John 1:22-41 ~ Who are you?

John 1:22-41

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio

²² So they said to him, "Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" ²³ He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said."

²⁴ (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) ²⁵ They asked him, "Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" ²⁶ John answered them, "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, ²⁷ even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." ²⁸ These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

²⁹ The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.' ³¹ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel." ³² And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. ³³ I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' ³⁴ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."

³⁵ The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶ and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" ³⁷ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, "What are you seeking?" And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" ³⁹ He said to them, "Come and you will see." So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. ⁴⁰ One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹ He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ).


Preparation for Christmas involves mystery. When we are very young, the mystery is What Are You Going to Receive. And as we get a bit older... the mystery is .... find where it is hidden. Major Santa tip - avoid closets, attics and anywhere in your house. Go for the car trunk of the spouse who does the least amount of grocery store shopping in front of the kids. Lock + key = trunk. That way your 7 year old doesn't see the boxes in the attic and you don't have to drive around with your child endlessly, endlessly, endlessly asking if Santa is real. Even the 5 year old is bored. (I must have been brain damaged to hide it in the attic, I should have remembered at his age I was seek until It is found.)

(Yes. No, he isn't I saw the boxes. Yes. No, he isn't I saw the boxes. Santa doesn't need boxes. He isn't real is he? Yes. No. I saw the boxes. Yes. Santa is the Spirit of Giving. He is alive. What? What does that mean. Just repeat cycle in monotonous voice. In just a few weeks, Will they give up? As needed - for variety - for growth - begin explaining St. Nicholas. When more details are pressed, Repeat Cycle! It's good to look glazed and uninterested until the meaning is deeper because this is going to continue.) (Santa gifts at our house were the cheaper one - after all why should Santa have all the gift giving glam.)

At 7 years or older, the TV version of Santa sounds too fruit-loops to be true. And this isn't bad, it leads to discussions of giving. Deeper meaning of Christmas.

The deeper mystery of Christmas is who Jesus is. The Gospels agree that men - grown men - with families and jobs suddenly decided to go and walk, learn from Jesus. From the 1st Chapter, men meeting Jesus realize this man, this human man, is something extraordinary. And they were willing to give Jesus something - like the Magi did - something of extraordinary value. They were willing to give Him.... their lives. So much so, these men who walked with Jesus and hid after His death were willing to give up not just their way of lives but go to other unknown adventures and risk their hail and hearty lives for HIM.

Peter, archaeology tells us, had a magnificent home in Capernaum overlooking the Sea of Galilee. The reason Jesus told Peter several times where to cast the nets, was because Peter was the owner of a fleet of fishing vessels. (Gives some food for thought when next you hear that the disciples where ignorant men, huh? And the illiterate label - an Aramaic inscription on one of the broken Syagogue columns records the name of the donor, "Halfu, son of Zebida". These names in the Greek form (Alphaeus and Zebedee) are mentioned in the New Testament. Jesus Christ's Disciples, James and John, were sons of Zebedee. The New Testament calls them "sons of Thunder".)

Circa 1960 photo of Peter's house in Capernaum before the now existing Church was built to protect it. Synagogue in the Background
I think of St Nicholas giving gifts and we give gifts. In reality, Jesus gave us life. Men were willing to give Him their lives as well, just upon meeting Jesus. Christmas isn't a season. Christmas is having Christ live within us.

The answer to the question, "Who are you" is - I am a Child of God. Not worthy to tie the strap of His sandal. But I have found the Messiah.

Glory to You, Oh God.

1 John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.



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