John 1:15–28 - 15 John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ ” 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. 19 This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” 24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. 27 “It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
What does today’s passage say?
In this passage, John the Baptist makes clear that even though his ministry started before Jesus', the Savior existed long before John as the eternal Son of God (vv. 15-18). When interrogated by Jewish authorities about his identity, John denies being the Christ or Elijah or the anticipated Prophet. He states he's just a simple messenger getting people ready for the greater One who is coming (vv. 19-23). When they ask him why he is baptizing people, he says he only baptizes outwardly with water in the Jordan river, but that the One they don’t even know is already among them. He says that he is not worthy of even untying sandals for this Coming One (vv. 24-28).
How can I apply John 1:15-28 to my life?
John the Baptist stands as a model witness who lives to point others to Jesus Christ. Although John drew large crowds who wondered if he was the promised Messiah, John's focus remained fixed on exalting the Lamb of God. With utmost humility, John testified about the surpassing greatness of the One who came after him, even though John began his public ministry first. John found his identity and purpose not in position or prestige but in fulfilling his divine calling to prepare the way for Jesus. As those who follow Christ today, believers must emulate John's example of selflessness in shifting all attention to the Savior. Jesus alone is worthy of our wholehearted devotion and ceaseless praise. This passage challenges us to make exalting Christ through word and deed the supreme focus of our lives. As we yield position and ego to magnify the One who rescues souls, we discover genuine meaning and unspeakable joy. Here are some basic principles from this passage that we should apply to our lives:
1. Recognize Jesus as the One Who Makes God Known to Us (vv. 15-18): John the Baptist testified that Jesus existed before him, even though Jesus’ ministry started after his. This highlights Jesus’ eternal divine nature as the Son of God. Even in His humanity, Jesus reveals God’s glory, grace, and truth to the fullest extent. No one has ever made God known like Jesus has. As followers of Christ, we must recognize who He is - the one and only Son of the living God who makes the Father known to us. We know God because Jesus reveals Him. Through faith in Christ, we receive grace and truth that transforms our lives. Let your view of Jesus expand to see Him as far more than a good teacher or prophet. He is God in the flesh - the radiance of the Father’s glory. Make knowing Jesus your greatest priority, because in the way you know Him, you know God. Turn to Him and embrace the grace and truth only He provides. Make His priorities your priorities. Imitate His character and actions by the power of the Spirit. He who sees and knows Jesus sees and knows the Father. Recognize and receive Jesus daily as the one who makes God known to you. Do not settle for a distant, intellectual knowledge about God – know Him intimately through Christ. Depend on the Son to show the Father's attributes. Treasure every moment in Scripture where Jesus radiates God's nature. Let the brightness of God's love, mercy, and power shine from Jesus into the deepest parts of your heart (Matthew 11:27; John 14:9; 2 Corinthians 4:6).
Food for Thought: What areas of my life have yet to fully reflect Jesus as the one who makes God known? What changes do I need to make so that I rely completely on Jesus to reveal God to me?
2. Point Others to Christ (vv. 19-23): When asked by the priests and Levites who he was, John the Baptist did not focus on himself. Instead, he spoke about the One to come after him, saying, "I am a voice crying in the wilderness." In humility he pointed others to Jesus Christ. Applying this, believers have a calling to emulate John by sharing the good news of salvation in Christ with others. We must refuse to put the focus on ourselves or our abilities. We ought to turn conversations to matters of eternal importance. Naturally direct people around us to the Savior who graciously forgives sins and grants eternal life to all who believe. Be willing to let your own reputation or profile dim so that the brilliant glory of Christ may increase through your witness. Tell skeptical coworkers, classmates, neighbors, and even strangers that the Lamb of God has come to take away the sin of the world. All who turn from sin and trust only in His finished work are redeemed. Take risks by boldly pointing seekers to Jesus in everyday conversations - you never know what the Lord may do with even a small gesture of faith. Look for openings to interject a word about Christ’s love and sacrifice. Ask the Spirit to make you sensitive to opportunities to mention the hope found only in the Gospel. Pray that the Lord removes inhibitions that prevent sharing truth with people He puts in your path. Your role is not to argue or debate, but to simply point others to the Savior. Do not expect to convince anyone yourself, rather have confidence that God’s Word does not return void but accomplishes His purposes when spoken in faith (Acts 8:26-38; 1 Corinthians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 4:5).
