Thoughts on the Gospel of John (9) - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2024

And they asked him saying, Why then do you baptise, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet? John answered them saying, I baptise with water, but there stands one among you whom you do not know. It is he who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptising.
John 1:25-28

Thoughts on the Gospel of John (9)
The priests and Levites sent by the Pharisees asked John who he was. None of their assumptions proved true: he was neither the promised Messiah Himself, nor Elijah, who, according to Malachi was to appear "before the coming of the day of the LORD" (Malachi 4:5). , nor even the prophet of whom God told Moses: "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren" (Deuteronomy 18:18). Who then had authorised John to baptise?

Aren't we familiar with such a dispute? Today questions are often asked regarding baptism. And the questioners run the same danger as then: religious rites are considered important, but Jesus Christ is left out.

John sees that the priorities are put right: the water of baptism is a mere outward sign. That applied to his baptism of repentance and also to so-called christening today. What is decisive is what Jesus Christ means to us personally. For John He was the Son of God, deserving of all honour. In view of Christ's glorious greatness he felt unworthy of the slightest service for Him, like undoing the strap of His sandals.

This all happened well away from the religious centre of the time. Until the present day Jesus is seeking everywhere those hearts prepared to receive Him.

(to be continued next Sunday)


Today's reading: Judges 14:1-13 · 2 Corinthians 12:11-15