The next passage we're going to look at, John 1:19-28, is to alert us that Jesus didn't come to be part of the religious status quo. Jesus came to interrupt, in fact, to replace the religious status quo. Let me read:
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?" And 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."
So, these religious leaders are sent to John the Baptist because they're wondering why he is preaching what he is preaching, and what he's doing what he's doing. It's totally outside of the religious establishment, and they said, "If you're baptizing people, you've got to be either the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet." And John says, "I'm not any one of these."
In these verses, John is letting us know that the opposition to the identity of Jesus goes way back to the very beginning of his ministry, back to the ministry of John the Baptist. And that opposition to the identity and ministry of Jesus actually continues today. It starts with questions about who John the Baptist is and by what authority he's preaching. So, this delegation is sent out from Jerusalem. Their questions are meant to challenge John the Baptist's authority, message, and mission.
So, what John the Baptist does is very smart. He refers to the Old Testament, the religious book that these guys say they believe, and he says, "My ministry was prophesied by Isaiah. I am the voice crying in the wilderness. I am the one sent to prepare the way for the Lord, the promised Messiah." But these leaders are not done. They keep questioning John. And so John's answer is not to point to himself, but to point to Jesus. And he says, "What you guys don't realize is that the Messiah, the promised Messiah, is in your midst and you don't even recognize him!"
So, what's the purpose of this passage? Here's the first thing. It's to assure you, to remind you, to reinforce that everything that is happening in the early ministry of Jesus is according to Old Testament prophecy. He is who he says he is. God is being faithful to his promises. The work of redemption marches on.
Second, Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be despised and rejected. And we are beginning to see that happen. First, in the rejection of the ministry of John the Baptist, and then in the lack of recognition of the religious leaders of that day of who Jesus was. You see, what this passage teaches us, which is very important for us today, is there's absolutely no neutrality when it comes to Jesus. You accept him for who he is and surrender your life to him. Or sadly, you reject him and you walk away. There is simply no middle ground! And I would ask you, "Have you accepted who Jesus is, and having accepted that, have you surrendered your life to him?"
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
1. How does the ministry of John the Baptist help you to love and cherish the person of Jesus Christ more fully?
2. Why might it be reassuring to you that everything happening in the early ministry of Jesus is according to Old Testament prophecy? If God is who he says he is, and faithful to his promise of redemption through Christ, how does that influence your perception of how he is working in your life today? Why can you trust him even when you can't understand the circumstances of your life?
3. Why can't there be any neutrality when it comes to Jesus? In what ways have you been neutral in your approach to Jesus in the past? How might you be approaching Jesus neutrally right now?
4. In what ways are you refusing to accept Jesus for who he really is? Have you fully surrendered your life to him? If not, what is holding you back from fully surrendering to him? Why is there no such thing as a middle ground approach to Christ?
Conversation Prompts to Use with Children
For Younger Children:
• If God is good and deserving of our trust and loyalty, why do you think it's so hard for us to believe he is always good and trustworthy? How have you struggled with that before? Can I share with you how I've struggled with that before?
• Let's pause and pray for God to give us the power to trust him with every part of our lives, even when things don't seem to make much sense.
For Older Children:
• If God is good and worthy of our trust and devotion, why do you think it's so difficult for us to believe that he's continually good and trustworthy? In what ways have you struggled with believing that God is good and trustworthy? If Jesus were standing in front of you, do you think it would be harder or easier for you to admit how you're feeling? Why?
• Can I share with you how I've struggled in the past with believing the best in God?
• How can we keep each other accountable in this area by honestly sharing where we're at in relation to this? How can we be praying for one another to continually surrender our lives over to Jesus?
You have permission to print, repost, share, distribute, and translate this resource as long as you credit Paul Tripp as the teacher, do not charge for this resource, and do not alter the content in any way. If you require an exception or special permission, please email Info@PaulTripp.com.
