Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
Parallel translations
- WEB You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before him.’
- BSB You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of Him.’
- NKJV You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’
- NASB You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’
- NLT You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
John reminds his disciples that he plainly said he is not the Christ but the one sent ahead of him. He reaffirms his role as forerunner, not Messiah.
Overview
John recalls his earlier, public disclaimers (John 1:20) to settle the dispute. He is the herald sent before the King, never the King himself. This clear self-understanding frees him to rejoice rather than resent Jesus' growing influence.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- John 1:20And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
- John 1:23He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
- Matt 3:11–12I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
- Luke 1:16–17And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
- John 1:25And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
- Mal 3:1Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
- Luke 1:76And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
- Matt 3:3For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
- Mark 1:2–3As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
- Luke 3:4–6As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
- Mal 4:4–5Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.
- John 1:27He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 3:28 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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