Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 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?" He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the LORD,”’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” (vv.19-23)
We have already learned that John the Baptist came for a witness (John 1:7 and 1:15). Now we learn what his testimony regarding Jesus was. With emphasis, John told the Jewish leaders who he was not. He did not come to focus attention on himself, because he was not the Messiah. His job was to point to the Messiah. Thus the gospel writer was making it clear to his readers that John the Baptist did not claim to be more than he was.
It might have been easy for the priests and Levites from Jerusalem to associate John the baptist with Elijah because of his personality and because of the promise that Elijah would come before the Day of the LORD (Malachi 4:5-6). However, John was careful to never say of himself that he was Elijah. Yet Jesus noted that in a sense, John was Elijah, ministering in his office and spirit (Matthew 11:13-14 and Mark 9:11-13). John even denied being a Prophet because in Deuteronomy 18:15-19 God promised that another prophet would come in due time, and based on that passage, they expected another Prophet to come, and wondered if John was he. Yet John still took no credit.
John's answer to their question, "Who are you?" came from Isaiah 40:3, “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the LORD.”’ John’s real function was not to teach ethics, but to point men to Jesus. The religious leaders wanted to know who John was, and he wasn’t really interested in answering that question. He wanted to talk about his mission: to prepare the way for the Messiah. Getting people to see their need for a Savior.
John explained to the religious leaders that he was not the focus of his work, but the One who was already among them. John’s work was to prepare the way for the One, "Whose sandal strap I (he) am not worthy to loose."
The Truth: "I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Matthew 3:11)