Food for Thought: How can I humbly shift attention to Christ when I have opportunities to talk about spiritual matters? What fears need to be overcome so that I point more people to salvation in Jesus?
3. Christ Alone Is Worthy (vv. 24-28): John declared that he was not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet, but simply a messenger preparing the way. His joy was not found in position or prestige but in fulfilling his God-given purpose by testifying about Jesus. As those who follow Christ, our deepest sense of purpose and meaning flows from exalting Him with our words and actions. Worldly measures of significance such as popularity, wealth, and acclaim often tempt us, yet pursuing them leads only to emptiness. Jesus alone is worthy of our wholehearted devotion. We must fix our eyes on Him, not seeking the spotlight for ourselves but shining it on the Savior. Make the focus of your conversations point to His grace rather than your achievements. Transfer reliance from personal skills and gifts to the Spirit’s empowerment. Allow yourself to decrease as you lift up the redeeming work of the Lamb of God. Disregard envious thoughts when others are honored, and you are overlooked. Take joy in anonymity when your contributions go unnoticed if it meant that God was glorified. Pride has no place in kingdom service. Give credit to Christ who lives in you. He alone deserves every ounce of glory for any fruit borne through your life. You are not the source but simply a vessel. Abandon self-promotion and self-protection so that the excellence of Jesus beams brightly through a humble, submitted life. Make the conscious choice to yield your agenda to God’s, surrendering right to recognition. As you shift focus from yourself to the Savior, you will discover joy unspeakable and full of glory (Hebrews 12:2; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Philippians 2:3).
Food for Thought: Do I subtly seek attention for ministry contributions God enables me to make? How can I purposefully deflect praise toward Christ? What thoughts reveal pride that distracts from the fame of Jesus?
John the Baptist stands out as an example of what it means to lift up Jesus Christ. Despite drawing large crowds who wondered if John was the Messiah, he remained completely focused on testifying about the Lamb of God. John found his purpose and meaning not in popularity but in fulfilling his God-appointed role - to point people to the Savior. Like John, believers must refuse to put the spotlight on themselves. Whether through conversations, contributions, or career pursuits, true meaning stems from magnifying Christ’s grace. Jesus alone deserves full glory and praise. All that we do should serve the purpose of directing attention to the redemption found in His sacrifice. As we yield position and ego to exalt the One who rescues souls from sin, we discover genuine joy. May our highest goal be to make Jesus known, not seeking personal recognition but selflessly shining the light on Him alone.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
I pray that You would help me to recognize Jesus as the One who fully reveals You and that You would increase my hunger to know You more through seeking Christ daily in Scripture and prayer. Transform my perspective to understand that seeing Jesus is seeing You and give me the grace to depend completely on Him to manifest Your attributes. I pray that You would empower me to point more people to salvation in Christ through spiritual conversations. Make me sensitive to opportunities to mention the hope of the Gospel. Remove fears that prevent me from boldly directing others to place their faith in Jesus’ finished work. I pray that You would produce true humility within me so that I do not subtly seek attention and credit for ministry contributions You enable me to make. Guard my heart against pride and envy. Help me to relinquish all self-promotion so that Jesus alone is magnified through my life. I surrender my agenda to Yours, and I give up any personal rights to recognition I might hold onto so that Your glory shines brightly through me.
I pray these things in the most precious name of Jesus, Amen.
John 1:23 - He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”
With His Blessings,
Pastor Corby
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