September 8, 2013

John 1:19-51

REVIEW:  DID YOU Memorize? John 1:12

(Wes' emphasis was on the names that John has used to identify the LORD...the Lamb of God...the overwhelming depth and bredth of HIS love for us as HE gave Himself for the sins of the world!)

1:18 Because God is spirit, men found no easy comparisons or illustrations which would interpret Him to others.  By sending Jesus to human flesh, God supplied the long felt need of man for someone visible to worship.  Since God has only one character, one nature, only ONE could reveal Him.  Jesus is that “only begotten or unique One.  So perfect is Jesus’ revelation of God that no one can understand God aright so long as he rejects God’s Son. 

One of the key words of this gospel is WITNESS.  The basic idea is to offer evidence or testimony by one’s life and lips to the objective reality of Who Jesus is and what He came to do.  The testimony is based on the personal knowledge and experience of the witness.  As you study the Word, take note of the many times in John a person encounters Christ and then “testifies” to others. 

A true witness of Jesus Christ PREPARES THE WAY FOR OTHERS TO RECEIVE HIM BY POINTING TO HIM AND PROCLAIMING WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE HAS DONE. 

The work of a true witness of Jesus is to:

1.     Point only to Christ, not himself.

The ministry of John the “Baptist always drew attention away from himself and focused on Jesus, always acknowledging His superiority.  The priests and Levites came to ask – Who are you?

*I am not the Christ  - Christ means ‘anointed One’ and is the NT equivalent of the OT Hebrew ‘Messiah’.  * I am not Elijah  *I am not the prophet

*”the voice crying in the wilderness” – preparer of the way…

Man was not ready for the visit from the King of kings:  A king’s journey into an unprepared area of his dominion was preceded by a special herald sent in advance to call upon the people to prepare a highway.  Volunteers would fill in the valleys, straighten out the curves, cut down the hills and make straight a road for the king’s chariot.  John the Baptist was a herald of the King in fulfillment of prophecy and promise.  His task was calling men to REMOVE the barriers and make passable the way for the King of kings to enter their hearts and enter their life as a nation.   *”in essence John said, “the One Who is coming after me is so much greater than I that I am not worthy to be His slave.”  * John’s one function was to point men to Jesus.  * Always acknowledges that Jesus is of higher rank than I” v. 28 – 30  *I baptize with water – John’s baptism was of water only and did not save.  Its purpose was to publically identify with the message of John and of the need of repentance for the forgiveness of sins in anticipation of the coming of the Savior. 

 

2.   Jesus: “the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.  Here John points to Jesus as the once-for-all atoning sacrifice for the sins of all men.  V. 29

 

He existed before me.  Altho he was born about 6 months before Jesus…John is pointing us to the great I AM!

 

“This is the one Who baptizes in the Holy Spirit. V. 33 The fact that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Sp irit is expressive.  BAPTIZE in the Greek language means dip, submerge.  Jesus would saturate the souls of His followers with the Spirit of God so that they would be permeated by God’s revelation and will.  Baptism in, or with the Holy Spirit would be quite different from John’s water baptism, which outwardly symbolized cleaning and commitment.  Under the Spirit’s guidance men would know the truth, for He would be their teacher, and He would empower them to live that truth. 

“This is the Son of God v. 34

 

3.   The witness of John the Baptist was based on his personal experience.  “And I have seen”.  He makes it clear that his recognition of Jesus is based on divine illumination. V. 31-34

John proclaimed Who Jesus is and what He has done.

 

4.   When one truly comes to Jesus and the reality of Who He is dawns on them, the response is to run and tell someone else about Who you have found.  The example of the disciples….found his own brother, Simon and brought him to Jesus…Philip found Nathanael and said to him…we have found Him…Jesus v. 45  Come and see v. 46

The witness of the disciples is based on their personal encounters with Jesus 41,45.  These men were willing to come and see and follow Jesus.

CONCLUSION:  The work of a true witness is to invite people to come and see and follow Jesus by POINTING TO HIM AND BY PROCLAIMING the He is the Lamb of God (Who He is) Who takes away the sin of the world (what He does).  Acts 1:8 the primary purpose of the indwelling Holy Spirit is to enable the believer to bear witness to Jesus.  II Cor. 5:18-21. 

 

NOTES…Nathanael was skeptical not believing that Nazareth could produce the Messiah.  Jesus initiates the conversation, looking straight into his heart and finding no deceit.  “under the fig tree” may have been a figure of speech…more likely it refers simply to the place where Philip found him.  He may have been reading the Word.  Nathanael affirmed Who Jesus was!!!  V. 49 … and Jesus said ‘wait till you see the 7 miracle signs which truly bear witness of Who I AM v. 50. 

The reference to “Jacob’s ladder” from the vision of Gen. 28 is instructive.  Now that Christ has come, access to God is through Him alone.