Well then, come and see, and therefore the two disciples heard and followed. John 1:36-42.

 Previously we learned that a primary function of John the baptizer’s mission served was to announce that Jesus was manifested to Israel.

Did that happen?

Yes, but from a human standpoint, many looked at the baptizer as a crazy man; after all, look at what he wore and ate.

When the Jewish leaders showed up, he challenged them, calling them vipers – a term that gave them an association with the serpent that Moses raised up on the pole; it represented evil, poison, and death. It is challenging to perceive John as a live-screen billboard declaring that the Messiah is here. With a rant like this, you might be inclined to say that God was unfair toward the Jewish leadership, seeing as the voice doing the announcing, though a son of a priest himself, was, at best, peculiar. But never forget that at Jesus’ birth, in Bethlehem, there was, what we assume, an astrological alignment of stars that effectively pointed right to the spot where the Messiah was born.

Did the Jewish leadership accept that fact even though it was declared through the Torah and the Tenach, books that are the foundations of our faith and lead us to Yahshua, the Messiah?

No, those same leaders were quickly brought before Herod because he became alarmed that a relatively large entourage was coming their way and may have been a threat to Herod’s rule. So he asked the Jews if they knew what was going on; they did, and they quoted the words. Ah, but the Jews refused to accept this baby as the Messiah.

Approximately thirty years later, they are no less inclined to accept Jesus as the Messiah.

“Again the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 
(John 1:35-36 NASB)

I began looking for a translation that would solidify this statement with a Jewish feel and perhaps give us a blast of clarity. Look at what I found; I prefer something else to this translation, but with three words, it dominates the reality of why Jesus was here. 

“He looked up, saw Jesus walking nearby, and said, “Here he is, God’s Passover Lamb.”
(John 1:36 MSG)

“He” is referring to John, the baptizer.

Serving as the Passover lamb is one of the functions of Jesus as the Messiah.

What do we have that bears witness to this statement? 

“And Abraham said, My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering. So they both went together.”
(Genesis 22:8 MKJV)

Statements such as John’s and what we see in Genesis 22:8 could be interpreted in at least two ways. One would be that God would arrange to have a sacrifice provided, which is precisely what God did in the case of Abraham and Isaac. The other way of reading this passage conveys that God would provide Himself as the lamb, which is precisely what God did for those who believe and follow.

John the baptizer said of Jesus, Behold the Lamb of God. Every Jew hearing this bold assertion made a prompt association with: 

• The forgiveness of sin; 

• The faithful actions of Abraham as he made the substitutionary sacrifice and, therefore, did not kill Issac, his firstborn – according to the promise; 

• The lamb that was slain on the night of the Passover. The blood of that lamb was painted on the doorposts and the lentil as a symbol of God's possession, and it became protection from the wrath that was to come upon the firstborn of everyone not covered by the blood that night.

If they had been willing to see, (This simple phrase carries a broad meaning as the “they” would have been inclusive of any in Egypt, whether they followed the lead of God's people that night. It is not likely that they would have painted the blood because there was more to it than that, but there was nothing that prevented a scared Egyptian from seeking shelter from the wrath, which, if you follow that logic through, speaks volumes about a God of mercy that is beyond my comprehension.) they would have seen that the Messiah would be the substitutionary sacrifice, removing the penalty for all sin and all humanity. Like the Jews that day, we all have to apply some faith and trust in Him, receiving Him as the King over our lives.

“The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.” 
(John 1:37 NASB)

Context! The Apostle John refers to John – the baptizer, as the speaker. 

The Apostle John (and yes, I am aware that John was not given this title until much later, but it helps, especially here, to identify who is talking), when talking about events that included himself, never inserted his own name. This could be what is happening here in John 1:37. And that is the story I am going to hold to unless there is a historical account that details who this other disciple was.

Does the Apostle John's intentionally vague acknowledgment of himself affect the message and our perception? 

Not as long as we pay attention to the context.

An example of context that gave me trouble occurred as I looked at Matthew’s account of the briefing initiated in Matthew 24:1 that Jesus gave to the disciples on the Mount of Olives. 

