<p>1:31 <em>I did not perceive him, but so he should be made manifest to Israel, for this reason I come baptizing in water</em>- John has just lamented that his audience do not know or perceive the Messiahship of Jesus (:26). Now he uses the same word in saying that he too did not know or &quot;perceive Him&quot;. He is seeking to build a bridge between himself and his audience, admitting that he who is now heralding Jesus as Messiah did not at one stage &quot;perceive Him&quot;, presumably referring to how whilst they were growing up and in their 20s, John did not perceive that the Lord was in fact God's Son. This shows that John did not spend his entire time from childhood to 30 years old in the deserts. He had met his relative Jesus of Nazareth in that period, but had not perceived Him as Son of God and Messiah. This itself is an artless testament to the Lord's perfection and humility; He who never sinned, neither by omission nor commission, was never perceived as anything unduly special. Not even by someone as spiritually inclined as John, who would surely have heard the stories of the virgin birth from his mother Elizabeth.</p><p>One obvious encouragement to be hopeful in our witness is the Biblical implication that all men and women, potentially, have the possibility of responding to the Gospel. It was so in the first century- John the Baptist had the <em>potential</em> to convert all Israel, for He came &quot;that all men through him might believe&quot; (Jn. 1:7), so that Christ &quot;should be made manifest to (all) Israel&quot; (Jn. 1:31). The entire nation <em>could</em> have converted; but they didn't.</p><p>&quot;That (Christ) should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water&quot; (Jn. 1:31) seems to make baptism a pre-requisite for accepting Christ. Indeed, Jewish theology expects baptism to be associated with the coming of Messiah and the Elijah prophet. Therefore the Jews asked John: &quot;Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias?&quot; (Jn. 1:25). See on Mt. 17:11. For Israel to call upon themselves the Name of the Lord when they repent, it is fitting that Elijah baptizes them into His Name. Zech. 13:1 may hint at latter day baptisms among repentant Jewry: &quot;In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David... for sin and for uncleanness&quot;. Israel will call upon themselves the Name of Yahweh our righteousness by being baptized into the Name of the Father and Son (Jer. 33:16).</p>