John 1:19–34 shows John the Baptist answering one big question: why should anyone believe that Jesus is the Messiah? In this episode, we look at how John’s clear testimony, both about who he is not and who Jesus is, gives solid reasons to trust that Jesus really is God’s chosen king and the Lamb of God who takes away sin. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How John’s Gospel skips John the Baptist’s backstory and focuses almost entirely on his testimony about Jesus.
• The background to Jewish baptism, why it was normally for Gentile converts, and why John’s baptism of Jews created such a stir.
• The delegation from Jerusalem that presses John with big questions and how his strong, repeated “I am not” answers make his role crystal clear.
• What it means for John to call himself “the voice crying in the wilderness” from Isaiah 40 and how that picture of preparing a highway for the king helps us understand his mission.
• Why John insists that he is not even worthy to untie the Messiah’s sandals and how that humility points everyone’s attention away from himself and toward Jesus.
• The rich Old Testament background behind the title “Lamb of God,” including Passover, Isaiah’s suffering servant, and the idea of a substitute sacrifice.
• How God gave John a specific sign to recognize the Messiah and what it meant when John saw the Spirit descend and remain on Jesus.
• The way John’s water baptism points ahead to Jesus’ greater baptism with the Holy Spirit and how that introduces a major theme in this Gospel.
• Why titles like “Lamb of God” and “Son of God” in this passage are first and foremost messianic titles that highlight Jesus as God’s promised king.
• How this scene fits John’s larger theme that we come to faith through trustworthy testimony about what eyewitnesses have seen and heard.

By the end of this episode, you will better understand why John the Baptist was so certain about Jesus and why his testimony still matters for your faith today. You will see more clearly how God prepared the way for the Messiah, how Jesus came to deal with sin as God’s Lamb, and how you can rest with greater confidence in the eyewitness reports that invite you to believe that Jesus is the Christ.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold.