Josh Benner

Author: the Josh Benner Blog

  • Who is John the Baptist? Studying John 1:19-22

    Who is John the Baptist? Studying John 1:19-22

    19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
    -John 1:19-22

    Early in the Gospel of John, a group of religious leaders comes to visit an eccentric religious figure who is most often referred to as John the Baptist. They’ll ask John if he’s come to fulfill various Old Testament prophecies associated with the coming Messiah.

    Who are you?

    John 1:19: And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

    It’s reasonable that they would want to find out who he is. I think it’s important to understand the time in which they lived. For centuries, the Old Testament had pointed forward to one sent from the Lord. People had all sorts of expectations for the type of ministry that this sent one would have. 

    This was fulfilled in Jesus but people didn’t yet know Jesus. So all they had were their expectations and assumptions. What Jesus actually did was not quite what anyone expected. 

    A lot of people expected a great religious teacher. Jesus certainly was that but he was ore than that. But his purpose was to bring freedom not law. A lot of people expected a great king. Jesus is that too, he’s the king of kings. But he did not have the mighty earthly kingdom that people expected. Others expected a great general who would lead Israel to victory and back to a restoration of their land in the face of Roman oppression. Jesus is the one who leads his people to battle evil and leads us to Spiritual victory. 

    And people believed various ideas from those categories. 

    So you suddenly have this man who’s calling people to repent, who’s baptizing. In the other gospels, we see John calling out religious authorities.

    And so people are curious. 

    Maybe he’s connected to the promised savior. Maybe he IS the promised savior. Others might have been skeptical and thought it would lead nowhere. 

    Before Jesus, there had been people who claimed to be the promised savior of the world. 

    “Who are you?”

    They ask. 

    Are you the Christ?

    John’s first response to the Jewish leaders is given in verse 20: He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

    First thing John confirms. He is not the savior. One thing that’s important to understand. The word “Christ” is not Jesus’ last name. It’s his title. 

    Jesus’ parents were not Joseph and Mary Christ. 

    Jesus is The Christ. 

    Christ comes from the Greek word “Christus” which means “anointed.” It’s the Greek word for the Hebrew word “Messiah.” They both mean the same thing: anointed. 

    The significance of that is that in the Old Testament, various divinely assigned offices such as the king and the high priest would be anointed with oil at the beginning of their term. Some of the Old Testament prophets were also anointed. 

    There are also passages in the Old Testament which were understood as pointing forward to a future deliverer who was anointed. John the Baptist had an important ministry. 

    But he was not the Lord’s anointed, he was not the Lord’s Christ, and so he’s quick to point that out. He’s not the anointed savior. 

    Verse 21:And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.”

    Are you Elijah?

    Elijah was a prophet in the Old Testament. 

    Much of his ministry revolved around calling people to faith and proper worship of the Lord. 

    He was obedient to the Lord in his life and ministry. 

    There are several miracles that God does during the time of Elijah’s ministry. 

    Two more things that are noteworthy about Elijah. 

    The Old Testament tells us that God brought Elijah directly to heaven without dying. 

    2 Kings 2:11: And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven

    Secondly, the book of Malachi, which is the last book found in our Old Testament concludes with these verses from Malachi 4:5: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

    So God says that he will send Elijah before the great and awesome day of the Lord. 

    So some expected a literal second coming of Elijah. For those reasons, it’s a pretty reasonable question for the leaders to have asked this of John. 

    He tells them no. 

    John is not Elijah however it should be noted that John’s ministry is really fulfilling this prophecy about Elijah. John is not a reincarnated version of Elijah or a second coming of Elijah, but he is the one who is sent from the Lord with a divinely given ministry to call people to repentance. 

    But John confirms that he is not Elijah. 

    So they try again: 

    Are you the prophet?

    Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”

    When they ask John if he’s THE prophet, they’re actually referring to a specific passage. Deuteronomy 18:15 tells Israel about a successor to Moses. This passage also came to be understood as pointing to a grater prophet. 

