v. 25: The Pharisees sum up the first part of their investigation by saying that John the Baptist is neither the Christ of Daniel 9:25 (cf. v. 20b) nor the expected Elijah of Malachi 3:23 (cf. v. 21c) nor the Mosaic prophet of Deuteronomy 18:15, 18 (v. 21e), and they introduce the second part of the judicial inquiry with the question of his authority – for example, Jesus in John 2:18 after His cleansing the Temple in Jerusalem –: “Why then does he baptize?”
vv. 26–2773: He answers them in a negative way (cf. vv. 26c, 27b) again – with the help of a self-confident “I” (vv. 20b, 23a, 26b) – and he testifies the Coming Christ (cf. v. 27a) – “unsaid” Jesus. The special actions of John the Baptist were: to preach and to “baptize”74 (vv. 25b, 26b, 28b, 31c, 33b) (only) with “water”75 (vv. 26b, 31c, 33b – cf. Acts 1:5) from the brook/river Jordan76 in the desert. John’s baptism with water prepared the people to receive Jesus’ ministry in word and deed.
v. 27: Afterwards he describes the role of Jesus with the help of an understatement of himself. He replies in his self-assessment that he is unworthy77 to “untie … the ( ) sandal78 (strap79)” (cf. Mark 1:7; Luke 3:16; Acts 13:25) of the one coming after him – Jesus (cf. vv. 6–8). He wants to say that Jesus, the Christ, would be infinitely greater than he. This was the beginning of the spiritual process, and in this way, Jesus finished and fulfilled all that John had begun and prepared.
v. 28: The Fourth Evangelist had the questioning of John the Baptist by the delegation “from Jerusalem” and his answering (cf. 1 Peter 3:15) in “Bethany”80 – take place not near Jerusalem (cf. John 11:1, 18; 12:1) but – “on the other side of/across the Jordan”81 (v. 28 and 3:26; 10:40).
2.1.2 “Second Day”82: John the Baptist at Sight of Jesus (vv. 29–3483)
- The Setting (v. 29a)
Who: John the Baptist, Jesus, the crowd of “Israel” (v. 31), a dove – symbol for the Holy Spirit (vv. 32–33), God who sent John the Baptist (v. 33)
Where: “Bethany on the other side of the Jordan” (v. 28) near Jericho and Qumran
When: during Jesus’ baptism – note Luke’s remark that Jesus of Nazareth “was about thirty years old when He began His” public “ministry” (3:23)
v. 29: On a new (“next) day” (cf. vv. 29a, 35a, 43a and 6:22; 12:12), when Jesus came to “John the Baptist”84 – a son of the priest Zechariah and Elizabeth (cf. Luke 1:5–25, 57–80) and His cousin (cf. Luke 1:36) –, at the beginning he proclaimed Jesus as “the Lamb of God” (in Latin “Agnus Dei” – cf. Isaiah 53:7) – note verse 36 in the context of the call of His disciples from John’s fellowship – “who takes away the sin of the world”, and at the end, he underlined that Jesus is “the Son of God” (v. 34b).
Every morning and evening, a one-year-old lamb was sacrificed in the Temple of Jerusalem for the sins of the people (cf. Exodus 29:38–42). The prophets Jeremiah (cf. 11:19) and Isaiah (cf. 53:7) prophesied that the Messiah, God’s servant, would be led to the slaughter like a lamb – in this way, Jesus as the “Servant of God” (cf. Isaiah 42:1; 49:3; 50:10; 52:13) is also the “Lamb of God”. To pay the penalty for sin, a life had to be given – and God chose to provide the sacrifice Himself/Jesus like a “scapegoat” which took all the sins of the Jewish people and took them away/send them into the desert on the “Day of Atonement” (cf. Leviticus 16:10). The “sin(s) of the world” (cf. 1 John 3:5) were removed when Jesus died as the perfect sacrifice (cf. John 19:14, 36 and 1 Peter 1:19) as the Passover Lamb and the sins of all85 people – Jews and Gentiles in the whole world – were forgiven in the “soteriological”86 sense (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:7) forever. This is an interesting aspect because of the destruction of the Temple in the year 70 A.D. and the end of the daily sacrificing of lambs in Jerusalem. According to the Fourth Evangelist, the Passover87 Feast was soon (cf. John 2:13) and the Jewish people should smear the doorposts with the blood of the slain lamb on the night in memory of the exodus when they left Egypt (cf. Exodus 12:12–14). Besides in this context of the Evangelist, Jesus passed Bethany like a (flock of) lamb(s) which will serve as sacrifices for the Passover Feast88.