“Now when Yeshua went out and was going away from the Temple, His disciples came up to point out to Him the Temple buildings.”
(Matthew 24:1 TLV)

Assuming you realize that none of the disciples understood that Jesus was to be the substitutionary sacrifice because they were looking for Him to be the military rescuer of Israel that would relieve them from Roman rule and oppression. As I read Matthew 24:1, the disciples come across as traumatized war veterans, and the fact that they had to defer to alluding to the megalithic stones that were part of the temple’s construction, which was well-known to all, was nothing less than bizarre and obviously, embedded in some previous action or conversation. I returned to Matthew 22 to find the context surrounding the question and Jesus’ response. The point here is that you must be willing to do your appropriate homework.

We are told these two disciples followed the Messiah, whether or not they fully understood or believed. 

Follow is the Greek word akolouthéō, and means to attend, accompany, go with, or follow a teacher.

Isn’t this what He desires from us today - To attend, accompany, and stay close by His side as we follow Him?

“Yeshua turned around and saw them following. He said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is translated as Teacher), “where are you staying?”
(John 1:38 TLV)

The Modern King James Version indicates that He said, “what do you seek?” Whether Jesus rudely asked, “What are you looking for?” is irrelevant and improper because He would not have been blatantly rude. I find it easier to believe that He said, “what do you seek?” Both versions of the question are rather open-ended and could imply a variety of responses. What the Jews sought was Jesus, a rabbi that could and would teach them and lead them; regrettably, they did not fully realize that.

Just the day before, Jesus had been baptized by John and had not only the Holy Spirit come upon Him, but the Father acknowledged Him as the Son in whom He was well pleased. In a sense, we did not see Him leave.

Strangely, Matthew records this as though there is a precise chronological timeline.

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.”
(Matthew 4:1-2 NASB)

Where did John the baptizer do most of his baptizing?

“Now in those days John the Baptist *came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,”
(Matthew 3:1 NASB)

It was south of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. That is approximately 87 long miles by foot between Capernaum and Judea. So Jesus did not make any overnight round trips between these two points.

It is Matthew that tells us that Jesus had just come from Galilee.

Then Jesus *arrived from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him.
(Matthew 3:13 NASB)

For them to ask Him where He was staying, especially when He doesn't live around the area, tends to indicate that they were looking for permanence in their relationship with Him.

“Come and see,” Yeshua tells them. So they came and saw where He was staying, and they spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour.”
(John 1:39 TLV)

The series, “The Chosen,” initiated their series with these very words, Come and See. Those words still ring true in contrast to I don't believe, well then, come and see.

The Lamb of God willingly proved who He was and still is today, consistent.

“Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John speak and followed Yeshua.”
(John 1:40 TLV)

All this proves is that Andrew, the brother of Simon, the fisherman, became one of Jesus' first disciples based upon what he heard from Jesus and a drive to follow Him.

“First he finds his own brother Simon and tells him, “We’ve found the Messiah!” (which is translated Anointed One).”
(John 1:41 TLV)

So Andrew goes and finds his brother Simon. He tells him, “we have found the Messiah!” The Complete Jewish Bible states, (CJB)  "We've found the Mashiach!" (The word means "one who has been anointed.")

The word Mashiach is the Greek word Messias. It is a proper noun transliterated from the Hebrew term Māshı̄ach. It corresponds with the Greek word Christós. The words are meant to indicate a consecrated or anointed person. In ancient times not only the king, but also the priest and the prophet were consecrated to their calling by being anointed. In the OT, the word is used in its literal sense, meaning one who has been anointed. This understanding of the OT is the manner in which those hearing Andrew's exclamation would have been directed. [Word Study Dictionary]

“Andrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated as Peter).”
(John 1:42 BSB)

In just a matter of hours, Peter is standing before Jesus/Yahshua.

Did he realize that this was the Mashiach that they longed for?

I doubt it, but then there was the Holy Spirit coming upon Jesus and that voice that called Him the beloved Son.

Nonetheless, Jesus, in the process of introducing Himself, immediately designates Peter as Cephas, or, as the Tree of Life version, which was written for Messianic church groups, indicates that Peter was to be called Kefa (which is translated as Peter).” We have been told over the years that this name applied to Peter, meaning the rock - an indication that he was to be solid, steadfast, and dependable.

