
Prophet like Moses?
o Jesus is.
18)
Who did Jesus say
is the Elijah who was to come, given Matthew 11:13-14?
o Jesus said that John
was the Elijah who was to come.
o If
o The disciples were willing to accept it.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Matthew 11:13-14 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
13For all the Prophets and
the Law prophesied until John.
14And if you are willing to
accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.
+++++++++++++++++++++
19)
Why did Jesus propose
a conditional acceptance of John being the Elijah who was to come in Matthew
11:13-14?
o It is because it is also legitimate to say that
John was not the Elijah.
o As
o We shall see next.
20)
How would the
prophecy of Malachi 4:5-6 have been different, had God said that he would send
‘Elijah’ instead of ‘the prophet Elijah’?
o In that case God will send Elijah himself.
o In the original case God could instead send a prophet
who is molded after the archetype of the prophet Elijah.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Malachi 4:5-6 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
5“See, I will send the
prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.
6He will turn the hearts of
the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents;
or else I will come and strike the land with total
destruction.”
+++++++++++++++++++++
21)
Was it legitimate
for John to deny that he was Elijah and why, given Luke 1:13-17?
o Yes, because John
§
Was not Elijah himself.
§
But only came in
the
Ø
Spirit.
Ø
And power of
Elijah.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Luke 1:13-17 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
13But the angel said to him:
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth
will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.
14He will be a joy and
delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,
15for he will be great in the
sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he
will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.
16He will bring back many of
the people of
17And he will go on before
the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents
to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make
ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
+++++++++++++++++++++
22)
Who were the two
individuals that worked most of the miracles recorded in the Old Testaments of
the bible?
o Moses and Elijah.
23)
What impression
would John have given of his self perception if he
claimed to be the mighty miracle-working Elijah?
o He would have given the impression.
o That
o He harbored grandiose thinking of himself.
24)
What is the self perception of those who try to rally a crowd around themselves
by claiming to be a mighty character in the bible?
o They harbor grandiose thinking of themselves.
25)
What kind of self perception were the Jewish leaders in
o They wanted to know if he harbored grandiose thinking
of himself.
26)
Did John harbor
grandiose thinking of himself and why, given verse 27?
o No, because John was a humble man.
27)
According to
verse 22 what was the follow-up question from the priests and Levites?
o Finally they said,
§
“Who are you?
§
Give us an answer
to take back to those who sent us.
§
What do you say
about yourself?”
28)
According to
verse 23 what was John’s reply?
o He replied in
the words of Isaiah the prophet,
§
“I am the voice
of one calling in the wilderness.
§
‘Make straight
the way for the Lord.’”
29)
Why did the priests
and Levites not ask John if he was the voice of one calling in the wilderness,
given Malachi 4:5-6, Deuteronomy 18:15 and Isaiah 40:3-5?
o It is because unlike Malachi 4:5-6 and Deuteronomy 18:15,
Isaiah 40:3-5 does not explicitly state that someone would be coming to the
Jews.
o So they didn’t know to ask.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Malachi 4:5-6 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
5“See, I will send the
prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.
6He will turn the hearts of
the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents;
or else I will come and strike the land with total
destruction.”
+++++++++++++++++++++
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Deuteronomy 18:15 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
15The Lord your God will
raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites.
You must listen to him.
+++++++++++++++++++++
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Isaiah 40:3-5 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
3A voice of one calling: “In
the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a
highway for our God.
4Every valley shall be raised
up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the
rugged places a plain.
5And the glory of the Lord
will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the
Lord has spoken.”
+++++++++++++++++++++
30)
How did John
fulfill the words of Isaiah, given John 1:29-31?
o Per John 1:29-31 John came baptizing with water.
o So that
o He might reveal Jesus to
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud John 1:29-34 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
29The next day John saw Jesus
coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of
the world!
30This is the one I meant
when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before
me.’
31I myself did not know him,
but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to
32Then John gave this
testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.
33And I
myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water
told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one
who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
34I have seen and I testify
that this is God’s Chosen One.”
+++++++++++++++++++++
31)
How did John
fulfill the words of Isaiah, given Mark 1:4-5 and Mark 1:14-15?
o Per Mark 1:4-5 John called on the Jews to repent by preaching
in the wilderness a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
o Per Mark 1:14-15 belief in the good news of Jesus Christ
needs to be accompanied by repentance for entering the
o So John was preparing the Jews for entering the
o When
o Jesus preached the good news.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Mark 1:4-5 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
4John the Baptist appeared in
the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
5And all the country of Judea
was going out to him, and all the people of
+++++++++++++++++++++
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Mark 1:14-15 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
14After John was put in
prison, Jesus went into
15“The time has come,” he
said. “The
+++++++++++++++++++++
32)
According to
verses 24 and 25 how did the Pharisees
who had been sent question John upon
hearing his reply?
o They questioned
him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not
§
The Messiah or
the Christ.
§
Nor Elijah.
§
Nor the Prophet?”
33)
What did the Pharisees imply concerning the authority of the Christ,
Elijah and the Prophet in the matter of baptism in the
way they questioned John?
o They implied that only
§
The Christ.
§
Elijah.
§
And the Prophet
o Had the authority to baptize.
