The witness of the Baptist to the true Light.
We now come to the historic manifestation of the Word.
I. THE PERSONALITY OF THE BAPTIST. "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John."
1. He was the offspring of pious parents, and his birth was due to miraculous Divine interference.
2. He was a Nazarite in the ascetic aspect of his life.
3. He was the last prophet of the Old Testament dispensation—the link between the prophets of the old and the apostles of the new dispensations.
4. He was the forerunner of the Messiah, who was to come in the power of Elias, to preach the coming of the kingdom of heaven. He was, in truth, "a man sent from God." His forerunnership ended with the baptism of Jesus, who then appeared visibly on the scene of his ministry. But his testimony only ceased with his life.
5. It was by the Baptist that the author of this Gospel was introduced to Christ (verse 35).
II. THE PURPOSE OF HIS TESTIMONY. "The same came for witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe."
1. The witness bearing was necessary, as the Word was to appear "in the likeness of sinful flesh." Man in his blindness could not well discern him without some testimony.
2. Witness bearing is a fundamental idea in Christianity. It implies faith, and a body of facts to be believed.
3. It marks a distinct place for human instrumentality, even in connection with the conversion of souls.
4. Its design is to lead to belief. "That all men through him might believe;" that is, through John's witness.
III. CORRECTION OF A GRAVE MISAPPREHENSION RESPECTING THE BAPTIST. "He was not the Light, but came that he might bear witness of the Light."
1. Some of the Jews probably imagined that John was the Christ.
2. He was, by our Lord's own witness, "a burning and a shining light;" rather, a candle, for Christ is himself the true Fountain of all light—the Light itself.
3. It was a sign of the remarkable humility as well as sincerity of the Baptist's Character, that he himself once and again, not only disclaimed the Messiahship, but confessed his own complete inferiority to Christ. He had no inward struggle on effacing himself. "He must increase; I must decrease."