What’s the purpose of your life? That’s not a question one should be flippant about. It’s a vital question. The word sin literally means “to miss the mark”–the goal for why you exist. Anything that’s not in harmony with God’s purpose is missing the mark. Here we see the far greater purpose behind John’s ministry (and behind who we are and what we do):

I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.

John 1:31

Obviously John knew Jesus—they were relatives. However, God had designed it in such a way that the public revelation of Jesus as the Messiah would come at John’s baptism. That event would be the start of Jesus’ ministry.

     God had told John: “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit” (John 1:33). While no doubt John had many times heard about the miraculous events surrounding Jesus’ birth; yet, the ultimate knowledge of Jesus as God’s Son wouldn’t come until Jesus’ baptism, when the Father would reveal Him.

     While not wanting to press this too far, there’s an interesting and sobering deduction. How many know about Jesus and the miracles at His birth and throughout His life, death, and resurrection. Yet, they don’t truly know Him.

     Another profound truth is the greater purpose for which John “came baptizing with water.” While his ministry seemed very purposeful, both for John and those who responded to his message of repentance, there was a far greater purpose behind it. Actually, we can say that John’s ministry wasn’t truly God’s purpose. It was a means to God’s purpose—the revealing of Jesus as the Christ.

     Ultimately nothing is ultimate—being the main purpose—unless it’s the revelation of Jesus. That’s God’s main (and only!) purpose. Are we in alignment with that?

Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
Author of “A Glorious Sacrifice“

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. . . even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

John 1:27-28

John’s mandate and mission was to point to Jesus and testify of Him. That’s also our mandate and mission. Here’s a good indicator whether or not one is a true witness for Jesus: do we have such a high view of Jesus that we have a true sense of our own unworthiness? Do they not go together?

     Peter expressed that as follows, after seeing Jesus’ greatness: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” What was Jesus’ response when Peter expressed his unworthiness? He said: “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men” (Luke 5:8, 10). Did Peter not have to learn something before he could be an effective fisher of men?

     John expressed one of the lowest of the lowest positions—untying someone’s sandal strap—while clearly stating that he wasn’t worthy to do so for Jesus. Do we have such a sense of His worth and our unworthiness? Or do we think we’re great and glorious? We need to see Jesus’ infinite greatness and our subsequent unworthiness to be a true witness for Jesus.

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Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know . . .

John 1:26

The Pharisees had sent messengers to find out who John the Baptist was. After denying that he was the Christ, or Elijah, or one of the Old Testament Prophets, he stated that he was “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,” quoting from Isaiah, who had foretold his coming.

     Today we see that John didn’t want to linger on who he was, but for Whom he had come. Yes, he acknowledged his ministry—baptizing with water—but he quickly turned all attention to the coming King, whom they didn’t know.

     As His forerunner, John’s mandate and mission was to announce the arrival of the King and clear His way. He did so by crying out: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:1). That was exactly the same message as Jesus: “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matt. 4:17). Therefore, to be a true witness for Jesus, we are to direct all attention to Him and proclaim His message.

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Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

John 1:25

After 400 silent years—the period between the last Old Testament prophet and the appearing of John the Baptist—there was now quite some uproar. Here was a man who lived in the wilderness, “wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist,” and ate “locusts and wild honey” (Matt. 3:4).

     He cried out to the people about the kingdom of heaven and called for repentance. When the religious leaders came to his baptism, he said: “You brood of Vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matt. 3:7). It’s an understatement to say that he didn’t fit the religious mold. That was the main reason they asked him about his baptism and gathering disciples.

     In their mind, only the Christ, or Elijah, or the Prophet was able and allowed to make such a religious change. John had already given them the Biblical answer about his mandate and mission: “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said” (John 1:23). Yet, they didn’t receive that.

     Here’s a solemn warning: we need to be careful to not reject anything that is fully grounded in God’s word, while not fitting within our religious mold. It’s so easy to place our religious convictions over God’s own word.

