As we dive into the depths of the Gospel of John, we are faced with a sharp question. One that’s designed to cut us to the core and reveal who we are.
Today is Day Two of our Lent reading of Beloved: 40 Days in the Gospel of John. It’s not too late to dive into John with us. You can grab the eBook/PDF download, here.
I invoked the Color Method again and one question echoed in the passage and my heart.
Three words.
Who. Are. You.
A lifetime of discovering the depths of the answer.
The priests and Levites ask John, “Who are you?”
Still confused, they press again. Different words, same question. And again. Still baffled they echo, “Who are you?”
Don’t be tricked by the simplicity of the question.
The potency reminds me of Genesis 3:9. After consuming a forbidden afternoon snack, God asks, “Where are you?” Endless layers packed into the inquiry.
Who are you?
John, the one sent by God, the one who bears witness, responds to the Jewish leadership in the negative.
John tells them who he is not.
This is an emphatic negation. A hard no. Yet the counter response sets the stage not just to reveal John’s identity, but Jesus’s identity.
John is not the Christ.
John is not Elijah.
John is not the prophet.
Then John shifts to reveal himself as “the voice of one crying in the wilderness” (Isaiah 40:3).
John introduces himself as one proclaiming a new exodus. God is about to free his people from captivity like in the days of Moses.*
The answer confounds the religious leaders more. In ancient times, different types of baptism were practiced, most notably used to mark the moment a Gentile decided to convert to Judaism. But John is baptizing fellow Jews.
Yet John uses the inquiry regarding baptism to illuminate Christ. John the Baptist says he is unworthy to untie Jesus’ sandals—a menial task. The response reveals the greatness of Christ.
When John sees Christ, he proclaims “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
This is not just any lamb, but the Ultimate Lamb. In upcoming readings, we will discover the layers of meaning in John’s declaration. Jesus is the epic fulfillment of the yearly Passover lamb who will take away sin through a brutal, sacrificial, substitutionary death.**
I’m still wonderstruck by John’s answer to the question, “Who are you?”
John didn’t just know who he was but whose he was.
These elements were intimately intertwined.
This has been an ongoing prayer of mine. God, show me who I am and whose I am.
Often when I speak, I’ll start by taking off my shoes. My bare feet make me feel like myself.
Vulnerable. Real. Free.
For years, I struggled with a paralyzing fear of public speaking. I felt like I was going to throw up for 2-3 days before a presentation and then 2-3 days after.
But one day, I remember felt the Holy Spirit whisper:
“I’m calling you to this: you be you and you be mine.”
Those words became a sacred echo and lodged me free from the paralyzing fear.
I still get scared sometimes. But nothing like before.
To be wholly ourselves and wholly God’s is a holy invitation that will undo you and set us free.
Because we no longer must try to be something we are not.
Like John, we are free to say, “I am not that and I’m not that and I’m not that and that’s okay.”
Why?
Because I know who I am and whose I am.
Now let me ask you:
What did you least want to read but most need to hear in today’s reading?
(If you have any questions post them below. We’ll be collecting and gathering responses for insight from New Testament scholar, Craig Blomberg in the upcoming weeks).
Day Two: John 1:19-34 Discussion Questions:
In what ways were the Jewish leaders confused by John the Baptist?
How do you answer the question: Who are you?
How do you respond to the question: Who are you not?
List 3 adjectives you’d used to describe John the Baptist based on this passage.
What do you find most challenging about today’s reading? What do you find most comforting about today’s reading?
*Keener. C. S. BBC (IVPNTC: Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity, 1993) p. 266.
**Kostenberger, Andreas. John (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002) pp. 14-17.
Psst… I’ll be popping on Facebook Live from time to time during this Lenten Journey. Follow along, here.
Recommended Resources:
- Beloved: 40 Days in the Gospel of John
- The Gospel According to John by D. A. Carson
- John by Andreas J. Kostenberger
Day 1 | John 1:1-18 | Ash Wednesday: Your Invitation to Discover the Beloved
Day 2 | John 1:19-34 | This One Question Will Leave You Undone
Day 3 | John 1: 35-51 | What to Tell Your Children Before It’s Too Late
Day 4 | John 2:1-12 | The Shocking Miracle of Water Becoming Wine
Day 7 | John 3:22-36 | There’s a Hidden Slip N’ Slide in the Bible — I Found It!
