# 21 It's Cousin Jesus!

Joh 1:29 The next day John 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 is preferred before me, for He was before me.' 31 "I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." 32 And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 "I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 34 "And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."

John had just mentioned his calling as a forerunner to the Messiah the day before, and lo and behold today, the Messiah shows up! But isn’t it interesting that twice John bluntly states, “I did not know Him.” What’s THAT all about! This is Jesus his cousin, Auntie Mary’s Son!

Growing up, they likely played tag with each other, or “seek and ye shall find,” How did Mary and Joseph keep this secret concerning Jesus away from the rest of the family? Surely Jesus stood out amongst his playmates as He grew up in Nazareth!

At any rate, what John is proclaiming here, is that he had no idea that Jesus was God’s Anointed One! He did not know Jesus in His divine greatness until this very telling moment. He likely had some thoughts concerning the possibility, but a prophet doesn’t market in personal assumptions. It is always, “Thus saith the Lord!”

All John’s assumptions are brushed aside because “a prophet’s certainty must come from a higher source!” (Lenski) It’s also striking that upon receiving this heaven sent revelation, John doesn’t exclaim something like, “Cousin Jesus! It’s You? Hey everyone, it’s my cousin!”

No! This prophet, like all great prophets sticks to the business at hand. He doesn’t add to or detract from the message God gave him to proclaim!

Seriously, consider the temptation to blurt out his boyhood connection to Jesus, but John does no such thing! Do you think you could  keep such a thing under YOUR hat?  

In my mind, it adds to the veracity of what Jesus would later say about John. He said in  Mt 11:11 "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist”

Listen to the prophets! They proclaim the words of the Lord meant for our ears, and they are recorded in Scripture for you and I! And there is no greater privileged proclamation than the one given to John!, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

There is only One who can take away your sins. Behold Jesus! Take Him in and receive eternal life!