John 1:19-34
Yesterday Annie and Evan and I were on our way home from Lifewalk in the morning. I was driving my car and they were following behind me. We passed through an intersection and I was watching them in my rearview mirror because I was nervous about their safety. There were some cars that were looking like they were too anxious to make a left turn and so I was hoping they didn’t pull out in front of Annie. They were fine, and, she followed close behind me.
Well my mind began to wander for a moment and then I looked back in the rearview mirror and her car was gone. She wasn’t following me. We were on a long straight road so I could see back a long way down the road. There weren’t any curves she had to come around from. This is strange because she always tailgates me when she is driving behind me. Oddly, I panicked and thought maybe she didn’t make it through the intersection. No, I saw her. Then I called her and to add to my concern she didn’t pick up.
At this point my theology starts messing with me and I thought the Rapture happened. I was like “Whew!” They’re okay. Wait a minute – why am I still here?! I did a u-turn and turfed some guy’s lawn and went back to the stoplight expecting to see an accident at the light. Did you ever have one of those panics? Well a long story short, the Rapture didn’t happen, she didn’t get lost, and she didn’t get into an accident. She did however see a garage sale sign.
Signs are effective for pointing in the right direction. John the Baptist was like a sign. He pointed people to Jesus Christ. And today we are going to look at his testimony and what he wanted us to look at.
John the Baptist was born to Elizabeth who had not been able to have children her whole life and was well beyond the years of having children. His father was a priest, Zacharias. Elizabeth was cousins with the Virgin Mary, who became pregnant with Jesus 6 months after Elizabeth became pregnant with John the Baptist.
We know nothing of John’s childhood except that he lived in the deserts until he began his ministry at 29 years old. It’s interesting to note here the setting. John is in the desert, a dry land where no life grows. Matthew’s gospel tells us he was wearing clothing made from camel’s hair and he ate locusts. He was living in incredibly humble circumstances. No fine restaurants, no suits and ties, no high-rise penthouse. Nothing.
Everything about his circumstances was a symbol of the spiritual condition of Israel. They were a spiritual desert, poorly clothed and eating spiritual Ramen noodles. They thought they were well off. They had the Law, they had the temple, etc. They had the oral tradition and so on. They thought they were in great shape. But what they thought they were and what they actually were, was two different things.
It reminds us of Jesus’ words to the Laodecian church in Revelation chapter 3, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.” Thought they were rich, but, they were poor in God’s eyes.
And so here is John the Baptist, his desert home, his raggedy clothes, his meager meals, symbolizing the spiritual poverty of Israel. And yet, his very presence reminds Israel that God has not abandoned them. Four hundred years of prophetic silence has ended, and in the midst of poverty here comes John the Baptist with the riches of his message that are going to make Israel spiritually rich again in their Messiah. He was the witness to the light of Jesus Christ that is dawning in the world. Here he is baptizing in water, to point them to the Living Water that was to follow him.
And so according to Luke 3:2 the word of the Lord came to John while he was in the desert, and John then went into all the countryside around the Jordan preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And large crowds of people from Jerusalem and all over Judea and the district around the Jordan flocked to hear his message.
His message was simple: He told them in Matthew 3:2, “Repent for the kingdom is near”. And as the massive crowds heard him preach it says in Mark 1 that all the people were confessing their sins and being baptized by John in the Jordan River.
It didn’t take long before the Jews in Jerusalem would hear of John and would come to inspect. When John mentions the phrase Jews, here and in the rest of his gospel, he means the religious authorities in Jerusalem. So a team of priests and Levites were sent out to interrogate John and find out who he was.
John’s Identification
So we see in verses 19-23 John’s Identification of Himself. “Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, ‘I am not the Christ.’ They asked him, ‘Then who are you? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ Finally they said, ‘Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’ John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’’”
So the Jews ask him if he is Christ, if he is Elijah, and if he is the Prophet. He says no to all three. Who are these three people?