If you watch The Chosen, they show Peter's frailties. While scripture does show us those things, it does show us Peter's reactionary actions in the garden when cutting off Malchus' ear, and we are shown his denial and how it affected Peter. After Jesus' death, Peter seems to have reverted back to being a fisherman, and a few others joined him. The fascinating end to this story was Jesus' way of handling Peter by calling him back into the game, eating lunch with the men, and directly reaffirming Peter, just as He does with us.

He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. John 1:32-35.

 Previously I told you about an unusual statement from John the baptizer.

"I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water." (John 1:31 NASB)

If I focus on the first part of the sentence, it is nothing less than muddy water as I try to find the scriptural references that validate who the “He” is that should be manifested to Israel. Because there are always those who will say you are not very bright if you can't figure out that this is Jesus.
In response to that domineering attitude, you need to understand my calling. I write for Christians that will not or have not picked up a Bible with enough frequency to say whether something is right or wrong.

A quick look at Revelation 12 could quickly answer any question that this is Jesus.

“A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she *cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. And his tail *swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.”
(Revelation 12:1-5 NASB)

The problem that most would have is that Jesus is NOT yet governing with a rod of iron. He is ruling, but currently, within the age of grace that we now live in, He rules with mercy and grace. This era will soon come to an end as all things are falling rapidly into place, and then He will break out the rod of iron, but since the church will be with Him, then you need to know that this rod is NOT for the church.

What things in Revelation 12:1-5 tell us of Jesus?

• The woman clothed with the sun is Israel.

• “ A great sign appeared in heaven,” along with the sun, moon, and stars (or planetary alignments), are astronomical alignments and mean something. The problem is that we seem to make a religion out of these events. This particular star alignment has come and gone just a couple of years ago (It is currently 02/13/2023.)

• This labor and pain to give birth have much to do with Israel becoming a nation on May 14, 1948.

  As a side note, we are told that “this generation” shall not pass away. This verse below bursts with prophetic fullness like a tree full of ripe figs.

  "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. "Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”
  (Matthew 24:32-34 NASB)

• The male child is Jesus, but some will say, He is NOT ruling the nations with a rod of iron and, therefore, unbelievable.

  Would you prefer a rod of iron?

  That would be crazy if you did. So, there is yet a time to come when this happens. If you are a “follower” of Christ and don't know Jesus ruling in this manner only occurs during the millennial reign. The world has to go through seven years of God's wrath before this rule over the nations will come.

• And, there are few who do not realize that the dragon is Satan; he, of course, has several names and titles, such as serpent, beast, and Lucifer.

While I could use the information above to answer my questions, I am trying to keep my attention on witnesses from the Torah, as much of what Jesus and the Apostle Paul said came from the Torah. If reaching the heart of the Jewish community was essential to me, then adhering to the Torah is beneficial; this is especially true since most of the Jewish community refuses to see the Jewishness that explodes from Matthew’s account merely because it is in the New Testament and, therefore, a Gentile book and of no importance.

The book of Acts gives us a massive clue as to what John the baptizer was talking about.

"Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. "After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, 'I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.' "From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus,”
(Acts 13:21-23 NASB)

There was NO resurrection of King David, so this is talking about God's Son, Jesus, and scripture takes Jesus' heritage back to David.

“The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:”
(Matthew 1:1 NASB)

The baptizer “gave further evidence.”

“John gave further evidence, saying, I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and it dwelt on Him [never to depart]. And I did not know Him nor recognize Him, but He Who sent me to baptize N1in (with) water said to me, Upon Him Whom you shall see the Spirit descend and remain, that One is He Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I have seen [that happen--I actually did see it] and my testimony is that this is the Son of God!”
(John 1:32-34 AMPC+)

• He (John the baptizer) saw the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and it dwelt on Him (never to depart.)

  The Apostle John, thirty-plus years after the event, is writing about the circumstances that initiated Jesus' three and one half year ministry.

  A quote from (https://catholicproductions.com/blogs/blog/jesus-and-the-disciples-of-john-the-baptist), tells us what I was starting to see in scripture.

  “In this case the two disciples aren’t named yet, we’re going to find out in a minute that one of them is Andrew, one of them is Simon Peter's brother; the other disciple who is unnamed, scholars have speculated as to his identity; many scholars actually think that this is the first reference to the author of the Gospel of John himself, to the beloved disciple St. John, who will frequently refer to himself in the third person, and will not always identify himself explicitly.  Is there any way to prove that? No, we don't know for certain.”

I am trying to remember, with no success, if it was taught to us as children or if we were just made to assume that the Apostle John had been a disciple of the baptizer. As this article explains, the problem is that there is nothing in scripture to prove that argument. So I can't assume that the Apostle John witnessed any of the events of that day.

It borders on criminal that we were not guided to understand that “ it (the Holy Spirit) dwelt on Him [never to depart].” [AMP]

The Tree of Life version is the product of the Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society, therefore their usage of the Hebrew word rûach, which has a similar meaning to the Greek word pneuma. Pneuma is understood as a current of air or someone's breath.

“Then John testified, “I have seen the Ruach coming down like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on Him.”
(John 1:32 TLV)

A translation like the NASB conveys what John said: “ I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.” [NASB]

The prophet Isaiah was amazing. I can't understand how he could write if the words filled his eyes with joyous tears, as mine are now.

"Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.”
(Isaiah 42:1 NASB)

Still looking at John 1:32-34 AMP, where it tells us that the Spirit, the breath of the Father, remained upon Him.

Remained - meno¯; a prim. vb.; to stay, abide, remain: The KJV uses the word abode; surely you can see the correlation. The UCRT gives us these passages that speak about the lasting actions of the Holy Spirit, the ruach. Isa_11:2; Isa_61:1, Mat_12:18, Luk_4:1, Act_2:3; *Act_10:38.

A witness to the baptizer's words comes again from Isaiah.

"The Rûach of Adonai will rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and insight, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Adonai."
(Isaiah 11:2 TLV)

The NASB puts it this way - The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him

The word rest, what does that mean?

Brown, Driver, and Briggs's commentary tell us that it means to settle down and remain. The Word Study Dictionary also points out that it means to pause. It goes on to say, "It has many uses. Its main uses are summarized here: (1) to rest, to settle, to settle down,"

Are you beginning to realize that the pneuma or the rûach, if you wish, has alighted itself upon you with the Spirit of the almighty God.

Pause is such an inappropriate word to describe the Holy Spirit. Mind you, the Spirit will instruct you to pause at times, although you may only perceive this pause as something restraining you. I have experienced this in my own life, especially when the things I hear or see in my spirit could cause more damage; not that God goes around causing damage, but what if you said something, like an obvious sin, that could cause the recipient emotional harm because most of them around you in “church” are not safe. They will, in time, go on the attack against vulnerable persons. I am speaking from experience (It has happened to me.)

“I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.”
(John 1:33 BSB)

It is the Holy Spirit of God that brings liberty to the captives.

"The Spirit of Adonai Elohim is on me, because Adonai has anointed me to proclaim Good News to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound,"
(Isaiah 61:1 TLV)

The vital aspect of this brief discussion is the word Rûach / or Spirit. This is the Holy Spirit. Note the translation of the next verse.

"The Spirit of the Almighty LORD is with me because the LORD has anointed me to deliver good news to humble people. He has sent me to heal those who are brokenhearted, to announce that captives will be set free and prisoners will be released." (Isaiah 61:1 GW)

Consider that these are the words that Jesus declared in the synagogue - an aspect and part of His initiation into His time of ministry on the earth. So don't think for a minute that His ministry has ceased, for He still intercedes for you and me.

Why do that?

1. Because He understands and cares.

“(for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him, "THE LORD HAS SWORN AND WILL NOT CHANGE HIS MIND, 'YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER'"); so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him since He always lives to make intercession for them.
(Hebrews 7:21-25 NASB)

2. We have an enemy that is persistent in accusing us before God.

   “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.”
   (Revelation 12:10 NASB)

That same Spirit is constantly working on our behalf.

“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
(Romans 8:26-27 NASB)

Don't you wonder if others heard God's voice that day. John 1:30, 31.

