Who Are You?

A Self-guided Reflection on John 1:19-28

One of my greatest passions is for people to connect with God in meaningful ways through the study, meditation, and application of the Bible. I have consistently seen that two powerful tools are available for each of us to use to deepen our connection with God through the study of His Word. The first tool is asking ourselves questions prompted from the text of Scripture. The second is to answer those questions by writing out our responses. While I have never enjoyed journaling, I have learned to take the extra few moments to write out responses and thoughts about the Scriptures I read and always find my time in God’s Word is greatly benefited because of that habit. With that in mind, I encourage you to grab your Bible, a notepad, and pen, and enjoy spending time reading the passages below and writing responses to the questions. My prayer is that your time with this text deepens your understanding of God.

If someone were to ask, “Who are you?” how would you describe yourself?

Read John 1:19-28.

This passage jumps into the story of John Bar-Zacharias (son of Zacharias) who had been preaching and baptizing people in preparation for the coming Christ (Mark 1:4). As you read through the passage, underline all of the questions the priests and Levites asked him.

Rewrite this passage in your own words.

Behind all of the questions asked of John were expectations. Many people in John’s time were expecting someone to prepare them to get ready for the Christ. Specifically, a prophecy in Malachi 4:5 indicated that God would send “Elijah the prophet.” So, the expectation was that Elijah, or “the prophet,” or the Christ would be who they should look for. But who they saw was John.

They had their expectations of who someone baptizing and preaching repentance should be. And so they began questioning who John was in order to validate what he was doing.

What are some of the “voices” in your life, whether literal or metaphorical, that call into question who you are and your value?

Where in your life are you tempted to prioritize trying to be who others expect you to be?

How does/would it feel to live a life of trying to be someone you are not?

John was clear on who he wasn’t. And because of that, he didn’t meet their expectations. He didn’t try to defend his actions simply because they didn’t make sense to others. And yet, John’s life was incredibly meaningful because not only did he know who he wasn’t, he knew who he was.

John chose to focus on who he believed God said he was instead of who others said he wasn’t. He based his identity on his relationship with God by finding his purpose in God’s Word (verse 23, quoting from Isaiah 40:3-5).

Clarity on who God says you are removes much of the temptation to try to be who you are not.

How well do you understand God’s purpose and identity for you?

The author of the book of John earlier wrote that all who believe in Jesus are reborn into a new identity as children of God (John 1:12-13). Let that sink in. That’s your identity in connection with God!

How does the truth of your identity in Christ help you respond to the various “voices” that question who you are?