Study Desk

This is John's testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem^(an) sent priests^(ao) and Levites^(ap) to ask him, "Who are you?"

He did not refuse to answer, but he declared: "I am not the Messiah."^(aq)

"What then?" they asked him. "Are you Elijah?"^(ar) "I am not," he said. "Are you the Prophet?"^[q](as) "No," he answered.

"Who are you, then?" they asked. "We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What can you tell us about yourself?"

He said, "I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord ^(at)[r]—just as Isaiah^(au) the prophet said."

Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.^(av)

So they asked him, "Why then do you baptize if you aren't the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?"

"I baptize with^[s] water,"^(aw) John answered them. "Someone stands among you, but you don't know Him.

He is the One coming after me,^[t](ax) whose sandal strap I'm not worthy to untie."

All this happened in Bethany^[u] across the Jordan,^[v](ay) where John was baptizing.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Here is the Lamb of God,^(az) who takes away the sin^(ba) of the world!

This is the One I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who has surpassed me, because He existed before me.'

I didn't know Him,^(bb) but I came baptizing with^[w] water so He might be revealed^(bc) to Israel."

And John testified, "I watched the Spirit^(bd) descending from heaven like a dove, and He rested on Him.^(be)

I didn't know Him, but He^[x] who sent me to baptize with^[y] water told me, ‘The One you see the Spirit descending and resting on—He is the One who baptizes with^[z] the Holy Spirit.'^(bf)

I have seen and testified that He is the Son of God!"^[aa](bg)