John 1:24 (DRB)

Passage

And they that were sent were of the Pharisees.

Nearby Context

John 1:22 They said therefore unto him: Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself?

John 1:23 He said: I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaias.

John 1:24 And they that were sent were of the Pharisees.

John 1:25 And they asked him and said to him: Why then dost thou baptize, if thou be not Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet?

John 1:26 John answered them, saying: I baptize with water: but there hath stood one in the midst of you, whom you know not.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sent" and "pharisees". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sent" and "pharisees", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 23's "He said I am the voice of..." into verse 25's "And they asked him and said to...", so "sent" and "pharisees" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sent" and "pharisees" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.