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The interview with John the Baptiser

Text: John 1:19-28; Matthew 3:1-12

THE INTERVIEW WITH JOHN THE BAPTISER

The delegation of “priests and Levites” did not seem to have gotten very far with their interview or interrogation with John the Baptizer. John positively seemed rather incommunicative.

“Now this is the testimony of John,
when the Jews sent priests and Levites
from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’
He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed,
‘I am not the Christ.’
And they asked him, ‘What then? Are your Elijah?’
He said, ‘I am not.’
Are you the Prophet?
And he answered, ‘No.'”
John 1:19-21

It must have been quite frustrating to the delegation from Jerusalem sent by “The Jews” to have John giving short answers to their questions. Each answer that he gave seemed to be shorter than the previous one! How would they report back to their superiors if the interview went on like that?

The delegation pleaded for a suitable answer that they could bring back to their superiors in Jerusalem.

“Then they said to him, ‘Who are you,
that we may give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you say about yourself?'”
John 1:22

THE RETICENCE OF JOHN

Why wasn’t John very communicative as far as the representatives of The Jews were concerned? The answer may not be found in John’s text, but in the synoptic Gospels. Matthew in particular revealed just why John wasn’t very keen about speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees.

“But when he (John) saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them,
‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
And do not think to say to yourselves,
“We have Abraham as our father.”
For I say to you that God is able to raise up children
To Abraham from these stones.
And even now the axe is laid to the roots of the trees.
For every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down
And thrown into the fire.’ “
Matthew 3:7-10

John saw through the Pharisees and Sadduccees. Their misdeeds were well known (Cf. Matthew 23). While others did not dare to point out their sinfulness, John was not intimidated. He called them “brood of vipers”. They were like poisonous snakes. They were like trees that did not bear fruit. Why had they come to his baptism at all? He knew that they had not come because they wanted to hear him preach! They were not in the least repentant, no matter how hard the message given by John!

Why would John want to spend time with people who were obviously not interested in what John preached and what he stood for? His time would be better occupied with those who came and were truly repentant. He had a lot of people to counsel and to baptize.

Thus in John’s Gospel, the Baptizer was depicted as one who was not very communicative at all. The questions of the delegation from Jerusalem did not interest John much. He was certainly not impressed with who they were. He was not awed by the fact that they were Pharisees and Sadducees. He was not intimidated in the least, even if they declared that they were sent by their superiors in Jerusalem. Besides, John was not very concerned about promoting himself at all. Who was he? That did not seem to matter very much to John at all. The most important thing to know was not the identity of John. The most important Person to discover was Jesus!

THE QUESTIONS OF THE JEWS

Whereas Matthew recorded the stern rebuke of the Jews, John noted the questions that the delegation from Jerusalem asked.

They asked if John was “The Christ” (The Messiah). If not, could he be “Elijah” then? If none of the above, then could he be “The Prophet”?

It is interesting to note this line of questioning. It is even more fascinating to try and understand why they asked these questions at all. The people who went sent by The Jews from Jerusalem were “priests and Levites” (John 1:19). These were supposed to have been well trained with reference to knowledge of the Scriptures. Surely they would have known what the Scriptures said concerning Christ, or Elijah, or The Prophet? There were specific passages in the Scriptures that mentioned them. Their line of questioning suggests that they were perhaps not as well instructed as they should have been! How could simple questions put to John have given them any satisfaction concerning his true identity?

John must have also recognized their shallowness and thus did not answer them in any meaningful way. He had come to bear witness for Christ. He refused to be drawn into any discussion concerning himself. He would continue to focus on speaking about Christ!