A Fearless Witness

John 1:19-34

19Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him
who he was. 20He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ."
21They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the
Prophet?" He answered, "No."
22Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do
you say about yourself?"
23John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert,
'Make straight the way for the Lord.' "
24Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are
not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"
26"I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. 27He is the
one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."
28This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes
away the sin of the world! 30This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has
surpassed me because he was before me.' 31I myself did not know him, but the reason I came
baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."
32Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain
on him. 33I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told
me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the
Holy Spirit.' 34I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."