17 For athe law was given through Moses, butbgrace and ctruth came through Jesus Christ.
18aNo one has seen God at any time. bThe only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
A Voice in the Wilderness
19 Now this is athe testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20aHe 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 athe Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”
23 He said: a“I am b‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.
25 And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 John answered them, saying, a“I baptize with water, bbut there stands One among you whom you do not know.
27aIt is He who, coming after me,1 is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”
28 These things were done ain Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
The Lamb of God
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! aThe Lamb of God bwho takes away the sin of the world!
30 This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who1 is preferred before me, for He was before me.’
31 I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, atherefore I came baptizing with water.”
32aAnd John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.
33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, athis is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
34 And I have seen and testified that this is the aSon of God.”
The First Disciples
35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.
36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, a“Behold the Lamb of God!”
37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they afollowed Jesus.
38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”
John the Baptist knew in advance what the Jews were thinking because he knew their beliefs about Elijah. This is why he answered I am not Elijah. Since he was preaching and doing certain things they expected that he was Elijah. He left out the definite article saying no I am not Elijah because he probably did not know at this time that he was the Elijah of Malachi 4:5 so he answered honestly the only way he could no I am not the resurrected Elijah.
John 1:19-21
When John the Baptist replied, he knew in advance what they were thinking because he knew what the Jews believed in regard to Elijah. This is why he answered, "I am not Elijah." In other words, since he was preaching and doing certain things, they expected that he was Elijah. The definite article is left out: "No. I am not Elijah."
The reason he answers this way is because he probably did not know at this time that he was the Elijah of Malachi 4:5, so he answered honestly the only way he could: "No, I am not the resurrected Elijah."
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John the Baptist knew in advance what the Jews were thinking because he knew their beliefs about Elijah. This is why he answered I am not Elijah. Since he was preaching and doing certain things they expected that he was Elijah. He left out the definite article saying no I am not Elijah because he probably did not know at this time that he was the Elijah of Malachi 4:5 so he answered honestly the only way he could no I am not the resurrected Elijah.