    Verse 15: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—

    They wonder if John is this person. In reality, that passage is ultimately pointing forward to Jesus. But once again, John answers the question in the negative. He is not the prophet. 

     So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

    John isn’t the Christ, he’s not Elijah, he’s not the prophet. 

    So then who is he? Continue reading.

    Thanks for reading! If you liked, please share and subscribe.

  • Background on John the Baptist for the Gospel of John

    Background on John the Baptist for the Gospel of John

    I’m in a series of articles studying the Gospel of John. Several times in the first chapter, the author makes reference to a man named John. The Apostle John (the author of the gospel) is referring to a man named John the Baptist. 

    But as we study the Gospel of John, who is John the Baptist, and why does he matter? 

    He’s often called “John the Baptist.” That title is referring to what John did rather than a denominational affiliation. It’s not that we had John the Baptist, Peter the Presbyterian, and Paul the Methodist. 

    Next thing. He’s mentioned in all four gospel, and in all of the gospels, he’s introduced prior to the ministry of Jesus. So he’s pretty important. 

    Between the gospels, they give us accounts of both John’s birth and death. I can’t think of any other New Testament figure besides Jesus where that could be said. 

    We find out in the Gospel of Luke that John’s mom, Elizabeth is a relative of Mary which means that John the Baptist is related to Jesus. And John is a few months older than the Lord. 

    After John the Baptist is born, his father gives a prophecy to his son’s life. 

    Luke 1:76-77: 76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,

    Luke chapter 1 ends with an interesting note about John: 

    Verse 80: And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

    He was in the wilderness until the day of his publican appearance in Israel.

    There’s not a whole lot of elaboration on that. 

    We know nothing about his formative years. He was in the wilderness. Some scholars suggest the possibility that John may have actually be raised within a small community within the wilderness. That’s speculation, but it would make historical sense. 

    John is related to Jesus, but the gospels tell us nothing about how well they may have known each other. It doesn’t seem like they grew up going to a family dinner every week.  

    When his ministry began, it quickly grew in popularity. Matthew 3:5-6: 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

    Several years after John’s death, the Apostle Paul is ministering in Ephesus in Acts 19. Ephesus is several hundred miles away from Judea but people talk of the baptism which John practiced, showing that his name and reputation were known throughout the region. 

    John also faced persecution during his life. He was arrested and later executed under the Romans in Matthew 14. 

    Thanks for reading! This article is part of a series in the Gospel of John! If you liked it, please share and subscribe.

  • Sermon: The Ministry of the Holy Spirit – John 16:4-15

    Sermon: The Ministry of the Holy Spirit – John 16:4-15

    Throughout the Gospel of John, we see Jesus pointing to the activity and ministry of the Holy Spirit. On the night before going to the cross, Jesus will give his last major teaching on the work of the Holy Spirit when he’s gone. We learn that the Spirit comes in fulfillment of God’s promises, he brings conviction of sin, and he points believers to truth.

    Click here for sermon transcript

  • America’s Funniest Home videos theme brings back nostalgia for a simpler time

    @grantgarlandmusic

    #tvthemewednesday #bobsaget #americasfunniesthomevideos #nostalgia #tvthemeguy #grantgarland #fyp #toptags #tvthemesongs #foryou #80sbaby #homemovies #fenderstratocaster #fenderbass #trumpet #piano #throwback #80s #jillcolucci

    ♬ original sound – Grant Garland

    I saw a video on tiktok this week from a musician in Nashville named Grant Garland who covered the theme song of America’s Funniest Home Videos in honor of the passing of Bob Saget on Sunday.

    I had honestly never thought about the lyrics to that theme song but listening to the words of a show that was in its prime 30 years ago, I was struck by the theme.

    There is so much hatred, cynicism, and hatred right now. We live in a time when it’s in vogue to criticize America, throw the baby out with the bathwater, overlook the sins of other nations and only focus on our own imperfections, as if America is exceptionally evil in an otherwise natural world.

