King James Bible
"John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;"
John the Baptist acknowledges his baptismal ministry as merely preparatory, using water as a symbol of repentance. His response to the religious authorities' questioning emphasizes the limited, external nature of his work compared to what is coming. John declares the Messiah's immediate presence within their midst, creating dramatic irony as Jesus is physically present but unrecognized. The phrase suggests both the hiddenness of Christ's identity and the urgency of the moment. This indictment highlights the spiritual blindness of the religious leaders who fail to recognize the very One they claim to await. John contrasts their theological knowledge with their inability to perceive the fulfillment of prophecy standing before them.