prophet?

26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not :

27 He it is, who coming after me, is preferred before me, whose

26. John answered, &c. The purport of John's reply was, That the work he was performing was comparatively an inferior work; that he was not acting for himself, but for the Messiah, who was already among the people, though unknown to them; and that the Messiah, whose dignity would be unspeakably greater, would soon manifest himself. I baptize with water. See on Matt. 3: 11. This remark implied, that One was at hand who should have a nobler office than that of baptizing in water; namely, that of baptizing in the Holy Spirit. There standeth one, &c. The word standeth is equivalent to the word is, or to the phrase there has already arisen.

27. Is preferred before me; is greatly superior to me. || Shoe's latchet; the thong, or strap, by which a shoe, or sandal, was fastened on the foot. To loose, and to bind on, sandals, was the business of the lowest servants. The idea of John, then, was, So great is the dignity of the Messiah that I am not worthy to be his lowest servant. Compare Matt. 3: 11. See also Mark 1:7.

28. Bethabara beyond Jordun. The country east of the Jordan was designated as beyond the river. The precise situation of the town is not known.

29. The Lamb of God; the Lamb which God has appointed. || Which taketh away the sin of the world. The word sin is here used collectively, the singular for the plural. In the offering of a sacrifice for transgression under the Mosaic ritual, there was a confession of the crime, and a placing of hands on the head of the victim, which represented the removal, so to

to unloose.

28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, speak, of the offender's sins to this victim, and the substituting of him in the place of the offender. See Lev. 4: 4, 15. 16: 21. Thus the victim took on himself, and thus took away from the offender, the transgression, and was the means of pardon being granted to the offender. So Jesus Christ was spoken of by John the Baptist as the appointed instrument for taking on himself and thus taking away from men their sins; that is, he was the appointed instrument by whose interposition and death forgiveness of sins would be bestowed on men.

Jesus was called the Lamb of God in reference to the lamb which was slain in Egypt on the night when the Egyptians were visited with death, and the Israelites, in consequence of the blood being sprinkled on their door-posts, were saved from destruction. See Ex. 12th chapter. This lamb, being slain, and its blood being sprinkled on the door-posts, was then a means and a token of deliverance to the Israelites from destruction. So by the shedding of Christ's blood deliverance from eternal death comes to men Christ, then, is here regarded as the Saviour through whose death men can be saved.

Reference was also made to the daily morning and evening sacrifice of a lamb (see Ex. 29: 38-46. Num. 28: 3, 4), which perpetually reminded the people of their deliverance from Egypt, and which was an appointed means of their enjoying the favor of God. Thus there was continually kept before the minds of the Jews the idea of sacrifice in connection with the divine favor. The language which John used was adapted to prepare the minds of his hearers for the

which taketh away the sin of the world!

30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me; for he was before me.

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

32 And John bare record,

fuller exhibition of Jesus as a Saviour, in consequence of his dying for men. Compare 1 Pet. 1: 19. 2:24. Rev. 1:5. 5:9.

Jesus Christ, as the divinely-appointed victim, was to take away the sins of the world; that is, not of the Jewish nation only, but of the human race. He was to be a Saviour, not solely for Jews, but for the whole world. See on v. 9. The views of John the Baptist respecting the Messiah were of a very spiritual and elevated character, both as to the nature of the Messiah's office, and as to the extent of his design. The views which he here briefly expressed, well entitle him to the commendation bestowed by our Lord, as mentioned in Matt. 11 11.

30. Compare v. 15.

31. And I knew him not. John here spoke of the time preceding the baptism of Jesus, when he was not able to point out the particular person who should afterwards be known as the Messiah. He here referred to Jesus in the character of Messiah. They probably knew one another as relatives and friends, for the mother of Jesus was a relative of John's mother. See Luke 1: 36. But no communication had been made to John respecting the ultimate destination of Jesus; and, though he might have been personally acquainted with him, and have had a high regard for him, yet he had not been authorized to point him out as the Messiah. But that he should be made manifest to Israel; that he

saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

should be announced, be introduced to the knowledge of the Jews. || Baptizing with water. The administering of baptism was a prominent and distinguishing part of John's office, and it seems to be here taken as a part for the whole. The whole office of John-namely, teaching, announcing the Messiah, and baptizing the people- was intended for introducing the Messiah to the Jews, and preparing them to receive him. It was also to be the fact that a special announcement of Jesus as the Messiah would be made at the time of John's baptizing him. John knew that such was the design of his office, though he was not yet able to say what particular person was the Messiah.

32. Compare Matt. 3:16, 17. Record; testimony.

33. And I knew him not; that is, as the Messiah, and previously to the divinely-appointed signal. || Remaining on him. The bodily form, which was to descend and alight on, or over, Jesus, was not to disappear immediately, but was to remain sufficiently long to prevent all suspicion of illusion, and to produce entire certainty that the person was indeed the Messiah, so that John could not mistake in regard to the person whom he was to announce and commend to the confidence of the people. || Baptizeth with the Holy Ghost; will most copiously impart spiritual influences (see Matt. 3:11) as the Head of the new dispensation, and as distinct from John, who had been commissioned to baptize the people in water. Thus

41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias; which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas; which is, by interpretation, A stone.

43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.

44 Now Philip was of Beth

41. Which is, being interpreted, the Christ. These words are not a part of Andrew's address to Simon. They are the words of the evangelist, informing his readers that the term Messiah, which Andrew had used, was of the same import as the term Christ. This latter term had, when the evangelist wrote, and among the people with whom he dwelt, come to be the usual name of the Saviour. The clause conveys the idea, that Messiah is of the same signification as Christ.

42. Simon the son of Jona. See 21: 15. Matt. 16: 17. Cephas. This word, in the dialect that Jesus spoke, signified a rock, or stone. It was now affixed by Jesus to the name Simon, as expressive of certain qualities in Simon's character, particularly his boldness and decision. || Which is, by interpretation, A stone. The word here rendered A stone, is in reality the proper name Peter; and it should have been rendered as a proper name. The remark is thrown in by the evangelist, as apprizing his readers that the Simon, to whom the name Cephas was affixed, was the same as the apostle whom they knew by the name Peter; that is, that Cephas, when used as a proper name, and Peter, were the same name in the two languages; namely, the one

saida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

which Jesus spoke, and the Greek, to which John's readers were ac customed. He was merely desirous that his readers should experience no perplexity about the names which he had occasion to mention.

go.

43. Would go; was intending to Follow me. See on Matt.

4: 18-22.

44. Bethsaida; a town in Galilee on the west of the sea of Galilee.

45. Nathanael. See 21: 2. It is generally supposed that Nathanael was the same person as Bartholomew. See on Matt. 10: 3. || In the law; the five books of Moses, as distinguished from the other books of the Old Testament. Moses and other writers in the Old Testament had foretold respecting the Messiah. Compare Luke 24: 27, 44. || The son of Joseph. See Luke 3: 23.

46. Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? The inhabitants of Nazareth were very lightly esteemed by the Jews. See on Matt. 2:23. Compare also the treatment which Jesus received in Nazareth, as related by Luke, 4: 29.

47. An Israelite indeed; not only by birth, but also in character; such a man as an Israelite, possessing a revelation from heaven, ought to be; a truly pious man.