First of all the Christ. Christ is a Greek word which means the same thing as the Hebrew word Messiah, both mean the “Anointed One.” Priests and kings were anointed in the OT to set them apart for special purposes for God. Through the Scriptures, the Jews began to realize God was going to send a promised One, a Savior to the nation of Israel.
By the time John the Baptist came, they had heard nothing from God for 400 years – no prophets, no oracles, no visions, no nothing. Many were fervently expecting Messiah, the Savior, to come and free them from the political oppression of Rome and restore the nation to glory. And so now, many were thinking John was perhaps the Christ, and the antennas of the Jews went right up. But John says, “I am not the Christ.”
Second, they ask John if he is Elijah. Elijah was a great OT prophet who, according to 2 Kings 2, was taken up to heaven in chariots and horses of fire. The Jews believed that just before the Messiah would come, Elijah would return. This was based on Malachi 4:5, “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.” Many Jews today when doing a Passover Seder will leave an open place at their table for Elijah. The Jews wanted to know if John the Baptist was Elijah who had returned. John says plainly, “I am not.”
However, we must note that in Matthew 17, Jesus says something that seems to conflict with this. Jesus says, “’But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.” John says he is not Elijah, and Jesus said he was. What do we do when Scripture seems to be confusing? We allow Scripture to clear it up. Now this is cleared up when we realize that John the Baptist was not Elijah in body, but that he was Elijah-like. According to Luke chapter 1, verse 17, John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah - he was not actually Elijah himself. He was Elijah-like.
And finally they ask the Baptist if he is the Prophet. This was based on the Scripture in Deuteronomy 18:15-18. Moses said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. The Lord said to me: ‘I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.” This Prophet he is talking about is the Messiah. The Prophet Moses spoke of and the coming Messiah are the same person, just different titles. John the Baptist says, “I’m not him.”
At this point the Jews have figured out who John the Baptist is not. You might imagine their frustration with John’s short and non-explanatory answers. So, in their impatience with this prophet they say in verse 22, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
John responds by quoting Isaiah. “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” All four gospels record this quote from the prophet Isaiah to identify John the Baptist. John was the one making straight the way for the Lord.
But what does that mean? It was common that when a king was coming to a city or a village that the rough terrain leading to the place would be made smooth so the arrival would not be obstructed. It was to show that he was expected, and anticipated and waited for. It was to show that they were ready to receive him when he arrived.
The purpose of the Baptist was to prepare the way for the Israelites to receive their Messiah. He was the forerunner to announce His coming, to reveal the Christ to the nation of Israel.
John’s Ministry (verses 24-28)
The Pharisees weren’t done with John though. They are a powerful religious sect that maintains a strict adherence to the Law and the oral traditions. They, along with the leaders back in Jerusalem want to know who John is and what he is doing.
They ask him why he is baptizing if he is not the Christ, Elijah or the Prophet. Baptism wasn’t foreign to the Jews. Throughout their history, whenever a Gentile wanted to convert to Judaism, as part of the process they would be baptized with water. The shocking thing here though is that John is baptizing Jews! The Jews believed they were already the chosen people, the kingdom people, the people of God because they were born Jews ………..they were the people who had the Law and the prophets.
John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People came to hear him preach, they confessed their sins and turned away from them, and as a symbol of that they were baptized. John was doing this baptism to Jews to prepare them to receive their Messiah who was coming shortly after him. He was paving the way in their hearts by his preaching and baptizing so they would be ready for Christ when He came.
The Direction of John
The Lamb of God. This is yet another of the many title’s given to Jesus in this first chapter. And of all the title’s, I think that this one has to mean the most. Without subtracting any of the significance of any of the other titles, I must say that this one has to be the most important. Especially to the Jews.
