And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. In thus disclaiming the Messiahship for himself, he resisted a strong temptation; because many were ready to hail the Baptist as himself the Christ. But as he gave not the least ground for such impressions of him, so neither did he give them a moment's entertainment.
But why all these sharp definitions? it may be asked. Not to tell us of certain mysterious internal distinctions in the Godhead, which but for the Incarnation could never perhaps, have been apprehended at all; but for the purpose of throwing light upon that stupendous assumption of our nature about to be announced, even as that assumption throws light back again upon the eternal distractions and fellowships of the Godhead.