John the Baptist…Essen?
Series: One Off
Speaker: Joshua Lewis - Guest Speaker, Lead Pastor of King’s Fellowship OK & Founder/Co-Host of the Remnant Radio
Scripture: John 1:19-34
And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
#1 Deflecting the Glory (v19-23)
John The Baptist Likely Connection To The Essenes: To understand the context of John 1:19–23, it’s essential to recognize the religious background that shaped John the Baptist. Many scholars believe John was closely associated with—or at least influenced by—a Jewish sect known as the Essenes. You might’ve heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls—those ancient texts were preserved by the Essenes, a separatist group of Levitical priests who lived in the Judean wilderness and believed that Israel’s priesthood had become corrupt.
History Of The Essenes: The Essenes were Levites, specifically from the priestly line of Zadok—the same line that remained loyal to King David during Absalom’s rebellion and later served in Solomon’s temple. Even after the Babylonian exile, the Zadokites returned to serve as temple priests. Joshua the high priest in the book of Zechariah is even called the son of Jehozadak, showing his Zadokite heritage. However, during the Maccabean Revolt in 152 BCE, the Hasmonean family—also Levites, but not Zadokites—seized both kingly and priestly authority. The Essenes saw this as an illegitimate priesthood and withdrew from temple life, retreating into the desert as a kind of protest movement, becoming what we might call the “desert fathers” of Judaism.
Beliefs and Practices Of The Essenes: This sect lived radically. The Essenes rejected wealth, romance, and comfort. They were a celibate, male-only community that shared everything in common, wore simple clothes, abstained from alcohol, and took vows of poverty. They believed they were the true remnant of Israel, preparing the way for the coming of the Lord.
One of their most striking features was their expectation of prophetic revelation. In fact, the Dead Sea Scrolls contain texts that speak of a coming Messiah with language that echoes Isaiah and Jesus’ own ministry. One fragment known as The Messianic Apocalypse (4Q521) describes a Messiah who sets captives free, gives sight to the blind, revives the dead, and preaches good news to the poor—language that Jesus uses in Luke 4. These prophecies were written over a century before Christ’s birth. Even the Jewish historian Josephus notes that the Essenes frequently made accurate predictions about the future.
Their daily practices also bear striking similarity to John the Baptist: they lived in the wilderness near the Jordan River, survived off the land, and practiced ritual baptism for the repentance of sins. One of their foundational documents, the Community Rule scroll (1QS), even cites Isaiah 40:3 as their mission statement: “Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a path for our God.” That’s the exact verse John quotes in John 1:23.
John Quizzed By The Levites: In John 1:29 and following, we learn that the delegation questioning John the Baptist was sent by the Pharisees. These were not neutral inquirers. They were Levites, from the Hasmonean line—descendants of the Maccabees—acting on behalf of a Pharisaic establishment wary of John's influence. Here was a man stirring a revival in the wilderness, baptizing multitudes, and doing so without their approval. From their point of view, John came from a marginalized, desert-dwelling sect. So naturally, they begin probing his identity, looking for a reason to discredit him.
Are you The Christ?: Their first question cuts to the core: “Who are you?” (John 1:19). But what they’re really asking is, Does this man think he’s the Messiah? After all, Zechariah 13:1 prophesied, “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.” John was baptizing multitudes for the repentance of sins—was he claiming to be that prophesied fountain?
But with stunning humility, John responds, “I am not the Christ” (John 1:20). The Greek phrase is striking—ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ὁ Χριστός (egō eimi ho Christos)—literally, “I am not the Christ.” John doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t equivocate, and doesn’t steal a shred of glory. He had surrendered everything for his calling, and yet when given the chance to grasp honor, he lets it pass. This is especially significant in light of the two sets of seven “I am” statements made by Jesus. Jesus takes the “I am” statement to claim that he is “YHWH”. And somehow John the Baptist knows the Messiah will be the great “I am”. This is why John says “egō eimi ho Christos”. Using the same “I Am” language of Jesus.
Are you Elijah? When the priests don’t get the answer they’re hoping for, they pivot: “What then? Are you Elijah?” (John 1:21a). This is not a random question. It’s rooted in Malachi 4:5–6, where the Lord says, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” John’s call to repentance, his desert setting, and his prophetic attire all resembled Elijah’s ministry—so it was natural to ask. And yet John replies simply: “I am not.”
This is a perplexing answer, especially because Jesus himself says in Matthew 17:12, “But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased... Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.” So how do we reconcile this? Likely, John either didn’t fully understand his own role in fulfillment of the Elijah typology, or he was so humble he refused to accept a lofty title, even when it fit. He was more committed to the mission than to the mantle.
Are you The Prophet? Still not satisfied, the Levites ask again: “Are you the Prophet?” (John 1:21b). They’re referring here to the figure Moses predicted in Deuteronomy 18:15: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen.” This promised prophet would have unique access to God—like Moses, who spoke with God face to face. John, standing in the Jordan with camel’s hair and a call to repentance, certainly had the marks of a prophet. But once again, John denies it: “No.”
Three titles, three questions, three denials. Messiah? No. Elijah? No. The Prophet? No. It’s a triad of humility, echoing Peter’s later triad of denial, but in reverse—where Peter denies Christ, John denies himself. He chooses not to grasp at greatness, but to make straight the way for the one who is.