They were very familiar with the significance of a lamb. They would remember Abraham and Isaac and how God told Abraham that he would provide a lamb for the sacrifice. And their lives revolved around the Law and sacrifices. A lamb was sacrificed every day in the morning and in the evening as burnt offerings for sin. A lamb is sacrificed at Passover and the blood is sprinkled on the doorposts. In Isaiah 53 the Messiah is portrayed as a lamb to be slaughtered. In verse 7 it says, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” And Hebrews 10 says that Jesus is the Lamb of God who ended all sacrifices with the sacrifice of his own body. No more sacrifice for sins is necessary because as verse 12 says, “this priest offered for all time one sacrifice for sins”.
Jesus is the Lamb of God. He is the One who takes away the sin of the world. His payment for sins is the only acceptable payment. This is an important point. When John says “Look!” he is shouting it to the massive crowds who are surrounding him. They have been hearing John say things like, “A man who is coming after me has surpassed me because he was before me. I did not know him, but the reason I came to baptize all of you who confess and repent is so that he – HE – might be revealed.” So he has been building all this anticipation and everyone is asking who is John the Baptist? And their also asking, “Who is this One who is to come after John?”
And now here comes Jesus and they get to see him in the flesh for the first time. This is important, when Jesus approaches and John sees him He shouts for everyone to look at Jesus and what does he say? “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” In other words the first thing you must know is that in order to know God you must have your sins taken away. He is the One who takes them away.
John continues his testimony. He says he saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Jesus. This is recorded in each gospel. The baptism and the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus are recorded in all 4 gospels. This is important because remember over 90% of what John wrote was not in the other gospels. So, while he was aware that Matthew, Mark, and Luke all wrote about these things too, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit John thought it was important that we read it again.
Jesus receiving the Holy Spirit from heaven is important because He is the One by whom we can receive the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:33, the apostle Peter says, “Jesus is exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.” And in Ephesians 1:13 the Apostle Paul says, “you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit”.
Here’s the point. Jesus received from the Father the Holy Spirit and when we believe in Jesus we receive the Holy Spirit. We are baptized with the Holy Spirit. “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit” God told John. We are baptized in the Spirit and our sin is washed away when we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. This doesn’t happen any other way. The most moral and respectable people you know have the complete absence of the Holy Spirit if they do not believe in Christ. Their sins have not been taken away. They are not a child of God.
Let’s finish with some application:
Be prepared to give an answer (v. 20-23). When John came and ministered, the Jews wanted to know who he was. People paid attention to him and he pointed all of that attention to Jesus Christ. He was prepared to give an answer that turned people to Christ.
In 1 Peter 3:15 we are told to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have.” When you are living your life for Christ the world will pay attention. They will ask you who you are, and why you are the way you are. You will draw attention to yourself because light contrasts against darkness. Stars stand out against the night sky. Your life, when lived in Christ, will stand out. And just as John the Baptist was ready to point to Christ when they came inquiring, so too we are to be ready to point people to the Savior.
Humility before God is necessary for becoming a great Christian. John the Baptist was the greatest man in history. But he was humble because he always kept himself in proper perspective. “I am not worthy to untie the thongs of Jesus Christ’s sandals” he said. I’m not worthy to do the most insignificant task for Him. He is so worthy, I don’t even deserve to be associated with Him in any way.
As significant as we may be among men, we are utterly insignificant compared to the worth of Jesus Christ. We are not worthy to untie His sandals, yet, He got down and washed the disciples feet. He laid down on a cross while they nailed His hands and feet. The Holy and Majestic Son of God took my shame on Himself. He was treated as unworthy so that now I am treated as worthy. I was given God’s love, I didn’t pay for it. I was given salvation, I didn’t pay for it. I was given eternal life, I didn’t pay for it. Be humble before God.
Also, when you stop seeking self-significance and seek Christ’s significance, you will find true purpose and joy (1:23; 3:29-30). Jesus Christ did not send His Son to give a person personal meaning and significance any more than He did to make us rich and healthy. It’s a self-centered attitude, and we are to be Christ-centered. His purposes are ours. He is not confused about His purpose, so neither should we.
