NL 417: A Voice in the Wilderness

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John 1:19-34

December 26, 2021

John 1:19-34

Initial Thoughts

  • A very different John the Baptist than the synoptics - can be easy to think - “Oh, I know this from RCL Advent.” This is John the witness, not John the baptizer

Bible Study

  • Questioning of John

    • In contrast to Jesus’ later revelations - “I am” the bread of life, resurrection, way, truth, and life, etc, John repeated says, I am NOT

    • John is NOT the I AM

    • “There is and only can be one Messiah, one “I AM”, and one God.” Karoline Lewis, John, p.27

  • Baptism of Jesus

    • Read it carefully - there is no baptism - John the witness, not John the baptist

    • John simply testifies to who Jesus is and what he witnessed, but there is no baptismal moment

      • Removes the synoptic problem of why John baptized Jesus.

    • Jesus as the “Lamb of God who takes away the Sin of the World” and “Son of John”

    • Unlike Matthew and Luke- John did not know Jesus until after he was baptized

      • Why was Jesus baptized? To be revealed to John

      • Jesus as the Son of God according to John

    • In John, JBap’s whole purpose was to help reveal Jesus. In Synoptics it was to “preach repentance” and “prepare the way.” 

  • The Lamb of God

    • John declares this twice

    • Follow up to John 1:18- no one has seen God, but here they can see and hear and touch the Lamb of God

    • Gospel of John setting up Jesus as the universal passover lamb

      • Crucifixion takes place on passover (not the day after like Matthew, Mark and Luke)

      • Just as the lamb is sacrificed to save the Israelites from the angel of death - so Jesus is the lamb sacrifices to save humanity from death.

    • Jesus is not the conquering king but the self-emptying sacrifice. Jesus is the embodiment and incarnation of God’s vulnerability

    • The Lamb is usually interpreted to be the passover Lamb (In John Jesus dies when the Passover lamb would have been killed, but while Passover and the Lamb of passover have clear salvation implications, there is no reference in Exodus to the removal of sin). Jim Brownson

      • Clear connection to Exodus - just as the firstborn of the Egyptians were killed in the final plague which would result in the freedom of the Israelites, now the firstborn of God will be killed to free us from sin.

      • Passover signified protection, lineage, deliverance, and God’s promise of relationship. God’s covenant with Abraham is reworked in this Gospel’s most famous verse, “for God so loved the world” (3:16). Lewis, p.28

    • Sin

      • Not a lawful or moral designation but an synonym for not being in right relationship with God - therefore the Lamb of God removed anything which would get in the way of our full and open relationship with God

    • Interpretations (from wikipedia- sorry):

      • 375 Saint Augustine wrote: "Why a lamb in his passion? Because he underwent death without being guilty of any iniquity. Why a lion in his passion? Because in being slain, he slew death. Why a lamb in his resurrection? Because his innocence is everlasting. Why a lion in his resurrection? Because everlasting also is his might."[17]

      • The 11th century Christology of Saint Anselm of Canterbury specifically disassociates Lamb of God from the Old Testament concept of a scapegoat which is subjected to punishment for the sins of others, without knowing it or willing it. Anselm emphasized that as Lamb of God, Jesus chose to suffer in Calvary as a sign of his full obedience to the will of the Father.[2]

      • John Calvin presented the same Christological view of "The Lamb as the agent of God" by arguing that in his trial before Pilate and while at Herod's Court Jesus could have argued for his innocence, but instead remained mostly quiet and submitted to Crucifixion in obedience to the Father, for he knew his role as the Lamb of God.

      • In modern Eastern Orthodox Christology, Sergei Bulgakov argued that the role of Jesus as the Lamb of God was "pre-eternally" determined by the Father before the creation of the world, as a sign of love by considering the scenario that it would be necessary to send The Son as an agent to redeem humanity disgraced by the fall of Adam.

Thoughts and Questions

  • John’s message is short and simple: Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the World. What is your short and simple message about Jesus? Do you share it?

  • Evangelism is rooted in declaration and invitation: Jesus is the Lamb of God! Come and See! It is not rooted in a condemnation of other religions or fear of hell. Nor it is rooted in vague gimmicky marketing. Simple declaration of belief and invitation to participate in the good news. How do you and/or your congregation practice evangelism?

  • We may ask What would Jesus Do- but perhaps we would be better asking what would John the Baptist do? John is constantly pointing to Jesus and directing others to Jesus

Year 4Eric FistlerJohnComment