John 1:15 contains the testimony of John the Baptizer, who declares the preeminence of Jesus. By stating that Jesus "existed before me," despite Jesus being born after him, John the Baptizer emphasizes Jesus’s eternal nature and divine origin. This verse supports the central theme of John’s gospel: Jesus is not merely a great teacher or prophet but the eternal Word who surpasses all others.
John 1:15John 1:15 commentary, commentary supports the remarkable but true claims of John 1:14John 1:14 commentary and commentary the thesis of John’s gospel, which is that Jesus is the eternal Word who created the universe, who came in human form to earth.
Having made the chief assertion that God became human and lived among us, revealing His divine glory (John 1:14John 1:14 commentary), John now reinforces this spectacular claim with the historical testimony of John the Baptizer.
John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me’” (v 15).
The John who is mentioned here is John the Baptizer (not John the author of this gospel and one of Jesus’s twelve disciples). John the Baptizer was previously mentioned in the prologue:
“There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.” (John 1:6-8John 1:6-8 commentary)
John the Baptizer was Jesus’s cousin. His father was Zacharias the priest and his mother was Elizabeth, the relative of Mary, mother of Jesus (Luke 1:36Luke 1:36 commentary). John was miraculously born to his parents when they were both extremely old and beyond the age when couples were able to conceive a child without God’s power (Luke 1:7Luke 1:7 commentary).
Gabriel the angel told Zacharias while he was serving in the temple that he and his wife would have a son (Luke 1:8-13Luke 1:8-13 commentary). Zacharias’s son was to be the prophesied forerunner who prepared the way for the Messiah (Luke 1:14-17Luke 1:14-17 commentary). When Zacharias heard this, he doubted the angel’s message, and was struck mute until the prophecy was fulfilled and he named the baby John when his son was eight days old (Luke 1:18-20Luke 1:18-20 commentary).
John’s lifestyle was unusual. He was an extreme aesthetic, dwelling in the wilderness and relying on God for his sustenance. He wore clothing made of camel’s hair with a leather belt, and ate locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4Matthew 3:4 commentary). His lifestyle was part of his message of spiritual preparation for the coming of the Messiah. John’s humble way of life reflected his role as a prophet, calling the people to repentance and detachment from worldly comforts.
The Baptizer openly confronted the religious leaders of his time, particularly the Pharisees and Sadducees, accusing them of hypocrisy and spiritual pride. When they came to him for baptism, he called them a “brood of vipers” and warned them to bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3:7-8Matthew 3:7-8 commentary).
John challenged their reliance on their heritage as descendants of Abraham, declaring that God could raise up children for Abraham from stones (Matthew 3:9Matthew 3:9 commentary). His bold denunciation of their corruption and failure to lead the people spiritually made him a controversial and unwelcome figure among the religious elite.
The prophet Isaiah declared: “A voice is calling, ‘Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make straight in the desert a highway for our God’” (Isaiah 40:3Isaiah 40:3 commentary).
John identifies himself as that voice (John 1:23John 1:23 commentary) and he points to Jesus as the LORD whose way he was preparing. This fulfillment reinforces the divine identity and mission of Jesus, which John the Baptizer boldly proclaimed and John the Gospel-writer now records.
Similarly, Malachi predicted a messenger in the spirit of Elijah who would precede the Messiah (Malachi 4:5-6Malachi 4:5-6 commentary), a role which John the Baptizer fulfilled (Matthew 17:12-13Matthew 17:12-13 commentary). Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament, written roughly four hundred years prior to the first advent of Jesus. If you read the last verse of Malachi, then turn to the first verse of the Gospel of Mark it reads like a story written with no time gap.
The next to last verse of Malachi says: “I am going to send you Elijah the prophet” (Malachi 4:5Malachi 4:5 commentary). Then the Gospel of Mark begins by describing Isaiah’s prophecy of the “voice of one crying in the wilderness” that was John the Baptizer, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Mark 1:2-3Mark 1:2-3 commentary).
John testified about Him.
The pronoun Him refers to Jesus, “the Word become flesh” (John 1:14John 1:14 commentary).
The Greek term that is translated as testified is the same root verb that is translated as “testify” in John 1:6-8John 1:6-8 commentary. It is a form of μαρτυρέω (G3140—pronounced: “mar-ter-é-ō”). It means to “bear witness” or to “tell the truth” about a person or event. It is from this Greek verb for “testify” that the English word “martyr” is derived. John testified of Jesus until he was executed by Herod the Tetrarch (Matthew 14:1-12Matthew 14:1-12 commentary, commentaryMark 6:14-29Mark 6:14-29 commentary) and became the first known martyr for Jesus of Nazareth.