Once we seek His significance, we will begin to experience true joy. John the Baptist did. In chapter 3 John was ministering close by to Jesus. (Read verses 26-30). The point is that John’s church was getting smaller while Jesus’ was getting bigger. But he wasn’t afraid. He wasn’t jealous. His purpose in life wasn’t disappearing because his followers were going over to Jesus. His purpose was being fulfilled because of it. And he said that he is full of joy because of it.
Jesus purpose is that people would come to Him for salvation. Are people seeing Jesus through your life? Are they given the opportunity to see the Son of God in your godly conduct? In your witness? He must become greater in our lives, and we – WE – must become less. We seek Christ’s significance and not our own.
Has the road to your heart been made straight and level to receive Jesus Christ? Just like John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way so the nation of Israel could receive the Savior, so also, I am preaching to you today so you can receive the same Savior. The same Lamb of God, the same eternal Word, the same Son of God, the same Jesus Christ that John preached is who I am preaching to you. And the same eternal life and forgiveness of sins that He gave then is the same eternal life and forgiveness of sins He will give you today. Are you ready to receive Him? Is your heart ready to trust Him? He will forgive your sins and give you eternal life if you do.
Believers: are you ready for your Savior when He returns? Is your life a rocky, uneven, and crooked road? Or is it a straight and even road for His return? Philippians says we eagerly expect our Savior from heaven. At the end of the book of Revelation Jesus Christ says 3 times, “Behold I am coming soon!” This is an attitude of anticipation; of longing and looking. Colossians says, “Set your hearts on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above not on earthly things. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” It’s also reflected in an obedient and worshipful lifestyle. Our statement of faith says “We believe in the imminent, personal, pre-tribulation and pre-millennial coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that this blessed hope has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer”. Because He said He is going to return, we look for His return and we live for His return.
John the Baptist was a sign pointing to Christ. We too are signs. Our walk and our words are testimonies to our Savior, pointing people to Him.
Yesterday Annie and Evan and I were on our way home from Lifewalk in the morning. I was driving my car and they were following behind me. We passed through an intersection and I was watching them in my rearview mirror because I was nervous about their safety. There were some cars that were looking like they were too anxious to make a left turn and so I was hoping they didn’t pull out in front of Annie. They were fine, and, she followed close behind me.
Well my mind began to wander for a moment and then I looked back in the rearview mirror and her car was gone. She wasn’t following me. We were on a long straight road so I could see back a long way down the road. There weren’t any curves she had to come around from. This is strange because she always tailgates me when she is driving behind me. Oddly, I panicked and thought maybe she didn’t make it through the intersection. No, I saw her. Then I called her and to add to my concern she didn’t pick up.
At this point my theology starts messing with me and I thought the Rapture happened. I was like “Whew!” They’re okay. Wait a minute – why am I still here?! I did a u-turn and turfed some guy’s lawn and went back to the stoplight expecting to see an accident at the light. Did you ever have one of those panics? Well a long story short, the Rapture didn’t happen, she didn’t get lost, and she didn’t get into an accident. She did however see a garage sale sign.
Signs are effective for pointing in the right direction. John the Baptist was like a sign. He pointed people to Jesus Christ. And today we are going to look at his testimony and what he wanted us to look at.
John the Baptist was born to Elizabeth who had not been able to have children her whole life and was well beyond the years of having children. His father was a priest, Zacharias. Elizabeth was cousins with the Virgin Mary, who became pregnant with Jesus 6 months after Elizabeth became pregnant with John the Baptist.
We know nothing of John’s childhood except that he lived in the deserts until he began his ministry at 29 years old. It’s interesting to note here the setting. John is in the desert, a dry land where no life grows. Matthew’s gospel tells us he was wearing clothing made from camel’s hair and he ate locusts. He was living in incredibly humble circumstances. No fine restaurants, no suits and ties, no high-rise penthouse. Nothing.
