November 15, 2009
Morning Service

St.Jn. 1:19-51

 

Review:

Joh 1:14-18 KJVR  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.  (15)  John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.  (16)  And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.  (17)  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.  (18)  No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

 

Let’s pray:

 

The Witness of John

 

Joh 1:19-51 KJVR  And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 

• Who are thou?  It will help us to see how Matthew describes John the Baptist.
• Mat 3:1-6 KJVR  In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,  (2)  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  (3)  For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.  (4)  And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leather girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.  (5)  Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan,  (6)  And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
• Look at the picture, the people had not heard from a Prophet of God since Malachi, it had been 400 years, and now this man John speaking, and warning as one with authority, comes on the scene, and these people are hungry to hear from God.  God is doing something exciting for His people. 
• We are so blessed in the fact that we can hear from all these great men of God anytime we want to pick up our Bibles, and read.  As we have been bringing forth, we hear from the very Word of God each and every time we take time to read the Word.
• Now remembering that John and Jesus are related, and just 6 months apart in age.  I’ve often wondered if John was with Jesus when he was 12 years old in the temple, Luk 2:46-47 KJVR  And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.  (47)  And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
• The priests, and Levites now ask this man of God, WHO ART THOU?

(20)  And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.  (21)  And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he saith, I am not.

• You see, John didn’t know that he had the spirit of Elijah resting on him, but Jesus did.

Art thou that Prophet? And he answered, No. 

• That Prophet?  This is Moses speaking;  Deu 18:15 KJVR  The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;   That’s the Prophet they were referring too.

(22)  Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?  (23)  He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah.  (24)  And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.  (25)  And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elijah, neither that prophet?  (26)  John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;  (27)  He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.  (28)  These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. 

• Why baptizest thou then?  This is a very good question.  They are actually asking in whose name, or authority are you baptizing.  John was baptizing in the name, or authority of Almighty God, the One who sent him to prepare the way of the Lord.  But of course, many of the religious leaders of that day did not want to believe it.  GOD WAS GETTING READY TO DO SOMETHING MARVELOUS FOR THE WORLD, HE IS INTRODUCING JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.

 

John’s witness at Jesus’ baptism.

(29)  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 

• John had witnessed the spirit, and the life style of Jesus growing up.  A gentle, fair, and concerned man.  And he also had the revelation that God was going to use Jesus as the sacrifice for man’s sin.

(30)  This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. 

• He was before me!!  John knew of Jesus’ divinity as the Word.  Age wise, Jesus was 6months younger than John.  Yet John says He was before me.

(31)  And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.  (32)  And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.  (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. 

• Here again we see the expression ( baptiseth with the Holy Ghost ).  IN THE AUTHORITY OF.

(34)  And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. 

Andrew, and Peter follow Christ.

(35)  Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;  (36)  And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!  (37)  And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 

• And the idea being is why follow some man, when you can follow the Anointed Savior of the world?  Why follow Billy Graham, John Wesley, Charles Stanley, David Jeremiah, why follow any man when you can follow the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.  See how blessed we are?
• Yes, these men were needed to fulfill the 5 fold ministry, and to help bring us to the fullness of Christ, but once that happens, you study your Word, and follow what the Master says.  Not what man says.  It’s like the Apostle Paul said, “you follow me, as I follow Christ”  when man quits following the Word of God, it’s time to get away from him.

(38)  Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?  (39)  He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.  (40)  One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  (41)  He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.  (42)  And he brought him to Jesus.

• Do you see how discipleship works?  ONCE YOU HAVE FOUND THE MESSIAH, THEN YOU LEAD OTHERS TO HIM.

And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. 

Philip and Nathanael follow Christ.

(43)  The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.  (44)  Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  (45)  Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.  (46)  And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.  (47)  Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!  (48)  Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.  (49)  Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.  (50)  Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.  (51)  And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

 

HEAVENLY FATHER, OPEN OUR EYES THAT WE MIGHT SEE THE GLORY OF YOUR SON JESUS, AND HELP US TO DESIRE TO BE HIS VERY CLOSE DISCIPLES.