John 1:25 - Exposition

And they asked him (put the question), and said to him, Why baptizest thou, then, if thou be not £ the Christ, not Elijah, not the prophet? It would seem that, judging from such expressions as Ezekiel 36:25 , Ezekiel 36:26 and Zechariah 13:1 , the Jews expected some renewal of ceremonial purification on a grand scale at the Messianic appearance, and John's repudiation of every personal rank, which could, according to their view, justify him called for some explanation.