Everything about his circumstances was a symbol of the spiritual condition of Israel. They were a spiritual desert, poorly clothed and eating spiritual Ramen noodles. They thought they were well off. They had the Law, they had the temple, etc. They had the oral tradition and so on. They thought they were in great shape. But what they thought they were and what they actually were, was two different things.
It reminds us of Jesus’ words to the Laodecian church in Revelation chapter 3, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.” Thought they were rich, but, they were poor in God’s eyes.
And so here is John the Baptist, his desert home, his raggedy clothes, his meager meals, symbolizing the spiritual poverty of Israel. And yet, his very presence reminds Israel that God has not abandoned them. Four hundred years of prophetic silence has ended, and in the midst of poverty here comes John the Baptist with the riches of his message that are going to make Israel spiritually rich again in their Messiah. He was the witness to the light of Jesus Christ that is dawning in the world. Here he is baptizing in water, to point them to the Living Water that was to follow him.
And so according to Luke 3:2 the word of the Lord came to John while he was in the desert, and John then went into all the countryside around the Jordan preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And large crowds of people from Jerusalem and all over Judea and the district around the Jordan flocked to hear his message.
His message was simple: He told them in Matthew 3:2, “Repent for the kingdom is near”. And as the massive crowds heard him preach it says in Mark 1 that all the people were confessing their sins and being baptized by John in the Jordan River.
It didn’t take long before the Jews in Jerusalem would hear of John and would come to inspect. When John mentions the phrase Jews, here and in the rest of his gospel, he means the religious authorities in Jerusalem. So a team of priests and Levites were sent out to interrogate John and find out who he was.
John’s Identification
So we see in verses 19-23 John’s Identification of Himself. “Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, ‘I am not the Christ.’ They asked him, ‘Then who are you? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ Finally they said, ‘Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’ John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’’”
So the Jews ask him if he is Christ, if he is Elijah, and if he is the Prophet. He says no to all three. Who are these three people?
First of all the Christ. Christ is a Greek word which means the same thing as the Hebrew word Messiah, both mean the “Anointed One.” Priests and kings were anointed in the OT to set them apart for special purposes for God. Through the Scriptures, the Jews began to realize God was going to send a promised One, a Savior to the nation of Israel.
By the time John the Baptist came, they had heard nothing from God for 400 years – no prophets, no oracles, no visions, no nothing. Many were fervently expecting Messiah, the Savior, to come and free them from the political oppression of Rome and restore the nation to glory. And so now, many were thinking John was perhaps the Christ, and the antennas of the Jews went right up. But John says, “I am not the Christ.”
Second, they ask John if he is Elijah. Elijah was a great OT prophet who, according to 2 Kings 2, was taken up to heaven in chariots and horses of fire. The Jews believed that just before the Messiah would come, Elijah would return. This was based on Malachi 4:5, “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.” Many Jews today when doing a Passover Seder will leave an open place at their table for Elijah. The Jews wanted to know if John the Baptist was Elijah who had returned. John says plainly, “I am not.”
However, we must note that in Matthew 17, Jesus says something that seems to conflict with this. Jesus says, “’But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.” John says he is not Elijah, and Jesus said he was. What do we do when Scripture seems to be confusing? We allow Scripture to clear it up. Now this is cleared up when we realize that John the Baptist was not Elijah in body, but that he was Elijah-like. According to Luke chapter 1, verse 17, John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah - he was not actually Elijah himself. He was Elijah-like.
And finally they ask the Baptist if he is the Prophet. This was based on the Scripture in Deuteronomy 18:15-18. Moses said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. The Lord said to me: ‘I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.” This Prophet he is talking about is the Messiah. The Prophet Moses spoke of and the coming Messiah are the same person, just different titles. John the Baptist says, “I’m not him.”
