November 22, 2009
Morning Service

St. Jn. 3:22-36

 

Review:

1.       Last week Jesus told Nicodemus “you must be born again.”  This was hard saying for Nicodemus, but Jesus told him, “you must be born of the water and the Spirit.”  It is much easier for us to comprehend than it was for Nicodemus. 

2.      We have the Word of God to teach us each time we want to open our Bibles, and ask Him.

3.      Last Sunday we also saw how eager some of the people were to follow Jesus.  Once John pointed to Jesus, and said, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”, Andrew immediately began following Jesus, and went and found his brother Peter, and he followed also.  Then Philip, and then his brother Nathanael. 

4.      We finished up last Sunday evening with this being said. 

Joh 3:19-21 KJVR  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  (20)  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.  (21)  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

 

Let’s pray: 

 

Joh 3:22-36 KJVR  After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.  (23)  And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.  (24)  For John was not yet cast into prison.  (25)  Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. 

• PURIFYING?  To make a long story short, to purify something you washed it.  It was a tradition of the Jews. 
• Mar 7:2-5 KJVR  And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.  (3)  For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.  (4)  And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brazen vessels, and of tables.  (5)  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
• Washing also was something a leper had to do, in order to be clean, and healed.  (Lev.14)
• So, what is John saying at his baptism?  
• Mat 3:2 KJVR  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  Mat 3:5-6 KJVR  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.
• So this is something new to these people, having their sins washed away.  Getting ready for the Kingdom of Heaven.
• To these Jews, entrance into the family of God was through circumcision, not baptism as it is in the N.T. covenant.   Act 7:8 KJVR  And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.
• This was long before Moses.  Israel had to spend 400 years in Egypt, then God delivered them by the hand of Moses.

 

So God is getting ready to give the people a new covenant based upon better promises.  Heb 8:6 KJVR  But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

 

(26)  And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

·         So here we see John baptizing with his disciples, and Jesus baptizing with His disciples.

·         This is said by Paul concerning the two baptisms in Acts 19;  Act 19:1-5 KJVR  And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,  (2)  He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.  (3)  And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.  (4)  Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.  (5)  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

·         We are looking here at authority.  John’s baptism did what it was supposed to do, get people to repent, and get ready for the Messiah.  When Jesus came on the scene He took over the authority, John said “I baptize with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost, or the authority of the Holy Ghost. 

·         Now Jesus’ baptism is what admits one into the church, His spiritual body.

·         Jesus gave this commission to His disciples when He said, Mat 28:18-20 KJVR  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  (19)  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of ( or the authority of ) the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  (20)  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

·         You can see readily how the teaching of the Trinity came into existence.

·         You can also see why some carnal Christians argue in what should be said over you when you are baptized.   Because Jesus said this to His disciples, and Matthew relays it to us, and the rest of the examples in the N.T. show that the disciples baptized in Jesus name, in which it means in the authority of.

·        The reason I say this is a carnal argument from carnal Christians is this;  1Co 3:3 KJVR  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

·        Studying the Scriptures is wonderful but don’t wrestle Them to your destruction.  2Pe 3:16 KJVR  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction. 

 

(27)  John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.  (28)  Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.  (29)  He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 

• And who do we think this Bride is?   His church, or spiritual body of believers, His followers.

(30)  He must increase, but I must decrease. 

• The only way to get an Elijah spirited man of the scene is to get him martyred, and he was.

(31)  He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.  (32)  And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. 

• This is just what Jesus told Nicodemus, Joh 3:11-12 KJVR  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.  (12)  If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

(33)  He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.  (34)  For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. 

• All believers have been given a measure of the Spirit, which allows us to believe;  Rom 12:3 KJVR  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

(35)  The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.  (36)  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

 

Are you a Christian this morning, have you confessed at the waters of baptism that you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?  If not, why not come forward this morning, and by coming let God know you want to serve Him, and follow His teachings the rest of your life.