Day 9 | John 5:1-17 | How to Overcome Jealousy
Day 12 | John 6:15-35 | What to Do When You Doubt God
Day 14 | John 7:1-39 | What’s the Difference Between Dead and Living Water?
Day 16 | John 8:1-1 | You Stumped Me… Again
Day 17 | John 8:12-59 | 7 Surprises in the Gospel of John
Day 18 | John 9 | What does spiritual blindness really cost you
Day 22 | John 12:1-11 | What’s Your Signature Spiritual Scent?
Day 23 | John 12:12-50 | Here is a Method That is Helping Me Relinquish Control
Day 25 | John 15:1-11 | What Does a Vinter See in John 15?
Day 29 | John 16:1-15 | Little Known Ways to Be of Good Cheer
Day 31 | John 17 | The Truth About Soul Talk
Day 33 | John 18:12-40 | Was it Judas or Satan Working through Judas?
Day 35 | John 19:16-30 | What’s a Woman’s Role?
Day 39 | John 21:1-14 | Why is the Weight of the Wait So Heavy on Good Friday?
Day 40 | John 21:15-25 | The Most Powerful Lesson I Learned During Lent
I’m confused why John says, in the next to last paragraph, “I did not know Him.” Is he referring to the Spirit, or to Jesus, the Man? They’re cousins, are they not?
I had an idea of what this was referencing but went to the Amplified version on biblegateway.com to check:
John 1:30-34 Amplified Bible (AMP)
30 This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I and has priority over me, for He existed before me.’ 31 [a]I did not recognize Him [as the Messiah]; but I came baptizing [b]in water so that He would be [publicly] revealed to Israel.” 32 John gave [further] evidence [testifying officially for the record, with validity and relevance], saying, “I have seen the [c]Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not recognize Him [as the Messiah], but He who sent me to baptize [d]in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this One is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I myself have [actually] seen [that happen], and my testimony is that this is the Son of God!”
Footnotes:
John 1:31 John the Baptist and Jesus were related through their mothers, Elizabeth and Mary, but He was unknown as the Messiah until God revealed it to John at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.
John 1:31 The Greek here can be translated in, with or by.
John 1:32 The descent of the Holy Spirit identified Jesus in His humanity for His ministry as the Messiah.
John 1:33 The Greek here can be translated in, with or by.
They knew each other because they are related. It wasn’t until Jesus baptism, when the dove rested on Him, that John realized Jesus, his cousin, was the Messiah. Imagine the surprise of this knowledge! That’s what he meant when he said ” I did not know it was him”
I love this question, Arlene. I have some ideas as to why John said this, BUT I’m going to add this to the questions that our resident Bible scholar, Dr. Craig Blomberg will answer. Cannot wait to hear his insights!
Thank you, Margaret!
Observation: Doesn’t Pontius Pilate ask Jesus “who are you?” And Jesus asks his disciples “Who do you say that I am?”
The questions repeats itself throughout the New Testament – guess it’s an important one to ponder!
WOW. What a powerful observation. Great catch, Arlene. I’m going to keep my eyes wide open to this one as we keep reading!
I am so enjoying this, Margaret!
Margaret i enjoyed learning from you how the Holy Spirit works and talks through you about speaking. I believe you said it was like a sacred echo hearing the Holy Spirit. That touched my heart and gives me courage to continue possibly Christian speaking when called upon. I have retired from local ministry but still called very occasionally to speak and as time goes on I am beginning to lose my confidence in public speaking. You taught me a special tool / Holy Spirit can help if I just reach out and touch. Thank you! What a blessed ministry you have. God is touching you in very special ways.
Thank you for the encouragement, Nancy! Praying God continues to use you to touch others! Hugs!
To the question, Who are you?, I have an unusual answer as a woman,
I am Karen son of God. God made me His and accepted me as His child. That is who I am.
Love that you identify as His child! Hugs!
Who am I? I am God’s beloved. There is no other way of describing the person that is me.
Who am i not? I am not perfect, I am not as faithful as I ought to be sometimes but that does not mean that I have to embrace an identity that the world gives me.