    The theme song was a song that I don’t think would be made for network television today. It’s too upbeat and too pro America. It’s a song that revolves around coming together and enjoying laughter. But as the song goes to the refrain “you’re the red, white, and blue, oh the funny things you do! America! America! This is you!” It’s also a song that celebrates America.

    The song was the theme of AFC from 1989-1997.

    Just a thought for your Thursday.

  • 5 thoughts on being “all things to all people” in the Christian life

    earth

    Originally published April 11, 2016

    In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, the Apostle Paul talks about being “all things to all people.” In the rest of the passage, he talks about different groups with whom he demonstrates this. While that passage is not an exhaustive guide to ministry, it provides significant insights into how to reach people for Jesus.

    Based on studying this passage, and thinking of this in the ministry context of the Bible, I have five reflections over the past few weeks on what it is to be “all things to all people.”

    1. It’s love for people

    Basic principles that are clear from this text and from the ministry of Jesus include that we are called to love people. It’s not a choice. It’s non-negotiable. We are called to love people. We can’t dismiss them, we can’t dismiss opportunities to share the love of Christ or to think that it’s someone else’s job to do.

    It’s your job to do! It’s serving something that is infinitely bigger and greater than yourself.

    And we encounter people in our daily lives who don’t know Jesus. In our families, in our offices, and in our schools. I’m not saying you need to force faith on anyone. In some ways, that’s the easy thing to do. But being pushy isn’t the point.

    2. It’s building relationships 

    In being all things to all people, it’s about building relationships. You can’t be all things to all people without building relationships.

    It’s getting to know people. The fact that Paul was ministering differently to different groups of people meant that he was actually getting to know them.

    In sharing the gospel, and sharing faith, it’s not just about one conversation. It’s about a relationship with a person.

    Part of the challenge of actually building a relationship is that it takes more time. It takes more investment. Being too pushy about faith can alienate a person. It can hurt a relationship, but that’s not the point. It’s about building relationships with those who don’t know Christ.

    3. It’s relating to unique individuals 

    This principal flows from this idea in how we relate to people.

    People are different. And what being all things will require with different individuals requires discernment.

    People are not robots. It’s not about finding a way to program everyone that you meet. It’s not about having one approach to interacting with people. That’s not how Jesus did ministry.

    In John 4, Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman. He knows that she has had multiple husbands and is essentially prostituting herself out to another man. He shows grace.

    In Mark 8, he foretells his death and resurrection to his disciples, and Peter tries to rebuke Jesus for saying such things. Jesus responds by saying “Get behind me Satan.”

    Different situations. Different people. Different ways how Jesus approaches them. In other instances, he’s asked a question and he responds with another question, to teach the questioner something, other times he responds with a parable.

    It’s also about loving different kinds of people. In this passage, writing to the Corinthians, Paul talks about how he is all things to the Jews, the non-Jews, and those looked down upon by society.

    4. It’s learning from mistakes 

    In being all things to all people, you will do it imperfectly and make mistakes. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. And to be fair, just to use myself as an example, I mess up in this area. All the time.

    Don’t let the fear of making a mistake keep you from doing ministry, or for reaching out to people. God knows you’ll make mistakes. Paul says at the beginning of this book that his mission was to preach Christ crucified. When you do that, and are focused on the gospel, God will still work through imperfect ministries.

    5. It’s pursuing holiness 

    Where Paul talks about being “all things to all people” for the sake of the gospel, this can be potentially misunderstood. Paul is not giving license to sin. Followers of Jesus are called to holiness, but we are not called to holier than thou-ness. Being all things to all people is done to serve people.

    It’s about becoming a servant of God for his purposes. Paul actually uses servant/slave language at the beginning of this passage, and he is putting himself under the authority of God out of gratitude for the grace of God.

    Paul said I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

    We are to love people even if they aren’t loveable, and be all things to all people. Because we have a savior who loved us. He met us where we were. In the mire of sin, he pulled us up, and now we have the opportunity to pass the torch to others.