John the Baptizer’s primary mission was to point people to Jesus, “the Light of the world” (John 8:12John 8:12 commentary). His testimony was not about himself but about Jesus the Messiah, God in human form (John 1:6-8John 1:6-8 commentary). This aligns with the Baptizer’s statement quoted later in John’s gospel: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30John 3:30 commentary). John the Baptizer recognized his role and humbly fulfilled it in submission to Jesus’s greater purpose.
When John the Baptizer was mentioned previously in this prologue (John 1:6-8John 1:6-8 commentary), his message appears to have been summarized. But here the Apostle John seems to quote John the Baptizer. He writes that John (the Baptizer) cried out, saying.
This is what John was quoted as saying: “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’”
In this quote, John the Baptizer references his own prior statement. Before John quotes himself, he begins with a preparatory statement: This was He of whom I said.
The pronoun He in the Baptizer’s quote is in reference to Jesus of Nazareth (John 1:17John 1:17 commentary, 1:451:45 commentary). John’s preparatory statement means: “This man, Jesus, He is the one I have been telling you about.”
We are not given the exact context for when John the Baptizer said this quote. But it most likely came when Jesus was first beginning His Messianic ministry. John’s statement demonstrates that he had already been preparing the way for the Messiah well before Jesus began His Messianic ministry.
Luke, the most historically minded of the gospel writers, tells us that John the Baptizer began his ministry during the fifteenth year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius (Luke 3:1Luke 3:1 commentary). It is unclear if Luke had Tiberius’s co-reign in mind or when he became the sole emperor of Rome. If the former, then this would have been around 26/27 A.D. If the latter, then 28/29 A.D.
John the Baptizer’s ministry was one of preparation, calling the people of Israel to repentance in anticipation of the coming Messiah. He preached in the wilderness of Judea, urging the masses to “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2Matthew 3:2 commentary).
His message emphasized turning away from sin and bearing fruit in keeping with repentance, warning that judgment was imminent for those who remained unrepentant (Matthew 3:7-10Matthew 3:7-10 commentary). John’s ministry included baptizing (immersing people in water) those who confessed and turned away from their sins. This immersion symbolized spiritual cleansing and renewal. John baptized people in the Jordan River (Mark 1:5Mark 1:5 commentary).
The reason the kingdom was at hand (Matthew 3:2Matthew 3:2 commentary) was because the Messiah (the Christ, the King of Israel) was about to appear. When Jesus did appear, even though He was without sin, He was baptized by John (Matthew 3:13-17Matthew 3:13-17 commentary, commentaryMark 1:9-11Mark 1:9-11 commentary, commentaryLuke 3:21-22Luke 3:21-22 commentary, commentaryJohn 1:33John 1:33 commentary).
John predicted the Messiah-King’s arrival in prophetic riddles.
One of John’s prophetic riddles concerning the Messiah was:
“I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Luke 3:16Luke 3:16 commentary—see also Matthew 3:11Matthew 3:11 commentary and commentaryMark 1:7-8Mark 1:7-8 commentary)
The Gospel of John seems to quote this prophetic riddle this way:
“Among you stands One whom you do not know. It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” (John 1:26b-27John 1:26b-27 commentary)
And it is this prophetic riddle that the gospel writer seems to be quoting in John 1:15John 1:15 commentary, commentary
He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.
Later in this chapter, the riddle is quoted again concerning the true identity of Jesus:
“This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’” (John 1:30John 1:30 commentary)
This riddle contains two essential truths about Jesus’s identity:
The first truth is that Jesus is the Messiah.
The second truth is that Jesus is God.
1. John cryptically points to Jesus as the promised Messiah
John indicates that Jesus is the Messiah by identifying Jesus as: He who comes after me has a higher rank than I.
Chronologically, Jesus began His ministry sometime afterJohn had already had begun his ministry. This is why John describes Jesus as He who comes after me. Jesus is also younger than John by six months and is therefore after him by order of birth. There is nothing cryptic here about Jesus coming after John.
What is cryptic is that John says that He (Jesus) who comes after me has a higher rank than I.
The riddle is found in what John means by Jesus having a higher rank than John.
In order to understand the meaning of John’s riddle, one must first understand that John was the Messianic forerunner—the prophetic “voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the LORD’ as Isaiah the prophet said” (John 1:23John 1:23 commentary).
As the Messianic forerunner, by definition, John must come before the Messiah.
