John 1:33 (KJV)

Passage

And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

Nearby Context

John 1:31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

John 1:32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

John 1:33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

John 1:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

John 1:35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "knew", "sent", "baptize", "water", "same", "said", and "upon". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "knew", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 32's "And John bare record saying I saw..." into verse 34's "And I saw and bare record that...", so "Spirit" and "knew" 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 "Spirit" and "knew" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.