John 1:26,27

John 1:26-27. John answered them, saying, I baptize in water. The meaning of the Baptist's answer has been greatly obscured by the insertion of ‘but' after these words. It has thus been supposed that the object of the Baptist is to depredate his baptism by bringing it into comparison with the baptism in the Spirit administered by Jesus. The two baptisms, however, are not as yet compared with one another. What John depreciated was himself, not the rite which he administered; and at John 1:31 he expressly magnifies his baptism, and points out its high prophetic significance. From this last-mentioned verse the import of the present clause must be determined. Even now John means, I baptize in water that I may call attention to Him whose way I am commissioned to prepare. For this purpose I am ‘a voice of one that crieth;' for this purpose also ‘I baptize in water.' In the midst of you standeth one whom ye know not, coming after me, the latchet of whose sandal I am not worthy to unloose. Now follows the great fact explanatory of all this divine work of preparation, that the One waited for is come. Three stages of His manifestation, however, are to be marked; and as yet we have only readied the first, ‘He standeth in the midst of you.' So standing, He is distinguished by three characteristics: (1) ‘Ye know' Him ‘not,' the ‘ye' being emphatic, ye to whom He would gladly reveal Himself: (2) He cometh ‘after me' (see John 1:15): (3) His glory is so great that the Baptist is not worthy to unloose the latchet of His sandal. On the last words see note on Mark 1:7.

Such is the first testimony of the Baptist to Jesus. The fuller testimonies have yet to come. At this point, therefore, the narrative pauses to tell us that this testimony was given at the very place where the Baptist was at the moment making so profound an impression upon the people.