A Tour Through John, Lesson 3

<p>For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ <a href="https://www.douglasjacoby.com/tour-john-lesson-3/" target="_blank"><strong>website.</strong></a></p><p>19 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said,</p><p>   “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,<br />‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’”</p><p>as the prophet Isaiah said.</p><p>24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah,nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27 the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” 28 This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.</p><ul><li>Technical notes:<ul><li>The phrase <i>the Jews </i>(v.19) appears only 16 times in Matthew, Mark, and Luke combined, but 70 times in John! <i>The Jews </i>often refers to the Pharisees in the gospel of John, as opposed to the common people.</li><li>In reference to sandals (v.27), Rabbi Jehoshua b. Levi said, "All works which a slave performs for his master a disciple should do for his teacher, except undoing shoe straps" (96a, <i>Str-B</i> 1:121).</li><li>The Bethany (or <i>Bethabara</i>, KJV) at which John baptized was on the east side of the Jordan. This is not the Bethany on the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem.</li></ul></li><li>The authority of John the Baptist is under investigation by the priests and Levites (v.19ff).<ul><li>He refuses to allow people to believe his is something he is not.<ul><li>He was not the Messiah. Messianic expectation ran high in the firs