John 1:31 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel."

NIV: I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."

NASB: And I did not recognize Him, but so that He would be revealed to Israel, I came baptizing in water.'

CSB: I didn’t know him, but I came baptizing with water so he might be revealed to Israel."

NLT: I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.'

KJV: And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

NKJV: I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.”

Given that the mothers of Jesus and John the Baptist were relatives (Luke 1:35–36, 39–41), it may seem odd for John to say he didn't recognize Jesus as Messiah at first. He had simply been baptizing, so that Christ would be revealed to Israel (Malachi 3:1). Although the Baptist and Jesus were related, and the Baptist had responded to the presence of Jesus while in the womb, they probably hadn't spent much time around each other. One was raised in Nazareth, the other near Jerusalem.

Since Jesus hadn't yet performed any miracles, it's reasonable to think that the Baptist didn't know Jesus was the Messiah until seeing the vision of the dove (John 1:32). This is part of the mystery of Jesus' youth: the Bible doesn't give many details about Jesus prior to the start of His ministry.

The word used for "baptism" is the Greek baptizō, which literally means "to immerse," but with a specific spiritual context. John's purpose in calling people to repentance, demonstrated by baptism, was to open the path of understanding for Jesus. Once Christ appeared on the stage, it was time for the Baptist to step aside.

John 1:29–42 describes more conversations, these between John the Baptist, his disciples, and Jesus. It includes the moment Jesus recruits His first two disciples. Jesus is identified as "the Lamb of God," and "the Son of God." The Baptist describes his vision of the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, landing on Jesus. This confirms that He is the Messiah. The Baptist seems to tell John and Andrew to go and follow Jesus. They, in turn, introduce Jesus to Peter.

The first chapter of John introduces Jesus as "the Word," from the Greek logos. This chapter clearly describes Jesus as God. After this prologue, the chapter describes Jesus recruiting the first of His disciples, as well as a conversation between John the Baptist and the Pharisees. There are seven names or titles for Christ in this chapter, including "the Son of God," "the Word," and "the King of Israel."

The first chapter of the gospel of John equates Christ with God and introduces John the Baptist. The Baptist specifically points to Jesus as the Promised One. Jesus collects the first five of His disciples. In this chapter, Jesus is given seven descriptive names, including "the Word," "the Son of God," and "the King of Israel." This chapter sets the stage for the rest of the gospel, by giving the reader a sense of who Jesus truly is, and why He has come. The rest of the gospel is an exploration of the claims made in this initial passage.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.