John chapter 1

vs 21

If he wasn't the Christ, then he must be someone special.They drilled him with their significant knowhow, but couldn't work out who he was. Now we might think "Shame on them, if they had been reading their OT they would have known he was the one from Isaiah 40:3". The thing is, they probably did know the OT prophecy that spoke of John TB, in the same way that when Herod asks them "Where will the Christ be born?" They answer correctly. They have the head knowledge - they just don't want to apply it. And fair enough in a way - you don't want to think a scripture has been fulfilled just because you see one thing.

Who is "The Prophet"? I don't know, to be honest. It obviously wasn't a description of John TB's role, or else you'd assume he would say yes.

It is possible that they are talking about Christ again. Remember, the Jews only had a scattered picture of what was going to happen when the Christ appeared. Some thought there were going to be multiple saviors coming - a military one, a royal one, a spiritual one, a suffering one etc. In fact, the only thing almost no-one saw coming was Jesus.

vs 22

Finally they ask him who he is, rather than trying to pin it on him.

vs 23

So when they ask who he is, he tells them that he is fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 40:3. This also helps us to understand who he is.

vs 24-25

Stupid VITMOAI man. Anyway, the Pharisees seem to think you can only baptise people if you are Christ, Elijah or this mysterious The Prophet. Which is interesting, because of course Christ never baptised anyone!

vs 26-27

John TB knew what was coming. He knew that Christ was on the horizon, and that he would be the one to reveal him. It's a pretty important position. He seems to have dealt with it humbly enough. Now if only all the other religious leaders had been humble enough to step aside when they knew they'd been beat!

vs 28

John the author seems to leave it a little late to set the scene, but we'll forgive him because movies hadn't been invented yet.

vs 29

John TB says something very similar to a demon when he sees Jesus. Lucky Jesus wasn't the confused sort, or he might have accidently zapped John TB ;)

This is a foretaste of the classic language that John uses in his gospel. We really have to ask how much of these actual words were expressed in the way they were in John. Of course, we all know that the words as they are expressed are probably not exhaustive - they are just summary statements of what was said at any specific moment (the talks that Paul gives in Acts are a good example of this idea). Nevertheless, using terms like "Lamb of God" either makes John TB a peculiarly perceptive student of the Bible and of God's actions in the world (which there is no denying he probably was, what with how everyone thinks he's a prophet) or that this has been just a little hammed.

vs 30

This is a reference to Jesus' Godhood, in that he has existed before John TB. Since people had been asking who John was and his answer had been in reference to the appearance of another, this is a very important statement, and a very important chap who has appeared on the scene here.