Chapter 4—The Mission of Christ Christ’s life had been so retired and secluded at Nazareth that John had not a personal acquaintance with him, and he did not positively know that he was the Messiah. He was acquainted with the circumstances of his birth, and he believed him to be the promised One. The secluded life of Christ for thirty years at Nazareth, in which he gave no special evidence of his Messiahship, suggested doubts to John whether he was indeed the One for whose coming he was to prepare the way. John, however, rested the matter in faith, fully believing that God would in due time make it plain. The Lord had shown him that the Messiah would be pointed out to him by a distinct sign; when this should be done, then John could present him to the world as the long-expected Messiah, the Lamb of God, that was to take away the sin of the world. {2SP 58.1}

(58) Kristi liv havde været tilbagetrukket og isoleret i Nazaret, at Johannes ikke kendte personligt til ham, og han vidste ikke klart at han var Messias. Han kendte til omstændighederne for hans fødsel, og han troede han var den Udlovede. Kristi tilbagetrukne liv i tredive år i Nazaret, som ikke gav ham noget særligt bevis for hans Messias-skab, antydede tvivl hos Johannes om han i virkeligheden var Den som han var kommet at berede vejen for. Ikke desto lagde Johannes sagen i bero i den fulde tro på at Gud ville gøre det tydeligt i rette tid. Herren havde vist ham at Messias ville udpege ham det ved et bestemt tegn; når dette er sket, så Johannes kunne overbringe ham til verden som den længe ventede Messias, Guds lam, som bærer alverdens bort.