January 11, 2026
Teacher: Mike Laughrun
John 20:31
but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Who was John the Baptist?
John 1:6-8
(6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. (7) He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. (8) He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
Mark 1:6
Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.
John 1:19-29
(19) And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” (20) He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” (21) And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” (22) 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?” (23) He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” (24) (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) (25) They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” (26) John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, (27) even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” (28) These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. (29) The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Big Truth:
Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away sin.
What was the ministry of John the Baptist?
John 1:22-23
(22) 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?” (23) He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
Luke 3:3-6
(3) And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (4) As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. (5) Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, (6) and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'”
Why was John the Baptist necessary?
Luke 3:3-8
(7) He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (8) Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
What was the message of John the Baptist?
Matthew 3:1-2
(1) In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, (2) “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
John 1:25-29
(25) They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” (26) John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, (27) even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” (28) These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. (29) The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Big Idea:
Jesus the Lamb fulfills God’s promise of a Savior.
John 1:29
Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Genesis 3:15
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
Genesis 3:21
And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.
Genesis 22:13-14
(13) And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. (14) So Abraham called the name of that place, “The LORD will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”
Exodus 12:3, 5, 7, 13
(3) Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. … (5) Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, … (7) “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. … (13) The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
Leviticus 16:3, 5, 7, 9, 15, 20-22
(3) But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: (7) Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting. … (9) And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the LORD and use it as a sin offering, … (15) “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. … (20) “And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. (21) And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. (22) The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.
Isaiah 53:4-7
(4) Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. (5) But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. (6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned–every one–to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (7) He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
Revelation 5:5-6
(5) And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” (6) And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
John the Baptist continues…
John 1:29-31
(29) The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (30) This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ (31) I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”
BIg idea:
Jesus the Lamb is God in the flesh.
John 1:30
This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’
John 1:15
John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'”
John 1:26-27
(26) John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, (27) even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”
Greater Testimony from the Father
John 1:26-27, 32-34
(26) John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, (27) even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” … (32) And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. (33) I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ (34) And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
Mark 1:9-11
(9) In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. (10) And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. (11) And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
John 20:31
…but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
this week: John 1:19-34
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