John 1:21-23

John 1:21-23

They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

He answered, “No.”

Finally, they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

               These verses leave off where we were with the last verse—asking John who he is. The inquiry continues with the priests and Levites asking John specifically who he is and guess at the same time. These guesses can tell us the mindset of the day, how the religious leaders were looking for something specific they could attribute to Old Testament prophecy or new revelation, but the way they ask the question is not to get understanding. Instead, they attempt to label John the Baptist. They want to be able to say he claims to be such and such so they can use that against him later. This is a microcosm of what happens to Jesus later in the gospel. We will see how Jesus does not come out right away and reveal He is God to everyone. Only over time does He get to the point where all of His true nature is revealed which results in His death.

               We also see in this passage the real reason that the priests and Levites are questioning him like this, it is not because they want to know what he has to say but so they can report back to their bosses who sent them. They are not true seekers but those who are just trying to check a box so they can get their job done. John the Baptist senses their underhanded motivation and this is why he answers the way he does. He gives them short answers and denies being the new Elijah or a prophet because they are not truly seeking what he has to say but looking for ways to put him in a box. John probably knows this because he has dealt with these same kinds of people before—this is not the first time that they have come to him.

               Then, we see that once he has deflected their dishonest inquires, they ask him the question “what do you say about yourself?” which is still not the correct question because John the Baptist has never been speaking about himself but about Jesus who will come after him, the Messiah and savior. It is interesting how the author John makes a point to show how John the Baptist quoted from Isaiah, showing that John the Baptist revealed who he was through the use of the Old Testament. His answer of “a voice crying in the wilderness with the message make straight the way of the Lord” reveals only enough that they can comprehend if they really want to. John the Baptist is not going to play into their game of their religion and understanding who he is through that little lens. Instead he is trying to expand their understanding to a new way of thinking which is to come through Jesus.

               We might have difficulties ourselves when it comes to understanding what position God wants for us in our lives. We are, in essence, just like John, though. This is a reminder that as Christians we are all voices crying out in the wilderness to make straight the way that God will work next in the world. We must be prepared to be that voice for him as we read our Bibles daily and devout ourselves to prayer. We also come together to help each other because, unlike John the Baptist, we have each other to lean on and to grow together through prayer and confession.

               If you are not a Christian, listen to those who have already come into your life who have been that voice crying in the wilderness. Do not close your heart to bitterness and apathy but open yourself up to a new way of being. God is calling you today through His messengers on this earth. These messengers are not perfect people—even less so than John the Baptist—but they are people who still hold the truth that Jesus is the Lord of all and that He is calling you to follow after Him.