This is John\u2019s testimony, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, \u201cWho are you?\u201d
\nHe declared, and didn\u2019t deny, but he declared, \u201cI am not the Christ.\u201d
\nThey asked him, \u201cWhat then? Are you Elijah?\u201d
\nHe said, \u201cI am not.\u201d
\n\u201cAre you the prophet?\u201d
\nHe answered, \u201cNo.\u201d
\nThey said therefore to him, \u201cWho are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?\u201d
\nHe said, \u201cI am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, \u2018Make straight the way of the Lord,\u2019 as Isaiah the prophet said.\u201d
\nThe ones who had been sent were from the Pharisees. They asked him, \u201cWhy then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?\u201d
\nJohn answered them, \u201cI baptize in water, but among you stands one whom you don\u2019t know. He is the one who comes after me, who is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I\u2019m not worthy to loosen.\u201d These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
\nThe next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, \u201cBehold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, \u2018After me comes a man who is preferred before me, for he was before me.\u2019 I didn\u2019t know him, but for this reason I came baptizing in water: that he would be revealed to Israel.\u201d John testified, saying, \u201cI have seen the Spirit descending like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him. I didn\u2019t recognize him, but he who sent me to baptize in water, he said to me, \u2018On whomever you will see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.\u2019 I have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.\u201d<\/p>\n
(John 1:19-34 WEB)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This is John\u2019s testimony, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, \u201cWho are you?\u201d He declared, and didn\u2019t deny, but he declared, \u201cI am not the Christ.\u201d They asked him, \u201cWhat then? Are you Elijah?\u201d … Continue reading