John 3:28

John 3:28 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
• New International Version (NIV)You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.'
• New King James Version (NKJV)You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’

Context of John 3:28

26The disciples then came to John. They said to him, ‘Teacher, remember the man, Jesus, that you spoke to us about. He was with you on the other side of the Jordan River. Now he is baptizing people and everyone is going to him.’ 27John replied, ‘A man can receive only what God gives to him, nothing else. You yourselves will remember that I said, “I am not the Messiah, but God sent me to prepare things for the Messiah.” 29When a man marries a wife, she belongs to him. The man's special friend listens carefully. He wants to know when the man will arrive. That friend is very happy when he hears the man's voice. I am like that friend, so I am completely happy now. 30Jesus must become greater, but I must become less important.

John 3:28 word by word

αὐτοὶ ὑμεῖς μοι μαρτυρεῖτε ὅτι εἶπον ὅτι· οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐγὼ ὁ χριστός, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι ἀπεσταλμένος εἰμὶ ἔμπροσθεν ἐκείνου.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Yeσύsu · youG4771
• yourselvesαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• bearμαρτυρέωmartureō · to testifyG3140
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• I saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• amεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• notοὐou · noG3756
• the Christὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• sentἀποστέλλωapostellō · to sendG649
• beforeἔμπροσθενemprosthen · beforeG1715
• himἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565

Cross-references for John 3:28

• John 1:20John did not refuse to answer. He said, ‘I am not the Messiah.’
• John 1:23He said, ‘I am the voice of somebody shouting in the wilderness: “The Lord will come soon. Make a straight path for him to follow.” That is what the prophet Isaiah said a long time ago.’
• Malachi 3:1‘Look! I will send someone to speak my message. He will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord that you are waiting for will quickly return to his temple. The one who brings the message about the covenant will certainly come. He is the one that you really want to see.’ That is what the Lord Almighty says.
• Malachi 4:4‘Remember the rules that I gave to my servant Moses at Sinai mountain. Those rules and laws were for all the Israelites to obey.
• Matthew 3:3God's prophet Isaiah spoke about this man John long ago. He said: ‘Somebody's voice is shouting in the wilderness, “The Lord will come soon, so prepare a way for him to follow. Make the paths straight for him.” ’
• Mark 1:2The prophet Isaiah wrote this message from God in his book: ‘Listen! I will send someone to prepare a way for you. He will tell people my message.
• Luke 1:16He will teach many people in Israel. Then they will turn their lives back to the Lord their God and they will obey God again.
• Luke 3:4The prophet Isaiah wrote this message from God in his book: ‘Somebody's voice is shouting in the wilderness, “The Lord will come soon, so prepare a way for him to follow. Make the paths straight for him.

Commentaries on John 3:28

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28Bear me witness - You remember that at first I told you I was not the Messiah. As he had been “witness” to Jesus - as he came for no other end but to point him out to the Jews, they ought not to suppose that he was his superior. It was but reasonable to expect that Christ himself would be more successful than his forerunner. “I came, not to form a separate party, a special sect, but to prepare the way that he might be more successful, and that the people…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-36Verses 22-36 John was fully satisfied with the place and work assigned him; but Jesus came on a more important work. He also knew that Jesus would increase in honour and influence, for of his government and peace there would be no end, while he himself would be less followed. John knew that Jesus came from heaven as the Son of God, while he was a sinful, mortal man, who could only speak about the more plain subjects of religion. The words of Jesus were…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 27-35John the Baptist spoke because of two concerns: Some people questioned whether his baptism was from God (see 1:26), and his disciples were worried because many people were beginning to follow Jesus instead of John (3:26).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 27-3027-30. A man, &c.--"I do my heaven-prescribed work, and that is enough for me. Would you have me mount into my Master's place? Said I not unto you, I am not the Christ? The Bride is not mine, why should the people stay with me?? Mine it is to point the burdened to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, to tell them there is Balm in Gilead, and a Physician there. And shall I grudge to see them, in obedience to the call, flying as a cloud…Read the comment

Topics related to John 3:28

• John

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Christ, Messiah
• Born
• Condemn
• Condemnation
• Darkness
• Decrease
• Faith
• Increase
• Love

Commentaries on John 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings