“And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.”
They asked him, 'Then who are you? Are you Elijah?' He said, 'I am not.' 'Are you the Prophet?' He answered, 'No' — the interrogators probe alternative messianic figures (Elijah as Malachi's promised forerunner, the Prophet as the eschatological figure like Moses). The Baptist's repeated denials create suspense and define his role by elimination. Each "I am not" clears the way for the affirmative identification of Jesus.
Church Fathers on John 1:21
This is the second testimony of John the Baptist to Christ, the first began with, This is He of Whom I spoke; and ended with, He has declared Him.
Or, after the introduction above of John’s testimony to Christ, is preferred before me, the Evangelist now adds when the above testimony was given, And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem.
Such confidence had they in John, that they were ready to believe him on his own words: witness how it is said, To ask him, Who are you?
Read all 22 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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