If one understands that John is the Messianic forerunner, then the riddle’s meaning is comprehended as: Jesus is the Messiah who comes after the forerunner (John) and whose rank is higher than His forerunner’s.
John’s riddle: This was He of whom I said, ‘He who is coming after me has a higher rank than I’, is also code for: “Jesus is the Messiah.”
This was a conclusion that many God-fearing Jews who were looking for the Messiah and His forerunner would be likely to understand, while Roman authorities who knew and cared little of Jewish scriptures would have difficulty understanding his meaning.
The expression He who is coming after me has a higher rank than I further reflects John’s recognition that even though John himself was a prophet of the Lord, Jesus surpassed John in significance. There was no higher spiritual rank among humans than that of being a true prophet of God. So when John said Jesus had a higher rank he is inferring that Jesus is God, the One who appointed prophets.
John’s message: This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me…’ is consistent with the Jewish understanding of the forerunner preparing the way for the Messiah.
In Matthew’s gospel, written to help the Jews understand that Jesus is their Messiah, John the Baptizer is quoted as saying something similar in more vivid language,
“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11Matthew 3:11 commentary—see also Mark 1:7-8Mark 1:7-8 commentary and commentaryLuke 3:16Luke 3:16 commentary)
This imagery further demonstrates John’s acknowledgment of Jesus’s divine authority and his own unworthiness in comparison.
John understood the importance of his mission as the Messianic forerunner.
The Messianic forerunner was a tremendously important role. Jesus even said: “among those born of women there has not yet arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist!” (Matthew 11:11Matthew 11:11 commentary). The masses of people who came out to hear John preach his message of repentance and to be baptized by him (Matthew 3:1-5Matthew 3:1-5 commentary) believed that John was a prophet of God (Matthew 11:9Matthew 11:9 commentary, 22:2622:26 commentary).
But as important as the Messianic forerunner is, the Messiah is more important. The Messiah has a higher rank than His forerunner. Jesus, the Messiah, has a higher rank thanJohn, the Messianic forerunner.
John consistently understood his role and rank before and after Jesus began His Messianic ministry. After Jesus began to become more well known and John’s role began to wane, the Baptizer encouraged his own disciples: “He must increase, but I must decrease,” (John 3:30John 3:30 commentary).
John told his disciples that he was the only friend of the Bridegroom, and that Jesus was the Bridegroom (John 3:29John 3:29 commentary). Both of these statements show how John continued to recognize his role and humbly fulfill his service in submission to Jesus’s greater identity and purpose.
John’s riddle: This was He of whom I said, “He who comes after me has a higher rank than I,” was his subtle but prophetically clear way of telling the faithful Jews of his generation that “Jesus is the Messiah whom I’ve been telling you about.”
Why did John speak this important message in prophetic riddles? Why was he not explicit and obvious so that everyone would know Jesus’s identity as the Messiah?
Possible reasons for John’s subtlety about Jesus’s identity include:
John may not have wished to endanger Jesus’s mission with literal language.
The Jews understood the Messiah to be a King. But Judea was under Roman rule. Roman authorities from Herod the tetrarch, to Pilate the governor, to Caesar the emperor would have been quick to eliminate any potential rivals.
King Herod the Great-Builder (Herod the tetrarch’s father) had already tried to kill Jesus as a young child (Matthew 2:13-16Matthew 2:13-16 commentary). Pilate the Roman governor would ultimately order Jesus’s execution (John 19:15-16John 19:15-16 commentary)
God may not have wanted John to be explicit, in order to give people the opportunity to exercise their faith.
If John was explicit saying “Jesus is the Messiah,” it would possibly mitigate the need for faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6Hebrews 11:6 commentary).
Both these reasons of security and faith are mutually compatible. John may have also had other reasons for being clear but somewhat discreet. What we do know is that Jesus Himself actively masked His identity as the Messiah according to His Father’s plan (Isaiah 49:2Isaiah 49:2 commentary, commentaryMatthew 16:20Matthew 16:20 commentary, commentaryMark 1:34Mark 1:34 commentary, commentaryJohn 7:4-6John 7:4-6 commentary).
Jesus encouraged people to believe His words. But He also said, “believe because of the works themselves” (John 14:11John 14:11 commentary). He said “If I do not the works of My Father, do not believe Me.” He also said to Peter that he was blessed because it was God who revealed to him that Jesus was God’s Messiah. This indicates that Jesus’s identity as Messiah was both apparent and obscured, it was clear and cloaked at the same time.
It seems God opened the eyes of those with searching hearts and hardened those who had hardened their hearts. Therefore, it is apparent that God wanted the mystery of Jesus’s identity to be revealed according to His own plan—and John was obedient as the Lord’s prophet and the Messianic forerunner.