v. 30: As in verses 20 and 26–27, an understatement of John the Baptist emphasizes Jesus’ special role as the “Lamb of God” (vv. 29c, 36b) and the “Son of God” (v. 34b) in the sense of the pre-existence of Jesus by God (cf., for example, John 16:5): “After me” (= John the Baptist – note in Greek “opíso mou” in vv. 15c, 27a) “comes” – note the present tense! – “a man” (= Jesus) who “was before me” (v. 30c, d). Therefore Jesus should be infinitely greater than John the Baptist because He finished and fulfilled all that John had begun and prepared.
v. 31: John the Baptist underlines his role as Jesus’ forerunner with the help of a correction89 (“not … but”): “( ) I /did/ (not) know Him” – note the parallel with verse 33a – cf. v. 26d –, “but … I baptized” (vv. 25b, 26b, 28b, 31c, 33c) only “with water” (cf. vv. 26b, 33c) as the sign of the cleansing and repentance of “Israel”90 (v. 31b). His baptism with water was preparatory, because it was for repentance and symbolized the washing of sins.
v. 32: John the Baptist “testifies”91/“convinced” (cf. vv. 7b, 8b, 15a, 34a) that he “saw”92 (vv. 32b, 33e, 34a) Jesus as the “Son of God” (v. 34b) like a “witness”93 (cf. John 19:35; 21:24), because the Holy “Spirit comes down” (vv. 32b, 33e, 51e ) “from Heaven” (cf. Isaiah 11:2; 42:1; 61:1 – note also John 6:58) “as a dove”94 (cf. Luke 3:22a/Matthew 3:16 and less Mark 1:10) during Jesus’ baptism “and remains on Him” (v. 33d) in public. The Holy Spirit was with Jesus permanently from then on (cf. John 14:17 and 6:56; 8:31; 15:4–10) in the sense of Ezekiel 36:26–27 and not as a momentary inspiration at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry in word and deed. That is the message of John the Baptist as the “precursor” of Jesus, the “redeemer” and “Saviour” (cf. John 3:16).
v. 33: As in verse 31a, John the Baptist emphasizes again with the help of a second correction95 (“not … but”) that he “( ) /did/ (not) know Him” – note the same words in verse 31a –, “but” he “who has been sent” by God “to baptize with water” – note again verse 26b and especially verse 31c as an earthly-immanent event. However, He explains that the “Spirit coming down” – note the same words in verse 32b –as a dove (from Heaven) which “remained on Him” – note the parallel with verse 32c – as the heavenly-divine/transcendental act of God’s Holy “Spirit” is a sign of the “Lamb” and the “Son of God” (v. 34b) in Jesus. Note the climax: John’s Baptism with “water” here (vv. 26b, 31c, 33c) – Jesus’ Baptism with the “Spirit” there!
v. 34: In addition (“kagó” = “and I” in vv. 33a, 34a), the (eye)witness (cf. vv. 32a, 34a and 19:35; 21:24) and messenger John the Baptist – in contrast to Mark 1:11/Matthew 3:17; 17:5/Luke 3:22b where God’s voice proclaims Jesus as “the beloved Son in//with Him I am well pleased” – “have seen” and “testified” – note the divine Perfect! – as well as pointed to Jesus (in Greek “houtós” = “this” in vv. 30a, 33g, 34b and in Matthew 3:17b96) as the “Son of God”97 (cf. v. 49 [Nathanael]) like the famous illustration “Isenheimer Altar” (1505 or 1515 B.C.) with John’s long right