Come & See: John 1:19-51. Study Guide 2
Hey Everyone,
The following reflections are part of a larger Gospel of John Bible Study and Reflections Series. Please see the full list of studies and reflections here:
For this Study Read John 1:19-51
Background information:
John the Baptist. In these verses, readers learn more about John the Baptist. The priests and Levites are groups that would have taken interest in John the Baptist because he came from a priestly lineage (he was the son of a priest) and because he spoke of purification—a matter of concern to these two groups. To appreciate the importance of the questioning of the Priests and Levites, readers should know that due to numerous prophecies there was expectancy within Jewish culture concerning the coming Messiah or anointed one. Jews expected that an anointed leader would be sent from God to redeem Israel, become King, and rule the nations. The Jewish expectation concerning the Messiah was heightened by the fact that more than 400 years had elapsed since the last Jewish prophet wrote about the Messiah. On top of that, there were many self-proclaimed Messiahs in 1st century Judaism. For these reasons, the priests, Levites, and other religious leaders had particular reason to take notice of and track every new movement. This is why the Priests and Levites question John about who sent him. John forthrightly denies that He is the Messiah, which leads them to ask if he is Elijah or the Prophet.
John the Baptist’s ministry was particular infamous, viewed as legitimate, and taken seriously due to the miraculous circumstances that accompanied John’s birth as told in Luke 2. John is very clear about the fact that his ministry exists to testify to “one coming after than [him] who would be greater than [him]” (verses 27). The priests ask John the Baptist if he is the Messiah because Elijah was expected to come before the Messiah (as prophesied in Malachi 4:5). What is interesting is that though John denies being Elijah, in Mark 9:11-13 and Matthew 11:4, Jesus declares that John is Elijah. And in Luke 1:7, the angel Gabriel predicts that John would “go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah.” None of these texts require that John is the resurrected Elijah spoken of in the Jewish law—this may be why John denies being Elijah. The Priests also ask if John is “The Prophet” because there was an expectation of an eschatological Prophet from Deuteronomy 18:18 who would either be a forerunner to or the Messiah himself. Although John does not claim to be Elijah or the Prophet, he does explicitly claim to be the one who has come to prepare the way for the Lord thereby assuming the prophetic position as the one who has come to testify to the coming Messiah.
In verses 29-31, we see John the Baptist actually point Jesus out. John testifies that he is able to recognize Jesus because the one who sent him to baptize with water told him that the one on whom he sees the Spirit come will baptize with the Holy Spirit (vs. 33). The fact that John is privy to this information speaks volumes as to the intimacy of his relationship with God. Jesus is the one on whom John sees the Spirit come down on as a dove. Whether this observation of the Spirit coming down on Jesus is an objective experience that is noticeable to all or a subjective experience perceived only by John cannot be determined from the text. However, one thing is certain, when John encounters Jesus, there is no doubt in John’s mind as to Jesus’ identity as the coming Messiah. This account of the author John’s narrative is parallel to the story in the synoptic gospels of Jesus’ baptism. In the synoptic gospels, John is so certain that Jesus is the Messiah that he first refuses to baptize him because he feels so unworthy—he says that Jesus is the one who should be baptizing him, and yet Jesus insists that John baptize him. The author John’s account of Jesus’ baptism differs from the synoptic gospels in that apart from mentioning seeing the spirit come down on Jesus, the author does not actually narrate Jesus’ baptism. According to Professor of the New Testament Craig Bloomberg, the author John may have chosen not to narrate Jesus’ baptism in order to downplay “a growing institutionalization of the sacraments prevalent in the Christian church at the end of the first century” (79, Bloomberg). Finally, verse 34 provides an allusion to the heavenly voice spoken about in the synoptic gospels that declares Jesus to be the Holy One of God.
Lamb of God: In this account, John testifies that Jesus is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” The Lamb of God recalls the Israelite Exodus from Egypt where God judged Pharaoh for holding his people in bondage after numerous calls through Moses to let His people go. If any household in Egypt had the blood of a lamb over the door, the angel of death passed over that household. However, any home that did not cover their doorpost with the blood of the lamb lost the first born of the family as a sign of God’s judgment. “Taking away the world’s sins” would refer to the avenging of injustice by the Messiah.” He also testifies that Jesus is the one who “will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” Here is John’s first brief introduction to the third person of the Trinity. John the Baptist also calls Jesus the “Son of God.”
Peter means “rock.” Jesus refers to Cephas as Peter because He says that Peter is the Rock upon which He’ll build His church. (Matthew 16:18) And Peter goes on to be one of the early founding fathers of the church.
1) How does this passage further help us to understand John’s identity? What is John’s ministry focus? What is John’s testimony and what are his teachings concerning Jesus?
2) Why were the priests and Levites questioning John?
3) How did John recognize Jesus?
4) What did John say about himself? Why did John baptize?
5) What are the various names that refer to Jesus throughout the passage?
6) Why do John’s two disciples follow Jesus? What is Jesus’ response to their following him?
7) What do we learn about Jesus through his encounters with the disciples?
What happens when Andrew encounters Jesus?
What happens when Simon-Peter encounters Jesus?
What happens when Philip encounters Jesus?
What happens when Nathanael encounters Jesus?
8)Application: When Jesus encounters Simon He gives him a new identity in changing His name to Peter. If you are already on a walk with Him, how has Jesus already given you a new identity? How may Jesus want to give you a new identity in Him? What would Jesus change your name to?
Does your relationship with Jesus make you want to share Him with others--to invite others to come and see? Why or why not? How does this passage challenge your personal desire to or not to witness? Or if you’re not a Christian, how do you feel about Jesus’ invitation to “come and see?”
In what other ways did this passage have challenged you?
