The Life Of Jesus Christ In Its Historical Connexion

On the day after John had thus (officially, as it were) pointed Christ out as having already appeared among the people, though unrecognized by them, the Saviour came forth from his seclusion, and showed himself in the midst of John's disciples. [245] The Baptist, beholding his approach, exclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world." The image of the Holy One, suffering for his people, and bearing their sins (Isa., liii.), stood before his soul as he uttered these words. As we have already seen, John believed that the Messiah would have to go through a struggle with the corrupt part of the people; and he readily joined to this belief the idea of a Messiah suffering for the sins of the people, and triumphing through suffering. The intuition to which he gave utterance was simultaneous with the appearance before his eyes of Christ's person, so gentle, so calm, and so meek; [246] and his conception of the idea of Messiah, in a prophetic spirit, reached its very acme. Yet we cannot define precisely the meaning which John himself attached to the words; for we cannot suppose in him a doctrinal conception of their import such as a fully Christian mind would have. [247] His was a prophetic intuition, bordering indeed on Christianity, but yet, perhaps, commingled with wholly heterogeneous elements.

After John had thus designated the character of Jesus, to whom he wished to direct his disciples, he repeats anew the testimony which he had before publicly given "of him that was to follow" (although probably not given, in the first instance, with the same confidence as to the person), and applies it, in stronger terms, to Christ -- "This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man that is preferred before me, for he was before me." [248] ("Who has taken a higher place than I, according to his nature.")