I can only imagine what it must have been like for John to come to terms with his destiny. He would baptise with water but there was One coming who would be more awesome than him, He would baptise with the Holy Spirit. It may not be a great example but it’s like owning a really cool gadget then the following year it’s not so cool because there is a new one available, with even greater features. John would have baptised with water knowing full well that when Jesus came along, baptism by water would be “outdated”and so he, John, would become less and less. Some would probably forget him after encountering Jesus and being awed by Him. To be content with the work of preparing the path for someone else to shine. Such humility. I want me some of this.
Great observation, Sam! We can sometimes forget human nature when reading the Bible. You really put yourself in there, though! Thanks for sharing!
Who am I? I am redeemed. I am loved. I am saved by grace.
Who am I not? I am not insignificant. I am not unknown.
Being able to say those words does not come easy. A while ago I did a study, and I realized that everything I thought about myself was negative, but everything I knew about God was good. This past year has taught me that God truly does care about me. He is with me always.
Three adjectives to describe John:
Brave. I’m guessing the Pharisees had an intimidating persona. John didn’t mumble nonsense in response to their questions as I probably would have done.
Wise. He knew that Jesus was before him, although Jesus came after him.
Confident. John was willing to testify about what he saw.
Similar to yesterday’s reading, today there was mention that Jesus was not known. This time however, it wasn’t the darkness that couldn’t comprehend the light, but instead the Pharisees and John himself who didn’t know who Jesus was.
My prayer after today’s reading is first for God to open my eyes to that which I don’t know, and to give me the confidence so that I am able to testify to what I’ve witnessed.
I love that you are recognizing that God truly does care for you, Cyndi. Warms my heart! Also, great reflections. Thank you for sharing. Hugs!
I love this question. Who.are.you?
It’s what our culture throws at us all day long… but WAIT! ACTUALLY our culture is constantly trying to TELL us who we are!
Yah…. as I think about it there’s this weird, “discover who you are! Self-dscovery!” thing we hear, yet ever being pushed into a box of what is expected, valued, admired or p.c.
John was NOT politically correct!
And yet he had a following. Again- we see that people want their expectations met in others – but they LOVE a confident “I am who I’m supposed to be” person who doesn’t fit in the box.
I also love that john starts by clearly saying who he is NOT.
He’s not the one they think. Or want. or expect.
He knows his calling. To testify. Point to Jesus. Speak out. Call to righteousness.
I’m asking myself… who am I and what am I called to do, that points to Jesus. Testifies of His love. Calls others to turn to the source of righteousness. ??
Love this approach to looking at John, Margaret… thank you for being who He called YOU to be! You inspire me!
Wonderful thoughts, Robin! Praying you grow in who you are as you explore more of John and draw closer to Him. Hugs!
Looking Forward to reading more about these wonderful insights. Thank you Margaret
Thank you for joining us, Melissa!
I don’t know why but for some reason I seem to be fascinated by the fact that the Levites were part of the group that came to question John. The Levites are the same tribe that when the children of Israel had convinced Aaron to make them a golden calf, were seemingly the only tribe within Israel that had not defiled themselves. When Moses had stood at the gate of the camp and asked who stood on the side of God, the Levites were the only tribe that answered the call. But here, they are questioning the one person who came as a witness to God revealed in the flesh. Why am I not struck by the inclusion of the priests in this group? not sure but I sure am fascinated by the Levites.
Also, when they asked John who he was and they asked him if he was Elijah, and he responded in the negative, they then proceeded to ask him if he was THE prophet, which prophet are they possibly referring to? The question is so specific, if it were not, they would have asked him if he was A prophet. Who is the prophet they were referring to?
I love how you are wrestling with this, Sam! I’ve added your questions to our list for Dr. Blomberg. Can’t wait to hear his response!
Thanks Margaret,
What a blessing to see and to read all that has been written.
Thank you once again and may God bless you and continue revealing himself to you and to those around you specially those who are following this lent studies.
Iam blessing by the way I came in contact with your ministry. I am a few days behind but I am still being blessed.
Thanks everyone brothers and sisters for your commentary
Thank you for joining us, Cristovao! Happy to have you join us!