Scripture reveals John as both the forerunner who announced Jesus and the apostle who witnessed and wrote about the incarnate Word of God.
Scripture on Who Was John
John 1:1-3
New Testament
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things have been made; without him nothing has been made that has been made."
John 1:14
New Testament
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Matthew 3:13-14
New Testament
"Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?'"
John 1:29
New Testament
"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'"
1 John 1:1-2
New Testament
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us."
The Bottom Line
John the Baptist pointed to Jesus; John the apostle pointed others to Jesus—one announced Him, the other explained Him.
Try Today
Read through the Gospel of John (chapters 1-3) and notice how John the apostle keeps drawing attention away from himself and toward Jesus.
Prayer
Jesus invited His disciples into intimacy with truth—'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples' (John 8:31).
Father, thank You for John—both the Baptist who humbled himself and the apostle who leaned on Your chest. Help me see Jesus as clearly as John did, not as a distant figure but as the Word made flesh, full of grace and truth. Quiet my pride that wants to be noticed, and give me courage to point others to Jesus even when it costs me recognition. Make me a faithful witness like John was. In Jesus' name, Amen.
📚 Read the Gospel of John
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