At this point the Jews have figured out who John the Baptist is not. You might imagine their frustration with John’s short and non-explanatory answers. So, in their impatience with this prophet they say in verse 22, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
John responds by quoting Isaiah. “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” All four gospels record this quote from the prophet Isaiah to identify John the Baptist. John was the one making straight the way for the Lord.
But what does that mean? It was common that when a king was coming to a city or a village that the rough terrain leading to the place would be made smooth so the arrival would not be obstructed. It was to show that he was expected, and anticipated and waited for. It was to show that they were ready to receive him when he arrived.
The purpose of the Baptist was to prepare the way for the Israelites to receive their Messiah. He was the forerunner to announce His coming, to reveal the Christ to the nation of Israel.
John’s Ministry (verses 24-28)
The Pharisees weren’t done with John though. They are a powerful religious sect that maintains a strict adherence to the Law and the oral traditions. They, along with the leaders back in Jerusalem want to know who John is and what he is doing.
They ask him why he is baptizing if he is not the Christ, Elijah or the Prophet. Baptism wasn’t foreign to the Jews. Throughout their history, whenever a Gentile wanted to convert to Judaism, as part of the process they would be baptized with water. The shocking thing here though is that John is baptizing Jews! The Jews believed they were already the chosen people, the kingdom people, the people of God because they were born Jews ………..they were the people who had the Law and the prophets.
John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People came to hear him preach, they confessed their sins and turned away from them, and as a symbol of that they were baptized. John was doing this baptism to Jews to prepare them to receive their Messiah who was coming shortly after him. He was paving the way in their hearts by his preaching and baptizing so they would be ready for Christ when He came.
The Direction of John
The Lamb of God. This is yet another of the many title’s given to Jesus in this first chapter. And of all the title’s, I think that this one has to mean the most. Without subtracting any of the significance of any of the other titles, I must say that this one has to be the most important. Especially to the Jews.
They were very familiar with the significance of a lamb. They would remember Abraham and Isaac and how God told Abraham that he would provide a lamb for the sacrifice. And their lives revolved around the Law and sacrifices. A lamb was sacrificed every day in the morning and in the evening as burnt offerings for sin. A lamb is sacrificed at Passover and the blood is sprinkled on the doorposts. In Isaiah 53 the Messiah is portrayed as a lamb to be slaughtered. In verse 7 it says, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” And Hebrews 10 says that Jesus is the Lamb of God who ended all sacrifices with the sacrifice of his own body. No more sacrifice for sins is necessary because as verse 12 says, “this priest offered for all time one sacrifice for sins”.
Jesus is the Lamb of God. He is the One who takes away the sin of the world. His payment for sins is the only acceptable payment. This is an important point. When John says “Look!” he is shouting it to the massive crowds who are surrounding him. They have been hearing John say things like, “A man who is coming after me has surpassed me because he was before me. I did not know him, but the reason I came to baptize all of you who confess and repent is so that he – HE – might be revealed.” So he has been building all this anticipation and everyone is asking who is John the Baptist? And their also asking, “Who is this One who is to come after John?”
And now here comes Jesus and they get to see him in the flesh for the first time. This is important, when Jesus approaches and John sees him He shouts for everyone to look at Jesus and what does he say? “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” In other words the first thing you must know is that in order to know God you must have your sins taken away. He is the One who takes them away.
John continues his testimony. He says he saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Jesus. This is recorded in each gospel. The baptism and the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus are recorded in all 4 gospels. This is important because remember over 90% of what John wrote was not in the other gospels. So, while he was aware that Matthew, Mark, and Luke all wrote about these things too, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit John thought it was important that we read it again.
Jesus receiving the Holy Spirit from heaven is important because He is the One by whom we can receive the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:33, the apostle Peter says, “Jesus is exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.” And in Ephesians 1:13 the Apostle Paul says, “you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit”.
