What is the meaning of John 1:31? I myself did not know Him • John the Baptist speaks with honest humility: although related to Jesus (Luke 1:36), he did not recognize Him as the promised Messiah until God revealed it. • This underscores that natural ties or human perception cannot unveil Christ; divine revelation is required (Matthew 16:17; John 1:33). • The phrase guards against any suspicion that John and Jesus colluded; instead, John waits on God’s timing, just as the prophets did before him (Amos 3:7). but the reason I came baptizing with water • John’s water baptism was a public, visible call to repentance (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3). • The rite itself held no saving power; it prepared hearts to meet the One who would “baptize with the Holy Spirit” (John 1:26; Matthew 3:11). • By gathering crowds at the Jordan, John created the setting where Jesus could step forward and be identified before the nation (John 1:29). • The water symbolized cleansing, but it also served as a stage on which God would spotlight His Son, much like Elijah’s altar soaked with water before fire fell (1 Kings 18:33-38). was that He might be revealed to Israel • God’s covenant people awaited Messiah, and John’s ministry functioned as the divine announcement (Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1). • Revelation here is national: Jesus is shown first to Israel so that the light can then reach the Gentiles (Luke 2:32; Acts 3:26). • When Jesus emerged from the baptismal waters, the Spirit descended and the Father’s voice affirmed Him (Matthew 3:16-17), decisively unveiling the Son. • John’s work therefore bridges Old Covenant expectation and New Covenant fulfillment, ensuring that Israel cannot say God failed to make His Messiah known (Romans 10:18-21). summary John confesses that personal familiarity could not disclose Jesus’ messianic identity; only God’s revelation could. His water-baptism ministry, commanded by God, gathered repentant Israelites so that when Jesus appeared, the nation would witness the Spirit’s confirming sign. Thus John’s entire mission served one grand purpose: to reveal the promised Christ to Israel, inaugurating the public phase of the Savior’s redemptive work. |
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