Grace for grace; the Baptist’s voice; Lamb of God (John 1:16–39)

washing has given us indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Not only the Father is invisible, but also the Son; for even if he was seen in flesh, it was not according to the essence, which not even angels behold as it is; for many know God, but the essence no one knows. It is not the hidden body that is called invisible, but the incorporeal that is not naturally seen even by mind.

Through the trustworthy person he establishes this high and more-than-human doctrine: “For who knows the things” of God and Father to speak, except the Son begotten from him and his Holy Spirit who also knows “the depths of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10–11).

That is: he spoke these things bearing witness that Jesus is the Christ, not that John himself is, as some wrongly suspected concerning him.

It is a work of virtue not to be lifted up by their praises and to adorn oneself in ornaments that are not one’s own. He said: “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness: make straight the way of the Lord,” as Isaiah the prophet said (John 1:23; Isaiah 40:3).

As a voice runs before a word, so also John runs before Christ who is Word, as a voice.

If Isaiah had not previously commanded me to proclaim Christ, who is Lord, I would not have dared to speak.

As more exact about knowledge of the Scriptures these came, whom John gently proved to be uneducated and senseless for not knowing the passage said about him from the prophet worn smooth among them.

As it seems they had such traditions from their teachers that only those were allowed to baptize—either the Christ or Elijah or the prophet.

John himself is a trustworthy witness of his own, since he spoke nothing great about himself, but even called his own baptism mere water, much humbled.

Until the time of the economy Christ was present in the midst of all and was unknown. And a little later: he says Christ stood in the midst and was unknown because of the wrapping of the flesh.

He is a lamb as given for forgiveness of sins of those being regenerated “through washing of rebirth” (Titus 3:5); and by saying “taking away” he shows that he always takes away.

Christ came to be before John as loosing “the sin of the world” and baptizing in the Holy Spirit, John’s baptism being mere water. He is called “man” as born of a woman “according to the flesh,” or because he was thirty years old (for they call a man him who has entered that time), or because he was perfect in every practical and contemplative virtue, or because he is bridegroom of every rational nature, that is of the church. As the church has the face of a woman, Christ is called man as betrothing the souls of the faithful.

For the sake of proclaiming Christ and making him evident to the people John baptized.

This is said by way of economy; for it is inseparable from the Son as also from the Father; for to see something of the Trinity sensibly is impossible.

As living in the deserts from first age he establishes the unsuspiciousness of the witness, as having learned him through revelation.

This is found the third day from when the Pharisees made their meeting with John, in which they asked him who he is.

Because of the hearers’ slackness he uses the same words; for it is a teacher’s virtue to use the same so that the words may be fixed in the hearers’ souls.

Since those following Christ cannot overtake him, he turns toward them condescendingly, showing them his face, that they may know that he is the one who fills “the law” and teaches the things in it.

He asks not as not knowing, but calling them into conversation.

This is not contrary to what was said: “the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20); for even if he remained in a house, he did not acquire his own lodging.

“The one you announced to me as good news,” he says, “how is it possible that the Christ be from Nazareth, whom Scripture said would come from Bethlehem?” But there in Bethlehem he was born, and Nazareth was recorded as fatherland as reared there and living until full age.