Here’s the point. Jesus received from the Father the Holy Spirit and when we believe in Jesus we receive the Holy Spirit. We are baptized with the Holy Spirit. “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit” God told John. We are baptized in the Spirit and our sin is washed away when we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. This doesn’t happen any other way. The most moral and respectable people you know have the complete absence of the Holy Spirit if they do not believe in Christ. Their sins have not been taken away. They are not a child of God.
Let’s finish with some application:
Be prepared to give an answer (v. 20-23). When John came and ministered, the Jews wanted to know who he was. People paid attention to him and he pointed all of that attention to Jesus Christ. He was prepared to give an answer that turned people to Christ.
In 1 Peter 3:15 we are told to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have.” When you are living your life for Christ the world will pay attention. They will ask you who you are, and why you are the way you are. You will draw attention to yourself because light contrasts against darkness. Stars stand out against the night sky. Your life, when lived in Christ, will stand out. And just as John the Baptist was ready to point to Christ when they came inquiring, so too we are to be ready to point people to the Savior.
Humility before God is necessary for becoming a great Christian. John the Baptist was the greatest man in history. But he was humble because he always kept himself in proper perspective. “I am not worthy to untie the thongs of Jesus Christ’s sandals” he said. I’m not worthy to do the most insignificant task for Him. He is so worthy, I don’t even deserve to be associated with Him in any way.
As significant as we may be among men, we are utterly insignificant compared to the worth of Jesus Christ. We are not worthy to untie His sandals, yet, He got down and washed the disciples feet. He laid down on a cross while they nailed His hands and feet. The Holy and Majestic Son of God took my shame on Himself. He was treated as unworthy so that now I am treated as worthy. I was given God’s love, I didn’t pay for it. I was given salvation, I didn’t pay for it. I was given eternal life, I didn’t pay for it. Be humble before God.
Also, when you stop seeking self-significance and seek Christ’s significance, you will find true purpose and joy (1:23; 3:29-30). Jesus Christ did not send His Son to give a person personal meaning and significance any more than He did to make us rich and healthy. It’s a self-centered attitude, and we are to be Christ-centered. His purposes are ours. He is not confused about His purpose, so neither should we.
Once we seek His significance, we will begin to experience true joy. John the Baptist did. In chapter 3 John was ministering close by to Jesus. (Read verses 26-30). The point is that John’s church was getting smaller while Jesus’ was getting bigger. But he wasn’t afraid. He wasn’t jealous. His purpose in life wasn’t disappearing because his followers were going over to Jesus. His purpose was being fulfilled because of it. And he said that he is full of joy because of it.
Jesus purpose is that people would come to Him for salvation. Are people seeing Jesus through your life? Are they given the opportunity to see the Son of God in your godly conduct? In your witness? He must become greater in our lives, and we – WE – must become less. We seek Christ’s significance and not our own.
Has the road to your heart been made straight and level to receive Jesus Christ? Just like John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way so the nation of Israel could receive the Savior, so also, I am preaching to you today so you can receive the same Savior. The same Lamb of God, the same eternal Word, the same Son of God, the same Jesus Christ that John preached is who I am preaching to you. And the same eternal life and forgiveness of sins that He gave then is the same eternal life and forgiveness of sins He will give you today. Are you ready to receive Him? Is your heart ready to trust Him? He will forgive your sins and give you eternal life if you do.
Believers: are you ready for your Savior when He returns? Is your life a rocky, uneven, and crooked road? Or is it a straight and even road for His return? Philippians says we eagerly expect our Savior from heaven. At the end of the book of Revelation Jesus Christ says 3 times, “Behold I am coming soon!” This is an attitude of anticipation; of longing and looking. Colossians says, “Set your hearts on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above not on earthly things. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” It’s also reflected in an obedient and worshipful lifestyle. Our statement of faith says “We believe in the imminent, personal, pre-tribulation and pre-millennial coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that this blessed hope has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer”. Because He said He is going to return, we look for His return and we live for His return.
John the Baptist was a sign pointing to Christ. We too are signs. Our walk and our words are testimonies to our Savior, pointing people to Him.
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