THE WITNESS OF THE WORD MADE FLESH
“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.” (John 1:6-8).
Remember that John wants you to believe on Jesus and have eternal life (John 20:31). Here he’s introducing his first witness. He will let him speak later in the chapter, but he is calling him to the witness stand for now. He informs us of what John the Baptist was and what he wasn’t.
John tells us he was sent from God to bear witness to Jesus by preaching and baptizing (John 1:29-34) and that he pointed the people he had been sent to prepare for the Lord (Luke 1:17) to Jesus (John 1:35-37). More of John the Baptist’s motives and goals are revealed later in the book.
Notice, “That all men through him might believe.” Grammar demands the “him” is John the Baptist. What a pivotal point and man in the history of God’s work! John preached and baptized. Then Jesus, after being baptized of John, preached and baptized and gave His churches authority to preach and baptize. To this very day, all men, through John the Baptist, are believing, NOT ON JOHN, but on Jesus.
“He was not that Light…” What a testimony to the character of John the Baptist that John the Apostle had to state, “He was not that Light.” Remember that later there were those who confused Jesus and John the Baptist (Matthew 16:14). Herod feared that Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead (Matthew 14:1,2). When questioned by the Pharisees later in John 1, John the Baptist had to state, “I am not the Christ.”
John the Baptist was a prominent, privileged, and pious witness to the Word. You should believe the testimony of John the Baptist. He testified that Jesus is the Lamb of God and the Son of God (John 1:29-34). Believe on the Word Who was made flesh, Jesus Christ.