34)
What exactly were
the Pharisees questioning John on that they thought he lacked when he baptized?
o They were questioning John on his authority to baptize.
35)
Why did the Pharisees focus on whether John had the authority to
baptize?
o It is because they considered themselves in the
position of authority governing such things.
36)
How did the Pharisees
regard John’s baptism and why?
o They regarded his baptism as illegitimate.
o Since
o They thought that he lacked the authority to baptize.
37)
Who gave John the
authority to baptize, given John 1:32-33?
o God who sent John to baptize gave him the authority to
do so.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud John 1:32-33 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
32Then John gave this
testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.
33And I
myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water
told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one
who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
+++++++++++++++++++++
38)
Why did God send John to baptize, given John 1:29-34?
o God sent him to baptize.
o So that
o He might reveal Jesus to
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud John 1:29-34 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
29The next day John saw Jesus
coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of
the world!
30This is the one I meant
when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before
me.’
31I myself did not know him,
but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to
32Then John gave this
testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.
33And I
myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water
told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one
who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
34I have seen and I testify
that this is God’s Chosen One.”
+++++++++++++++++++++
39)
Why did the Pharisees not ask John a follow-up question as to
why the words of Isaiah gave him the authority to baptize?
o They did not want to acknowledge
§
John’s authority
in interpreting scriptures.
§
And their
ignorance.
o Besides they just wanted to seize the opportunity to
discredit his baptism.
40)
Why did John not bother to tell the Pharisees that God sent
him to baptize?
o They would not believe him.
o Since
o They rejected his baptism.
41)
Why did John abruptly switch from talking about his baptizing with
water to talking about the one coming
after him when questioned on his authority to baptize, given John 1:5-8?
o He came as a witness to testify concerning the light.
o So that
o Through him all might believe the light.
o He
§
Did not come to
talk about himself.
§
And therefore avoided answering unnecessary questions about
himself.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud John 1:5-8 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
5The light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6There was a man sent from
God whose name was John.
7He came as a witness to
testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.
8He himself was not the
light; he came only as a witness to the light.
+++++++++++++++++++++
42)
According to
verse 27 how did John compare himself in terms of authority to the one who came
after him?
o He was not worthy to untie the straps of the sandals of the one who came after him.
43)
How do we tie
verse 27, John 13:3-5, John 1:3 and John 1:16-17 together?
o John did not consider himself worthy to untie the straps of Jesus’ sandals.
o Yet Jesus
§
Untied the straps
of his disciples’ sandals.
§
And wash their feet.
o The disciples had received from Jesus their creator grace
upon grace.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud John 13:3-5 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
3Jesus knew that the Father
had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was
returning to God;
4so he got up from the meal, took
off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.
5After that, he poured water
into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel
that was wrapped around him.
+++++++++++++++++++++
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud John 1:3 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
3Through him all things were
made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
+++++++++++++++++++++
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud John 1:16-17 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
16Out of his fullness we have
all received grace in place of grace already given.
17For the law was given
through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
+++++++++++++++++++++
44)
How did John
defend himself against the implication of the Pharisees that his baptism was
usurping the authority of the Christ, Elijah and the
Prophet by the way he compared himself to the one who came after him?
o By his humble admission that he was far inferior to the
one who came after him, he was implying that his
baptism was not usurpation of authority.
45)
Who is the
one that John was referring to as coming after
him, given verse 23?
o John was referring to the Lord.
o For whom
o He made straight the way.
46)
In accordance
with verse 27 how did John consistently make an effort to avoid giving the
false impression that the one coming after him was
inferior to him?
o He stated that he was not worthy to untie the straps
of the sandals of the one coming after him.
47)
According to
verses 26 and 27 what did John say was the relationship between the Pharisees and
the one who came after him?
o They did not know the one who came after him.
48)
Did the Pharisees
really not know Jesus who came after John and why?
o They did not know Jesus as the Christ.
o Though
o They knew him as Jesus of Nazareth.
49)
Why did John
refer to the one who came after him that the
Pharisees did not know instead of explicitly referring to the Christ?
o He did not want to be condescending in suggesting that
he could recognize the Christ.
o While
o They could not.
o They would not accept being portrayed as suffering
from that kind of ignorance anyway.
50)
How did John know
that the Pharisees would not be able to recognize the Christ, given John 1:9-10?
o It is because the world did not recognize the Christ.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud John 1:9-10 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
9The true light that gives
light to everyone was coming into the world.
10He was in the world, and
though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
+++++++++++++++++++++
51)
What did the
failure of the Pharisees to recognize the Christ foretell concerning how they would
deal with him?
o They would reject the Christ.
52)
What did John
imply concerning the magnitude of the coming trouble the Christ would bring on the
Jewish leaders compared to his in pointing out that the Christ is so much more
powerful than he?
o They had not seen anything yet.
53)
According to
verse 28 where was John baptizing?
o He was baptizing
at
54)
Which region is
o
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Mark 1:4-5 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
4John the Baptist appeared in
the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
5And all the country of Judea
was going out to him, and all the people of
+++++++++++++++++++++
55)
Why did the
Jewish leaders choose to hold the dialog with John where he was baptizing?
o They intended to confront him for his baptism.
o While
o He was baptizing.
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John 1:19-28
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