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Jan Blonk
The Devotional Author
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

John 1:22

The religious leaders had “sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’” John the Baptist had given them a “negative” answer, not being the Christ, Elijah, or one of the Old Testament prophets. Since they needed an answer, there was only one question left: “What do you say about yourself?”

     As we’ll see in the next verse, John gave them a Biblical answer. He knew who He was based on God’s word. While John is specifically mentioned in Isaiah, there’s also a definite principle for us. To be a witness for Jesus also means that we truly know who we are and where we came from.

     In order to illustrate this, let’s read what Peter wrote: “That you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). Paul wrote something similar: “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col. 1:13).

     In order to be a true witness for Jesus, we need to state who we were by nature—living in sin and darkness—and what He has done. It goes like this: “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25). We’re to ascribe our salvation to God alone. If we were to attribute even the smallest part to ourselves, we’re not testifying of Him but ourselves. We are to proclaim His excellencies!

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Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”

John 1:21

After having stated that he is not the Christ, they asked John the Baptist whether or not he was Elijah or the Prophet? John denied both of them: “And he answered, ‘No.’”

     God had foretold that Elijah would come: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes” (Mal. 4:5). Why would John deny being Elijah, while Jesus confirmed it: “Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. . . . Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist” (Matt. 17:12-13). The best explanation seems that John certainly operated in the spirit of Elijah, fulfilling God’s promise, while not actually being Elijah himself.

     The Jews also had a concept that one of the prophets would rise again (see Luke 9:8). John clearly told them that he is not one of the Old Testament prophets. Some believe that “the Prophet” is a reference to Deuteronomy 18:18, but that Prophet is a clear reference to the coming Messiah, which John already had denied he was. Therefore, it seems more probable that it was a reference to a prophet.

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Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

John 1:20

John the Baptist clearly knew his mission and mandate: “He came as a witness to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him” (John 1:7). Paul wrote something similar: “Through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations” (Rom. 1:5).

     While John the Baptist and the apostles were certainly unique in their calling and role, they expressed the essential mission and mandate for all believers: to bear witness about Christ so that others will believe in Him.

     When the religious leaders had sent the “priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’” John made it very clear that He wasn’t the promised Messiah—God’s Anointed One. While not wanting to press the point too much, there’s an important lesson we can learn from his “negative” answer: to be a true witness is to truly point to Jesus instead of oneself.

     When we claim something “as coming from us” (2 Cor. 3:5-6)—from our own sufficiency—we are not a witness to Christ and His sufficiency. Jesus said: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). To truly witness about Christ is to ascribe nothing to ourselves but everything to Him.

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Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

John 1:19

It must have been quite a sight to see and hear John the Baptist. What’s known as the 400 silent years—the years between the last prophet of the Old Testament and the start of the New Testament—had ended. God was clearly speaking once again. While God may have been silent for centuries, everything was working toward “the fullness of time” (Gal. 4:4).

     Matthew wrote of John: “Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.” Isaiah had already clearly stated his mission and mandate: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness; ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight’” (Matt. 3:3-4). Jesus would say of him: “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist” (Matt. 11:11).

     The religious leaders took obvious notice of him. They “sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem” with one question: “Who are you?” Some wondered whether or not John was the Messiah. John would give them a clear and Biblical answer.

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Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

John 1:18

Jesus said to Philip: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). The author of Hebrews wrote: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Heb. 1:3). There’s only one way to know God—through Jesus. All other ways are false and misleading!

     Jesus revealed who God is, being God Himself. Whether it was His condescension to being born in a manger, His fellowshipping with known sinners, His provision to thousands of hungry people, His delivering and healing of the afflicted, or forgiving of sins, Jesus perfectly expressed God’s nature.

     John also emphasized, once again, the plurality of the God-head: “The only God, who is at the Father’s side.” Jesus left heaven’s glory for a manger and, ultimately, for a cross. That is who God is! Whatever our perception of God, we should carefully study the person and work of Jesus Christ. He made Him known through His words and actions.

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Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“