1410. John's Witness As to Christ

John's Witness As to Christ

"Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth" (Joh_5:33).

When we begin to study what John the Baptist said about our Saviour, we marvel at the wonderful scope of his testimony. Let us notice some things that John claimed for Christ.

1. "He that cometh after me is preferred before me, for He was before me" (Joh_1:15). In this passage John not only gives Christ preference over himself, but he declares Christ's Deity. Jesus was not "before" John, as far as physical birth was concerned, for John was several months His senior.

2. "The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ." John ascribed to Christ a superiority to Moses, and he proclaimed that Christ brought Grace and Truth. In the verse preceding, he testifies that Jesus Christ was "full of Grace and Truth."

John testified that Christ was the only begotten Son, Who was in the bosom of the Father. He believed in the Virgin Birth; he believed that while Christ was on earth He was likewise with the Father (see Joh_1:18).

3. John testified that Jesus Christ "declared the Father," that is, that He interpreted or showed Him forth (see Joh_1:18, l. c.).

4. John testified of Jesus, saying, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." He saw in Christ the fulfillment of all those marvelous Old Testament sacrifices. The lambs which had been slain back there were all anticipatory of this Lamb of God.

In passing we might as easily bring forth the testimony of Mary, or Peter, or Paul, or John; or, we might put as witness the words of Mary the mother of Christ, and of Elizabeth, and of Zachariah, and of Simeon, and of Thomas, and of Mary Magdalene, and of all the other saints. Certainly, we do not lack human testimony concerning Jesus Christ; testimony which would corroborate every claim that He ever made.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR