John Pt. 5 | John 1:19-34

I want to thank Robert for stepping in and doing that for me. Times when I have to do both can be very hard. And for those that were watching the live stream to the very beginning I apologize. I had my headset on.

So all they were hearing was me. So hopefully no one was watching in the very beginning. Yeah if you will turn in your Bibles at this time to the Gospel of John this will be our fifth message in this gospel.

We will consider verses 19 through 34 the Gospel of John chapter 1. Verses 19 through 34. Let me pray our dear God and Father in Jesus name through your spirit. Please at this time speak to your people through me or let not my failure as a pastor my failure as a husband and my failure as a father interfere with this moment to speak forth your word.

Use me. I pray in Jesus name Amen. Our theme for this Lord's Day is a prophet's testimony and this is kind of a it was a kind of a hard sermon to prepare. I'm I'm looking at the testimony that that John is giving John the Baptist this testimony of a prophet like we have already walked through this several times.

Not exactly this message but what but what a testimony of a prophet is. And the testimony of a prophet was to do two things and the first they were to do is they were to prophesy about a coming Messiah.

When you look at all the prophets in the Old Testament all of them did these two things they prophesied a coming Messiah a Redeemer. Someone who was someone was going to come and he was going to write all wrongs.

And the second thing that they were to do is they were to prophesy a future judgment if the nation of Israel does not repent. The prophets came about. The many prophets came about when Israel was split into two so you had the tribe of Judah Judah and Israel the two tribes Judah and Benjamin versus the the other ten tribes prophets were sent out to them.

And they were to do those two things prophesy a coming Messiah a coming Redeemer that would bring this remnant together that would bring back Israel. And if they don't repent they don't listen they don't turn back to God.

Then God was going to judge them. And we know that John the Baptist was the very last Old Testament prophet sent to Israel. And we know that the long-awaited Messiah this Messiah that they were to be proclaiming that would come came in the person of Jesus Christ.

And we also know that this nation of Israel did not repent and judgment fell on that nation. And it's in result we can study we can read about that took place in 70 AD when Jerusalem was destroyed that the temple fell.

The Last Old Testament Prophet and the Coming Judgment

So in our outline today we're going to see the testimony of a prophet. So this will be the our first part. We're only going to get to one point today and we'll pick up next week. Today we're gonna look at the testimony of himself.

So we will see the testimony of a prophet in the testimony of himself the testimony his testimony of Jesus and the purpose of his baptism versus the purpose of Christian baptism. So there's three points we're just gonna look at one today his testimony of himself his testimony of Jesus and his baptism versus the purpose of his baptism versus the purpose of Christian baptism and all this is going to be of his testimony.

And like I mentioned earlier John the Baptist was the last Old Testament prophet sent to Israel before John. There was a period of 400 years of silence from God's people. From God has not seen he did us.

He stopped speaking to his people by way of prophets. 400 years imagine 400 years no prophets been sent to them. No word from God. The last known prophecy given to Israel before John came was a prophecy from the book of Malachi.

And this prophecy foretold of Elijah that he was coming again that Elijah who was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind was going to return again. This was there. The last word that Israel was given was that a former prophet whom you did not listen to is going to return.

And after John John the Baptist was the prophet spoken of by Moses. But since the time but since that time the time that we're speaking about there has not been a prophet since Israel in 2 ,000 years nearly 2 ,000 years since John and the prophet was sent to Israel the prophet being Jesus and we'll get to that there has not been another prophet sent to that nation in nearly 2 ,000 years.

Hebrews you don't have to turn their chapter 1 verses 1 through 2 we've walked through this. This is what it says. The writer says this is how he opens the letter long ago. And at many times and in many ways God spoke to our fathers by the prophets.

But in these last days he has spoken to us by his son whom he has appointed the heir of all things through who also he created the world. We see that very clearly in the gospel of John verse 3 all things were made through him and without him was not anything made that was made.

This is speaking of Jesus Christ the word the logos that the eternal Son of God the word the logos the creator of all things is the last prophet that was sent. And he is the prophet. And again we'll dig into that towards the end that he was the one who spoke a coming judgment the last one to speak a coming judgment against Jerusalem.

If they did not repent. Or imagine this the prophets were to do those two things that were to prophesy the coming of the Messiah. And if you do not repent judgments coming the Messiah comes. He proclaims himself before Abraham was I am.

He proclaimed himself to be the Christ. Peter said you are the Christ the Son of the Living God. He was the one who come. And he said if you do not repent. I'm just thinking of John 3 16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him will not perish.

The word perisher is to be destroyed. Whoever believes in him will not perish but will have eternal life. We do not turn to him repentance turn to God in Christ. And destruction was going to come. So this this final prophet Jesus comes to his people speaking to them about a judgment that's coming against Jerusalem if they do not repent because the prophet was standing before them.

And that this coming would be a coming on the cloud a cloud coming coming on the cloud. If you if you read the Old Testament coming on the cloud was judgment. Every time in the Old Testament where it talks about coming on a cloud it was him coming in judgment to to judge those who would not repent.

And in Matthew 24 Jesus says that he's coming on a cloud. This is judgment. This is not him surfing to earth on a cloud. This meant if you do not get yourself together I'm going to come and destroy you.

That's what coming on the cloud means. And this was at the very heart of the message of John the Baptist. So now I want to look at a prophet's testimony. What does he say of himself. So if you will join me in our first point his testimony be taken from verse 19 to verse 28.

And 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.

And he said I am NOT. Are you the prophet. And he answered no. 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. He said I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness make straight the way of the Lord.

As the prophet Isaiah said now they had been sent from the Pharisees. And they asked him then why are you baptizing if you are neither the Christ or Elijah nor the prophet. John answered them I baptized with water.

But among you stands one you do not know even he who comes after me the straps of his sandals. I am NOT worthy to untie. These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing. Things to point out things that we need to know about John.

Things that you already should know about John is that he was sent from God that he was a Levite so he was in a line of the priesthood. That he was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah and that his message was a message that would prepare the way of the Lord.

Verse 6 of our chapter tells us that he was sent from God. Look at verse 6. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. John was sent from God. This message that he came preaching is not man's message.

Right. He wasn't sent from a man. He was sent from God. The message that he came to proclaim was not man's message. This is God's message. So as you're reading as I'm reading as you're looking on and the things that he is saying this is not something that he learned from man.

This is something that comes out of his mouth from God. This is God's message. John was a prophet. And what does a prophet do. A prophet speaks what he hears from God. The gospel of Luke tells us that his father Zechariah was a priest a Levite and that he was working in the temple the day of his visitation when and his mother listen to this was one of the daughters of Aaron.

In order to be a high priest you had to be in the family of Aaron. His father was a high priest and his mother was a part of the five families. He was a daughter. She was a daughter. John was someone who who people would have known this guy could be a hair.

As a matter of fact his birth was miraculous. Right. People would have understood this. Both his his mother and his father were elderly and all of a sudden they were able to have a child through their whole life.

They were not able to have a child and all of a sudden in their old age they were able to have a child. People knew John they knew of John. This was that the child that was born to the an elderly couple.

As a matter of fact his father is a high priest and his mother is a daughter of Aaron. Imagine being a daughter of a president a daughter of some famous person. That's what Aaron was. She's a daughter of Aaron and in her old age she became pregnant.

John would have been known by the people. They're asking him who are you. They know who he is. But he did not take after his father by way of the priesthood but instead he made he made his way to the wilderness waiting until the day that he was to deliver his message.

He turned to the gospel of Luke. Be doing a lot of reading today the gospel of Luke chapter 1. This is a Zechariah basically prophesying over his son after the angel had spoken to him. Look at verse 66.

He's speaking this over his child. In you child we call the prophet of the Most High. For you will go before the Lord to prepare his way to give knowledge of salvation to his people and the forgiveness of their sins because of their tender mercy.

Because of the tender mercy of our God whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give to those who sit in darkness and then the shadow of death and to guard our feet into the way of peace. Verse 80.

And the child grew up and became strong in spirit. And he was in the wilderness. And to the day of his public appearance to Israel he did not follow in his father's footsteps. But he went into the wilderness eating bugs and clothing himself and animal skins.

John's testimony of himself was a testimony of denial. Although in Matthew chapter 11 verse 11 you can turn their Matthew chapter 11. Verse 11 he tells us that Jesus tells us that there was none born greater among women.

None born greater among women than John. Look at verse 11 11 a Matthew chapter 11. Verse 11 a truly I say to you among those born of woman there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. This is Jesus's testimony of John.

No one born among women. John the Baptist is greater than anyone born among. When he was asked who do you. When he was asked who who he was he did not give them his name. I mean of course like I said earlier I think they knew him.

I believe that they would have to know him as his father was a high. His father was a priest is his mother was a daughter of Aaron. But notice when they said who are you he did not say my name is John son of Zechariah tribe of a Levite.

He did not say his name. Well but instead he said I am NOT the Christ. Instead of saying who he was he confessed who he was not. I am NOT the Christ. Verse 21 of our chapter. And they asked him. I mean verse 20 excuse me he confessed.

He did not deny but confessed I am NOT the Christ. Which informs us that they were looking for the Christ. We know from the book of Matthew that King Herod was made aware of the birth of the king of the Jews.

So you have this king the king of the Jews. He was told that the king of the Jews is born and so he starts feeling like his kingdom is going to be taken from him. And he starts slaughtering all male children.

People knew that this Jesus this king of the Jews was born was to be born. They were looking for the Christ. They were looking for the king of the Jews. We also know that the shepherds were told about his birth by angels.

Again we see this in the gospel of Luke. Luke chapter 2 beginning in verse 8 it says. In the same region there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night and the angel appeared to them.

Speaking of the shepherds and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were filled with great fear. Imagine being in the field and all of a sudden angels appear how fearful this must have been.

And the angel said to them fear not. For behold I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all peoples. For unto us this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you.

You will find a baby wrapped and swallowing clothes laying in a manger. And all of a sudden there was an angel of multitudes of heavenly hosts praising God and saying glory to God in the highest and on earth.

Peace among those with whom he is pleased. Peace. Listen. Peace among those of whom he is pleased. When the angel went away from them into heaven the shepherds said to one another let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.

And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph in the baby lying in a manger. When they saw it they made known. Listen. They made known the saying that they had heard that were told concerning this child.

They they spread this what they have saw. They went around and they were telling people what they had saw. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured these things up and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned glorifying praising God for all they heard and seen as it had been told to them. And at the end of eight days when he was circumcised speaking of this child he was called Jesus the name given to him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Look at verse 22. And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord as it is written in the law of the Lord every male who first opens the womb shall be holy to the Lord.

He was the first one the first child of Mary. He was to be holy to the Lord and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord. A pair of turtle doves and two young pigeons. And there was a man.

Listen this. There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and this man's was righteous and devout waiting for the consolation of the Lord and the Holy Spirit was upon him and it had been revealed to him.

Listen to this. It had been revealed to him Simeon by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the spirit. And he came in the spirit into the temple.

And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said Lord now you are letting your servant depart in peace.

Now I can die. Is what he is saying according to your word for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory of your people Israel.

Look at verse 36. And there was a prophetess Anna the daughter of Penelion of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years having lived with her husband for seven years from which she was a virgin and then as a widow until she was 84 she did not depart from the temple worshiping and fasting and prayer.

Date night and day. Remember evening first then day then morning. And coming up at the very hour what hour. Whenever Simeon was talking about this she began to give thanks to God and speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

The Jews at this time were looking for the Christ. Why Herod sent out to kill shepherds. Proclaim what took place. What they saw from the angels. Simeon who was revealed to him that he would not die until he saw the Christ.

This will be in things that everyone would have knew in this town Jerusalem Jerusalem wide right. They would have knew this. Simeon is dead. He must have saw the Lord's Christ. And so when they saw Elijah that was thinking are you him.

Are you the Christ. And he says no I'm not the Christ. And that these Jews they were actually looking for three people to come. They were looking for the Christ. They were looking for Elijah. And they were looking for the Prophet again.

Back to our verse verse 20 and 21 he confessed. And he didn't. I mean he confessed. He 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. So the Christ. We've walked through this before the word Christ means. And the anointed one it's it's the the Hebrew word Messiah Mashiach. If you want to be Jewish just you know Yeshua Yamashiach.

That's why I don't talk like that. It sounds pretty weird. Jesus Yeshua Messiah Yamashiach. So Jesus the Messiah. Jesus the Christ. Jesus the anointed one. Are you. The anointed one from God the Messiah was known to.

It was known that once the Messiah came he would ransom them. He would redeem them from tyranny. That the Messiah was going to come and he's going to ride all wrongs. They didn't see themselves as being the wrongs.

It was. Rome was one in the room for enslaving them. So they figured that once this Messiah came he would free them from the hands of Rome. He would redeem them. And Elijah the the very last chapter of the book of Malachi prophesied the coming of Elijah that the Prophet eyes the Prophet.

Elijah was going to return. And last week we looked at Elijah right. A lot of Elijah was hiding in in the cave because Israel the Jews were killing the prophets and stoning those. Elijah fearful not trusting in the Lord hides himself in a cave and the Lord speaks to him in the voice and through this voice there's earthquakes there's there's a disaster.

There's rocks breaking. There's fire. And he says why are you here Elijah. Stop hiding. This same Elijah is they're waiting for him to return. We read about this prophecy in Malachi. Malachi chapter 4 verses 1 through 6.

Listen to this. You can turn there if you want to or listen it says for behold the day is coming burning like an oven when all the ignorant and all evil doers will be stubble. The day is coming and shall set them ablaze says the Lord of hosts so that it will leave them.

Neither root nor branch means it's taking the whole tree away. Whole tree is about to be taken away. It's gonna leave them neither a root nor branch. But for you who fear my name the son of righteous shall rise with healing in its wings.

You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall and you shall tread down the wicked. For they will be ashes under the soles of your feet. On the day when I act says the Lord of hosts remember the law of my servant Moses the statue and rules that I commanded him at Herbert for all Israel.

Behold right here I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord. Listen to verse 6. Listen to what are you gonna do. And he Elijah will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers lest I come and strike the land with a decree and utter of utter destruction.

John said that he was not Elijah right. John said that he was not Elijah. Verse 21. What then are you Elijah. And he said I am NOT right. Now I want us to listen to the testimony of the angel Gabriel.

This is found in the book of Luke. The gospel of Luke beginning in verse. Let's say verse chapter 1. Chapter 1. Verse 11. Gospel of Luke. Chapter 1. Verses 11 says. And there appeared to him. This is speaking of Zechariah an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

So Zechariah is in the holy place. He's in the temple. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him and fear fell upon him. And the angel of the Lord said to him do not be afraid Zechariah for your prayer has been answered and your wife Elizabeth will bear a son and you shall call his name John and he will and you will have joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his birth.

See they knew about him. For he will bring a he will be great before the Lord and he must not drink wine nor strong drink. And he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb. Or 16.

And he will turn. Listen here. He will turn the children of Israel to the Lord their God and he will go before them him in the spirit and the power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.

So he says. John says I am NOT Elijah. Book of Malachi tells us Elijah is coming and this is gonna be his ministry. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the father least I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.

And Zechariah is told by the angel. Gabriel says he will turn many children of Israel to the Lord their God and he will go before him in the spirit and the power of Elijah. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children's and the so the disobedient here would be the children to the wisdom will be to the forefathers of the just to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.

Sounds like he's saying that John is going to be Elijah. But John says I he is not Elijah. Now I want us. I mean so chapter. Let's see chapter 1 of our gospel. Gospel got John. This is what said about John of himself.

It says there is a man sent from God so we know that God's gonna send Elijah. Right here. It says there's a man is sent from God whose name is John and he will be a witness and he will bear witness about the light that all might believe through him.

Of course Elijah was going to come and turn the people's hearts. So for the most part their hearts were not turned. Agree. For the most part the children of Israel their hearts were not turned. But now I want us to look at the testimony of Jesus.

We read this earlier. Matthew chapter 11. Matthew chapter 11. I want to continue verse 11 to verse 15. This is Jesus. He says truly I say to you among those born of women there has arised no one greater than John the Baptist.

Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From that day John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and the violence had taken it by force. For all prophets.

Prophets for all prophecy mean for all the prophets in the law prophesied until John does mean right here he was the last Old Testament prophet. And if you are willing to accept it right here listen. He is Elijah who is to come.

He who has an ear let him hear. He says that he is Elijah. Turn to chapter 17. We looked at this chapter last week. Chapter 17 beginning in verse 9. So this is the mount of transfiguration. They Jesus has lifted their eyes up told him.

Do not be afraid. Verse 9. And as they were coming down speaking of Peter James and John as they were coming down the mountain Jesus commanded them. Tell no one the vision. Speaking of him they're seeing that they just saw Moses and Elijah.

And I saw Jesus transfigure his body shown like light. Tell no one the vision. Until the Son of Man is raised from the dead. And as disciples asked him then why do the scribes say first Elijah must come.

And he answered Elijah does come and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come. And they did not recognize him. But they did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man certainly will suffer at their hands.

Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist. The testimony of Jesus is that John the Baptist is Elijah. I think it's safe for us to say because of the testimony of the angel Gabriel and the testimony of Jesus that John the Baptist is Elijah who was prophesied from the book of Malachi.

I think it's also safe to say that John the Baptist did not know this of himself. John the Baptist wasn't lying. He just didn't know who he was. He was to come before the great and awesome day of the Lord.

And this would have been judgment language and I would add that that happened in 70 AD. This judgment that was to come upon them that he was probably he was preaching which we'll get into next week was speaking about 70 AD.

So the Prophet who is the Prophet again verse 21 are you. And he said I am NOT. Are you the Prophet. And he answered no. John said he wasn't the Prophet. So who is the Prophet. Who is the Prophet. So if you look at chapter I mean Deuteronomy chapter 18 I'll quickly read this.

This was the prophecy about the Prophet. This is Moses speaking. It says the Lord your God will raise up from I mean the Lord. So hold on. Yeah 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 just as you declared from just as you desired of the Lord your God at Herber on the day and assemble on the day of the assembly. When you said let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see the great fire anymore least I die speaking when he was given the Ten Commandments though the mountain was wrapped in smoke.

And the Lord said to me they are right and they are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers and I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak to them all that I command right here verse 19.

And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name I myself will require it of them. This is judgment. If you do not listen to him you will be judged. He denied that he was the Christ.

He didn't speaking of John the Baptist. He denied that he was the Christ. He denied that he was Elijah which he was. And he denied that he was the prophet. So we'll go back to our our chapter verse 22 and verse 23.

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. Here's his testimony of himself. I am a voice crying out in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord like the Prophet Isaiah has said.

And we saw this a few weeks ago. Isaiah chapter 40 beginning in verse 1 says. Comfort comfort. My people says the Lord speak tenderly to Jerusalem and cry to her for her welfare is indeed that her iniquity is as a pardoned that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all of her sins.

Right here a voice cries and the wilderness prepared the way of the Lord. Make straight in the desert the way of the highway. What was John out there doing. He was crying out to the people of Israel repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

He was crying calling them to repent that the Messiah is coming. At this time Kings and powerful men when they were traveling they would send basically what you would call road workers ahead of them. And you see like I know you watch those Western movies and you see those you know they're riding along in the trails and those trails are going like this.

And I mean my wife was watching one not long ago. What was the name of it. Was a year 1846 or something like it 18 what 1883. And I was like why don't. Why isn't that road just made straight. Why is all this windy stuff right.

Well at this time Kings they would send people ahead of them if they came and roads were like that. They were to make that path straight. If there was dips in the road they were to dig up other ground and place it in the dips.

If there was a mountain in front of them they were to chop down the mountain. They were to make straight paths for the king or a powerful person who was to come. Nothing was to be in his way. And that's what John is saying.

His position him being sent was to make way for the Lord. If there's a crooked path he is to make it straight. If there's if there's potholes he's to fill them. If there's mountains he is to chop them down.

If there's trees in the way is to remove the trees. He is to make the path of the Lord straight. That's what John was. Ladies and gentlemen that's what we are to be. If you want to know your ministry in the Christian Church we talked about our ministry in the church right.

That we are to gather together and encourage one another to do to be faithful. To encourage one another to intend church to encourage one another to love and good works. Right here this is telling us that another part of our ministry is that we are to prepare the way of the Lord.

We are to make straight his path. We are to be road workers. We are to fill potholes. We are to chop down mountains. We are to let nothing get in the way of the message. John said of himself that he was a voice that he is not the world but he is a voice that he is a lie.

He is not the lie but he is a light. And the same way we are not the word but we are to be a voice. And we are not the light but we are to be a light. The Bible calls us lampstands that we do not need to let our mess the we do not let.

We need not need to let what we speak. We do not let to let ourself be the message, yeah, we do not need to let ourself be the message of our story. Your testimony should not be you, it should be Christ.

You are not to be the hero of your own story. John made himself low. As a matter of fact, he didn't even know who he was. He was given a message that he heard from God, like you and I are given a message that we have heard from God through his word, the scriptures, the Bible.

John proclaimed his message. You and I are to proclaim the message that we have been given. His light was a reflection of the true light that came into the world. Just like you and I being lampstands, we are to be a reflection of the true light, Jesus.

Christ.

Remember I gave the analogy of the sun, the S-U-N gives its light to the moon, that at night we can see the moon in the sky because the sun is giving it its light. It's reflecting off of the sun, S-U-N, and that you and I as lampstands, that fire that lights our lamp.

We are given that as a reflection from the S-O-N. Look at verses 24 through 28, now they have been sent from the Pharisees and they asked him, then why are you baptizing? If you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet, remember the three that they were expecting.

Verse 26, John answered, I'm baptized with water, but among you stands one you do not.

Know.

Even he who comes after me, who is strapped with his sandals, I am not worthy to untie. These things took place at Bethany across the Jordan where he was baptized. At this time, the lowest servant on the totem pole, listen to this, the lowest servant on the totem pole would remove the sandals from his master's feet, and he would clean his sandals and wash his master's feet.

Imagine walking in that day with sandals, dirt, mud, poop, pee, there was no restrooms.

Like we have.

Whatever it was that their master has stepped in that day, the lowest slave on the totem pole would remove the sandals from his feet, clean the sandals, and wash his feet. That was the lowest slave on the totem pole.

And John, when he compares himself to Jesus, he says, I am unworthy to do that. I am unworthy to remove the sandals from Jesus' feet, to clean the poop, and to wash his feet. To clean the dirt, to remove the poop from the feet of Christ.

He says, I'm not worthy to do this.

One is coming.