2. John cryptically claims that Jesus is God.
John indicates that Jesus is God when he says: for He existed before me.
The conjunction—for—connects John’s claim that He existed before me with the previous statement: He who comes after me has a higher rank than I.
Taken together, John’s claim—He existed before me—is a logical premise to the conclusion that He has a higher rank than I (even though He comes after Me).
John the Baptizer existed before Jesus as a human. John was conceived and physically born six months before Jesus was conceived and born (Luke 1:36Luke 1:36 commentary). John also began his prophetic ministry before Jesus began His Messianic ministry.
John was speaking another riddle when he was saying: He existed before me. The answer to the riddle is that even though John’s existence preceded Jesus’s human existence, as the Son of God, Jesus existed before John.
By acknowledging that Jesus’s existence predated his own, John was pointing to Jesus’s eternal nature as God. John’s divine riddle echoes what John the gospel-writer emphasized in the opening verse of the prologue:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1John 1:1 commentary)
The word that is translated existed is the Greek verb ἦν (G1510—pronounced “éhn”). It is a verb of being. It is the same Greek verb that is translated as “was” in John 1:1John 1:1 commentary. In both John 1:1John 1:1 commentary and commentary here in John 1:15John 1:15 commentary, commentary the implication of was/existed speaks to the eternal being of the Word/Logos, Jesus.
Jesus alluded to His prior (i.e. eternal) existence in a similar but even more striking claim than the Baptizer’s riddle when He told His antagonists:
“Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” (John 8:58John 8:58 commentary)
Jesus was “not more than fifty years old” (John 8:57John 8:57 commentary) when He claimed to be before Abraham (John 8:58John 8:58 commentary). The reason Jesus’s claim was starker than John’s was because by human reckoning, Abraham lived 2000 years before Jesus (roughly the same amount of time between Jesus’s life on earth and the present—2025) and John was only half a year older than his cousin when he declared that Jesus existed beforeme.
And yet Jesus was before both John the Baptizer (born six months prior to Jesus) and Abraham (born 2000 years prior to Jesus) because He is eternal God. John also made this claim when he taught his disciples the following:
“He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.” (John 3:31John 3:31 commentary)
Notice how “He who comes from heaven” is a similar pattern of speech as He who comes before me. The—He—in both John 1:15John 1:15 commentary and 3:313:31 commentary refer to Jesus. The One “who comes from heaven” is Jesus, He is “above all.”
John 1:15John 1:15 commentary speaks of the particular truth that Jesus specifically hasa higher rank than John. John 3:31John 3:31 commentary speaks of the universal truth that Jesus “is above all.”
John’s riddle that He existed before me provides a glimpse at the elaborations of Paul: “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17Colossians 1:17 commentary).
As the divine Creator, Jesus eternally existed before all things, including Abraham and John, and everything else (John 1:2-3John 1:2-3 commentary). Thus, Jesus has a higher rank than John, and is above all things (John 3:31John 3:31 commentary) not only because He is the Messiah, but even more fundamentally because He is God. John was a prophet of the Lord. Jesus is the Lord.
While John had a significant role as the final prophet of the Old Covenant, Jesus’s rank is higher. He is the eternal Logos (John 1:1John 1:1 commentary), the fulfiller of the Old Covenant (Matthew 5:17Matthew 5:17 commentary), and the Messiah (John 1:5John 1:5 commentary). He is the Redeemer who far surpasses every human and all creation (John 3:31John 3:31 commentary). Jesus is higherthan John the Baptizer, and His name is above every name (Philippians 2:11Philippians 2:11 commentary).
By quoting John the Baptizer here in John 1:15John 1:15 commentary, commentary the gospel writer presents a powerful declaration of Jesus’s identity and preeminence. And it gives great support for the statement of John 1:14John 1:14 commentary—that Jesus, the Logos (Word), became human and dwelt among us.
Before Jesus began His ministry or publicly revealed Himself, the testimony of John the Baptizer was long proclaiming Jesus’s Messianic identity, His higher rank and eternal existence as God (John 1:15John 1:15 commentary).
As Jesus’s ministry began, John proclaimed Jesus to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29John 1:29 commentary) and the eternal Son of God (John 1:34John 1:34 commentary). Moreover, John also appears to be first person besides Jesus to understand and proclaim the Gospel:
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life...” (John 3:36aJohn 3:36a commentary)
The Gospel of John will more fully detail John the Baptizer’s role in John 1:19-34John 1:19-34 commentary and commentaryJohn 3:22-36John 3:22-36 commentary.
Set to dark mode
John 1:15 meaning
John 1:15John 1:15 commentary has no apparent parallel in the Gospels.
John 1:15John 1:15 commentary, commentary supports the remarkable but true claims of John 1:14John 1:14 commentary and commentary the thesis of John’s gospel, which is that Jesus is the eternal Word who created the universe, who came in human form to earth.
Having made the chief assertion that God became human and lived among us, revealing His divine glory (John 1:14John 1:14 commentary), John now reinforces this spectacular claim with the historical testimony of John the Baptizer.
John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me’” (v 15).
The John who is mentioned here is John the Baptizer (not John the author of this gospel and one of Jesus’s twelve disciples). John the Baptizer was previously mentioned in the prologue:
“There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.”
(John 1:6-8John 1:6-8 commentary)
John the Baptizer was Jesus’s cousin. His father was Zacharias the priest and his mother was Elizabeth, the relative of Mary, mother of Jesus (Luke 1:36Luke 1:36 commentary). John was miraculously born to his parents when they were both extremely old and beyond the age when couples were able to conceive a child without God’s power (Luke 1:7Luke 1:7 commentary).
Gabriel the angel told Zacharias while he was serving in the temple that he and his wife would have a son (Luke 1:8-13Luke 1:8-13 commentary). Zacharias’s son was to be the prophesied forerunner who prepared the way for the Messiah (Luke 1:14-17Luke 1:14-17 commentary). When Zacharias heard this, he doubted the angel’s message, and was struck mute until the prophecy was fulfilled and he named the baby John when his son was eight days old (Luke 1:18-20Luke 1:18-20 commentary).
John’s lifestyle was unusual. He was an extreme aesthetic, dwelling in the wilderness and relying on God for his sustenance. He wore clothing made of camel’s hair with a leather belt, and ate locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4Matthew 3:4 commentary). His lifestyle was part of his message of spiritual preparation for the coming of the Messiah. John’s humble way of life reflected his role as a prophet, calling the people to repentance and detachment from worldly comforts.
The Baptizer openly confronted the religious leaders of his time, particularly the Pharisees and Sadducees, accusing them of hypocrisy and spiritual pride. When they came to him for baptism, he called them a “brood of vipers” and warned them to bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3:7-8Matthew 3:7-8 commentary).
John challenged their reliance on their heritage as descendants of Abraham, declaring that God could raise up children for Abraham from stones (Matthew 3:9Matthew 3:9 commentary). His bold denunciation of their corruption and failure to lead the people spiritually made him a controversial and unwelcome figure among the religious elite.
The prophet Isaiah declared: “A voice is calling, ‘Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make straight in the desert a highway for our God’” (Isaiah 40:3Isaiah 40:3 commentary).
John identifies himself as that voice (John 1:23John 1:23 commentary) and he points to Jesus as the LORD whose way he was preparing. This fulfillment reinforces the divine identity and mission of Jesus, which John the Baptizer boldly proclaimed and John the Gospel-writer now records.
Similarly, Malachi predicted a messenger in the spirit of Elijah who would precede the Messiah (Malachi 4:5-6Malachi 4:5-6 commentary), a role which John the Baptizer fulfilled (Matthew 17:12-13Matthew 17:12-13 commentary). Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament, written roughly four hundred years prior to the first advent of Jesus. If you read the last verse of Malachi, then turn to the first verse of the Gospel of Mark it reads like a story written with no time gap.
The next to last verse of Malachi says: “I am going to send you Elijah the prophet” (Malachi 4:5Malachi 4:5 commentary). Then the Gospel of Mark begins by describing Isaiah’s prophecy of the “voice of one crying in the wilderness” that was John the Baptizer, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Mark 1:2-3Mark 1:2-3 commentary).
John testified about Him.
The pronoun Him refers to Jesus, “the Word become flesh” (John 1:14John 1:14 commentary).
The Greek term that is translated as testified is the same root verb that is translated as “testify” in John 1:6-8John 1:6-8 commentary. It is a form of μαρτυρέω (G3140—pronounced: “mar-ter-é-ō”). It means to “bear witness” or to “tell the truth” about a person or event. It is from this Greek verb for “testify” that the English word “martyr” is derived. John testified of Jesus until he was executed by Herod the Tetrarch (Matthew 14:1-12Matthew 14:1-12 commentary, commentary Mark 6:14-29Mark 6:14-29 commentary) and became the first known martyr for Jesus of Nazareth.
John the Baptizer’s primary mission was to point people to Jesus, “the Light of the world” (John 8:12John 8:12 commentary). His testimony was not about himself but about Jesus the Messiah, God in human form (John 1:6-8John 1:6-8 commentary). This aligns with the Baptizer’s statement quoted later in John’s gospel: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30John 3:30 commentary). John the Baptizer recognized his role and humbly fulfilled it in submission to Jesus’s greater purpose.
When John the Baptizer was mentioned previously in this prologue (John 1:6-8John 1:6-8 commentary), his message appears to have been summarized. But here the Apostle John seems to quote John the Baptizer. He writes that John (the Baptizer) cried out, saying.
This is what John was quoted as saying: “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’”
In this quote, John the Baptizer references his own prior statement. Before John quotes himself, he begins with a preparatory statement: This was He of whom I said.
The pronoun He in the Baptizer’s quote is in reference to Jesus of Nazareth (John 1:17John 1:17 commentary, 1:451:45 commentary). John’s preparatory statement means: “This man, Jesus, He is the one I have been telling you about.”
We are not given the exact context for when John the Baptizer said this quote. But it most likely came when Jesus was first beginning His Messianic ministry. John’s statement demonstrates that he had already been preparing the way for the Messiah well before Jesus began His Messianic ministry.
Luke, the most historically minded of the gospel writers, tells us that John the Baptizer began his ministry during the fifteenth year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius (Luke 3:1Luke 3:1 commentary). It is unclear if Luke had Tiberius’s co-reign in mind or when he became the sole emperor of Rome. If the former, then this would have been around 26/27 A.D. If the latter, then 28/29 A.D.
John the Baptizer’s ministry was one of preparation, calling the people of Israel to repentance in anticipation of the coming Messiah. He preached in the wilderness of Judea, urging the masses to “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2Matthew 3:2 commentary).
His message emphasized turning away from sin and bearing fruit in keeping with repentance, warning that judgment was imminent for those who remained unrepentant (Matthew 3:7-10Matthew 3:7-10 commentary). John’s ministry included baptizing (immersing people in water) those who confessed and turned away from their sins. This immersion symbolized spiritual cleansing and renewal. John baptized people in the Jordan River (Mark 1:5Mark 1:5 commentary).
The reason the kingdom was at hand (Matthew 3:2Matthew 3:2 commentary) was because the Messiah (the Christ, the King of Israel) was about to appear. When Jesus did appear, even though He was without sin, He was baptized by John (Matthew 3:13-17Matthew 3:13-17 commentary, commentary Mark 1:9-11Mark 1:9-11 commentary, commentary Luke 3:21-22Luke 3:21-22 commentary, commentary John 1:33John 1:33 commentary).
John predicted the Messiah-King’s arrival in prophetic riddles.
One of John’s prophetic riddles concerning the Messiah was:
“I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
(Luke 3:16Luke 3:16 commentary—see also Matthew 3:11Matthew 3:11 commentary and commentary Mark 1:7-8Mark 1:7-8 commentary)
The Gospel of John seems to quote this prophetic riddle this way:
“Among you stands One whom you do not know. It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”
(John 1:26b-27John 1:26b-27 commentary)
And it is this prophetic riddle that the gospel writer seems to be quoting in John 1:15John 1:15 commentary, commentary
He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.
Later in this chapter, the riddle is quoted again concerning the true identity of Jesus:
“This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’”
(John 1:30John 1:30 commentary)
This riddle contains two essential truths about Jesus’s identity:
1. John cryptically points to Jesus as the promised Messiah
John indicates that Jesus is the Messiah by identifying Jesus as: He who comes after me has a higher rank than I.
Chronologically, Jesus began His ministry sometime after John had already had begun his ministry. This is why John describes Jesus as He who comes after me. Jesus is also younger than John by six months and is therefore after him by order of birth. There is nothing cryptic here about Jesus coming after John.
What is cryptic is that John says that He (Jesus) who comes after me has a higher rank than I.
The riddle is found in what John means by Jesus having a higher rank than John.
In order to understand the meaning of John’s riddle, one must first understand that John was the Messianic forerunner—the prophetic “voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the LORD’ as Isaiah the prophet said” (John 1:23John 1:23 commentary).
As the Messianic forerunner, by definition, John must come before the Messiah.
If one understands that John is the Messianic forerunner, then the riddle’s meaning is comprehended as: Jesus is the Messiah who comes after the forerunner (John) and whose rank is higher than His forerunner’s.
John’s riddle: This was He of whom I said, ‘He who is coming after me has a higher rank than I’, is also code for: “Jesus is the Messiah.”
