In the Gospel according to John, John the Baptist is always called just plain ‘John’. That’s surprising. Why not distinguish more clearly between John the Evangelist and John the Baptist?
The answer is: their main role is in fact the same. They both testify to Jesus. The Baptist does of course baptise, but his great task in the Fourth Gospel is actually to bear witness. We are first introduced to him with the words ‘He came as a witness to testify concerning that light’ (1:7), and the Gospel sums up his ministry by speaking of people accepting his testimony about Jesus (10:41).
John’s testimony comes in two stages. First of all he says that someone greater is coming (1:15). Then he goes much further, identifying Jesus as the ‘the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’ (1:29). How does he already know by chapter 1 that Jesus is the Lamb of God?
