John the Baptist Testifies to Jesus

19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent[a] priests and Levites from Jerusalem so that they could ask him, “Who are you?” 20 And he confessed—and he did not deny, and confessed—“I am not the Christ!” 21 And they asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not!” “Are you the Prophet?”[b] And he answered, “No!”

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Footnotes

  1. John 1:19 Some manuscripts have “sent to him”
  2. John 1:21 A reference to the “Prophet like Moses” of Deut 18:15 (see Acts 3:22)

John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah

19 Now this was John’s(A) testimony when the Jewish leaders[a](B) in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”(C)

21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”(D)

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”(E)

He answered, “No.”

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Footnotes

  1. John 1:19 The Greek term traditionally translated the Jews (hoi Ioudaioi) refers here and elsewhere in John’s Gospel to those Jewish leaders who opposed Jesus; also in 5:10, 15, 16; 7:1, 11, 13; 9:22; 18:14, 28, 36; 19:7, 12, 31, 38; 20:19.