This was a conclusion that many God-fearing Jews who were looking for the Messiah and His forerunner would be likely to understand, while Roman authorities who knew and cared little of Jewish scriptures would have difficulty understanding his meaning.
The expression He who is coming after me has a higher rank than I further reflects John’s recognition that even though John himself was a prophet of the Lord, Jesus surpassed John in significance. There was no higher spiritual rank among humans than that of being a true prophet of God. So when John said Jesus had a higher rank he is inferring that Jesus is God, the One who appointed prophets.
John’s message: This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me…’ is consistent with the Jewish understanding of the forerunner preparing the way for the Messiah.
In Matthew’s gospel, written to help the Jews understand that Jesus is their Messiah, John the Baptizer is quoted as saying something similar in more vivid language,
“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
(Matthew 3:11Matthew 3:11 commentary—see also Mark 1:7-8Mark 1:7-8 commentary and commentary Luke 3:16Luke 3:16 commentary)
This imagery further demonstrates John’s acknowledgment of Jesus’s divine authority and his own unworthiness in comparison.
John understood the importance of his mission as the Messianic forerunner.
The Messianic forerunner was a tremendously important role. Jesus even said: “among those born of women there has not yet arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist!” (Matthew 11:11Matthew 11:11 commentary). The masses of people who came out to hear John preach his message of repentance and to be baptized by him (Matthew 3:1-5Matthew 3:1-5 commentary) believed that John was a prophet of God (Matthew 11:9Matthew 11:9 commentary, 22:2622:26 commentary).
But as important as the Messianic forerunner is, the Messiah is more important. The Messiah has a higher rank than His forerunner. Jesus, the Messiah, has a higher rank than John, the Messianic forerunner.
John consistently understood his role and rank before and after Jesus began His Messianic ministry. After Jesus began to become more well known and John’s role began to wane, the Baptizer encouraged his own disciples: “He must increase, but I must decrease,” (John 3:30John 3:30 commentary).
John told his disciples that he was the only friend of the Bridegroom, and that Jesus was the Bridegroom (John 3:29John 3:29 commentary). Both of these statements show how John continued to recognize his role and humbly fulfill his service in submission to Jesus’s greater identity and purpose.
John’s riddle: This was He of whom I said, “He who comes after me has a higher rank than I,” was his subtle but prophetically clear way of telling the faithful Jews of his generation that “Jesus is the Messiah whom I’ve been telling you about.”
Why did John speak this important message in prophetic riddles? Why was he not explicit and obvious so that everyone would know Jesus’s identity as the Messiah?
Possible reasons for John’s subtlety about Jesus’s identity include:
The Jews understood the Messiah to be a King. But Judea was under Roman rule. Roman authorities from Herod the tetrarch, to Pilate the governor, to Caesar the emperor would have been quick to eliminate any potential rivals.
King Herod the Great-Builder (Herod the tetrarch’s father) had already tried to kill Jesus as a young child (Matthew 2:13-16Matthew 2:13-16 commentary). Pilate the Roman governor would ultimately order Jesus’s execution (John 19:15-16John 19:15-16 commentary)
If John was explicit saying “Jesus is the Messiah,” it would possibly mitigate the need for faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6Hebrews 11:6 commentary).
Jesus Himself actively cloaked His identity as the Messiah according to His Father’s plan (Isaiah 49:2Isaiah 49:2 commentary, commentary Matthew 16:20Matthew 16:20 commentary, commentary Mark 1:34Mark 1:34 commentary, commentary John 7:4-6John 7:4-6 commentary).
Both these reasons of security and faith are mutually compatible. John may have also had other reasons for being clear but somewhat discreet. What we do know is that Jesus Himself actively masked His identity as the Messiah according to His Father’s plan (Isaiah 49:2Isaiah 49:2 commentary, commentary Matthew 16:20Matthew 16:20 commentary, commentary Mark 1:34Mark 1:34 commentary, commentary John 7:4-6John 7:4-6 commentary).
Jesus encouraged people to believe His words. But He also said, “believe because of the works themselves” (John 14:11John 14:11 commentary). He said “If I do not the works of My Father, do not believe Me.” He also said to Peter that he was blessed because it was God who revealed to him that Jesus was God’s Messiah. This indicates that Jesus’s identity as Messiah was both apparent and obscured, it was clear and cloaked at the same time.
It seems God opened the eyes of those with searching hearts and hardened those who had hardened their hearts. Therefore, it is apparent that God wanted the mystery of Jesus’s identity to be revealed according to His own plan—and John was obedient as the Lord’s prophet and the Messianic forerunner.
