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John 1:19-27
And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? …

he.

John 1:6-8,15-18,29-34
There was a man sent from God, whose namewas John…

John 3:26-36
And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and allmen come to him…

and he has testified to the truth
John the Baptist's testimony is centered on the identity and mission of Jesus Christ. InJohn 1:29-34, John declares Jesus as the "Lamb of God" and the "Son of God," affirming His divine nature and redemptive purpose. John's testimony aligns with the truth of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah, such asIsaiah 53, which speaks of the suffering servant. The concept of truth in John's Gospel is significant, as it is often associated with the revelation of God's character and purposes through Jesus (John 14:6). John's role as a witness to the truth underscores the importance of credible testimony in establishing Jesus' identity and mission, fulfilling the requirement ofDeuteronomy 19:15 for multiple witnesses to confirm a matter.

Jesus reminds His listeners—primarily the religious leaders in Jerusalem—that they themselves initiated contact with John the Baptist. According toJohn 1:19, “This was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, ‘Who are you?’” By pointing to their own action, Jesus shows that:

•They once recognized John’s credibility enough to investigate him.

•Their inquiry had already opened the door for them to hear God’s message.

•They are therefore accountable for what they learned (Matthew 21:25-26;Luke 7:30).

John the Baptist was divinely appointed as the forerunner of the Messiah (Isaiah 40:3;Malachi 3:1).John 1:6-7 says, “There came a man who was sent from God. He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe.”

Key traits of John that make his witness compelling:

•He was sent from God, not self-appointed (Luke 1:13-17).

•He lived a life marked by holiness and simplicity (Mark 1:6).

•He humbled himself before Jesus, declaring, “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30).

Because they had gone “to John,” they had direct access to the very herald God had raised up.

John’s ministry centered on testimony—public, clear, and uncompromising:

•He identified Jesus twice as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, 36).

•He affirmed, “I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God” (John 1:34).

•He called Israel to repentance, preparing hearts for Christ’s salvation (Matthew 3:1-3).

•He sealed his testimony with his own blood when Herod imprisoned and executed him (Mark 6:17-29).

Jesus appeals to John’s witness because it is independent, courageous, and already accepted by many of the people (John 5:35).

John did not offer opinion; he bore witness “to the truth.” Truth in John’s Gospel is ultimately personal—embodied in Jesus Christ, who later states, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). John’s testimony upheld several unchanging realities:

•Jesus is the pre-existent Son of God (John 1:15, 30).

•Jesus is God’s chosen Messiah (John 1:20, 34).

•Only through Jesus can sin be removed (John 1:29;Acts 13:38-39).

When Jesus says John “has testified to the truth,” He underscores that rejecting John’s message equals rejecting truth itself (John 18:37;1 John 5:6).

John 5:33 spotlights a chain of accountability. The leaders sent delegates to John, John faithfully bore witness, and what he declared was nothing less than God’s truth about Jesus. By recalling this history, Jesus invites His hearers—and us—to honor the credible testimony God has already provided and to embrace the Savior to whom that testimony points.

(b)The temporary witness of John.Verse 33. -Ye have sent to John, and he hath borne witness to the truth. The sending to John was probably a reference to the official transaction described inJohn 1:19. This is not the "other" whom he referred to, for in the next clause he made solemn disclaimer of resting his claim upon John or upon any individual man. The witness of the forerunner was a true one. The function of the prophet is to bear witness to the Light, to strip off the veils which hide it, to call attention to its most solemn realities, to quicken vision, to stimulate conscience, to disturb apathy, to discern the coming and prepare the way of the Lord (seeJohn 1:4, 5, notes), He was not the Light; but he did call attention to a testimony immeasurably more precious than any word proceeding merely from human lips. The testimonies of John, both before and after he came into contact with Christ, were very wonderful and were adapted to exert and did produce a deep impression upon the people for a time; but by themselves they would not have given sufficient ratification to the Lord's words. We may welcome still all Johannine, ministerial testamonies to the Lord. but the power of God himself must assert itself to the inner consciousness bet, re any man receives the gospel. No mere human testimony to such claims as these rises to the dignity of the occasion. Unless the Father's witness can be discerned, supreme, convincing, and final, John's witness would be insufficient. It may arrest attention, it may impress the apathetic, it may overawe the gainsayers; but it is not final, nor does it leave the hearers without excuse. All the rhetoric, all the threatening, all the irony, of Elijah would have failed if the fire of the Lord had not fallen to consume the sacrifice.

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