John 1:19-34 | What's the connection?

In a broad stroke, a very important connection is being made. As the Gospel of John begins, he highlights this figure that is identified as the Word. This Word is the Light and is God and has relation to God. While we know who is being talked about, the name of Jesus is never actually mentioned. The testimony of John the Baptist serves as a connection, both in this narrative and in history, that the One who preceded all in this way is none other than Jesus of Nazareth. The stage had been set for the main role to be taken and John is serving as the announcer for He who was to fulfill that role.

Now as we understand baptism in the modern day, we tend to understand it through it being a response to us being born again. We understand that people were not really born again before Jesus' death and resurrection. So the question has been commonly posed - why is John baptizing?

What is not commonly understood is that baptism is not something that came about after Jesus. It was a theme that had existed prior to Jesus. Paul actually highlights one major baptism event in 1 Corinthians 10,

Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
-1 Cor. 10:1-2

What had happened as they passed through the waters? Well quite literally, a dividing line came about. The wickedness that was determined to follow them (Egypt) was washed away in the waters of the Red Sea. They stepped out toward the waters which became dry ground as people who belonged to Egypt. Upon passing through, they were a people belonging to God. This is an incredible image of repentance. It was a change of mind, a change of action and lifestyle. It was a change of identity.

The image of baptism is understood all throughout Scripture as something that would cleanse, or typify of cleansing from, wickedness. It was by the waters of immersion that the wickedness was cleansed from the Earth in Noah's day. It was by the waters of immersion that Israel was free from Egypt. It was the waters of immersion that marked Israel being a new creation from those who wandered in the wilderness. So as John baptizes in the baptism of repentance, these are those who are making a declaration that they are devoted to the Lord.

While this water baptism typifies of a death of wickedness and a purification, the baptism that John speaks of concerning Jesus testifies of life. Where the letter killed, the Spirit gives life. While the first Adam brought forth death, the last Adam, Jesus, became a life-giving spirit.

The testimony is clear from the start of John to the end of this passage. As the Lord breathed life into mankind, so Jesus came to breath life again. We have a spirit because it was given by the Lord. So the Lord renews this spirit.

What connections are you seeing?