2. John cryptically claims that Jesus is God.
John indicates that Jesus is God when he says: for He existed before me.
The conjunction—for—connects John’s claim that He existed before me with the previous statement: He who comes after me has a higher rank than I.
Taken together, John’s claim—He existed before me—is a logical premise to the conclusion that He has a higher rank than I (even though He comes after Me).
John the Baptizer existed before Jesus as a human. John was conceived and physically born six months before Jesus was conceived and born (Luke 1:36Luke 1:36 commentary). John also began his prophetic ministry before Jesus began His Messianic ministry.
John was speaking another riddle when he was saying: He existed before me. The answer to the riddle is that even though John’s existence preceded Jesus’s human existence, as the Son of God, Jesus existed before John.
By acknowledging that Jesus’s existence predated his own, John was pointing to Jesus’s eternal nature as God. John’s divine riddle echoes what John the gospel-writer emphasized in the opening verse of the prologue:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
(John 1:1John 1:1 commentary)
The word that is translated existed is the Greek verb ἦν (G1510—pronounced “éhn”). It is a verb of being. It is the same Greek verb that is translated as “was” in John 1:1John 1:1 commentary. In both John 1:1John 1:1 commentary and commentary here in John 1:15John 1:15 commentary, commentary the implication of was/existed speaks to the eternal being of the Word/Logos, Jesus.
Jesus alluded to His prior (i.e. eternal) existence in a similar but even more striking claim than the Baptizer’s riddle when He told His antagonists:
“Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”
(John 8:58John 8:58 commentary)
Jesus was “not more than fifty years old” (John 8:57John 8:57 commentary) when He claimed to be before Abraham (John 8:58John 8:58 commentary). The reason Jesus’s claim was starker than John’s was because by human reckoning, Abraham lived 2000 years before Jesus (roughly the same amount of time between Jesus’s life on earth and the present—2025) and John was only half a year older than his cousin when he declared that Jesus existed before me.
And yet Jesus was before both John the Baptizer (born six months prior to Jesus) and Abraham (born 2000 years prior to Jesus) because He is eternal God. John also made this claim when he taught his disciples the following:
“He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.”
(John 3:31John 3:31 commentary)
Notice how “He who comes from heaven” is a similar pattern of speech as He who comes before me. The—He—in both John 1:15John 1:15 commentary and 3:313:31 commentary refer to Jesus. The One “who comes from heaven” is Jesus, He is “above all.”
John 1:15John 1:15 commentary speaks of the particular truth that Jesus specifically has a higher rank than John. John 3:31John 3:31 commentary speaks of the universal truth that Jesus “is above all.”
John’s riddle that He existed before me provides a glimpse at the elaborations of Paul: “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17Colossians 1:17 commentary).
As the divine Creator, Jesus eternally existed before all things, including Abraham and John, and everything else (John 1:2-3John 1:2-3 commentary). Thus, Jesus has a higher rank than John, and is above all things (John 3:31John 3:31 commentary) not only because He is the Messiah, but even more fundamentally because He is God. John was a prophet of the Lord. Jesus is the Lord.
While John had a significant role as the final prophet of the Old Covenant, Jesus’s rank is higher. He is the eternal Logos (John 1:1John 1:1 commentary), the fulfiller of the Old Covenant (Matthew 5:17Matthew 5:17 commentary), and the Messiah (John 1:5John 1:5 commentary). He is the Redeemer who far surpasses every human and all creation (John 3:31John 3:31 commentary). Jesus is higher than John the Baptizer, and His name is above every name (Philippians 2:11Philippians 2:11 commentary).
By quoting John the Baptizer here in John 1:15John 1:15 commentary, commentary the gospel writer presents a powerful declaration of Jesus’s identity and preeminence. And it gives great support for the statement of John 1:14John 1:14 commentary—that Jesus, the Logos (Word), became human and dwelt among us.
Before Jesus began His ministry or publicly revealed Himself, the testimony of John the Baptizer was long proclaiming Jesus’s Messianic identity, His higher rank and eternal existence as God (John 1:15John 1:15 commentary).
As Jesus’s ministry began, John proclaimed Jesus to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29John 1:29 commentary) and the eternal Son of God (John 1:34John 1:34 commentary). Moreover, John also appears to be first person besides Jesus to understand and proclaim the Gospel:
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life...”
(John 3:36aJohn 3:36a commentary)
The Gospel of John will more fully detail John the Baptizer’s role in John 1:19-34John 1:19-34 commentary and commentary John 3:22-36John 3:22-36 commentary.