John 1:19-28

John the Baptist Denies Being the Christ ~

The chief priests and Levites have heard of John & begin to wonder if he is the forerunner to the Messiah.  So, they go out to question him.  See, they knew the prophecies.  Unfortunately, they had made up their minds how the prophecies would be fulfilled - they were looking for an earthly king.  Someone who would come in & rescue them from Rome & reestablish the country of Israel.  They were looking to be a great, independent nation once again.  As for personal salvation, well they didn't need that.  They were Jews after all - God's chosen people.  Their blood was all they needed, that & strict obedience to the Law (which they had corrupted and changed to suit their wants.)  They weren't interested in the heart, not interested in a relationship.  They wanted power.

So, off they head to question John.  Is he the Messiah?  Nope.  Is he Elijah?  Nope.  (They thought incorrectly that Elijah would return to earth to proclaim the coming of the Messiah.  See, Elijah never died.  He was taken up to heaven in a firestorm.  So, they thought he would just return to earth & once again assume the role of prophet.)  Is John the Prophet spoken of in Deuteronomy 18:15-19?  Nope.  (Acts 3:22,23 tells us the Prophet is Jesus Christ.) 

So who is he?  John uses Scripture, Isaiah 40:3 in fact.  The Scripture referring to the coming messenger and the Messiah:  "A voice of one calling:  "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God."  Notice how the priests missed this?  This is a direct quote from prophecy, yet they only heard what they wanted to hear.  They studied the Scriptures, they had been trained in the prophecies, they had their expectations - so they missed this key verse.  It went right over their heads.

How often to we think we know what we think we know?  How often do we miss the signs right in front of our face?  How much do we struggle because we blind ourselves to the truth?  The priests missed it because they were looking for what they wanted rather than what God said.  Don't make the same mistake.  Don't make Scripture say what you want it to say - read it for what it is.  Realize that God's way is always better than your way.