JOHN THE BAPTIST’S MISSION STATEMENT(An Article by Christian Henry) ~ 2/20/25

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.” (John 1:29-31)

The book of John opens with a short prologue where Jesus is labeled “the Word;” it then quickly explains John the Baptist and his mission. He was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as John the Forerunner because of how he preceded the coming of Christ. John is mentioned by the historian, Josephus, and is revered as a significant Christian religious figure. He was one of the last real prophets of God because of how he anticipated and foretold the coming of the true messianic figure that would be greater than himself.

According to the Gospel of Luke, John and Jesus were cousins, with John even being the one to baptize Jesus. John used baptism as the central symbol of his pre-messianic movement. Several New Testament accounts also report that some of Jesus's early followers were also followers of John.

In today’s passage, we see the start of this process and John’s testimony. The day after the Jews asked John whether he was the prophesied Christ (John 1:19-23), John saw Jesus coming to him and pointed him out as the Lamb of God. A "lamb," among the Jews, was killed and eaten at the Passover to commemorate their deliverance from Egypt. A lamb was offered in the Tabernacle and afterward in the temple every morning and evening as a part of the daily worship. The Messiah was predicted as a lamb, which led to the slaughter to show His patience in His sufferings and readiness to die for man. He was innocent, He was a sacrifice for sin, and He was what was represented by the Passover, turning away the anger of God and saving sinners by His blood from vengeance and eternal death.

Jesus will take away sin by bearing in His own body the sufferings God appointed for sin to make atonement for them. His work was not confined to any part of the world but was designed to open the way of pardon to all people. He was the propitiation for the sins of the whole world, and this is precisely what John the Baptist foretells here and throughout his ministry.

In the shedding and sprinkling of its blood, the paschal lamb, the roasting and eating of its flesh, and all the other ordinance circumstances represented sinners' salvation by faith in Christ. And the lambs sacrificed every morning and evening can only refer to Christ’s slaying as a sacrifice to redeem us to God by His blood.

John came as a preacher of repentance, yet he told his followers that they were to look for the pardon of their sins to Jesus only and to His death. It agrees with God's glory to pardon all who depend on the atoning sacrifice of Christ. To confirm this testimony concerning Jesus, John declares the appearance at His baptism, to which God Himself bore witness. The Baptist saw and bare record that Christ is the Son of God. This is John's testimony's end and object: Jesus was the promised Messiah. John took every opportunity offered to lead people to Christ. In the ultimate show of humility, he denotes that, “I come baptizing with water… [but He] baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.” (John 1:31-33) John’s job was to come before and lead people to the coming Savior. Jesus was that Savior.