#DailyDevotion The Old Testament Comes To Life In John

John 1:19–28

¹⁹When the Jews in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to John to ask him, “Who are you?” this was John’s testimony. ²⁰He confessed and didn’t deny. He confessed: “I’m not the Christ.” ²¹“Who are you, then?” they asked him. “Are you Elijah?” “I am not,” he said. “Are you the Prophet?” “No,” he answered. ²²Then they asked him, “Who are you? We want to bring an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” ²³He said: “I am a voice calling in the wilderness: ‘Make straight the way for the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

Anticipation was running high back in the days of John that the Messiah would soon be coming. It was trying and times. They all had people who had done many of the same calculations from the prophet Daniel as we have today. It would seem it was time for him to make his appearance. There had not been a prophet in Israel for hundreds of years. Then suddenly there was John who was not your typical religious nut case. He seemed to have authority and the people listened to him. So the Jews in Jerusalem (that would be the Jewish leadership in the Gospel of John) sent priest and Levites to find out from John who he said he was.

It is interesting he starts off by confessing who he is not. He is not the Christ, the Messiah. He is not the prophet Elijah returned from heaven (Elijah must first come according to Malachi and Jesus says Elijah did have the spirit of Elijah—not Elijah reincarnated). He is not the Prophet, the fulfillment of Deuteronomy 18.

Well, who was John then? These people needed to bring a message back to the leaders to tell them who John was. Eventually they asked John who did he say he was. He said, “I am a voice calling in the wilderness: ‘Make straight the way for the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” John is quoting from chapter 40 of Isaiah. I find this significant. Chapter 40 of Isaiah is sometimes called Second Isaiah by unbelieving biblical scholars thinking someone else wrote the rest of Isaiah from chapter 40 forward. They think this because the tone of this half of Isaiah is so different from the first thirty-nine chapters which are mostly gloom and doom. This half of Isaiah is so gospelly it sometimes is referred to the New Testament in the Old Testament. Many of the prophesies concerning Jesus are found in this section of Isaiah. The opening words of chapter 40 are, “Comfort My people, comfort them.”

John claims to be the voice in verse 3. This voice prepares the way for the King, the LORD, the God of Israel to return to his people. Now this King, who is the LORD and the God of Israel has come. John did his job. This would be Jesus as the charge above his head said, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” The Church now fills John’s spot as we await Jesus’ return. We call out to the world to prepare for the second coming of Jesus in glory. Our message is the same. Turn from your sins, repair the damage of your past, and turn to Jesus for your salvation. Jesus is our comfort. He is the one who won for us salvation from the coming wrath. He speaks peace to our hearts that are wracked with guilt and shame. Trust in him and we will have nothing to fear when we appear before the Father’s judgment throne for his blood has covered our sins and washed us clean from them in the waters of baptism. He is returning to rule his people in glory and honor and share that glory with them.

Heavenly Father, John the Baptist to prepared the way for Christ’s first advent. Continually through his Church prepare us now for his second advent. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.