 I can hear the sarcasm in John's voice as he says

“This is the One about whom I told you, ‘He who comes after me is above me, because He was before me.’”
(John 1:30 TLV)

John is not only Jesus' cousin, but we might rightly assume they spent time hanging out with each other. If that is true, then John may have had a loose understanding of what was coming. But, then again, separated by the miles of dirt paths that have to be walked, they may not have had insight into each other's ministerial plans.

As we watched the second episode of season two of The Chosen, we were given scenes and conversations that may have happened; this creates an illusion that could lead you astray if you do not know the Biblical narrative. For example, as the episode begins, we are introduced to Nathaniel, an architect. The problem is that the scriptures do not tell us that Nathaniel was an architect nor that he had a hand in a construction project that collapsed and no one died. The only passage that refers to some structure falling comes from Luke’s gospel, but it has no association with any names. So to assign this to one character is pure assumption.

“Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Siloam fell and were killed, do you suppose that they are worse sinners than all the people living in Jerusalem?”
(Luke 13:4 TLV)

We assume that John recognized Jesus, and perhaps rightfully so, but you cannot exclude the insight of the Holy Spirit. My experience with the Holy Spirit has been one of taking some embarrassing risks if it does not go well. Fortunately, most of my exhibitions of faith worked out well.

John's next sentence was earth-shaking and, to many Pharisees, blasphemous.

• “ He who comes after me is above me, because He was before me.”

I am always, as the British say, gobsmacked when I hear someone say Jesus never claimed to be God. With a statement like John's, he did not have to. In the previous post, I talked about the Pharisees saying to John, who are you? This thickheaded question becomes more obvious when you realize that John's father, Zacharias, was a priest.

“In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.”
(Luke 1:5-7 NASB)

Zacharias, on a particular sabbath, was doing his customary service.

“Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him.”
(Luke 1:8-12 NASB)

If you were an older man, who longed for a son, what would you do when you found out that your wife, who, too, is old, is pregnant? You would probably dance.

“But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb. "And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.”
(Luke 1:13-16 NASB)

Now, in light of John's declaration, we have this.

"It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
(Luke 1:17 NASB)

John, the baptizer, said, “ He who comes after me is above me, because He was before me.” This becomes odd, knowing full well that John is at least a couple of months older and started his “ministry” before Jesus officially stepped out onto the world’s stage. Nevertheless, in saying He was before me, John acknowledges that Jesus is God and, as the Apostle John’s gospel declares, Jesus. The baptizer did not write these words, but he seemed to understand that Jesus was everything that the Apostle John expressed.

“In the beginning the Word already existed.” 

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was already with God in the beginning. Everything came into existence through him. Not one thing that exists was made without him. He was the source of life, and that life was the light for humanity.”
(John 1:1-4 GW)

The God's Word translation says it this way.

“He is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘A man who comes after me was before me because he existed before I did.’” (John 1:30 GW)

In the light of the lunacy that a man can have a baby, John announced that Yeshua, the man, was coming.

Do you not realize that it was His choice to become a man (we are told “for the joy set before Him,) and that He remains a man, next to God the Father, to this day, and He will forever be a man, with us, through eternity? 

Many translations convey John 1:31 like this “I didn’t know Him.” Again, the series The Chosen created an image that I long to be true in my mind and spirit. John the baptist is brash, outspoken in the show, and has a standard Jewish, sarcastic wit. Jesus, on the other hand, is calm and refined, considering we encounter Him living in a tent on the edge of a forested area with water nearby, and He, too, is adept at Jewish sarcasm. So for the baptizer to say, “I didn’t know Him,” is absurd.

The NLT makes more sense to me.

“I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”
(John 1:31 NLT)

To validate the idea that John did not recognize the calling upon Jesus or who He was, you have to consider that John sent some of his own disciples to ask Jesus if he was the one they had been waiting for.

At a point in the narrative, John has been imprisoned for speaking out against Herod having his brother’s wife. An essential piece of information about Herod, which we sort of glaze over, was that Herod part Jewish. This may have made Herod somewhat open to Jewish ideas and ways. John the baptist sent some of his remaining disciples; several, like James, John, and Philip, had broken off from John and joined Jesus’ ranks.

“Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”

“John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.”
(Matthew 11:2-5 NLT)

• “but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”

I covered the baptism of John in a previous post on John chapter one, but let’s say that baptism was performed in the Torah primarily for cleansing rituals. It was also associated with laying the priest’s hands upon the scapegoat, releasing the person from their sins, as they watched the goat be released into the wilderness, never to be seen again (Jesus fulfilled that role for us.) The oddity is Jesus’ response to John, for John had said, I need to be baptized by you. Jesus told him that He needed to fulfill all righteousness. 

“Let it be so on this occasion,” Jesus replied, “for so we ought to fulfill every religious duty.” Then he consented;.”
(Matthew 3:15 Weymouth)

If the priesthood had made baptism a law, then Jesus participated merely to quiet their ability to say that Jesus circumvented the law.

The question was rather specific toward the Jewish community, but doesn't it apply to us as well?

Of course, it does because all scripture...

“All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for restoration, and for training in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:16 TLV)

The “Tree of Life Version” quotes the baptizer as saying, “so that He might be revealed to Israel.” 

Did John's actions cause Jesus to be revealed to Israel?

Not necessarily, although God surely sent His own endorsement by announcing that this was His beloved Son in whom He was well pleased. I will use Matthew's account even though Jesus had not yet begun gathering disciples to Himself, which makes Matthew's account feel odd because we read the gospels as though these men were standing there. Luke's gospel is said to have been from Peter's recollections.

Does this diminish what we read?

No, it should cause you to rejoice as these accounts validate and add detail others left out. Mark's gospel is another second-hand account.; and yet, Mark's gospel, as Dr. Chuck Missler related, is a fast-action, cinematic style, as Mark details events like the lepers who came to Jesus for healing, but only one would come back to give Him thanks.

“In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him, and a voice came out of the heavens: "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased."
(Mark 1:9-11 NASB)

The Tree of Life version conveys this scene in this manner.

“In those days, Yeshua came from Natzeret in the Galilee and was immersed by John in the Jordan. Just as He was coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens ripping open and the Ruach as a dove coming down upon Him. And there came a voice from the heavens: “You are My Son, whom I love; with You, I am well pleased!”
(Mark 1:9-11 TLV)

The differences may not be critical, but one that catches my attention could be. Note how the NASB ends with “You are my beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” The proud and acknowledging statement about how Jesus is beloved is common in most translations, and it is how I would expect the Father to react. But the TLV merely says, “You are My Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased!” Suddenly I realized that, in a way, both translations made the same affirmations. If I place it on paper in a different format and mentally apply some actor's voice, as he wears a regal outfit, then it makes more sense.

You are My Son,

whom I love;

with You, I am well pleased!
(This exclamation, in my mind, comes across as a loud stamp of approval.)

Now, this, no matter what order the words fell into the sentence, would have announced Jesus to the world.

Immediately, I heard the Holy Spirit say, okay, what about the angels singing and shining a light upon the manger the night He was born.

Do you think that the priests, Pharisees, and high council saw and knew about what was happening that night?

They did and admitted as much upon questioning by Herod.

Don't you wonder if others heard God's voice that day?

The problem was that the crowd standing around may not have heard those words, but I cannot confirm or deny such a statement and must therefore ignore it; the reason is that there are examples of God speaking, like through a burning bush that was NOT consumed, but Moses heard the voice. When Moses went up to the mountain and God spoke to him, all the people could hear was thunder. On the Mount of Olives, when Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus, God spoke, and the three disciples heard what He said. So it goes both ways.

God is speaking to all of us in many ways. Some of the more recent manners would be the massive earthquakes impacting Turkey and Syria; as of 2/11/23, the combined death toll has surpassed 25,000. And, all the while, Russia is systematically blowing Ukraine to pieces.

We, the church, are seeing the last throws before the church is removed from the earth. This sort of sounds like a science fiction account, but it is not. Jesus, in response to the disciples questioning, gave them a detailed report of events that would come about just before His wrath is to be poured out upon the earth. All the methods and players are in place for an attempt at global domination, and the things we are experiencing and witnessing are mere children's toys compared to what is coming. The tribulation years will be hell on earth, and it will be non-stop.

My suggestion to you is to put your faith and trust in Jesus.