The Three Denials Of John & Peter: We often reflect on the end of Jesus’ ministry, where Peter famously denies Him three times in the shadows of trial and fear. Peter’s denial is heartbreaking—“I do not know the man.” But rarely do we notice that at the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, John the Baptist offers his own set of three denials—not of Christ, but of himself. When questioned by the Levites, John refuses the titles of Messiah, Elijah, and the Prophet. Three titles. Three questions. Three denials. Messiah? No. Elijah? No. The Prophet? No. It’s a triad of humility that mirrors Peter’s later failure, but in reverse—where Peter denies Christ, John denies himself.
These two sets of denials function as bookends to Jesus' ministry. At the start, John humbles himself to elevate Christ. At the end, Peter, out of fear, distances himself from Christ. John declares, “I am not,” so that Christ might be seen. Peter says, “I do not know him,” and in doing so, distances himself from the Savior he once confessed.
This contrast is not just narrative poetry—it’s pastoral wisdom. I’ve seen it time and again: gifted, godly men and women crushed by the disappointment and disillusionment of ministry. They tap out like Peter, denying Christ with their silence or compromise. On the other hand, some rise in influence and begin to believe their own press. Revival breaks out, crowds gather, and like John could have done, they take the glory that belongs to Christ alone. But John doesn’t bite the bait. His humility protects him. He doesn’t just step aside; he makes straight the way of the Lord. This is the kind of humility that preserves integrity in ministry—denying self, not Christ, when the pressure comes.
#2 Directing To The Greater (v24-28)
John 1:24-28 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
John Points To The Bridegroom: In this next section of John’s testimony, we see not only a refusal to grasp at glory but a deliberate redirection of it. John doesn’t merely deny that he is the Christ—he proclaims that the Christ is coming, and with Him comes something far greater: a baptism not with water, but with the Holy Spirit and with power. John is not the endpoint—he’s the forerunner, the pointer. He deflects attention from himself and declares the arrival of one infinitely greater.
An Old Look At Sandals: He says, “I am not worthy to untie the strap of His sandal” (John 1:27). That phrase has echoed through Christian circles for generations, as I revisited it through the writings of Ambrose and Gregory the Great, its meaning hit me with a new weight. Both church fathers draw a connection between this line and an unexpected Old Testament passage—Deuteronomy 25.
In Deuteronomy 25:5–10, we find the law of levirate marriage—a provision that required a man to marry his deceased brother’s widow to preserve the family name. If the man refused, the woman was to publicly remove his sandal and spit in his face as a sign of his rejection to redeem her. That may seem disconnected—until we remember the story of Ruth.
In Ruth 4:4–5, Boaz approaches the closer kinsman-redeemer and offers him the chance to marry Ruth. The man declines, and in front of the elders of the town, he removes his sandal and gives it to Boaz. That act declared Boaz as the rightful redeemer—the true bridegroom. The sandal became a symbol of marital right and redemptive responsibility.
Now read John’s statement again: “I am not worthy to untie His sandal.” John is saying, in essence, “I’m not the bridegroom. I’m not the redeemer. I’m not the one with the right to take the bride.” He steps aside, declaring that Jesus alone holds that role. Jesus is the greater Boaz—the true kinsman-redeemer who has come to take the Church as His bride.
Those Who Took Off Their Sandals: Ambrose then makes a further connection: Moses and Joshua were both commanded to remove their sandals in the presence of the Lord (Exodus 3:5; Joshua 5:15). Why? Because even they, as great leaders and servants of God, were not the Redeemer. The ground they stood on belonged to another. And so it is with John—he removes himself from the scene in deference to the only one truly worthy.
#3 Declaring the Christ
John 1:29-34 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
John Knows The Messiah Is God: John the Baptist seems to understand far more than a typical prophet. In John 1:30 he declares, “He ranks before me, because He was before me.” That can’t refer to natural birth—John was born first, and as Jesus’ cousin, he would’ve known that. Instead, John is confessing something profound: that Jesus existed before him in a divine, eternal sense. This aligns with his earlier humility: “I am (egō eimi) not the Christ,” and later in verse 34, when he calls Jesus “the Son of God.”
That title wasn’t just honorary. In both John 5:18 and John 10:36–38, Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God nearly gets Him stoned. His hearers rightly understood that calling God His Father was a claim to equality with God. And John the Baptist, at the very beginning of Christ’s ministry, sees it.
John Knows The Messiah Is The Suffering Servant: John also identifies Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), evoking Isaiah 53’s Suffering Servant. He may not have fully foreseen the cross, but he knew Jesus was a sacrifice—an atoning Lamb. And when John testifies that the Spirit descended and remained on Jesus (v. 33), he affirms Jesus as the Christ—the Anointed One. “Christ” isn’t a surname; it’s a title that means “Messiah,” the one anointed with the Holy Spirit.
John Did Not Percieve His Cousin Was The Messiah: But then comes the strange line: “I did not know Him” (v. 33). Of course John knew Jesus as a relative—but the Greek also allows the translation “I did not recognize Him.” The identity of Jesus as Messiah was hidden from John until the Spirit descended and revealed it.