A Study of John's Gospel

John 1:19-23: Make Straight The Way of the Lord

A study of John 1:19-23

"And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." 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?" He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said.""

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭19‬-‭23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Definitions of the original language in the context of this passage:

-Testimony: "matyria", "μαρτυρία"; feminine noun - of the testimony establishing the Messiahship and the divinity of Jesus.

-Levites: "leuitēs", "Λευίτης"; proper masculine noun - in a narrower sense those were called Levites (Hebrew לֵוִי בְּנֵי, לְוִיִּים) who, not being of the race of Aaron for whom alone the priesthood was reserved, served as assistants of the priests. It was their duty to keep the sacred utensils and the temple clean, to provide the sacred loaves, to open and shut the gates of the temple, to sing sacred hymns in the temple, and do many other things.

-Christ: "Christos", "Χριστός"; adjective - Christ = Anointed; of the Messiah; the Son of God.

-Prophet: "prophētēs", "προφήτης"; masculine noun - That illustrious prophet whom the Jews (apparently on the ground of Deuteronomy 18:15) expected to arise just before the Messiah's advent.

-Of One Crying Out: "boaō", "βοάω"; verb - speak with a high, strong voice.

-Make Straight: "euthynō", "εὐθύνω"; adverb - to make straight, level, plain.

The Way: "hodos", "ὁδός"; feminine noun - to remove the hindrances to the journey.

Observation/Summary(short explanation of what the passage says in your own words):

This passage begins to reveal the testimony of John the Baptist (JB) as seen through his answers to the questions asked of him by the representatives sent from the ruling, religious Jewish leaders. He first declared that he was not the Christ. They then asked if he was "Elijah," or the "Prophet," to which he also replied "no." He instead identified himself as "the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,'".

Implication (what does this mean to us):

Here, John the apostle continues to share the public testimony of John the Baptist (JB) that he mentioned in verses 7-8 and began to share in verse 15. From verse 15 we know JB had been declaring the coming of One who ranked before him, because He "was before" him. This had evidently caused quite a stir because the Jewish leaders sent representatives from Jerusalem to inquire more into JB's identity and message. While John, JB, Jesus and many others were also Jews, "the Jews" in the gospels usually refers to the ruling religious class in Israel, and not to the people of Israel as a whole.

These representatives of the ruling class came to question John and his first response makes it clear he is not the "Christ." "Christ" is not a name, it is a title. "Jesus Christ" as we know Him, can also be referred to as "Jesus the Christ." Christ means "anointed", and it is the title given to the Messiah who God promised He would send to save His people. Jesus the Christ, is the one and only Messiah, the one and only Son of God. In fulfilling his role as a witness about the Christ, JB made it abundantly clear he was not himself the Christ. JB set an example for all of us to follow in making little of ourselves, but much of Jesus. We, like JB, should make it a goal of our life to direct people's attention to the one and only Christ, the Lord Jesus. It was also very important for the apostle John to make it clear in this gospel account that JB was not the Christ and he never considered himself to be. As late as 250 A.D., based on the "Clementine Recognitions," we know there were still people following JB's teachings, but not completely, as they believed and taught that JB was himself the Christ.

With his clear denial of Messiahship, the Jewish leader's representatives asked if JB was either Elijah or the "Prophet," to which he also replied no. They asked if he was Elijah, because from Malachi 4:5-6, the Jews believed Elijah would come again to herald the coming of the Messiah. JB was the fulfillment of that prophecy, but not as the Jews understood it. God did not literally send the man Elijah again. Rather, he sent a "type" of Elijah. This is confirmed by Jesus in Matthew 11:13-14 and Mark 9:11-13 where Jesus does not say that JB literally was Elijah, but instead that he came and ministered in the same role. JB was the one God sent in a very similar manner to Elijah to fulfill prophecy and declare the coming of the promised Messiah.

JB also denied that he was the "Prophet." From Deuteronomy 18:15-19 the Jewish people expected a great prophet to come and either herald the coming of the Messiah, or who would himself be the Messiah. JB tells them he is not the "Prophet" either. Finally, having heard no to all of their questions, they ask him plainly who he is, and implore him to do so by telling him their superiors who sent them would be expecting an answer. To answer their question as to his identity and purpose, JB quotes Isaiah 40:3 saying, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,'." This was a clear explanation of his work. JB was not the Christ. He was sent to prepare the way for the Christ. JB preached to the people and told them to confess their sin and repent because the Messiah, the King, was coming. He was essentially calling the people to get it together, stop taking sin lightly, and prepare for the coming of their long ago prophesied King. Every question of the Jews pertained to JB's identity, but with every inquiry he gave no answer, and when he did answer, his answer shined the spotlight on Jesus instead of himself. This was JB's purpose most of all, to call attention to Jesus the Christ.

Application (How does this change how I think, act and pray?):

This passage should cause us to think about how we represent Jesus to the world. We must, like John the Baptist, take every opportunity to point people to Jesus, the one and only Christ. We must live and speak in such a way that Jesus Christ is magnified and we are minimized. Or as John the Baptist put it in John 3:30, "He must increase, but I must decrease." Most of all we should go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to make Himself known through how we think, speak and act. I pray He would help us to lead lives that make much of Him and not us, as we graciously and boldly proclaim the second coming of the Lord Jesus and free salvation He offers to all.

Self Reflection:

What practical ways can I call attention to Jesus in my own daily conversations with either family, friends or strangers?

Am I willing to be seen as JB was, that is, as a strange outsider, for the sake of bearing witness about Christ?

What parts of my life need to be "made straight" by, in and through the power of Christ?

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