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The Gospel of John, The Presentation of the Object of Belief or The Period of Consideration, John 1:19 to 4:54 - Lesson 6
Outline of this Period-The Period of Consideration A) The Witness of John the Baptist 1:19-34 plus verses 6,7,8,15 B) The Presentation of John's Disciples 1:35-51 C) The Wedding at Cana 2:1-11 D) The Appearance at Jerusalem 2:12-22 E) The Interview with Nicodemus 2:23-3:21 F) The Confession of John the Baptist 3:22-36 G) The Samaritan Woman 4:1-42 H) The Nobleman of Capernaum 4:43-54
The Period of Consideration-narrates certain events where Jesus was presented to the public for their consideration and acceptance.
These events were selected by John, under inspiration, as representative in order that His method of appeal to various classes might be plainly seen and that the reader might be influenced by at least one of them.
A) The Witness of John the Baptist
John 1:6-8,15, John 1:6, There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
John 1:7, The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
John 1:8, He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
John 1:15, 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.
"John" means the gift of God.
1) John the Baptist was both a priest, a prophet and a Nazarite. 2) Three life long Nazarites mentioned in the Bible, Samuel, Sampson, and John the Baptist, no touch dead body, no fruit of the wine, let hair grow long, no cutting. 3) Samuel was the first prophet, John was the last prophet. 4) He was sent from God to bring to the nation of Israel fresh light on the coming of Christ after the darkness of 400 silent years. (Don't go unless you are sent. When you are sent God fully empowers you. When you go un-sent you go without power.) 5) He cast a flood light of truth and expectation on the times, backed by the authority of a life beyond reproach. 6) No one can be sent from God who has not first been with God. John came straight from the presence of God, where he received his authority and power.
See Luke 1:13-17, Answer to Zacharias (John's Father) prayer
This is John's purpose
Luke 1:13-17, But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
See Mark 1:2,3, As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
See Mat 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
John the Baptist guided John the Apostle to Christ and:
A) Prepared the way for Jesus B) Made his paths straight, take out the crooked ways, the stones, the hard places C) A voice, a messenger D) Part of preparation was to prepare the individual for Jesus through repentance and baptism as a symbol of cleansing and purification. E) Got people ready to receive the king F) Preached the kingdom of heaven is at hand G) Came to announce to the world the coming of a king H) As an illustrious person is prepared for, so John was the one who was to prepare the nation, to ready the people for the Lamb of God. I) The proper readiness to receive a person so noble and righteous is one of a repentant and humble spirit. This was John's purpose. To prepare a people ready to receive Christ. J) As an aside groups who tie themselves to John the Baptist and claim their beginnings from him most likely would not be endorsed by John the Baptist were he to speak today. By him saying "He must decrease" implies that his mission had an ending and that his followers were to transfer their loyalty to Jesus Christ. This is another biblical reason against denominationalism.
Question: Why are people Baptists, Methodists, Episcopalians?
John 1:7, The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
As the angel messenger who announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds so is John who came to announce the ministry of Jesus Christ and to ready a people for his coming.
John the Baptist resembled the star guiding the wise men of the east to Christ.
John was sent and he came freely to testify of the Light.
Who needs to be told that the sun is shining?
That the light is on?
That the splendor of the glorious light shines in all its glory?
The Blind!
The spiritually blind!
John was sent to bear witness of the light.
The fallen condition of man required a messenger to witness that here was light visited upon the world.
The light shone in the darkness but the darkness comprehended it not.
The darkness did not know light.
God would not allow his Son to come in the flesh without a herald to announce his coming and to have a prepared people.
John came for a witness. He did not give his own opinion, his ideas, his surmisings or musings or speculations.
He was a witness of what he knew to be true.
That light is come into the world.
Oh, to be able to avail ourselves of that grace of witnessing.
The preacher then is to bear witness of the Light.
The aim of the preacher is to get men and women's eyes off him and on to another.
The Light of Jesus Christ.
Paul said in 1 Cor 1:23, But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
That is the message of the witness.
The theme of witness is prevalent throughout this gospel. A) Comprises the witness of of Father 5:36,37 8:17 B) of the Son 8:14,18 C) of the Spirit 15:26 D) the witness of the works of Christ 5:36, 10:25 E) the witness of the scriptures 5:39 F) the witness of the disciples 15:27 G) John the Apostle's personal witness 19:35, 21:24
The purpose of the witness is stated here in this verse and again repeated in John 20:31
It is interesting to note here that a witness is not the same as an attorney.
A lawyer argues his case, trying to influence people to make the desired decision.
A witness simply is called to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Witnesses are called to testify to what they know, not to try to convince anyone to make a desired decision.
Simply to tell the truth and to let the Holy Spirit take that truth and work his work.
How sad that we try to be the Holy Spirit and do his work of convincing and convicting.
We arm twist and the Holy Spirit heart-twists
verse 7 ending, "that all men through him might believe."
The theme of the book of John-The Gospel of Belief.
God uses men and women, boys and girls.
Note: the "through him" of this verse
God expects to use his witnesses.
He saved you through a witness, now he expects you to be a witness so he may save others through you.
The moon is a witness of the sun's glory.
The dawn is a witness of the rising of the sun.
If God did something for you, you are the best witness of that something.
He saved you and through your witnesss as well as John's he will save others.
This is the program of God.
Announce Jesus and he will draw men and women unto him.
John 1:8, He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
Here we see that John had no light of his own.
Apart from God all is darkness.
Even the believer has no light in himself.
Eph 5:8, For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
The Bible calls your self image what it is, darkness.
Only when you are in the Light can you be of value to God.
John was a lamp not a light.
His source was of another.
A lamp has no inherent light of its own.
John's mission was simply a witness to the Light, a reflector of the Light into another's eyes so they too might see.
John 1:15, 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.
Here John expresses the humility of soul by exalting the Lord.
He is humble, not by thinking lowly thoughts or putting himself down but he becomes humble by thinking on Christ and exalting him to others.
We see here that humility comes not by seeking humility but it comes by service to others, the ultimate service is to Christ.
John knew his mission and was faithful to it and none other.
His mission had a start and an end that God intended and he did not fight God's will.
He lifted up the one whom God had identified and that one in whom God had been well pleased.
Here John identifies the Lord Jesus for whom he was.
He bares witness to his pre-eminence, he is preferred before me.
This ought to be our witness in all things.
John bares witness to the Lord's pre-existence, for he was before me.
John the Baptist spoke as the prophet of the old order about the prophet, priest and king of the new order to Grace and Truth.
Verses 1:19-34, The testimony of the Baptist.
John 1:19, And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? |